Mitch K Posted November 27, 2018 Share Posted November 27, 2018 I really like Gripping Beast plastics - they're so versatile, and you can put relatively large armies onto the table for a low cost. By cross-kitting between the sets, and adding spares from other sources (e.g. heads from West Wind), you can build a bewildering array of types. I have been trying to build some generic light cavalry using Wargames Factory's mounted Gauls, but I'm not over impressed with the quality of these and I have struggle d to make progress. These are generic Dark Ages riders, suitable for producing post-Roman types in the British Isles as I will be, and also for pretty much any of the non-Imperial types from about AD300 to roughly AD700-800 or so when the Avars bought the stirrup from the east. This covers (pretty much) Goths of the various sorts, plus Vandals, Gepids, Alans and probably even Huns. The box contains four sprues of the type shown below, plus three of the sprues of bases. Thus a box of these will put twelve figures on the table for £22. This compares very favourably with doing the same thing in metal where it will cost you about £36. With six choices of weapon arm and eight head choices, a very varied force can be made without having to reach for the spares box. Not all of the helmets may suit all the different tribal groups, so a bit of research is recommended. Obviously the spares box gets a generous restock with the remains! I started with assembly of the horses. The anatomy is pretty good (this is not true of all miniature makers...). They are obviously horses, as opposed to the round-bellied, short-limbed ponies that many groups used at the time, and they have simply saddle blankets only, rather than the four-cornered wood framed Roman cavalry saddles, so again if you're picky this might be something to keep in mind. Mould seams are minor and easily removed with a scalpel and a file. Sticking the two sides together and you're done! A couple of things. The fit between the halves isn't great. I've built a lot of Warlord Games cavalry, and their horse halves fit much, much better. The other thing is that the Warlord horse halves are all mutually interchangeable, so the four pairs of horse halves on a sprue give a total of sixteen different poses/configurations. The GB ones don't work like this, and whilst you can mix the halves to vary the poses you get. it makes work for later (I'll explain as I go along). About 45 minutes of gentle work while watching NCIS in the background got me six nags ready for the next stage! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch K Posted December 2, 2018 Author Share Posted December 2, 2018 Here's all twelve assembled with a coat of primer, and getting to this stage was quick and fairly simple: I decided to try spraying the block body colours with Vallejo Model Air. The experience has not been a happy one. Two coats using middle stone and dark earth have barely covered the primer, but have at least shown up where further sanding and filler are needed. The results with hull red and burnt umber aren't even this good. I'll have another go in a day or two, and maybe swerve the middle stone - it's a bit too yellow even for an absolutely garish buckskin! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch K Posted December 3, 2018 Author Share Posted December 3, 2018 Assembling the figures is quicker and easier than the horses. The different weapon arms and helmets give you a good deal of diversity. Uniformity has no place in a Dark Ages rabble! The set provides a good contribution to the spares box: Which are added to my already well-stocked Dark Ages spares box! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch K Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 Riders, ready to prime. I paint horses and riders separately so I need some means of holding the riders during the process. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch K Posted December 12, 2018 Author Share Posted December 12, 2018 After priming, I did the leggings, under-tunics, boots and helmets. The clothing is done on a limited palette, just three different light colours. It doesn't reduce the work of shading and highlighting, but makes it easier to batch-paint. The helms are Vallejo Oily Steel with a wash of Winsor and Newton Peat Brown ink. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 Interesting subject matter, are they 1/72? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch K Posted December 12, 2018 Author Share Posted December 12, 2018 25 minutes ago, Ratch said: Interesting subject matter, are they 1/72? 28mm (about 1/56). Standard scale for skirmish gaming. It's a nice scale to work in, plenty of detail. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch K Posted December 23, 2018 Author Share Posted December 23, 2018 The backs of the shields were sprayed with Vallejo RAL Elfenbein, washed with W&N inks and drybrushed with a couple of light grey/off-white shades. The fronts were left in white primer ahead of finishing. The cross-garters/puttees look nice but are a pest to paint, so I cheated by using only two colours, and shading simply with an ink wash. I'll highlight the trousers and garters later. I've gone with a few more main tunic colours, which will get some further refinements of collar and cuffs and the like. Progress! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince1159 Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 Great job on the shields... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch K Posted December 31, 2018 Author Share Posted December 31, 2018 17 minutes ago, Vince1159 said: Great job on the shields... Thank you! I haven't decided what to do with the fronts yet. Something colorful but general (I think I'll avoid "chi-rho's" as they're too specific to Roman/post-Roman groups). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch K Posted January 6, 2019 Author Share Posted January 6, 2019 Half the horses now have saddles, saddle cloths, bridles and the like, and the basic shading is done. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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