More Anglo Danes- Fyrd Second Rank

It took more time than I would have liked to complete this batch (the old Black Dog persisting) but here's the second rank of the Select Fyrd to go with fifth Anglo Danish unit. The first two ranks of Huscarls can be seen HERE and HERE.

This army has been a bit of a labour of love. It must be way over a year, perhaps two since I started to put the thing together! Anglo Danes are an army that I have always wanted to put together with the requisite attention they deserves. It took more time than I would have liked but here's the second rank of the Select Fyrd to go with fifth Anglo Danish unit- the first two ranks of Huscarls can be seen HERE and HERE

Anglo Danes are an army I have long wanted to put on the table going back to when I first faced off against John Glass's (RIP) Anglo Saxons in the heady days of Warhammer Ancient Battles at the Edinburgh club SESWC. Also many a game played at Warhammer World in the 1066 and All That Warhammer Ancient Battles campaign weekend, in particular Big Jim's Mercians, an army that gobbled up my Normans in short shrift! Great days that will always be remembered.

I have six more Select Fyrd mini's to finish n from the six miniatures here before I can start messing around with the composition of the unit. I have tried to make it so that my Anglo Danish units in particular look like they are fighting in a Shieldwall with a nod to some of much of the battle the imagery on the Bayeux Tapestry. 

The keen eyed among you you will notice that there is a right old mix of manufacturers. Some very out of production Gripping Beast models going back to when Duncan and Colin were sculpting in Milliput, Gripping Beast models from the early 2000's, and more recent Soapy sculpts also from Gripping Beast. Added to these are Matthew Bickley and Bill Thornhill sculpts from Footsore Miniatures, Colin Patten sculpts from Saxon Miniatures (now sold by Warlord for £18 a pack I have been told!!). There is also a solid nod to Dave Andrews Anglo Danes as featured in the Warhammer Ancient Battles supplement, Shieldwall seen below.

More on the rules I'm planning on using and why the miniatures are based the way they are when the unit had been put together. For no, here are the pics of the last six models completed. They are yet to be glossed and matted back down.

More Anglo Danes!

I have completed the second rank in the 24 man unit with the command figures; a which are a mix of Wargames Foundry (Matthew Bickley), Footsore (Matthew Bickley), and Saxon Miniatures (Colin Patten). Also in the first two ranks are OOP Gripping Beast (Colin Patten [Milliput sculpts!]), Gripping Beast (Stephen and Colin Patten). I remember when I first started to put the units of Anglo Danes together feeling a little apprehensive about mixing such a wide range of miniature manufacturers. Not so now, as I love having units with as much variation as possible; also at the end of the day miniatures that ought not to mix at first glance seem to gel very well indeed when amassed in the Shieldwall.

These were completed a little faster than the last lost but I'm still not happy with my brush control. I think I have let myself down a little, especially on the facial details. something to bear in mind next time! To really take my time!

So, that leaves the 12 Fyrd for the back ranks.... more to come!

Anglo Danes/I'm back!

Some how, somewhere I have managed to find the strength to start getting back into my painting. As I have mentioned before I am battling real demons in terms of mental health and it is no exaggeration that it took a heck of a lot of effort and determination to pick up the brushes again!

This post is both a small celebration and a reminder that it can be done. Are the miniatures painted to the exact same standard as the last unit of Anglo Danes I managed to paint up? Probably not. I am still feeling a little tentative with my brush work to add borders to the tunics and shirts but that will come back with a little time. I have left these unvarnished for now as I'm hoping, as I get back my confidence with the brush I will be able to add patters to the borders with my usual skill. 

For now though, I'm back and happy top be so! As per, all the images are "clickable" should you wish to enlarge.

The next batch of six after being primed and undercoated; the chainmail painted in and the flesh more or less done. 

My Anglo Danish Units So Far

Harold Godwinson/Cyning/Army General Command Base:

I've had some work done on the house and had to vacate the house for a week (SARS CoV 2; a little extreme I know, but I have to be certain) which leaves me typing this at my folks place. It is nice to see them properly after nearly a year, to be able to help them out but, boy, am I missing my books and brushes! Odd really given how hard it has been for me to paint of late.....

The time out has given me time to take a fresh look at my my three main projects; Justinian Byzantines, Anglo Danes and Spanish Trastámara for The Italian Wars, to decide what needs doing next, to enjoy the painting I have completed over the last year or so. Sounds a little odd really, "to enjoy my (own) painting" but given that I have not been able to play a game in what will be two years in two days I am going to forgive myself the indulgence. 

