Custom Fatigue Token for SAGA

I have seen some pretty nice custom fatigue tokens for SAGA(thankfully the only needed accessory for the game save a measuring stick).  I love the idea of using extra shields for these but I wanted to dress it up with some extra kit.  I was thinking that I'd throw some other things on there that warriors might abandon to "lighten their load". 

The shield is an extra from Gripping Beast(plastics) while the helmet is from a Wargames Factory Viking Bondi head(I just clipped/cut away the head in the helmet!).  The small bag(does it hold coin or rations?) and the cloak are made from Lumina air drying polymer clay.  I put the bits on an extra Renedra base I have and textured it.




Here you can see what the token looks like while used in a game....

I have some other bits I plan to use or make to put on other such markers such as horns and broken shields.  I am open to suggestions as to what else I would accessorize them logically!  Feel free to comment...
Thanks for viewing,
Gareson

Anglo-Dane Hearthguard Table Ready

In my quest to complete two warbands for SAGA, I have begun painting my Anglo-Danes.  I hope to have the core of both(Viking and Anglo-Danes) done before the end of the school year to roll out to my club. 

The four below are from Gripping Beast's plastic "Saxon Thegns" set...

I have decided to make the Warband base lip colors vary for each faction to match the color of their SAGA dice.  Of course, some factions share dice, so I'll have to be creative down the line.  The main reason I am doing this because the kit is so similar for Dark Ages warriors for many of the factions, I wanted a quick way for new players to tell "who is who". 

I didn't like how the "magic wash" was blunting the hues of my Vikings figures so for these guys I am only apply the wash to target areas where I want some shadings(mainly metal and wood surfaces as well as the shields). Here are some individual pics...

Next up  on my painting table are some Huscarls for the Anglo-Danes as well as my Viking warlord. I purchased an Anglo-Danish command pack from Architects of War which, with four figures for under $10, is a nice deal.

Thanks for viewing everyone.
Comments are always welcome and appreciated....
~Gareson

Viking Warband(-1): Spring Break Painting!

My goal during this Spring Break vacation(today is the last day) was to paint a 4 Point Viking Warband for SAGA in 8 days...but I was a Warlord short!  That being said, for about a week's worth of effort, I did get 20 figures painted which is a nice start. 

First, here are the last four Viking Hearthguard(Gripping Beast Plastics) I did to complete my (warlord-less) warband...

Here is a close up of one of the men...

I used green stuff to give these guys appropriately longer locks this time around...

Here are another four Hearthguard I did the other day...

So that brings up my force to 20 strong...

On Left: 3 Viking Hearthguard Units(3 x 4 men), On Right: 1 Viking Warrior Unit(8 men)

Painting the shields is definitely the most challenging, but most rewarding, part of the process. 

So what's next?  The following:
-prime and paint Viking warlord
-begin assembling and painting Anglo-Danish Hearthguard(bought the Saxon GP plastics)
-begin assembling and painting Anglo-Danish slinger levy unit
-awaiting Viking Berserkers and Anglo-Danish Huscarls in the mail
-continue to knock off some more Dark Ages terrain

I am also helping my 15 and 9 year olds with their painting...they are painting up some Super Dungeon Explore minis.  Once I have two small SAGA warbands ready, I'll put them to work helping me try out the rules!

Well, that's it for now...
~Gareson

Basing With Lumina Air Drying Clay

Now that I've been modeling miniatures on various types of bases across multiple game systems over the last few years I've finally found a basic basing solution that I am really happpy with.  I've used all of the following with success over time:
1.Vallejo Pumice and Stucco
2.Spackle(filler for those in the U.K.)
3.Green Stuff
4.Milliput
5.Cork
6.Wet Modeling Clay
However, the last few months I have been using Lumina Air Drying Clay which, to me, has become the ideal basing material. 

