Saga Viking Archers

It's been about 3 years since I last worked on my Dark Age Vikings for Saga. I purchased these Black Tree Viking Archers several years back with the intention of including them for the 2015 Grand Melee at Adepticon but ended up taking Normans instead. In the interest of finishing my paint queue backlog, I finally got around to finishing them up. Enjoy!

These two sculpts are my favorites - their faces are so expressive.

BTD Commission Work: Saxons & Normans

I'm proud to announce that I've completed my first commission work for a miniature company. It was a little daunting to get started on these (as I tend to be my own biggest critic) but, it's nice to see them finally complete. I want to thank the guys at Black Tree Designs for giving me this opportunity and for being so patient and look forward to doing more work for them in the future.

These figure packs are available for purchase here and have the following codes:

DA1025 Gambison Normans with Hand Weapons

DA1019 Unarmoured Saxon Axemen

Adepticon Saga Grand Melee 2015 - Every Warband Ever!

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to play in the inaugural US Saga Grand Melee this year at Adepticon. All I can say if it was one of the best events I've ever played in - well-organized with amazing terran. I was only able to play a fraction of the players who signed up but every player was amazing - all-around great sportsman who offered good games and lots of friendly banter. Unfortunately, because I lost track of time, I didn't get any in-game pics.

I DID get pictures of every warband from the first day and all of them were great. My apologies for some of the poor pictures - the lighting in the ballroom was very poor and it was difficult to get good, balanced pics.

These Skraelings took first place overall

"Not the face!"

The Scots' Spiritual Advisor

These Irish won best painted overall

Road to Adepticon 2015: Saga Baggage Train

So I resolved this year to play in at least one tournament where I already had completed armies and the Saga Grand Melee fit that bill nicely. I already have 6 points worth of completed Viking and Norman forces ready to go and, since the Grand Melee takes place over two days, I'll probably be running both this year.

Unfortunately, the painting gods really do have it out for me and I found out this past weekend I'd have to bring a completed baggage train for the tournament! As such, I quickly threw together a suitable model. I cut each 2"x2" base from 2mm MDF. Most of these figures are an old GW Bretonnian Trebuchet crew I'd saved in the bitz box for several years now. The little girl is from Hasslefree and the sitting dog is from a Lionel O Gauge switch tower kit. The hand cart is made entirely from plasticard and the bags are sculpted from Milliput.

This baggage train is meant to represent miners returning to the smelter with some precious gold ore. Enjoy!

Snow-covered Woods

If I could give new gamers one tip for terrain making it would be this - always remember to check after-Christmas clearance sales for stores that sell hobby supplies and/or decorative Christmas collectible tchotchkes. The forest below cost me less than $20, was quick to assemble, and looks effective at multiple scales.

All the pine trees are "small" Lemax trees that came in packs of two. I got them at Menard's for less than $.070 each. As they are glued to large, heavy snow-covered bases, they required no effort to place. The forest bases themselves are made from beige felt (pine forests usually lack much undergrowth and are blanketed in dead pine needles, which are a beige-brown color), liberally spray-painted with black, brown, and rust red paint. I then cut irregular holes out of a piece of cotton fabric and glued the felt to it. When the glue dried, I added some static grass to the open sections.

The best part is all the trees and bases fit in a one gallon ziploc bag for easy storage.

Saga Normans

Finally able to post pics of my 99% complete 6 points worth of Saga Normans (there is still a little touchup work I need to do here and there). Unfortunately, I didn't win Best Painted for these at Adepticon, but only because I won the Death Dealer award instead (most enemy Warlords slain). 

I tried limiting my color palette to autumnal colors - browns, greens, reds, yellows, & oranges - and, while I'm satisfied with the results, I think the plain red I chose was too vibrant in relation to the other colors. Shield designs are drawn on with Micron Pigma pens, then filled by painting, and thoroughly sealed (since the pen ink is semi-permanent).

Sorry for the poor quality of the pics. I believe I need to buy a new camera soon as my current one won't properly focus up close.

Mounted Hearthguard w/ Lances

Mounted Hearthguard w/ Swords & Warlord (on the black stallion)

Hearthguard w/ War Banner

Warriors w/ Spears

Warriors w/ Crossbows

Road to Adepticon 2014: Saga Normans/Necromunda by Night

12 hours left until Adepticon and here's where I'm at with my Saga Normans. Major paintwork is done, and now its unto the groundwork, after which is clean-up painting. 

And here's what 12-13 tables of Necromunda terrain looks like all boxed up and ready to go...

Road to Adepticon 2014: Saga Normans

Sorry for the lack of posts over the last few weeks. Here's some proff of life - I'm slowly and painfully slogging though 6 full points of Saga Normans. I had a huge amount of trouble assembling and cleaning the Perry Bros. Knights I bought, so I'm trying to rush through painting the entire army as quickly as possible.

Wish me luck!

Saga Viking Warband

My apologies for not updating the blog in a few weeks. The final push for Adepticon had me trying to finish two armies within a week's time, so that didn't allow much time for posting here. There will be more posts in the coming weeks and with greater frequency as my life gets back to some semblance of normalcy. 

Here's the newest army I've been able to paint up - some Vikings for the Saga skirmish game. This force won Best Painted at the Adepticon Saga tournament and I'm quite pleased with how they all turned out. Most of the figures are Black Tree Design (who make VERY nice Dark Age minis) or Artizan. The Ulfhednar are Gripping Beast and, while I like their dynamic posing and wolf pelts, their hands and faces were a total mess of flash and poor casting.

Ulfhednar (Berserkers)

Hirdmen (Hearthguard)

Bondi (Warriors)

6pts. worth of Norse fury!