Koyote's SAGA Pagan Rus (start on page 9)

[Khmorg]

  Look Great !!!!

[Too Bo Coo]

Just love this project! I was north of Moscow last summer and there was a Baba Yaga museum, I took some pics of the wood carvings of Baba and company, I can post them if you like. I planned on using them for a fantasy project I have planned.

[Koyote]

Just love this project! I was north of Moscow last summer and there was a Baba Yaga museum, I took some pics of the wood carvings of Baba and company, I can post them if you like. I planned on using them for a fantasy project I have planned.

Very cool.  Please do so. \

[Admiral Benbow]

Fantastic project! Some exotic figures and I really like your vignettes ...

[Koyote]

The Bogatyr have arrived! 

Over the years, I've ordered hundreds of miniatures from scores of manufacturers and resellers, but I have never received my minis packaged in cigarette boxes, until now.  Clever.  The models were well wrapped in bubble wrap so they arrived in perfect, albeit a bit smelly, condition.  LOL. 



Based on the product photo I was concerned that the Bogatyr models would be a bit too large, but as it turns out the opposite is true.  Like Drabant miniatures, these minis are closer in scale to 25mm than 28mm.  The detail is good and the presence of mold lines is about average. Overall, the quality is quite good. 

As in the painting that served as the inspiration for these minis, the horses' poses are fairly static.  Nevertheless, the sculpts are quite nice. In fact, they rank among the best I've seen from manufacturers that produce metal historicals.  Kudos to the sculptor.

I had hoped to make the Bogatyr armed with a spear my Eastern Princes warlord, but the model's size may preclude that.  I won't know for certain until I get a chance to compare the Bogatyr to my Gripping Beast/Fireforge Games kitbashed hearthguard.

[Koyote]

Here's what I've put together for my Eastern Princes warlord.  The rider and rearing horse are made by Curteys Miniatures.  The head is from the Fireforge Russian Infantry kit and the shield is carved down Norman kite shield from Conquest Games.

The model can be improved with some GS work, but even so, I feel kind of 'meh' about it.  Even with a rearing horse, the rigidly posed riders makes the model feel stiff and unnatural. I gave its throwing arm a bit of a bend and the head a slight turn to the right, but it didn't do much good.





Yesterday, while doing my daily rounds through the webpages of various miniatures manufacturers I spotted Fireforge Games' new Richard the Lionheart minis.  The model got me thinking.  By using GS to make the top of his helm a bit pointier, swapping out the shield, and carving the lions off of the mounted model's surcoat, this model could make a damn fine Eastern Princes monarch.  The model's armor is heavier than those of my mounted hearthguard, but since Lithuanian warlord's are not equipped with javelins, the heavier armor makes sense.

Sadly, it's cast in Fireforge's "fine resin" material. Nevertheless, against my better judgment and bitter experience with Fireforge's so called "fine resin" miniatures, I placed an order.  I know, it's a gamble.  But it's my hope is that since these are a brand new models, Fireforge will exercise at least some degree of quality control on these products before shipping them to customers.  Fingers crossed.

[Breazer]

oh that is a really cool miniature. I will have to take that same gamble and if i'm lucky I can take a cool picture with him.

[Ogrob]

Love the bogatyrs, bit jealous of those. Whatever you end up with for your warlord, I'm sure you'll make it look great.

[Koyote]

My V&V vikings arrived and they sure are purty.  The detail is quite nice and the flash and mold lines are minimal. I want all my warriors to have hand weapons (no spears) and I don't care for the shields that came in the kit, so reequipped many of them.

When lined up against viking models from V&V's earlier viking kits and viking models from other manufacturers there is a noticeable difference in height and proportions.  Look at the V&V vikings 4th (old) and 5th (new) from the right.  Compare the size of the model's head and the thickness of the limbs.  The new V&V viking make the the old one looks kind of puny.

The new V&V models scale fairly well against GW human models (Empire & Bretonnians), which got me thinking.  I now have 12 oversized vikings that I probably won't integrate into my Pagan Rus warband, but they would make a mighty-fine Norse Explorers warband for Mordheim.  Twelve models gives me enough for a starting 500 gc warband plus room to grow.  All that I need to do is find a suitable Ulfwerenar model (werewolf) and I'm ready to explore the City of the Damned.  Hmm..

[Koyote]

I've been disappointed time and again by Fireforge's "fine resin" products, so I was pleasantly surprised when opened my Richard the Lionheart blister today.  The detail is fantastic.  None of the pieces are malformed.  Not one air bubble.  Almost no mold lines or flash.  Overall, a superb product.

I suspect that they've changed their "fine resin" material.  The new material feels denser and slightly heavier.  It's much less brittle.  The surfaces seem smoother.  The material looks and feels like a soft-to-medium plastic.  It's a big improvement.

[Breazer]

I received mine too and already painted it up (see my thread) and for me the model was the same. I discovered one tiny tiny bubble but its really too small to mention. Im now very curious about your warlord.

[Ogrob]

I usually don't mind resin, but it can vary a lot by batch. I've had compontents from the same manufacturer considerably softer or harder in the same kit. If done well though, it's a perfectly servicable material.

[Too Bo Coo]

Did you ever finish this project? I plan to borrow some of your ideas for my Russian Princes and Age of Magic projects

[Ogrob]

Man, I was exited to see this thread surface again but just a necro... I ordered those Bogatyr from the wierd russian seller and had them arrive in the same suspicious russian cigarette boxes. Decent sculpts though, and no problem with customs.

[Too Bo Coo]

What’s a necro?