Current Reading: The Bayeux Tapestry and the Norman Invasion (with an introduction and translation by Lewis Thorpe)

Currently reading, The Bayeux Tapestry and the Norman Invasion (with an introduction and translation by Lewis Thorpe). Varied sources that include both Anglo Saxon and Norman sources. I'll list them all here after I've read further.

I'll also start a list of historical literature relevant to the Hastings project.

Bye for now.

Battle of Hastings Demo; Huscarl Base III

Hi, Base III for the Huscarls that will stand in the front ranks of the already completed Ceorls is now finished and ready for your delectation. 

As usual I've deliberately kept the hues toned down and muted. My Art School education was has not been  entirely squandered! This base represents one of the units on the flanks of the guys wielding their Daneaxes as I wanted to focus the attention of the Axe wielding maniacs toward the center of the unit.

There is the usual mix of miniatures, Mostly Gripping Beast (Patten sculpts), but if you look closely you will notice the Foundry casualty, the GB (Soapy sculpt) and there's a Saxon miniatures chap in there wielding his big chopper! 

I've got the command base which depicts Harold fighting in the thick of the action already finished, I'll add pics of it tomorrow before trying to create a background that is big enough to photograph the unit in it's entirety. I'll do one that included the Ceorls in the back tanks too.

Bye for now.

Battle of Hastings Demo; Huscarl Base II Added 06.01

Well, against all the odds I did it! Base no. II for the unit of Huscarls is now completed and photographed and ready for posting.

Again the unit is a nice mix of OOP Gripping Beast, Patten Sculpted Gripping Beast and Saxon Miniatures. No Soapy GB sculpts nor Footsore Miniatures this time as were included on the first base of the unit that can be seen HERE.

I've gone for a front rank of chaps wielding their choppers with vigour unlike the last base which was very much a mix. These fellows will be sharing the honours in the middle of the unit with the command base. The command base, in this case will contain Harold Godwinson et al as it is very likely that he fought in the front line as an example to his men. Just to add to the confusion there will be a seperate Harold Command Stand (seen HERE and HERE) which will be hovering about wherever Harold Godwinson decides to roam on the day of the game ie. as an indicator of just where he is on the battlefield. I also have Command bases planned for his brothers and some of the other commanders. More about that later.

The palette is muted as usual, colours on all but the very wealthy in the Early Medieval period would have been made from natural plant dyes and =have faded reasonably quickly. Especially on campaign.

I've added a pic that a re-enactor friend of mine sent me at the bottom of the page indicating the sorts of colours it was possible to produce from such early dyes.

A surprising wide array of colours possible for clothing on the Early Medieval period:

Bye for now.

Battle of Hastings Demo; Huscarl Base I (Unit I)

Since I got the Christmas Painting done it's set me into a bit of a frenzy getting the miniatures painted up for the Hastings Demo at Salute this year. Not long to go now!!

I've got the first base Huscarls finished; these will be the front rank of the four bases of Ceorls I have already done. It's going to be a race to the finish getting the armies painted but I have time on my side (only just!) and about 40 or so Norman Milites already painted.

The miniatures I have used in all my Huscarl bases are a mix of Gripping Beast (OOP), Gripping Beast (Soapy Sculpts), Gripping Beast (Patten Sculpts), Saxon Miniatures and Footsore Miniatures. There may well be some Crusader Early Medieval (oh, go on, I'll say it for you, "Dark Ages" )stuff added to this lot too.  I've been collecting early Medieval miniatures for well over fifteen years so I have quite a pool to choose from!

Without further ado, here's the first Huscarl Base for the First Unit (man, it sounds like I've got a long way to go when I say that out loud!):

I'll hopefully have another base ready tomorrow at some point (fingers firmly crossed!!)

Bye for now.

Hastings; Cavalry Base Test

For those that don't know and I figure that will be most of you, the game will be taking place at Salute next year next to the Lance and Longbow Society stand. Indeed, the game is being put on for the Lance and Longbow Society and the 950th Anniversary of the Battle.

I've now got at least 40 cavalry painted for the Norman, Flemish and Breton forces and thought it about time that I had put together a test base to see how they looked. I have decided that for the Heavy Cavalry, all of them really, I will be using 80mm x 60mm bases as this allows for a nice margin for variation in terms of placing the cavalry on the bases. The base size was inspired by The Bodkins last demo game, Berne, Baby Berne! where one of my comrades in arms had done exactly that with stunning results.

If you have any views on the basing or indeed anything that could be done to improve the bases please shout up as I'm very open to anything that will improve them. Don't be shy!!

Without further ado:

Bye for now. 

'At Ease' Hastings Comparison Shots

More comparison shots, this time with less belligerent poses- from Right to Left:

Gripping Beast, Footsore, Footsore.

Musketeer (Footsore), Gripping Beast Special, Gripping Beast.

Gripping Beast.

Footsore, Gripping Beast, Gripping Beast.

Bye for now,

Hastings Demo Game Casualty Markers

I knocked up these up as Casualty Markers for the game at Salute as I'm beginning to settle on two sets of rules, a variant of Soldiers of God and possibly Dan Mersey's Dux Bellorum. They both have promise.

Some of these, where appropriate will have head swaps with some Gripping Beast Plastics from their Saxon range some not. Overall the casualty markers have been taken from Gripping Beast, Crusader, Foundry, Old Glory and possibly a few other ranges too. more will be revealed as I get more units completed but I figured four Casualty Markers for the two completed units thus far was too many! I need two per unit for the Anglo Danes as they will all have a front 'rank' of Thegns/Huscarls with a back 'rank' of Ceorls.

Incidentally, I know there were no Beserkers at Hastings; some the models were just too nice and aggressive not to include as vignettes. please forgive me :>)

Anyway, enough chatter, on to the Casualty Markers:

Bye for now.