Victrix Vikings and Easterlings of Middle Earth

I've been chipping away at my projects when I find time. Ive complted 4 units (32 figures) using the new Victrix Vikings. They don't disappoint. I'd seena  fw people commenting on the way they have done the chain mail on the figures but really t is a non issue once painted, and before that too really.

The figures have fantastic detail, lots of options and are now my go to source for rank and file vikings.

My horde is a mix of the new Victrix plastics, Gripping  Beast Plastics and metals and a few assorted odds and sods such as Artizan. Size wise the Victrix are a bit taller than the Gripping  Beast plastics. I've a unit of huscarls to finish and that is going to be a mixture of Footsore and Victrix models. The Victrix are noticeably taller and bulkier than the Footsore but don't think it will too much of an issue. I intend to bulk up the bases of the footsore so it isn't too noticeable.

I've still got some basing to go. You may also notice that I've been busy making myself movement trays for the troops- out of cardboard and balsa.

I've also added another regiment of spearmen to my Easterlings Middle Earth forces- these are Fireforge plastic medieval Russians with Gripping Beast Tumerid shields. 

Craig

Arrggghhhh too many projects!

Okay, so I’m only slowly working though the lead and plastic pile, trying to work on

• Vikings
• Anglo-Danes
• Gondor
• Easterlings
• Dwarves

Today some more reinforcements arrived from Northstar- another box each of Fireforge Medieval Russians, Oathmark Heavy Dwarf infantry, the new Victrix Vikings and some metal Crusader Norman infantry with axes (to be part of my Gondor army). So I really do need to start focusing on one or two projects rather than all at once!

Technically, though they all part of two projects- Operation Middle Earth and my ongoing 1066 project.

So what do I have on the go/am I trying to finish:

Easterlings:

·         Finish 12x Heavy Cav (using the Gripping  Beast Goth cavalry). I have them made up and started painting them last night.

·         Heavy infantry- add 1 regiment each of Spears and hand weapon armed warriors for Kings of War using the newly arrived Fireforge Medieval Russians.

Vikings

·         These have just arrived but they look lovely and can’t wait to get them on the table- 60x Victrix Vikings to add to the mix of my Viking forces- I think I need to do a couple of test bases…just because!

·         Finish off my danes axe armed unit(s) from Footsore/Gripping Beast/ Warlord Games which will be used as my Housecarls.

Gondor

·         1x regiment of axe armed infantry using the Crusader Normans to add to my force to act as more elite infantry.

Dwarves

·         Complete a regiment of hand weapon and shield armed dwarves and also 2x stands of two handed weapon armed dwarves using the Oathmrk figures to give me three regiments in Kings of War or 6 units in Dragon Rampant

Anglo Danes

·         On the back burner just now but stll need another 2+ regiments (in kings of War terms)

Goblins Warg Riders

I bought some Goblin warg riders from

Other projects

·         Continue rebasing my figures- I’ve decided my cavalry bases are slightly to long and want to shorten them so need to rebase some stands.

·         Make some movement trays for the new units for use with Kings of War regiments.

    

     Finally, some shots of the new Victrix Viking sprues- the figures look damn nice and there are plenty of options!

 Craig

Vikings Finished

12 bases worth now complete- 6 to go, although I'll probably halt and 16 and paint some Normans.

My plan is to field:
2x Guard
2xveteran huscarls- large units
4x huscarls- large units
4x huscarls
2x skrimishers- javelins
1x skirmishers- bow

My plan- two large blocks each of one veteran + 2x regular huscarls with the smaller huscarl units protecting the flanks and the guards huscarls in the centre, or flanks depending on where I th8ink they will be the most use.
















Tow large blocks of 3 units per block

Vikings Finished

I finished rebasing the vikings tonight. It is the first time I've used static grass, usually I use woodlands scenics grasses and ground foliage for texturing but have decided that I like the look of static grass, which means at some point I need to rebase all my other Dark Ages forces!

Here are a few shots of the Vikings- all are the new Gripping Beast Plastics (except the stand closest to the camera in the second shot- they are GB metals).




The flag I downloaded from Ray's Don't throw a One blog.






These guys are probably too spread out on the base.



