Dux Bellorum: Kitchen Table Edition (updated 21st March 2024)

[Old Hob]

Thanks for the kind comments, all. Always appreciated.

Beautiful work! The figures and basing all look great. Is that a 60x30mm base? The figures fill it really well.

Yep, back on 60x30s. I like that you can get more minis on the base without it looking overly cramped, which I feel would have been the case if I'd gone with standard DBA basing. Mind you, that may be down to decades of scale creep as much as anything else. The FiB lads are certainly a bit more substantial than 'true 15s'.

Excellent work Old Hob 

Thanks Atheling. It's probably not particularly obvious, or especially well done, but I remembered what you've said previously about minis on a multi-base having a dialogue and tried to apply it. It definitely helped with deciding who got glued where.

I once stoped to buy 15mm until i paint more and only to buy big rare dragons.... lets say i have a little  dragon infestation on my lead pile 

I feel your pain. 

[Old Hob]

There was the merest whiff of sunshine this afternoon, just long enough to grab a couple of snaps of the latest unit of Vendel culture warriors I finished a few days ago. Inspired by Pattus, I bought a copy of the Jon Hodgson backdrops book and tried my hand at taking fancy photos.

 



Next up, some geegees.

[Pattus Magnus]

Those look awesome! Your previous pictures were quite good, but I do like these new ones with the backdrop and the riff-raff charging through the weeds. I am sorely tempted to purchase some Wiglaf figures to add to my 15mm projects, and your figs are not making it easy to keep resisting.

[Pattus Magnus]

I’ll add, I like the shields a lot on this batch. The colours look good and the geometric designs work well to give each warrior some individuality. The ones with curved lines are snazzy - might just do something similar on some future Copplestone Barbarians when I paint them!

[Basementboy]

Agreed with pattus- very snazzy

[Old Hob]

I'll definitely take snazzy. Thanks guys.

Pattus - maybe you just need a few Wiglafs as an ally contingent. You know, definitely not a new army or anything... 

[Pattus Magnus]

That sounds like a very slippery slope…

[Mr. White]

I’ve been looking at the Wiglaf line for Lion Rampant, but I already have two lines of models for that in 28mm. However, this is getting me interested in Wiglaf for Dux Ballorum.

IIRC, the basing tables in the rulebook lists measurements for 15mm and smaller as well as 20mm and larger. 18mm is right in the middle? Are you using one of those guidelines or your own thing?

Great paint job on these models! Definitely an inspiration.

[SJWi]

Old Hob, if your table is too narrow can I suggest you buy a pack of loftboard sections. These are normally 4' wide and lock together, and are pretty easy to store. They are quite cheap but you do need some form of covering to protect the table top.  They are what I use to convert my dining table into a  6 or 8' x 4' gaming table. 

[Old Hob]

Hi Mr White. I went with the 20mm+ base size (6x3cm), but then tried to cram as many minis on as possible (I don't really like the look of DBA basing with only 3-4 guys). This has worked a treat with the Forged in Battle miniatures as they have more static poses, but if I was starting over again and only using Wiglaf I would maybe use 6x4cm, as getting that second rank on is a bit tricksy.

Thanks SJWi. That's a good shout. As it happens, I re-read the rulebook recently and set up is between 3-5 BW from the centre line. So having thought my table was too small, I now realise it is perfect! 

[March Hare]

Nicely done.

[FifteensAway]

Missed this thread.  Nice work.  Will help inspire my recently sorted (with some orders winging there way my way to round it all out) Viking figures, different sources than yours.  Big difference will be mine will be individually based to focus on raiding games rather than army-versus-army battles; have lots of civilian figures for the raids - and three different 'armies' to defend against the Vikings: Norman, Saxon, and Pict/Celts.  Just three raiding parties of 36 figures each so not overwhelming - plus some captive figures and casualties to spice it up just a bit - the civilians are multiple use as are the other armies.  May try and hunt down some 15 mm figures specific for Viking casualties - any you can point me to would be appreciated.

Need to go check out Wiglaf miniatures.  See if I am tempted to action though I have to hope not - too many figures already (in too many periods).   Have some Forged in Battle figures - not Vikings, would be my first choice for figures now - and buildings.  If FIB ever release Japanese and Marines with some appropriate terrain bits I think I may actually add figures - but not until a lot more get painted!!!

[Old Hob]

Hi FifteensAway. Blue Moon do 15mm Viking, Saxon and Norman casualties. I get the impression these are 'big 15s' but I have never seen any up close. Would they work for you?

https://www.oldgloryuk.com/15mm-vikings/50/252/611/662
https://www.oldgloryuk.com/15mm-anglo-saxons/50/252/615/663
https://www.oldgloryuk.com/15mm-normans/50/252/616/664

Cheers

[FifteensAway]

Old Hob,

Those might work.

You are right, Bluemoon do tend to the larger end of the "15" mm spectrum, closer to 18 mm.  They tower over Peter Pig, can work with Essex generally but closest to Irregular or Lancashire's larger ranges.  However, they are nice figures once painted and on the table and most codes have all unique figures or maybe two of each on occasion which makes them the most diverse ranges for most periods they cover as far as diversity of poses - and that is regardless of figure size, 2 mm right through 54 mm.  Might be a few very limited ranges that have more - but not many.

The biggest benefit of Bluemoon is their cost per figure can be half or less of many other ranges, at least here in the USA, with the use of an Army Card, bought a large number of figures and some structures and ships/boats using that 40% discount.  Finally allowed mine to expire - just don't have much need for more - and my Vikings are different manufacturers so not much need, though did buy 2 packs recently at full price to finish off one collection, Three Musketeers.

Thanks for the reply to my question.

[Axebreaker]

Lovely work on these! I really should do some more 15's.....

Christopher