I chose to base my Saga miniatures on Privateer Press 30mm slotted bases rather than the Renedra ones because I wanted a lip around the mini's base that I could paint a slightly different color for each faction so on the gaming table one could quickly tell "who is who".  Of course, as with most bases, this brings about a situation where one has to add material to the base to disguise the original plastic base of the mini(the block beneath his feet).  Also, as the PP bases are slotted, that has to be covered as well. Please keep in mind, this technique will work with any bases you place your minis on...not just round or slotted ones.  Lastly, yes you can do this type of basing detail before priming and painting...I just prefer to do it at the end. 

Start by pinching on a very small(and I mean small) bit of clay and working it into a small snake with your fingers...this will do most of the work in sculpting up the base.

Lay the clay around original base of the mini where it meets your new base(my 30mm one in this case) and use your fingers to smooth it out creating a gradual rise from the new base to the miniature's block.  If your figures are a little too clumsy or there are some tight spots, use the flat of an x-acto knife blade to flatten out the clay.

Uh oh....my snake didn't cover all of the slot....what do I do?  Easy, just roll a little ball of clay to place on that part of the base and...

boom!...no problem!(sounds like an infomerical, sorry). Now here is one of the real advantages of this particular clay(Lumina).  In under 10 minutes it is dry enough for me to base my grit(sand/kitty litter) over; with putties and filler I have to wait a lot longer!

After I paint a little Mod Podge(watered down PVA essentially) on the base I dip him in my basing material.  In just a matter of minutes(from no clay to fully textured) my figures look like this...

Now I just have to paint up the base texture(for a tutorial head to this post) and the base lips and these four guys can join the rest of their unit...

Let me conclude with all the reasons I love this air drying clay for basing and why it is my new norm for finishing a figure.
1. It is very easy to work with.  Unlike two party putty(Green Stuff/Milliput) it is not the least bit tackey so you needn't worry about keeping fingers or sculpting tools wet.
2. It is entirely sculptable.  You can carve bricks, patterns, etc. into the clay with such ease!  You can do this while it sets or after it dries. 
3.  It is inexpensive.  The block of clay I purchased off Amazon for $10 will last me for hundreds of figures.  I used about 1/50th of the block for the four figures shown in the example. 
4. The stuff dries like hard plastic...it IS NOT going to flake or chip.  It feels like the original plastic of the mini once it dries.
5. It paints well.  The Lumina clay, once primed will take hold paint as well as any other plastic.

I assume there are other air drying polymer clays out there that will work as well as the Lumina...if you know of some feel free to post them in the comments section.  Here are some other non-Saga figures I have based with the same material...

Soviet 20mm Plastic Soldier Company Minis
 



15mm Elves modded for BattleLore boardgame with Lumina Clay bases(the
hole to hold the banner was easily made with the clay as well!).

 

Well that's it for now...I hope you found this tutorial helpful.

~Gareson





Vikings Warrior Unit Completed...

My quest to complete a warband before Spring Break ends continues...
I finished four more Wargames Factory Viking Bondi figures to complete a unit of warriors for Saga.


Wargames Factory Viking Bondi...Father Comstock is on the right!(Bioshock Infinite reference).

Before purchasing these guys most reviews I read(and watched) suggested that they were fairly lowe on detail...an assessment with which I must concurr.  That being said, I did the best I could to paint them up.  I am still glad I made the purchase because the pricepoint is very fair and the extreme variety of possible poses is great.  Furthermore, they will allow me to quickly roll out an inexpensive force(coupled with the Gripping Beast plastic Vikings) that I could later upgrade with nicer sculpts if I so desire.   I have decided to use the Gripping Beast shields with these warriors and the Wargames Factory ones with the Gripping Beast Hearthguard. The Wargames Factory ones are actually more detailed and I like them better for the better equipped warriors...whereas the simpler ones in the GB plastic set seem better suited to these warriors.  


"Turn around, I heard something!"...nah, master just wants to show our paintjob from behind!

With the above four figures I now have a unit of warriors(8 strong) to add to my warband.  I should mention that in an effort to speed paint the figures I used my "magic wash" of Pledge/Water/Brown Ink/Black Ink to bring out the details.  Here is the group shot of the full unit..


