A Dark and stormy Age

[Ingarsby73]

I've been painting a lot of Middle-Earthy figures over the last few peculiar months, and that's led me to get stuck in to painting the many, many Dark Age figures I've had lying around for years.

They're mostly Patten sculpts from Gripping Beast or Saxon Miniatures - Saxons first, Vikings next, Normans after, then Arthurians. At least that's the plan.

Here's some of the Saxons.

[Marine0846]

Well painted,like them a lot.
May I ask, what rules do you plan to play with?

[Rick F]

Excellent, I particularly like your shield designs.

[Grumpy Gnome]

Looking good!

[Ingarsby73]

Well painted,like them a lot.
May I ask, what rules do you plan to play with?

Wellll, a good question. I played a few games over lockdown using the old WHB Shieldwall rules. Probably not the most accurate, but it's a system with which everyone was familiar from their very distant youth.

Mostly though they're painted for the sake of painting them and then maybe selling them on. It's the timeless tale of a finite amount of space and a seemingly infinite number of unpainted tiny soldiers.

[SJWi]

If anyone has a good set of “Dark Age” big battle rules I too would like to hear. If I remember correctly Gripping Beast did plan such a set but they never saw the light of day. My Viking army is currently masquerading as an Oathmark human army.

[Atheling]

Lovely brushwork and nice muted tonality on those little fellows 

[Charlie_]

Very nice painting!
I particularly like the unarmoured one, I think the poses rank up really nicely.

If I remember correctly Gripping Beast did plan such a set but they never saw the light of day.

Do you mean Swordpoint, their mass battles ancients and medieval game released a few years ago?

[Atheling]

Very nice painting!
I particularly like the unarmoured one, I think the poses rank up really nicely.

Do you mean Swordpoint, their mass battles ancients and medieval game released a few years ago?

Indeed, Swordpoint has been out for a while, in fact it is now in the Second Edition- available here if you want a copy:
https://www.grippingbeast.co.uk/GBP29_SWORDPOINT_Rulebook_Version_2_PREORDER--product--6071.html

[Captain Blood]

They look great, well done 

[SJWi]

 Yes I probably mean Swordpoint. At the time I thought they were going to be an avowedly “Dark Age “ ruleset, whilst “Swordpoint” has turned out as a more generic Ancient/Medieval ruleset.

 I now use Simon Miller’s “To the Strongest” as my go-to big-battle ancients ruleset. I know they aren’t to everybody’s taste and they need some ££s investment, but they have totally revitalised my long-dormant gaming of those periods. I know there are other decent ruleset out there but they work for me.

[The Inscrutable Dr. Huang]

Indeed, Swordpoint has been out for a while, in fact it is now in the Second Edition- available here if you want a copy:
https://www.grippingbeast.co.uk/GBP29_SWORDPOINT_Rulebook_Version_2_PREORDER--product--6071.html

 

Nah! I live in the US and refuse to pay 50%  shipping.

[Ingarsby73]

Thanks for all the kind words. They're much appreciated!

The Saxons need someone to fight, and I thought I'd follow history and get the Vikings done first - before the Normans come on the scene and take over. There were a few flurries of post-Conquest Norman v Viking action, with Saxons turning out for both teams, so I want to keep the general looks of each broadly similar to allow for that sort of mixing up in wargaming.

As with the Saxons, the Vikings are almost entirely Patten sculpts from the Saxon Miniatures era. Some of them I like, but some of them are incredibly samey and rather lumpen. That's particularly true of the unarmoured levy, all of whom seem to have decided to turn up to battle wearing the same smock. There's a few more heroic-looking Foundry figures in the mix.

[Ingarsby73]

Next, Normans.

Some of my favourites among the Saxon Miniatures/Warlord ranges. And I enjoy painting skinny dragons and geometric patterns on shields, which is handy.

[Atheling]

Nice work 

An oft overlooked range. Is Mr Patten still adding to it?