“Raising the Fyrd” (week 36)

Right well it’s the end of my first month of “draw clearing” and to round off Januarys “roll of the die” postings this week’s toss of the coins gave me a couple of tails, so it was “Galahd’s” list that made its first appearance of the year and the subsequent roll of the D20 gave me…

Box 9 – (15mm Fantasy yeomen figures 2x units)

Now as some of my long time follows may remember I base these figures up to use in the game “Demonblade”, which means they are based up in units of five on a 34mm hexagonal base. So two unit’s equals ten figures right? Well on closer inspection of the draw that contained them, there were only fifteen figures of these Rafm produced yeoman in total, so I decided to bite the bullet and pull out all fifteen (I could them cross the box off of my list, always a good feeling). The figures were cleaned up and glued in fives (using PVA wood glue) to short lengths of wood as this makes them easier to paint, they can then be pried off of the wood and glued onto the hexagonal bases later. They then went for their customary coat of matt black.

Painting was started with the pitchforks and small leather bags each chap has at his waist painted chocolate brown, them the forks were highlighted with butternut and the bags with leather. Then as I wanted a mixed random appearance to the units I dug out some “earthy peasant” colours, these being stone green, earth brown, light blue, khaki, pink burgundy, coffee and Lincoln green, and randomly painted two of the tops and two of the trousers one the figures in these colours. The leader figure (who looks like Mosses to me), I gave a coffee top and khaki leggings. All of the above were then highlighted with the same colours mixed with a little titanium while. Turning to their boots and belts next these were painted in using more chocolate brown with leather highlights. Faces and hands came next so an undercoat of European flesh was applied to these areas then their eyes were dotted in using black, then highlights were applied to the flesh areas with a mix of European flesh and pale flesh. The leader then had his cape painted royal blue, and highlights of bright blue were added to this. Lastly his hair was added in dark grey with light grey highlights (he really reminds me of Mosses now!).

Now the rest of my fifteen millimetre fantasy figures are not quickshaded, but for some reason I really wanted to “shade” these chaps, much musing later and I decided to go with the quickshade, so a coat of the strong tone was painted over the figures next.

When it came to basing the little blighters I began by cutting three 34mm hexagons out of some card then cut three more but slightly smaller and glued the smaller ones on top of the bigger ones. Then the three rear most figures of the five on each base were glued into place and filler was spread around there feet (as this is easier while I have access to the front of them), then the front two figures were glued into place and the process was repeated around their feet. Once this was dry I then painted the bases in scenic brown (this is a real pain to do I have to say!), and then  I repeated this with scenic green (but in a less accurate way, wouldn’t exactly call it a dry brush more a “hap ’hazard” brush). Then finally I brushed PVA glue over the bases and then flocked them with some “Javis” pasture green flocking.

The figures then went out for a final spray coat of matt varnish, and that was another box crossed of the list. Well one month down, I wonder what February will bring us… time to roll again.

Cheers Roger.