"By the might of Thor, charge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Thanks for viewing and happpy wargaming everybody!
~Gareson

Wattle Fencing for Wargames

Dark Ages England, World War II's Eastern Front...and Trollbloods?  What do they have in common?...they could all use some wattle fencing!  In my effort to create some more "do it yourself" terrain for Saga(Dark Ages Skirmish Game), I have played around with making some crude, wattle fencing scenery pieces for my gaming table.  These could be used for just about any era of historical wargaming or fantasy wargaming.

Since my experiment met with (at least what seemed to me to be) success, I thought I'd share a complete terrain tutorial on the method and materials that I used.  I actually built the fences using two different materials, so I will share both methods....

Method #1: Wattle Fencing from Twigs...
As I was walkign around in my yard, I noticed a lot of post-Winter debris including twigs of various sizes...these would be the basic material for my wattle fences. If you don't have access to natural material, scroll down to Method #2 below for an alternative.

First let me list the materials that I used for the "twig" variety.  As shown above:
1)wooden dowels(from a craft store...round tooth picks could suffice)
2)the dowels cut into small pieces
3)small twigs
4)cardboard("card" to my European friends)
5)a pin vice(an x-acto knife could be used instead)
6)white glue(a.k.a. PVA glue)

The first thing I did was drill some small holes in the cardboard base that the cut dowel pieces(acting as our fence posts) would be glued into.  Below you can see them glued into place...

It is very important that you let the glue holding the dowels/posts in place thoroughly dry before going on to the next step, as threading the twigs between the dowels will place some stain on them, and if the glue isn't drying they will "lean" or even pop out of their hole. 

Now comes the fun part(as shown above).  Start to thread your twigs in between the posts.  I add a little dab of glue where the twigs make contact with the posts.  As far as the length of the twigs goes, I precut them down to the size I needed for the particular base I was using.  A good rule of thumb is to make sure they extend beyond the outer posts to the edge of the base.  That way, when you connect various fencing pieces together, you get a contiguous wall. 

Above you can see the completed piece with all of the twigs in place.  You could easily adapt this approach for longer or shorter(see below) sections of fencing.  Finally, here is the painted and based wattle fencing section:

Note that some wattle fences have more posts and a tighter weave.  These are well modeled by kits such as the Renedra one, but I wanted something more rustic looking(if you search the web for "wattle fencing", you'll find images of both types.  You could easily use the same method I did above for the tighter weave...just add more posts and used more pliable floral or soldering wire as your horizontal weave. 


Method #2: Wattle Fencing from Leather Cord...
So let's you say you don't live in a wooded area as I do or have access to twigs...what do you do?  Another option is to use leather cording available in craft stores(sometimes even the craft section of discount stores).  Let me go over the materials for this alternative approach:

For this method I used...
1)leather cording
2)leather cording(cut to length)
3)a ready to go base of cardboard & dowels(see above)
4)pins
5)super glue

This method is a little more labor intensive but still pretty easy.  You start by making a base just as with the twig method...

...then you weave the leather cord pieces in between the posts.  Now there are a couple of nuiances to this procedure.  First, because the cord comes wrapped around it's cardboard packaging it tends to curl.  After cutting the bits, I curled the cording around a pencil in different directions and flexed it between my fingers to straighten it out somewhat.  When I placed it between the posts(as shown above), I superglued the cord(generously!) to the posts where it made contact.  Because the cord isn't as rigid as the twigs, I used pins to hold it next to the dowels while the superglue dried.

As I added additional leather cording, I added pins on the reverse sides to hold these new bits in place as the glue dried.  This became an easy path for me thread addtitional pieces into.  Finally, when all the pieces were in place and the glue was dry, I removed the pins and had this...

Once the piece was given base texture and paint it came out like...

One advantage of the cord option could be that you could thread longer sections and corner pieces without worrying about the length limitations of the twigs.  Now if you're thining the twig version looks a little better, I concurr.  However, when we compare the two pieces side by sid, after using the same basing and painting technique, the difference is fairly negligable...

