DBA Post Mongol Russian

 It's not often that I work on figures just for me.  And when I do start projects I only work on them a little at a time.  I finally finished this DBA post Mongol Russian army after starting it about six months ago.  Well, it's origin go back even further as I had painted many of the elements years ago but didn't like how they turned out.  So I stripped and repainted several of the figures. 

 The figures themselves are 15mm Essex.  They are mounted on Litko wooden bases.  The flags and banners are all hand made from sheet brass.  I've used paper before but I like the idea of metal banners for metal figures.  To the right are two cavalry elements.  The fellow in green, pointing the way with his sword is what I will use for the general of this army. 

 The next set of photos are my interpretation of the Russian Gulay Gorod or "walking fort".  This was completely scratch built based on a small bit of research I did.  I'm not sure how entirely accurate it is but it looks cool none the less.  In DBA terms this would be a war wagon or WWg.  Yes, I know it's mounted on a 40mm square so it's not legal with the current version of DBA.  But I am anticipating that the new version, 3.0, will go with 40mm square basing for these element types.  Below this photo is another of what is going on behind the wall. 

 More than likely this will be the camp for the army most of the time. 

 Next are some of the cavalry elements for this army.  This is definitely a cavalry heavy army.  All shields are hand painted, for better or worse. 

 To the right are some light horse elements.  These are Mongols who are employed by the native Russians. 

And finally are the foot elements of the army.  A psiloi, a bow, and a spear.  Not much but enough to keep your opponent honest.  Of course, the list itself only calls for 12 elements total but I built the army to be able to employ all army building options.  Oh and a few more final notes.  The grass is Gale Force 9 "straw" and the snow is Sweet and Low.  Or Skinny and Sweet or whatever you call that stuff.  Now I just need to keep the ants away. 

Until next time,
Ken

Goblins away!!

 This week's update is a two part posting.  The first part are these Goblins.  They are Games Workshop plastic figures.  Well, not all are plastic but most are.  The squigs and their herders as well as the champion with his foot on a dwarf head are metal. 

 I am not a fan of plastic figures.  To me they just aren't as crisp in detail and the "heft" of them is something that bothers me.  Having said that, though, I do find I quite like these figures.  I have painted other GW plastics and to my mind they seem to get it right.  The detail is good and the variety they offer is excellent.  For weight, well, I can always weigh down the bases if it really bothers me. 

These figures will be winging their way to their owner very soon.  But I wanted to share a few photos first. 

 I hope you enjoy....

Ken

Apologies All Around

 First of all, let me start by apologizing for the extreme lack of updates.  I could give all sorts of excuse for this.  I have had some legitimate health concerns but mostly it's because I don't spend much time on the computer.  I will try to be better about updating but I won't make any promises. 


This week I have a few pictures of miniatures I've recently finished.  First up are some 28mm Border Reivers.  These are 28mm figures from Craven Images, distributed by Monolith Designs.  The figures are nicely done and paint up quite well.  This is only the first six figures of a much larger commission.  I will post more images as I get more figures completed.  For those who don't know, the Border Reivers were a group of individuals who prowled the border area between Scotland and England.  They appear to have been ruffians, scoundrels, and other ner do wells who raided and plundered for a living.  Of course, both England and Scotland employed them as scouts and light cavalry for their armies. 

These figures marks a first for me as I have never painted any renaissance types before.  I quite like them. 

 Next we have some 8th army British from World War Two.  These figures are also a first for me as they are the first 10mm figures I've painted.  I'm not sure of the manufacturer but I believe that they are Magister Millitum?  The owner did tell me, once, but I can't remember.  They are nice figures for their size.  Interestingly, there has been some talk of smaller size figures becoming more popular as you can get more for you money.  With the economic slump this may be an important factor for some.  Time will tell I suppose.

For those not familiar, the British 8th army was the designation for their army that fought in the North African desert in World War Two.  These were the lads who fought against the German Afrika Korps and their Italian allies. 

Thank you for looking.  Until next time...

Ken

World War Two Soviets

Up this week are some 28mm Soviet Russian infantry of World War Two. The figures came organized into groups so I'm afraid I don't know the manufacturer(s). However, I do think I recognize some Artizan figures.

What you are looking at is a squad of soldiers. They are an eleven man squad with a squad leader, armed with a PPSH-41 smg, a LMG gunner and ammo carrier, and the rest armed with Mosin Nagant rifles. Equipment wise, they are not carrying a whole lot. A bag, a water bottle, and a great coat over the shoulder. A few have an entrenching tool. Thus far they have all been nice figures to paint.

This is part of a much larger commission and I will post more pictures as I get more complete.

I've been pretty lax about posting pictures. I am gong to try and post something every friday, if possible.

Until next time,

Ken

DBA Hittites

I do, occasionally, get to paint a few miniatures for myself in between commissions. While I have many projects for myself, I find that DBA armies suit me best. I do like DBA and enjoy the simplicity of it. Although I am not a great player and lose more often than not. So I suppose the simplicity is in the learning to play, not in how well to play.

Seen here is a Hittite army. (I/24b) The miniatures are 15mm Essex and the army is an Essex army pack. Some people don't like Essex sculpts and have problems with their horses. But I like their line of figures and I really enjoy the horses for the way they paint up. I may not be historically accurate with colors and patterns but it looks good to me. The bases are Litko. I did paint up an extra element of spears as I needed something to do with all the extra chariot riders that were provided.

If you like this army and are interested in purchasing it, I can be persuaded to sell it. Contact me at Ken@bluemoosearts.com .

Until next time...

Ken

15mm WW2 Germans

I get many requests to paint World War Two figures and vehicles. I don't know if it's the " Flames of War" effect or if it's just a very popular period. Of all the nationalities I've paint by far the Germans are the ones I get the most requests for. Maybe it's because of how they performed, historically, or maybe it's because of the interesting vehicles and artillery. Or maybe it's just because in the European theater they were the enemy of just about everyone. For a painter like me, the army was certainly colorful and varied.

Here I am showing Battlefront's miniatures, mostly. The Kublewagon is a Peter Pig piece. All were airbrushed and then the details picked out with a brush.

This commission heads out to Florida, tomorrow. There are many more vehicles in the commission but I thought I would share a few.

Ken

French Napoleonics

For this update things have a decidedly French tone.
And a Napoleonic one at that. I have three Napoleonic commissions going but the first two are both French.


First up are some AB miniatures. They are marked as 15mm although they do seem a bit big compared to other makers.

They are very well sculpted and they paint up well enough. You had better have an eye for detail, however, as the AB figures are very detailed indeed.

The figures showing are from a Legere battalion. Above is an artillery limber team. I have many more units to paint for this commission.

The next French commission was a unit of Middle Guard. I"m not sure of the maker of the figures but they are very well done. Again, these are 15mm and a very nice unit to paint.

Which brings me to a comment. I do like the Napoleonic era. The uniforms are colorful and there is no shortage of nationalities to model. But the figures do take longer to paint and to research. There is also the pressure to "get it right" as there are a great deal of uniform experts who will tell you that "the third regiment of foot traded in their white pom poms for chartreuse ones during the great Slobenia revolt, March of 1809. Of course they quickly switched to lavender when the regiment lost it's eagle, April 15, 1810. " I do the best I can but there comes a time in research when enough is enough and I have to put the paint to the metal. So if you ever decide to retain me for a Napoleonic commission be sure to provide some uniform details. Otherwise you will just have to trust me that I get the uniform right.

Until next time....