Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Medieval Adventures => Topic started by: ulverston on May 19, 2021, 07:32:44 PM
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Hi Chaps,
Well it took a year to take the plunge but after finally finishing off a large (for me) amount of GW fantasy figures I was free to buy the Viking Saga starter set from Gripping Beast. I intend to play solo and the setting for my little world will be The Last Kingdom series from Netflix.
This could have been slotted into the fantasy section (?) but it is set well and truly in the Age of Arthur and I would also appreciate the advice of others who have trod this path before me. With the help of son number two I will put photo updates on here and already have several buildings underway.
Has anyone done this before? I intend to use the Late Romans from Gripping Beast as a base for the Arthurian army and have encountered the first little bump in the road-does anyone produce a King Arthur figure similar to the David Dawson character? He is rather slender and wears a mail shirt...
Thanks for any help and pointers. Everyone has probably already seen Saga Thorsday on Youtube but I thought I would mention it as I find it great listening/occasional glancing when I am painting and may well be worth a look for others.
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I think you're confusing Alfred with Arthur. Rather than Late Romans you'd be after Anglo-Saxons.
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Yes, King Alfred the Great, late 9th Century, is the setting for The Last Kingdom.
The Arthurian Age was 400-odd years earlier!
The Last Kingdom TV series was criticised for the ahistorical look of the Anglo-Saxons in particular. To replicate the 'TV look', I would use Normans and find some rectangular shields for them!
Not sure where to find a skinny King figure, though...
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You're going to need some shields with holes in the middle for the Welsh lol
Don't blame me, blame the production crews lol Every time I think of it I wet myself....... totally crazy even for a TV production :D
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Old age has well and truly set in! I did indeed confuse Alfred and Arthur! o_o I do intend to continue with this and use the tv series as a template. Looks like it will be Anglo Saxons... I suppose the idea of a more uniform look for them will have to be abandoned.
Still need to find a slender ALFRED figure. Thanks for the help which I needed immediately.
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Might be an idea to have a look at a proper 25mm figure for Alfred, some of them are a tad slimmer than a chunky 28mm figure?
If memory serves the bloke on the tele was a right sickly looking weedy little runt.
:)
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Footsore make a great Alfred (https://footsoreminiatures.co.uk/collections/late-saxons/products/alfred-the-great) miniature.
I've been doing something similar but with their wonderful Ęthelflęd (https://footsoreminiatures.co.uk/collections/late-saxons/products/aethelflaed-the-lady-of-mercia) mini.
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Spot on Harry! The character playing Alfred was portrayed as a bit of a weakling... must watch the series again, I rather felt it suited the story.
Skyven I had not seen those Footsore characters, my wallet will take a hit and maybe use him as a warlord/hero... will look at the rest of the range as well. I had not considered them before but the Saxon Priest is really nice
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Might be an idea to have a look at a proper 25mm figure for Alfred, some of them are a tad slimmer than a chunky 28mm figure?
If memory serves the bloke on the tele was a right sickly looking weedy little runt.
:)
As he was in real life!
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Also these might work as Alfred and is wife plus a bonus of a bishop.
https://eoeorbisuk.com/collections/feudal/products/fd1010-king-stephen-queen-matilda-henry-ii-and-thomas-abeckett-4?variant=4539106563
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Rumucara, yes I think they will be the winner, I had forgotten all about Black Tree Designs and will have a look through their range. So far I seem to be amassing more characters than actual troops but a few boxes of Gripping Beast plastics should even this up. Thanks for that link it was very useful.
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Really enjoyed the books (though there is a sneaking feeling, in the last couple I've read, that Cornwall is a bit bored now and just phoning it in) I couldn't even make it through the first episode of the TV series which was utterly awful. I recommend reading the books if you have the time.
