SAGA Age of Chivalry English

 I should know better than to launch a load of big projects at the same time. Well, at least one of them's finally been "finished" (not quite, as always with me, but good enough to showcase at least). It did of course grow in the making. I am nothing if not consistently expansive. Anyway, some English (or "goddamns", as the French called them)

The English were initially intended as small secondary force against my main French force for Blood & Crowns, as well as SAGA Age of Chivalry. I should have known... this now compromises 10 points in SAGA, and god only knows how much for B&C.

First up is the big cheese (or perhaps the big fish), the Warlord/Noble leading this rabble. All the figures are mounted on individual 20x20mm bases, saboted into a bigger base for SAGA (but detached for B&C). Do note how he's also gotten an extra big flag, to make it a bit special (despite just being a George Cross).

If the Warlord's the big fish, these has to be the chips. The Men-at-Arms, in plate armor and with a variety of can openers (and some banners, because it's not a late medieval army if there's not a plethora of waving flags). The sharp eyed might notice that one of them has the same heraldry as the warlord. I might have gotten ideas for a new warlord after already having painted one. Which then got degraded to some kind of secondary hero (depending on what options will be available in Age of Chivalry).

And then there is the mainstay of the English. Ranks upon ranks (upon ranks, upon ranks...) of Longbowmen behind stakes. Age of Chivalry will even have rules for the Stakes, so I had to make some markers (50x25mm bases, so they're easy to transport, and can also allow for some modularity in case other games use different dimensions). Since the Perry kits these are all built from come with the stakes, these were quite simple to make.

And then some more Longbowmen, these in somewhat more skirmishing poses, serving as a bit of an elite (in case I need to make such a distinction).

And next-to-last, some more Longbowmen. Someone suggested that the English needed to be at least tried to be played with 6 SAGA points of archers. And I couldn't resist. These fellows are even more elite than the skirmishers, showcasing some Veterans with access to plate armor (for their legs, at least. Presumably, they want their arms free to work those bows).

For a fun alternative, I also did some mounted archers, carefully painted to correspond to the Veterans as close as possible, as if they had just jumped up on some nearby horses to ride off (English archers were often mounted for rapid movement, only dismounting once in position).

Some of the longbowmen have put back or laid down their bows and grabbed weapons for closer ranges, so if need be, I can field 12 men for melee (or they'll just fit in among the regular archers), giving some modularity.

But that's how I managed to get a full army, and then some, before the book was even released. Now to expand them with some burgundian mercenaries (as normal Warriors, and maybe some Mounted Men-at-Arms) for Blood & Crowns... and maybe so I can use them as Burgundians in Age of Chivalry, too.The "small, secondary" army just keeps growing. Oops?

/Fool Out

New Year 2023/2024

 Happy New Year!

I didn't write one of these last year (because, frankly, 2022 felt like a horrible year), but lets try to get back into things, 2023 felt like the year when I got the painting mojo back. Two projects got finished after way too long, and a third one was both begun and finished.

First up, my SAGA Carthaginians finally got to a playable state.

Since they're SAGA Carthaginians, they can do with some more figures, but this has given me a taste of what I might want, so they will be expanded... eventually.

And then, I could finally reveal my major project, Napoleonic British

Just the first (well, 2nd) Brigade, for now, but there should be more coming there. Also, eventually (I think part of what made 2022 so bad, was that I painted a lot of these, which I then didn't want to reveal... and also, those red coats are a pain)

And then, the hobby gods smiled at me, and I both started, and finished, the "Anglo-Danes" that I bought for 2022... that ended up as a shit-ton of Anglo-Saxons instead.

That was a good feeling, getting all those done in more or less one go. They're not quite finished (I have ideas for another 36 figures), but they do quite good enough for now.

Of course, these weren't everything I got painted, only the biggest projects. There were also a variety of Vikings

(A few hearthguards, a banner bearer, some Levy with Javelins, and a hero).

Also, some Wargames Atlantic Conquistadors (very colorful fellows)...

...as well as a few Azteks for them to fight and/or ally with.

(None of them are intended for strictly historical purposes, for now they'll make a good warband for Frostgrave: Ghost Archipelago if that ever picks up at the club again)

In more Frostgrave-related stuff, there were some big, fuzzy fellows.

(The club has started a Wildwoods campaign, and I felt a hankering for some thing pre-historic)

And I even got a piece of terrain done!

(Yes, it IS huge)

Because I'm slightly masochistic (it seems), I also painted up some Highlanders, for those napoleonics (my, so far, single ahistorical addition, other than these, I'm sticking to the officila OrBat for 3rd Division in 1812)

Gordon Highlanders. Half a battalion as I do them. So I need to paint another 20 sooner or later... (I jest a bit, I'm not that traumatized, even if these fine fellows took me 2 months).

And in a sudden christmas rush, I started 10 English 1400s Men-at-Arms on Christmas Day. And got them finished in time for New Year

I don't know quite how it happened, but I certainly aint complaining.

Add in a variety of one-offs, random adventurers, some more monsters, and some smaller expansions for old armies, and I end the year on 

• 244 approximately human-sized figures
  
• 25 cavalry (or about that size)
• 5 bigger beastie (or things on bigger bases, at least, including the fuzzies up above)
• 1 Piece of Terrain
• 3 Saga Objectives

Not bad at all, if I say so myself.

For next year, I'll set a two-part goal. The most important one, that I think I have a chance of fulfilling, is to simply paint at least 240 minis in total (averaging 20/month). If I keep going like I've done this year, it should definitely be doable. Especially considering some of the projects I have in mind.

What are those projects, then?

Well, 4 different SAGA warbands (one of which I've already started)

• English for Age of Chivalry (that's those Men-at-Arms above, as well as some more, and lots of longbowmen), which will also do double duty for Blood & Crowns (I do so love when one project gives more than one army in the end
• French, also for Age of Chivalry, as well as Blood & Crowns. I have a few already painted, an old project that petered out into nothing.
• Undead Legion, for Age of Magic. I accidentally painted up 3 zombies in 2023, and got a hankering for more... also, I have some excellent Necromancers, creatures, and a dragon that I now have an excuse to paint and use
• Normans, for Age of Vikings, doing extra duty as either Spanish or Crusaders for Age of Crusades. I already have Normans, but with the new Victrix releases, I feel a need to redo these. And while I'm at it, I might as well do them more Italo-Norman, and make them suitable for a variety of uses.
• Something Napoleonic. Either a brigade of Portuguese (my initial plan), or perhaps just enough Frenchmen to have two forces for Sharp Practice, and get some actual games in with that.
  

That should give me plenty to do. And the best part is, I have pretty much everything I need for that already (unless I go with the French), so I'll even reduce the Pile of Shame!

Once more, Happy New Year

/Fool, out