To Westeros with Captain Blood! 14 October, another hill tribesman (p66)

[Silent Invader]

Is this someone rather on the short side... 

 

cheers

James

Does the pink colour scheme match with the top of his head?

[Dr. Zombie]

Well pink is the most masculine colour to wear. A man must have complete confidence in his own masculinity to wear pink.

[thebinmann]

Well pink is the most masculine colour to wear. A man must have complete confidence in his own masculinity to wear pink.

Well them I think Ramsay would wear pink!

[Captain Blood]

Pink was allegedly one of the Norman's favourite colours. I've worn quite a few shocking pink shirts in my time, and I've painted quite a few figures in pink outfits too.
I just happen to think pink doesn't suit very well with the nature of the Boltons. And a red device on a pink field is clearly nonsensical in terms of recognition / visibility on the battlefield...
But anyway, never mind all that... It's FANTASY!  

[LordOdo]

Wow Ramsay is great!! I think he's my favourite mini by you, (Which means quite a lot.. )

[Argonor]

Pink was allegedly one of the Norman's favourite colours.

It's because the natural colours used to dye red clothing very often turned out pinkish. I think it was not until somewhen during the high middle ages that red became regularly actually red, and could be fixed so the colour wouldn't wash out too quickly.

It's not a freak accident that red is a chosen colour for elector princes, cardinals, and kings, to show their status and wealth.

And regarding the manlyness, I've been told that pink fabric was a favourite of viking warriors, too. 

[Too Bo Coo]

I was a bit curious about the pink/red arrangement that Martin described.  I think you did a great interpretation!  Very inspired!

[commissarmoody]

Great work on the Basterd Bolton.

[Romark]

Really enjoying this thread,conversion work and painting top notch as usual,but I got to thinking,mixing and matching all this plastic from so many different ranges must generate a lot of plastic sprues in your house,never mind a lead mountain you must have a plastic mountain Captain .
On a slightly more serious note can I ask,because you use so many components from differing ranges do you seperate the heads and arms,equipment from the sprues and keep them catalogued as such or just randomly select from the sprues as you go along with each new conversion ?

[Blackwolf]

More cracking work Richard your figures make me want to attempt the novels again(I find them too episodic...A bit like Anne Rice...Horrible).
  Your conversions are spot on,my own conversions are very close to yours(for my spurious medieval grim dark  project),though I find the Gripping Beast mailled arms a bit 'sleevy',however you make them look just right,I'll have to have another shot at them(I am finding the Viking bodies with Perry bill men arms and bare heads a lovely mix though).

Regards

Guy

[Captain Blood]

Thanks.

I agree with you Guy, the Gripping Beast arms are indeed a bit too 'sleevy' - a tad overdone.
I'll have to try out a couple of Viking bodies with Perry bill arms as you suggest - good idea 

I'm afraid the truth is, nice as all the ranges are in their own right, the plastic sets from Fireforge, Gripping Beast and Warlord Games are simply not a patch on the Perry medieval sets in terms of the fineness of detailing, the realism of the posing and animation, the quality of the sculpting, or the versatility and sheer quantity of components.
The others all look ever so slightly clunky / cartoony in various ways - whereas the Perry stuff looks amazing.
But maybe I just like that style... 

On a slightly more serious note can I ask,because you use so many components from differing ranges do you seperate the heads and arms,equipment from the sprues and keep them catalogued as such or just randomly select from the sprues as you go along with each new conversion ?

I just pick straight from the sprues.
It does take up a ridiculous amount of space keeping (currently) 15 boxes full of half-used frames of plastic figures, when you know the actual remaining usable contents of each of those boxes would fit into a small teacup if you stripped the sprue.
The problem of course, is that once you've harvested the parts and put them all into a box, you simply can't see what you've got any more. So although it's a massive waste of space, keeping unused parts on the sprue is much the most practical way of doing it...

Anyway, on with the Boltons...
Here's the finished 'Bastard's Boy' huntsman. Plus my mighty force of three whole Boltons, shown all together... 
I need to make up a few more really, when time permits.

[Romark]

Thanks for taking time out to reply to my random question concerning sprues,once the thought had popped into my mind I just had to ask 
Nice group shot of the most recent additions and the flayed man shield is top notch,gruesome,but top notch.

[beefcake]

Great stuff. Love that flayed man on the shield.

[Vermis]

I don't like the Gripping Beast arms meself (humongous gaps between those and the torsos) but when I read this...

I find the Gripping Beast mailled arms a bit 'sleevy'

the Gripping Beast arms are indeed a bit too 'sleevy' - a tad overdone.

...huh?

Too long? Too wide? What's 'sleevy'?

The others all look ever so slightly clunky / cartoony in various ways - whereas the Perry stuff looks amazing.

I know just what you mean. I've been peering hard at DA/Early Medieval plastics over the last couple of days, wishing the Perrys did them all, and wondering if it's all to blend in with the generally clunky/cartoony look that some historicals have been stuck in for ages. I'm thinking of the GB saxons and Conquest normans for Rohan; but with my previous experience of both, I know the former might be better orcs, 'cos a bunch in the box are so hunched and crook-legged, and I'm gonna have to take a dremel or something to the shoulders on the latter.

Have to say I'm impressed with how fine that Fireforge body on the huntsman looks, though. Altogether the three Boltons look excellent.

[Captain Blood]

Thanks Vermis. Yes, the more recent Fireforge bodies and arms are really quite good, and the weapons are much more proportionate and less 'GW-style outsize' than the first couple of sets. I think I'd put Fireforge second behind the Perry figures in terms of 'realism', especially if you're choosy about the components and how you put them together.

'Sleevy' means that the mail half-length sleeves on some of the Gripping Beast Viking / Saxon arms just look a bit too big, loose and heavy. I've worn mail shirts, and they don't generally hang like great loose bags around your arms... Loose enough to swing a sword in, yes, but not as capacious as they are modelled on the Gripping Beast figures... IMHO.

Anyway, here's my take on Victarion Greyjoy...

For the record, I don't see the Greyjoys as Vikings. Seagoing raiders, yes. But that doesn’t mean the Iron-born have horned or bespectacled helmets, Dane-axes and go round chanting Uphellyaa. They’re a high-medieval culture, same as all the other great houses of Westeros - perhaps just a bit less high in appearance. And they happen to be a seapower.
Plus Victarion is explicitly described as wearing plate armour.
My Victarion raises triumphant (if slightly sleevy) Gripping Beast Viking arms, with a Fireforge sword added, a Fireforge Teutonic great helm, and a Perry WOTR armoured body.







Here are my Greyjoys together...





And here they are having a scrap with the rascally Boltons...





And I think that just leaves my attempt at a Wildling to come...