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Also these might work as Alfred and is wife plus a bonus of a bishop.
https://eoeorbisuk.com/collections/feudal/products/fd1010-king-stephen-queen-matilda-henry-ii-and-thomas-abeckett-4?variant=4539106563
But do keep in mind that ordering from there is a bit of a gamble.
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=112741
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Yep, good luck with that, wild horses wouldn't drag me into ordering from 'em!
:-[
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They seem to have sold off some of their problematic lines and are using kickstarter in order to get funds for new molds. We always did receive our stuff but it took some time. Too bad they seem to be lousy at communication as well, otherwise you simply could have phoned and ask/mail about availability.
Ah well. The big majority of BTD models I've acquired this year have been 2nd hands, so that might be your best best ;-).
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Really enjoyed the books (though there is a sneaking feeling, in the last couple I've read, that Cornwall is a bit bored now and just phoning it in) I couldn't even make it through the first episode of the TV series which was utterly awful. I recommend reading the books if you have the time.
I have read all the Last Kingdom books and found them all to be mostly an enjoyable read. I believe Bernard Cornwell always meant to conclude the series with the epic battle of Brunanburh, which he did with "War Lord" which came out last year, even though the Uhtred character is 80 years old by this time :) Some of the later books did feel a bit formulaic filling in time to get to this finale. I felt his account of Brunanburh was written more for dramatic effect than historical reality which, as a historical novelist, would be his preferred option I suppose.
I have really enjoyed the TV series. Perhaps you should have stuck with it. On Season 4 now and all get very good reviews although be prepared for it depart significantly from the story in the books as the series goes on.
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I had forgotten about the poor service some people have had from BTD, I have ordered a couple of times myself from them without issue but may leave the king till last just in case. My Gripping Beast starter set arrived today so no issues there... finished work early so that I could have a quiet read this afternoon.
Despite loving the series (which I started again last week) I have never been fond of Mr Cornwells books but maybe I will try again with The Last Kingdom, though no rush as I have plenty to go at.
The transfers seem to be out of stock at the Beast does anyone else make them specifically for the plastics range? As I have 30 figures already completed with these an alternative would be welcome.
Will post a couple of pics if it ever stops raining as my indoor lighting is Dark Age standard.
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The transfers seem to be out of stock at the Beast does anyone else make them specifically for the plastics range? As I have 30 figures already completed with these an alternative would be welcome.
Go to the source would be my advice; Steve at LBMS is your friend in this matter ;) :)
https://www.littlebigmenstudios.com/product-category/28mm-transfers/gripping-beast/plastic-saxons/ (https://www.littlebigmenstudios.com/product-category/28mm-transfers/gripping-beast/plastic-saxons/)
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Atheling, thank you for that link I will need this. A great site I probably would have not found myself.
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Atheling, thank you for that link I will need this. A great site I probably would have not found myself.
Not a problem and happy to help. I usually buy straight from Steve for LBMS as heat and cold can sometimes mean that transfers that have been stored incorrectly won't come off the backing paper. If you buy straight from the producer/designer, you are pretty much assured the transfers are stored correctly.
Also, Steve is super quick at getting the transfers sent out post haste.
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I enjoyed both the TV series and the books. Obviously, any fiction is going to be a matter of taste, so take my recommendation or others with a grain of salt.
If you want to try a solo game, Joe from Northern Tempest Saga Podcast has designed a 4-point scenario where you are playing against a programmed raider force of 4 points. Good fun, and difficult to win.
https://lnns.co/p8Q1U6BY2Fz
Mike Demana
http://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com/
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Thanks for the advice Mike. The Blog is a very interesting read.... Saga must be populer where you are!
I have completed 30 of Gripping Beasts Dark Age spearmen and 6 slingers... a Viking army awaits paint as do a Sprue of Saxon armoured types.
In a break from painting I constructed a couple of dark age buildings from foam board, Winchester is very much still an idea but is certainly achievable. Pics to follow this afternoon, they would have been on here weeks ago but work has been horribly busy.