The daughter want to paint...

A couple of days ago my 9-year daughter asked if she could join  in for some painting, ofcourse ! First time she asked in a couple of years, so it was very welcome.

She wanted to paint some fantasy mini and the only thing I had ready to be painted at the moment was a Dwarf.

Here are some pictures of the result :)

The Snow base was chosen so the mini would mix in with my "Chronicles of Hel" minis, we might even play a game or two I hope as shes already started to paint the next mini:)

AAR Vikings v. Saxons #4

Some three weeks ago I and JonasM run the 4th Dux Britanniarum game in our 9th century cronicle about Gutorm the Coward, the unliked son of a Viking King. Gutorm tries to carve out a kingdom for himself and his seariders on the other side of the northsea...

The Defenders of the Anglo-Saxon realms have repulsed tree of the attacks and are in a good spirit, to protect their property Aethelbald the Cruel have to move it all to the old roman fort and now he sends out patrols to locate the Vikings to be able to run them away for good...

Here are some pictures from the game...

Yet one realy nice game of Dux Britanniarum. Now Gutorm the Coward have to sail back to the north to pay dady, the King, a tribute and tell stories of all he´s deeds...he might be back next summer to follow up he´s achievements...

If you haven already visit Jonas M´s exellent blog "A Conflict of Interests" please take a look.

WIP...Baltic Crusades

Here are some more WIP pictures from my painting table of some Swedish Ledung soldiers for my Baltic Crusade project. It start to get colder up here in Sweden, snow in the air, a perfect time för some winter warfare...

A mix om minis and parts I will try to straighten it all out:)

From the left: Gripping Beast Plastic Viking with a old GW Bretonnian Shield and a Bow and Arrows from the Perry WotR Pastic kit.

In the middle a mini from Crusade with a new head from WestWind (Saxon I think) added a Shield and Sword from Curtseys at the back and a Saex from the GB Viking kit.

To the right we have a Gripping Beast Plastic Saxon with a head from the middle mini i.e. Crusader, Kite Shield from GB. The bow arms and extra arrows are from the Perry WotR Pastic kit

All minis have 20mm bases from Warbases:)

Just the painting left...

Project status...

As you know I working at a small Baltic Crusade project, the first force are some Swedish Crusaders. So far I managed to paint 5 Mounted Knights and 14 Ledung Infantry soldiers.

Next up are one more group of Ledung soldiers, pictures below, and then probably one more group of Knights or maybe some heathens for the oppositions:)

The minis are a mix from several manufacturers, Curteys, Crusader, Gripping Beast and Artizan and a West Wind head:)

Swedish Ledung unit #2

Here are some pictures of the Second base with Swedish Ledung soldiers for my Baltic Crusade project.

AAR: 300 Brave Swedish Knights

at last...

...the AAR about the 300 Brave Swedish Knights...

Recap of the story:

During the autum/vinter or spring 1455-1456 a force of 3000 Union troops (Norwegian allmoge soldiers) under command of the Norwegian Knight and High Council menber Kolbjorn Gerst, advanced from Norway against the Swedish town of Lödöse...

The Swedish Lord High Constable, the Kings cousin and Hero Tord Karlsson from the house of Bonde, that was in the area assembled all available Knights, Knechts and Squires in total 300 mounted men to meet the invaders...

On the approach of the Swedish force the Union invaders formed up a defensive waggon lager and repulsed the first fierce Swedish attack. See the Swedish knights "flee" the undiciplined norwegian allmoge soldiers left the waggon lager and started to pursue...

Tord Bonde wasn´t just a hero leading his men from the front, he was a cunning man to, that had a plan...

Now the real battle could begin...

OOB

Union/Norwegian
Command of C-in-C Kolbjorn Arnaldson from the House of Gerst, Cmd: 8 Combat: +1
2 Units of Allmoge

Command of Lyder van Bergen (Brother in law to Kolbjorn), Cmd: 8 Combat: +1
2 Units of Allmoge

Sweden
Command of C-in-C Tord Karlsson from the House of Bonde, Cousin to King Karl Knutsson (Bonde), Cmd: 9 Combat: +3
2 Small units of Knights, Knechts and Squires

Command of Erik Eriksson from the House of Gyllenstierna, Cmd: 8 Combat: +1 (start in ambush)
1 Small units of Knights, Knechts and Squires

We had a fun game and the rules worked fine and smooth. 

Our biggest concern was WHY didn´t the Union 2nd in command Lydar van Bergen send some of his troops through the forest as he most rightful expected an ambush... 

Instead, as the real history tells, he advance and got struck in the flank by the ambushers... :)

The Historical outcome of the battle was that the Swedish Knights under command of Tord Karlsson from the House of Bonde won a decisive victory and the Union forces was scattered an the commander Kolbjorn Arnaldson from the House of Gerst was captured and imprisoned for some years. 

I may 1456 the Swedish hero Tord Karlsson from the House of Bonde was murdered in the sleep by his own Vogt, Jösse Bosson, a Danish born man...

Safety Video... :)

Just got my eyes of this rather nice Saftey Video :)

Foot Knights

Just finished 2 foot knights for my Baltic Crusade Project. I just swaped the two handed sword from the left mini to a more approtiate dane axe:)

Curteys miniatures vs. Crusader miniatures

Head swap

The latest addition to the Baltic Crusade are 2 Ledung soldiers. To get some alternation I just swaped the heads between a Curteys Medieval mini and a Plastic Gripping Beast Viking mini... and new shields...

Curteys vs. Gripping Beast.

Kite shiled from GB and the Heather shield from Curteys.

I had to add some greestuff to to cover the joint and get the hood on the GB mini.

Näverlur

Sorry no AAR yet... But some more Swedish Leidang soldiers for my Baltic Crusade project.

I painted the Trumpet as a traditional Swedish "Näverlur" or in english Birch Trumpet.

The birch trumpet (Swedish: näverlur) is a type of natural trumpet made of spruce covered with birch bark, native to Sweden. The oldest recovered näverlur in Sweden dates back to the 10th century, and resembles earlier bronze trumpets.

Even cruder and less durable versions were made of plain birch bark. They are associated with the early European Chalet culture, where it was presumably used to intimidate predators, frighten supernatural enemies, and convene council meetings. 

The näverlur, as a natural horn, thus has no fingerholes or valves. Normally, a player can play 10 tones from the natural harmonic scale on the instrument. In the modern era, the näverlur is primarily a cultural curiosity, used for the occasional fanfare.

Here a short clip so you can here the sound of it.

Want one for your self ? go to the Lurmakaren and place a order:)