Frankish Infantry

To begin I have to say that I really enjoyed painting these miniatures. The figures are 15mm Old Glory and Gladiator Miniatures, the latter I believe are Josef Ochmann sculpts which are beautiful. Sadly, with Fighting 15s closing due to retirement I'm not sure if Gladiator Miniatures will be picked up and continue to be made available. 

 

Currently on the painting table there's been shift from 15mm to 28mm Picts and a handful of part painted Normans I found in a box and decided to finish off. Lots of basing currently going on as well, so plenty of painted miniatures to add to the blog. While painting I've enjoyed listening to Yarkshire Gamer blog, loved the Trevor Dixon episode, though to be fair it's very hard to highlight one episode as they are all excellent. I've also been listening to the Too Fat Lardies podcast, another painting companion which I very much enjoy. As a Mental Health Nurse I'm a strong advocate for the benefits a hobby can bring; and I from a personal perspective I find painting extremely beneficial. I find it quite heartening to see the topic of mental health being openly discussed within the hobby, and proud to be part of a hobby community that can provide such a positive space. 

 

Goth Cavalry

 

Goth cavalry, 15/18mm Lancashire Games miniatures. I really like the charging look of these figures, sweeping across the battlefield. During the last few weeks I've been busy rooting through boxes and rebasing figures that I've come across. This has led me to find some forgotten miniatures, namely some 28mm Picts and Early Saxons. So, I've started painting up the Picts, fortunately these were already undercoated. I've also decided that I will keep a log of everything I paint this year, will be interesting to see if I'm being realistic in the plans I'm making. I did do a tally of last years 15mm painting without expecting much and found that I'd painted around 950 figures. Not too bad considering I don't feel I spent much time painting. 

Goth infantry 2

The Goths are invading! More infantry support for my Goth armies, these are 15mm Old Glory Miniatures and are sold by TimeCast Models in the UK. I still think these are great miniatures and are worthwhile looking at, plus the service from TimeCast is excellent. The shields are hand painted, and look much better  viewed at a distance, 3ft rule! Also after listening to an episode on the Yarkshire Gamer podcast with Henry Hyde as the guest, I've started to paint the edges of my bases. Those not familiar with the podcast, there is a section based on Room 101, a repository for wargaming dislikes/hates. If you haven't discovered Yarkshire Gamer podcasts, they are an excellent companion to the painting table, very enjoyable. 

On the work bench I have some 15mm Goth Cavalry just waiting for basing. I've also finished the first set for Empire of the Dead figures, though I have to sort out the basing and I'm pondering whether to buy cobblestone bases, sculpt with putty or use soft foam. That will be a post on it's own. On the painting I've finally started my 15mm Middle Imperial Romans form Forged in Battle. 

Social media wise, I've joined Bluesky, and it already appears a far friendly place to be than the other place that shall not be named. Henry Hyde has also set up a starter pack on Historical Miniature Wargaming, already expanded to a second pack. This already looks to be a promising way to link like minded people. 

Ancient Spanish update

The Ancient Spanish forces are expanding. 15mm figures from Forged in Battle and Baueda. I now have enough painted to field all three DBA variants with support from my Caesarian Romans. The intention is to expand this starter force into a full army in its own right. The shields are LBM transfers, overpainted to tidy up where required.

The work station since the last post has seen lots of 15mm basing. I'm finding the basing tedious, in particular flocking...not my favourite part of the hobby. I've also prepped some more 10mm ACW figures. 

Other news, I have bought Midgard and planned an Arthurian theme in 15mm, it will be a while before this makes an appearance on the blog though given my ongoing projects. 

Goth Infantry

For the first unit in my 15mm Goth army I've chosen some older miniatures. These are 15mm Goth infantry from Alternative Armies, sold under their Isaurus range. I believe they are formerly Table Top Miniatures. Despite there being only 3 poses, they are very cheap at 35p a casting and singles can be bought. I'm also very pleased about how these veteran miniatures have painted up. 

A couple of new purchases this week. The first is the Jon Hodgson backdrops book 1 - Fantasy. I purchased my copy from Bad Squidoo Games. The second is a new light box, I went for the 40x40cm PULUZ light box. I'm really pleased with both purchases. The light box is a considerable upgrade on my old one, with variable brightness and warm, cold and natural light settings. 

Currently on the painting table are some 15mm Alan and Goth cavalry, and a 28mm set for Empire of the Dead; Gentlemen's Club.