On the left is a stand of 8 figures, on the right the new 6 figure version. The figures on the left are mainly Gripping Beast metals but at least two are Artizan. This stand is one of my Norse-Irish Viking Blades for BBDBA or Viking allies in Impetus- the LBM Studio Celtic shield designs showing that these Vikings have been influenced/assimilated by the local Irish culture- and so I can tell them apart from my regular Vikings.

As you can see two less figures per base doesn't impact too much visually- and when ranked up as in some of the earlier shots still looks suitably animated.


I need to get a few Gripping Beast metals for the Bondi I want about 4 bases worth (24 figs) for Impetus, so when I do order them I might also get some of their Welsh range to finish off my Welsh army too. I have some of the new Crusader Scots range I was going to use for the Welsh but want more variety so hopefully they'll mix with the Crusaders okay.

Organising the Vikings
My next dilemma is how to diffentiate different unit types. Under Impetus the army is made of:
0-2 FP (Foot Protected i.e heavy foot) Guard Huscarls
0-6 FP Veteran Huscarls
4-24 FP Huscarls
0-36 FP Hird
0-2 (skirmishers) Archers
0-2 (skirmishers) Javelinmen

The hird will be unarmoured bondi figures while the guard will be easy- they will have standards. The armoured huscarls will be the GB plastic hird. So the issues is how to differentiate the veteran huscarls. Maybe a dead body on each base. Another idea I had was to give them uniform shield colours, but different designs- eg black and white so that they stand out from the crowd. With my Irish auxilia/Bonnachts I've given them all a plain grey shield which may not be accurate but ties them together nicely and I think a similar system for the Norse veterans could also work.

Craig

Rebasing my Vikings

Tonight I decided to rebase my 28mm Vikings. Why? Mainly as I decided I prefer only 6 figures on a base to make the bases a bit more dynamic. I also painted up the last few Gripping Beast plastic Vikings I had lying round and so tomorrow nights job is to finish the basing. I'm still using my Big Base DBA system. By putting 4 figures in the front rank, or even off setting the figures a bit I get a similar mass effect but the bases look a bit more animated.

Once the Vikings are done I will probably rebase the Saxons as well, again with only 6 figures per base as opposed to the 8 I currently use for heavy foot bases, but they may have to wait for quite a while for that to happen.

All going well I'll give Kent a game of Impetus on Wednesday using the Vikings and Norse-Irish- hence my need to rebase the Vikings as I was light a few stands- at least until my ordered reinforcements arrive.

The force I hope to use this week are as follows:

Vikings (approx 211 pts)

• 1x fair general
• 1x poor general
• 2x FP Guard Huscarls
• 2x FP Vet Huscarls
• 6x FP Huscarls
• 2x FP Hird
• 1x S Archers

Norse-Irish (Approx 213 pts)

• 1x fair general
• 1x poor general
• 2 FL Nobles
• 4 FL Bonnachts
• 4 FL Kerns
• Viking Allies: 2x FP Vet Huscarls
  

So two similar armies for a typical Dark Ages pushing match

28mm Gripping Beast Vikings

I've finally finished the Gripping beast Vikings.





Craig

28mm Gripping Beast Vikings

I have painted 5 stands of viking this week (40 figures). I am now waiting for some Little Big Man Studio transfers to arrive so I can finish the shields.

This is half the force I will need, and once done means I'll only need some Normans to finish my 6x 1066 armies. I really like the way the vikings go together, they are great figures- nicely animated and proportioned. Each sprue has a few spare heads as well (which I'll use when it cmes time to making some bondi figures).

Once again they re a bit shiny under the flash and look much duller to the naked eye.










My plan is to start putting together 200pt Impetus forces (about the same number of stands as a regular DBA army) and run a few games with Kent.

Future Plans
On our way to Southcon Kent (Galpy's Paint Shack) and I were talking about doing a BIG 28mm demo game, problem is what period to do. Kent is keen for a Trojan wars theme but we haven't finalised it yet- an I'd be keen as it is a period I know nothing about. The plan would be to spend most of next year working towards it, builkding armies and tables etc and run it as a demo game at TAGCON and possible Conquest later in the year. We will see what eventuates but I'm keen for something.

In the meantime I'm hoping to run a game of Basic Impetus (Imperial Romans vs Ancient Britons) with Kent at TAG next week to see if he likes the rules and to see if we can drum up any interest in the rules with our DBA stalwarts.