Late Roman Watchtower

Hello again guys,

Almost a month since my last post... I will update the blog soon with some historics and Warhammer minis from these past few weeks. But this time a Western Roman Empire Watchtower from Grand Manner. I painted it a year ago, and I am quite pleased with the finished result and of course with the quality of the resin of this manufacturer... its pricey, even more when you order outside the UK, but well, it worths it 
It may be a center piece for any late antiquity or Dark Age gaming table, Saga or Impetus or Hail Caesar

I painted with Tamiya paints with my airbrush, the basecoat and highlights, after the airbursh work I used Vallejo and Citadel to paint all the details before the washes with oil paints, fading the colours and making some streaking grime in vertical surfaces.

After that, all the drybrush process, different shades of greys and beiges in the stones and shingles in the roof, and all the details highlighted.

Hope you like it !

work in progress

FINISHED!

28mm Spanish Dragoons, 30 Years War.

 Hello Gentlemen, 

I present you dismounted Spanish dragoons, painted some time ago. The unit is Tercio de Dragones of D. Pedro de Santacilia, the first peninsular regiment of dragoons sent to the Army of Cardinal Infante in Germany, during the Thirty Years War.. These would have been present in battle of Nordlingen in 1634, where the Spanish and Imperial armies triumphed over the Swedish-Protestant army of Gustav Horn and Saxe Weimar.

The miniatures are excellent Bicorne ECW range in 28mm but there is a single Horcata Miniatures foot dragoon too. I tried to spend a good amount of time on each figure, because they are based individually (Dragoons in those times fought in skirmish order,, although not always). I use them for large battles, but due to the individual bases, I can use them in skirmish games like "Encamisada" from Liber Militum Tercios. 

The full unit, based and ready to fight ! The banner is a red guidon, typical of Spanish cavalry and Dragoons, with Catholic iconography and a Burgundian Cross of Saint Andrew.

the "Capitán"

Ensign

Drummer

some more pics of the dragoons

I hope you like them!! 

Cheers.

Sassanid Iranian horse archers for Impetus

Hello friends,

Now I bring you some more Late Antiquity miniatures, cavalry of Sassanid Persia. I already have a Sassanid army, base for Basic Impetus, and I needed light cavalry, apart from all those fancy cataphracts. 

The miniatures themselves are from Gripping Beast (riders) and Aventine (horses). I like the sculpts a lot, (much more than Gripping Beast's plastics...)  The colours I used are completely concjetural... like most Sassanid colours depicted in several illustrations out there. For the base, I wanted a more desertic look than my usual bases, although, I made a mistake and you can notice the horse base just under the sun, but I do not mind at all.

The unit is very versatile, because I can use them in their Sassanid army, but also could serve as mercenaries or eastern foederati in late Roman or Byzantine armies, specially in Belisarius army, who used Sassanid cavalry in the war against the Ostrogoths in Italy.

I hope you like this little update.

Cheers!

Tercio "abanderado" (or flag bearer)

Hello again friends,

Today I bring you a single figure, a "heroic" 28 or 32 mm flag bearer,  the miniature is " Don Pedro" from Spanish brand "Tercio Creativo",  here you can see some of their miniatures: http://www.terciocreativo.com/tienda/index.php/1650/nuevo-orden-c-22_1?page=4&sort=5a&osCsid=b54ea1061096162f63d82d4a5a5c98a4

Although I don´t play their fantasy skirmish game (set in an alternate XVII c. world) some of their miniatures are suitable for historical games. 

I bought the standard bearer for my 30 years war army, or for later conflicts maybe 1650-1660...or even later as a militia unit flag bearer. It is based individually, so I can use him for games like "Encamisada", "Donnybrook" etc.

It is a big miniature, but does not look out of place in comparison with other historical brands of 28mm figures, because is a big (fat) man, with a large cloak, so the difference in size is justified.

I tried to use a brownish and greyish palette to paint him,  using different shades of browns, typical of the period (unless you were rich!), and the white flag with red Burgundian Cross, so Spanish, you can not use this miniature for other nations unless you cut the flag pole, but I do not recommend...

I hope you like it.

Firelock Games Miniatures review

Hello all,

I received last week my first Kickstarter order, from Firelock Games' Blood & Plunder games.
I bought me just some miniatures, I am not interested (yet) in the rules, although I have heard only good things about them.

I ordered the European Militia box, and some Dutch militiamen. I want them for my mid to late XVII c. Spanish army.

The miniatures, in general terms, are well sculpted and the proportions are correct Imho...  The thing I don´t like is the 20mm round base cast on them, but it is not a big problem.

They are digitally sculpted, and you easily notice it. I prefer the "traditional" way, but they are good miniatures.


Dutch musketeers, I find them very interesting for 1660-70' Walloon or Dutch militia or foot soldiers.

Artillery:

I think it has too much flash...

anyway, the poses are rather nice, and they are valid both as naval or land artillery crew.


Regarding the uniformed men, they are very nice Matchlock armed soldiers, with the early "webbing", no waist belt yet.  so I think they are intended for 1660-80'.

You get 8 musketeers, I don't know yet If I will base them individually or regimented in square bases.  They are very versatile, you can field almost every nation with these miniatures.


And the last part is the cavalry... Frankly, I do not like them, the poses, the horses (too big for dragoons) and the way they have been casted in 2 parts;  rider torso and horses with the rider's legs.

4 cavalry are included, plus a  mounted commander .

I recommend this brand, good quality, not very cheap but a period you don´t see quite often. They are perfect and well researched for colonial militia in pirate games, and also good for Europe and skirmishes in late XVII c.

Cheers.