The Anglo Danes were actually started in 2015 as a rather overprized effort to put the Battle of Hastings on in 2016 at one of the UK's major shows. This was not to be. And looking back, I was asking way too much from myself. Today my efforts are aimed at covering two bases with the army. To eventually have the forces to refight the Battle of Fulford Gate again (the last effort was in the early 2000's) and thanks to the efforts of Charles Jones and his book Finding Fulford -The search for the First Battle of 1066 I think it is time to update the game.

I'm also putting together an Anglo Danish army for Swordpoint which I hope to have ready for August this year where I will be entering my first BHSG event at Britcon, Covid permitting of course. I have  a long road ahead of me with many a mental health hurdles to leap so it may or may not be possible for me to attend the event; but one has to have targets!

For Fulford Gate I will be adding in some units consisting of six to eight bases of Fyrd who will be unarmoured and of a similar unit size Thegns too. The "English" army at Fulford was spread thin and a complete front rank of Huscarls  across the entire line of battle strikes me as nonsense. 

My 1000pt Swordpoint list for my Anglo Danes should anyone be interested....

ARMY: Anglo Danes

PLAYER:

Profile

No. of Type Equipment A D C Base Upgrade Total ABP

Bases Points Points Points

1 King 2 9 9 0 0

4 Earldorman 2 2 20 80

3 Huscarls LA/S/2HW/Javs/Veteran/Superior Fighters/Shieldwall 5 7 22 7 87 2

3 Fyrd Shield/Spear/Riding Horses/Shieldwall 6 5 12 1 39

3 Huscarls LA/S/2HW/Javs/Veteran/Superior Fighters/Shieldwall 5 7 22 7 87 2

3 Fyrd Shield/Spear/Riding Horses/Shieldwall 6 5 12 1 39

3 Huscarls LA/S/2HW/Javs/Veteran/Superior Fighters/Shieldwall 5 7 22 7 87 2

3 Fyrd Shield/Spear/Riding Horses/Shieldwall 6 5 12 1 39

3 Huscarls LA/S/2HW/Javs/Veteran/Superior Fighters/Shieldwall 5 7 22 7 87 2

3 Fyrd Shield/Spear/Riding Horses/Shieldwall 6 5 12 1 39

3 Huscarls LA/S/2HW/Javs/Veteran/Superior Fighters/Shieldwall 5 6 22 7 87 2

3 Fyrd Shield/Spear/Riding Horses/Shieldwall 6 5 12 1 39

3 Huscarls LA/S/2HW/Javs/Veteran/Superior Fighters/Shieldwall 5 6 22 7 87 2

3 Fyrd Shield/Spear/Riding Horses/Shieldwall 6 5 12 1 39

6 Vikings LA/Shield/Two Handed Weapon 5 7 15 4 114 2

Open Order/Shieldwall/Superior Fighters

6 Ceorls Sling 5 4 0 24 1

Skirmsishers/Inferior Fighters

5 Ceorls Bow 5 4 0 24 1

Skirmsishers/Inferior Fighters

As I am currently unable to paint at the moment I'm taking stock of most of my three of my main ongoing projects. I've already posted up the images of my Early Byzantines so far and it is now the turn of my Anglo Danes. At some point, Covid permitting, the plan is to do another Battle of Fulford Gate display game at a show. given my current medical conditions and the amount of time it will take me to polish off the Anglo Danes and actually make a decent start on the Norse force I know not when that may be.

The Anglo Danish army is specifically designed for Swordpoint but can be used with Hail Caesar, Impetus- with the removal of the back ranks, Warhammer Ancient Battles- with casualty markers, Mortem et Gloriam- which can be base size agnostic as long as the opposing armies match. And a host of others rules too boot as long as I'm not too precious about the basing.

In lieu of my clumsy words, I will let the pictures do the talking...... all the images are "clickable" for those who would like to take a deeper dive.

Combined Unit Huscarls/Fyrd 1:

Ealdorman/Command Base 1:

Combined Unit Huscarls/Fyrd 2:

Ealdorman/Command Base 2:

The Frist Two Units Combined:

Combined Unit Huscarls/Fyrd 3:

Combined Unit Huscarls/Fyrd 4:

Army General/Cyning Command Base:

Casualty/Shieldwall Markers:

Bord-weall!

Some Scenic Shots Just For Fun:

I'm currently working on the fifth unit of Huscarls/Fyrd so hopefully more to show and tell soon.