Happy Birthday

... to me!

Some more swag. Kind of a theme happening here:

Thanks, Dad! I know the OOP "Age of Arthur" was dear. It's worth it though. I'm oogling it like it was pr0n!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Not much progress on the marching fort with all the holiday cheer going around. Here's a pic of some of my Christmas swag though. Birthday's just around the corner, so more goodies to come...

Inspiration (part 9)

I just finished another great read. This is one is also about King Arthur.  Although the prose is quite modern-sounding it is incredibly clever. Many a passage had me laughing out loud or sharing a line or two with my wife in the chair next to me. Not to say it's a comedy of course, but just very cleverly written.

Perhaps some of the most moving chapters were those Arthur spent among the "faerie folk" (Prydn as they call themselves). The way Godwin describes the gritty, intensely spiritual, bronze-age nomads is really a joy to read. Like Rosemary Sutcliff, this author uses the vernacular of the natives (in this case the Prydn) in his dialogue and this really helps set the tone. Good stuff!

Inspiration (part 7)

I just finished a mammoth book about the British rebels Caradoc and Boudicca called "The Eagle and the Raven" by Pauline Gedge:

 

The book is a study in contrasts and does an excellent job capturing the juxtaposition of fractious, self-serving British tuatha versus the necessity to unite to throw off the bittersweet yoke of imperial occupation. It captures the flavor of the old gods (and their relationships to the various tuathas) versus the new god. It also explores the dichotomy of sustainable, guerrilla warfare versus the more "honorable" method of head-to-head battle.

I have to admit, some of the reviews are correct in that it takes a while to get going. Like 150 pages or so. Once Rome invades though, the book gets rolling and (for the most part) doesn't stop. It's a bit more psychological than martial, and a more assertive editor could have whittled it down a bit (it's nearly 700 pages), but it's a fascinating take on the period and highly recommended for those interested in the Roman occupation of Britain.

Inspiration (Part 5)

I've just finished another Rosemary Sutcliff book and it was brilliant. Definitely a little deeper and darker than her Young Adult fare I've read previously, but also more powerful and haunting. I highly recommend it. Especially for Dux Britanniarum players, since it's an Arthurian tale set in post-Roman Britain.

Speaking of Dux Brit, I wanted to buy the rules after hearing all the hoopla (and seeing all the great games posted). I've become hypersensitive to price of shipping things "across the pond" however. So when I saw that TooFatLardies offered a PDF download, I jumped at the opportunity to be able to peruse the ruleset and not have to pony up for shipping.

Then I thought, "Wouldn't it be nice to read these rules on the couch instead of the computer." Afterall, I sit at a computer all day for work. So I began to print it out. And it printed and printed and printed. Meanwhile I ran out of two of my ink colors and had to go buy more. In order to save a few quid shipping I spent $26 on ink cartridges! Sigh. Live and learn.  =]

Making slow progress on the next two levy. Hopefully I'll have something to post soon...

Inspiration (Part 4)

Here's another inspirational book I'm reading. This one was brought to my attention by the excellent article on Y Gododdin by James Morris in Wargames Illustrated issue #300:

Even though this is a Young Adult novel, Sutcliff writes very well and her choice of words and phrasing really captures the feel of a bygone era. For example, when the protagonist notices something he uses the phrase "I mind." It's an archaic usage of the word that, when used consistently, makes you feel as though you are in a different time. It's amazing what a difference in the reading a little thing like that can make.

Inspiration (part 2)

Continuing the theme of books that inspire, here is a work of non-fiction that's been a great reference as I (ever so slowly) paint my Scots forces:

What I found particularly useful for my Dark Ages forces was the information about which warlords and their clans clashed with which, as well as what mercenary forces aided them. It made my want to paint up some 'Swords for Hire' to partner with my Scots. Perhaps some Norse-Gaels from Orkney or the Isle of Man.

If you are interested in the Irish, Scots, or Britons I recommend the book. It's got excellent Angus McBride color plates as well. Being from 1988, I have to imagine the information is a little dated though. I've got some recent books on my wish list, but this one was a steal I purchased 'used' from Amazon.

New book!

Well, my Father's Day present finally arrived and I'm loving it:

I've already jumped in and started following his first tutorial with my new test levy. Here he is with just the flesh shade tone (AP Leather Brown) done:

I have to say even with those big ham fists of his, leaving black lines between the fingers was a challenge for me. I used my 3/0 Kolinski Spotter and had to go back in a touch up a bit with the black primer again. I suspect there will be a lot of that in my near future. After the enamel primer dries I'll go back in for the flesh mid tone (AP Barbarian Flesh). So far, so good!

Inspiration

In one of the many blogs I follow, the author posted about books that inspired him to paint. I thought I would follow suit. While it was Cornwell's Saxon Stories that got me started reading Dark Age stuff, this book has really inspired me with the band of Scots I'm painting:

Not only does Paula de Fougerolles have great credentials (Cambridge PhD in Mediaeval History from the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic), she is an amazing writer as well. While I kind of slogged through Cornwell, I find myself getting sucked through these books. Sometimes I read this book so quickly that I have to look back and make sure I didn't miss anything!  I was a little put off at first as there is a "bodice ripper" element to these books, but fear not. She spends more time with missions, miracles, and monsters than with romance. I whole-heartedly recommend them to any Dark Age reader.

I'm scheming lately about making the protagonist Aedan the warlord of my band and perhaps adding a Scottish deerhound to his base. I was also looking at 28mm priest figures to use for Columba. It might be cool to make a larger, multi-figure base with both of them. I realize this book might be stretching the SAGA time period slightly. I've read that the games author was targeting around the year 1000 AD and this book is set in 563 AD. But I figure if I paint the band with more Pictish symbols than Christian ones, I'll probably be alright.