Woah-Oh, Black Phillip Bam-A-Lam

Being unemployed is getting the back log sorted. Ok, so not very movie accurate, but they one that is available is part of a pack and I’m not buying half a dozen minis for just one, so a trip to Etsy and a more buff looking mountainy goat instead… there’s a shine to him that I just can’t dull down though.

 

Chaos Death Parrot

Another dive into the leadpile, a cockatrice from Bifrost Minis (via Warbases). Lovely little mini. 

 

Some Renaissance dogsbodies…

After Baldrick, I was quite taken with the idea of a load of servants and dogsbodies accompanying any of the fantasy Renaissance adventurers. This chap is from the Assault Group, part of a cannon crew, with the addition of a clay pipe from plasticard rod. I think he’s supposed to have a ramrod, but it makes for a nice gesture mid conversation with the pipe.

The Antediluvian Minis range of fantasy conquistadors offers another wayward servant with a thieving halfling. The idol from Raiders of the Lost Ark is a nice touch.

 

Oldhammer Imperial Dwarf

An original Citadel Dwarf from 1986, dug up from my childhood collection, dipped for an excessive amount of time (I forgot) and repainted - ironically exactly as he was but hopefully a bit better than 13 year old me. I have a few others in progress, just waiting in some shields - the Arab teardrop shields from Gripping Beast work nicely to replace the long gone plastic shields, the dimple fits the peg with minimal trimming back and the shape makes a decent dwarven kite shield for that medieval aesthetic that was possible back then.

But, damn do they look weird alongside more realistic historicals. Big nostalgia though, so will plod on with the others as and when, will probably end up going elsewhere for dwarves for Five Leagues.

 

A bridge too far…

 So, one final river piece, it’s the exact same size as the footbridge piece, so takes the same spot either side of (or instead of) the mill. Nothing fancy to say on that really…

Building Bridges and River redux…

So life has been pretty shitty, so I’ve not been very motivated recently, doing little bits as the mojo allowed. Should have finished these much earlier, but hey… done now.

So, I wanted to add some bridges to the river I’d previously made, which of course would mean failing to match the colour of the water and I’d end up doing them all again, again. That also allowed me to try something inspired by a couple of excellent examples on the Lead Adventure Forum.

First off, a stone bridge, the intention being with this to suggest that the river is wide, wide enough to allow river barges/long boats to use the dock section. A planned boat will open up that corner of the board as necessary.

Without the dock section, there’s room for the mill section. It took a while to match the colour of the dirt road to the dirt going over the bridge, but it got there.

I also did a smaller wooden foot bridge, a bit rickety and meant to imply a narrower river. The section is the same width as the stone bridge so it all fits in the same space.

As it joins the same spot as the mill section, so again can go either side or without the mill completely.

And the original sections got a repaint to a more natural looking murk, and I added some new bull rushes I’d had for a while for this intention. The original “grass” rushes are still there, they are reasonably rigid and I’m hoping they will deflect any damage to the lovely detailed bull rushes.

 

Captain Kronos WIP

A quick WIP of the next Hammer homage…

 

Very happy with these even though my greenstuff is pretty much off. Just not sure when I’ll have a painting mojo moment…

Butcher, Baker and…

When I shared the butchers stall last month, I mentioned on a Facebook group that a baker was in progress, so tada… 

Mix of resin bits from Iron Gate Scenery and greenstuff. Jam jars plastic tube and squares of paper.

And, of course, someone had to suggest a candlestick maker just to complete the rhyme… and I couldn’t not after that…

 Candles are plastic tube, candlesticks and boxes are resin. The classic British joke under the table are also plastic tube.

more Silver Bayonet recruits

Some extra options for the Silver Bayonet, all from Black Scorpion. First a highwayman…

Unaltered from the original model. The slight height difference in Black Scorpion alongside historical 28mms isn’t overly noticeable with this chap. Lovely figure.

And a sailor…

As the Perry sailor in the landing party has an odd little head a different option was required. The height was an issue though, so a cut mid thigh and a mm removed.

Next, well another sailor, but as he has a blunderbuss he’ll work as a coachman…

Another bit of leg surgery needed here. Not sure why a coachman would have a telescope though… 

Quick paint jobs, job done.

More Market Stalls

Some more market stalls, first a butchers…

The wooden boards allow me to add ground items, boxes etc, but I reckon work to represent the various market lots available, so I’ll add a couple of empty ones I think to represent empty lots. The butcher set is from Iron Gate Scenery, I added an extra board to table so it matched the width of the other tables and added some more steaks and sausages so it wasn’t empty space. The box of eggs is from a different IGS set. Sausages, black pudding & random apple from greenstuff.

The second lot has the IGS ribs and carcasses, hanging frame from plasticard, butchers block from balsa. Slop bucket from the 3D printed stuff that supplied the wicker baskets, offcuts inside from greenstuff. 

I had intended to add a dog in the space under the table, but have changed my mind…

The locals needed to improve their diet, so I added a second veg stall using IGS bits. I removed the basket of berries and added a box of berries so the wicker and box items mixed better. An empty box was added under the table and some new loose veg on top.

The second stall is turnips and beans (greenstuff using the empty wicker baskets), more loose carrots, bag of apples from I don’t remember where, potatoes from IGS, the cabbages are what I assumed to be melons from IGS with some gs leaves (melons being a tricky grower in the 1600’s). Dressed with more fennel bits from the Etsy set, gs apples and more berries.

Next, a tailor. All from scratch. Balsa central boards and strips of paper wrapped around them. Shears from plasticard, a little big, but will do.

The trough is from a set of garden veg from Temu. Gardens to follow at some point. A close up:

Wallpaper streets

 Wallpaper again - but a decent result. Well I committed. This was an Easter weekend project, posting now though as real things got very real for a bit there. 

Anyhoo, this is Seriano Pietra Wallpaper, from here: https://ukwallpaper.co.uk/products/seriano-pietra-wallpaper-silver-1102.html

Although looking at the picture on the site, it doesn’t look like what I have. But works. It used to be available from B&Q for about the same price, so £2 a metre or so. It could be done cheaper, but wouldn’t look as nice and I don’t want to waste time with individual cobbles or anything like that. But it works and isn’t in the £100 plus range of some really good embossed wallpapers. I finally got round to covering the reverse side of my skirmish board. I couldn’t match the pattern for the life of me, so added a gutter and manhole to avoid that. Works for me and an underground access point could be interesting for scenarios. If I ever have the space for a proper sized table, I’ve plenty to spare. 

Market Hall finished - more or less

Finished Market Hall - well pretty much finished. Anything else will just be furniture and not bolted down.

Windows added. One day I will add them before any painting as they are a bloody pain and if you look closely some are bent and very knackered looking as I forced them in place.

I added a pamphlet about trials to the outer landing as that seemed apt. 

There is also an odd dead space above the outer stairs, so a Crooked Dice chest fills that nicely.