Two of the above pieces are the leather variety(upper left and upper right) while two are the twig type(lower left and lower right).  Can they be used together? You be the judge...

Now that I have a method for these fences that I like plan to churn them out in good number.  They're easy and cheap to make, that is for sure.  If you find this helpful or have any insights of your own, feel free to leave a comment.

Thanks for viewing and reading....
~Gareson

My First Dark Ages Terrain: Anglo-Saxon Tent

Since within a few weeks I should have enough Saga minis to start hitting my gaming table, I thought I'd better get cracking on some Dark Ages terrain.  I've got plenty of walls, hedges, trees, etc...but I will need some distinctively Medieval structures to compliment them!  After browsing the net and noticing the very well done Renedra Anglo-Saxon tent sets...I decided to make my own.  Don't get me wrong, the Renedra set is priced right and well-modeled, but right now I'd rather spend my hobby money on more figures for my warbands. 

For my first attempt I am pretty happy with the result.  Furthermore, the price was right: free!  Well, admittedly I had the materials laying around but even if you had to purchase them the cost would be minimal(and odds are, you already have the needed items on hand).

The basic supplies I used to construct the tent were heavy cardboard(matting board) and bamboo skewers for the structure.   I used skewers for the poles at the ends of the tent, along the top and along the flanks(where they were glued to the card to disguise the smooth structure of the card).  For the tent fabric I used "Viva" Paper Towel which I cut into srips and glued to the structure using Mod Podge(a craft sealer...essentially it is watered down P.V.A./White Glue).  I then brushed the whole tent with a thick coat of Mod Podge for three reasons:
1.to harden the shell so it wouldn't tear or break during use
2.to help the "canvas" of the paper towel form to the stucture
3.to create a surface that would take the paint better
I applied dirt texture(sand/kitty litter) to the base which I painted and flocked. 

The whole project took me about 20-25 minutes to build and around an equal time to paint.  So for under an hour, and at no cost, I have a nice looking Saxon tent for my Saga battlefield.  You could easily use the same technique to make tents of various sizes and for other settings(both historical and fantasy).  In fact, I may make some for my Warmachine battles down the line as well!

If anyone would be interested in a more thorough walkthrough with "work in progress" photos, just say so in the comments section and I will gladly be sure to put a post together next time I make a tent(which should be soon).

Thanks for viewing,
~Gareson

Viking Warriors for Saga(1/2 point)

My endeavor to complete the painting of a small Viking warband for Saga over my vacation continues.  This time, I've done 1/2 a unit of Viking Warriors...
(click photos for larger images)

These figures were also plastics but from Wargames Foundry(their "Viking Bondi" set).  I really like the poseability of these figures although the details are rather subtle.  However, for medium/low quality Dark Ages warriors...they would have simple gear.

I used quite an array of paints to mix up the colors on the guys.  By the time I was done I realized just how many ranges I had utilized: Vallejo Model Color, Vallejo Game Color, Vallejo Model Air, Reaper Master Series, Reaper HD, P3 Paints, Wargames Foundry and even some 30 year old Ral Partha paint pots!  The pelt on the figure to the left was hand made from Lumina air drying clay...which is quickly become my favorite modeling tool!

I like the shields on the Wargames Foundry figures better than the Gripping Beast ones...because I like the rivets around the edge.  I debated whether or not to paint the rim as metal or leather...I opted for the latter(I did some internet research and found that both were used).

Painting the shields on these guys is definitely the most challenging but fun part of the project.  Below you can see how I carved some planks into the shield with an x-acto knife...I figured for my lesser quality warrior troops they might not have the fancy shield coverings..

And finally, the bald guy....

I am going to do a another unit of Hearthguard before I do the other 1/2 of this warrior unit.  I like to paint no more figures than four at a time to avoid unit painting burnout. 

That's all for now....happy belated Easter to everyone!
~Gareson