Sunday, 28 March 2021

Unarmoured Early Byzantine Skutatoi Close Ups of Bases



Just a very quick post to say that, as I promised in my last post of the Unarmoured Early Byzantine Skutatoi Unit Complete I managed to find some time to take some close ups of the bases. 

And why not? 

My preference for basing the miniatures in large units to have a degree of synergy and interaction between figures goes back quite a while to when the Perry twins first produced their Agincourt to Orleans range in metal. The sculpts in that particular range were so dynamic, so suspenseful so full of life they just screamed out "vignette style basing" to me. To help illustrate my point, here are a few quick pictures taken by David Imrie (Saxon Dog to many) of the Perry HYW stuff completed many a moon ago:






I have tried to achieve something similar with my Aventine Miniatures Early Byzantines; but in a more uniform manner. I think the more regimented look of the units just says Eastern Roman/Byzantine discipline a little more then the "all out scrum" look of my HYW English. With the Byzantines I have made an effort to try to get the Command Models to look as though there is a high degree of interaction and a sense of suspense whilst the rank and file are either, depending on the units, standing their ground, fighting or, in some cases, just milling around waiting for action.


















14 comments:

  1. Wow! That's great! The HYW bases are truly pieces of art.

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    1. Thanks Bartek. That's very kind of you to say so. :)

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  2. These are brilliant. I really like the vignette style basing - and the way you've created a sense of movement on a set of small bases is perfect. I can see the difference between the HYW bases, and the Byzantine ones - I like how you've varied those up, showing the different styles of combat. Awesome!!

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    1. Cheers Sidney. The vignette style basing has become a bit of an obsession. The more about I think about the subject, I remember seeing Barry Hilton's Flodden game a zillion years ago (I think at claymore?) and being blown away by the way he managed to get the miniatures to "talk" to one another on the bases. The same is true of David Imrie's Late Romans at about the same time.

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    2. Very nice and eye candy! my favourite 28mm Byzantine army of the whole internet.

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    3. Thanks. It is really very kind of you to say so Jose :)

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  3. The one figure with the shield damage....Did you paint that onto the transfer? Nice touch if so! All the figures look great....Aventine miniatures seem to get better with time (not that they ever were poor).

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    1. Thanks Oregon Painter. No, the damage on the transfer came with the transfer LOL. Eventually the Army will have 300 plus infantry and I just could not face accurately painting all the shield designs so opted for the excellent LBMS transfers. It's not that I couldn't paint the damage, it's much more to do with time. Hope that helps? :>)

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    2. It helps....nice effect by LBMS! 300 infantry not counting cavalry? Wow..

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    3. Yeah, I was so excited when Keith finally released them I bought two 28 man units of everything! Anbitious yes, but they cover both the "Justinian" and "Heraclian" era so plenty of time to get them all painted over the next year or so. :>)

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  4. Hello,

    superb paintjob !!! I like the banner too !!!

    Nikkobourges

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  5. Simply spiffing Late Romans! As always.

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