Colonel Bills Elizabethan Border Reivers

 I was very kindly sent some samples for Colonel Bills new range of Border Reivers as I was curious how they scaled up.

I’d heard that the Flags of War Reivers were a bit big compared to most historicals, but that’s not the case here:

The photo is awful, but my desk is full of market hall bits at the moment. But, Antediluvian conquistador, Colonel Bills Reiver, TAG Elizabethan gent, Colonel Bills Reiver. Lovely figures and I will be getting more at some point.

Available here: https://www.colonelbills-store.co.uk/store/late-elizabethan-border-reivers-c131883566

the Da Vinci tank…

 I realised I’d not taken pictures of the Da Vinci tank since I’d finished it, so as Leonardo was out…

Leonardo Acropolis

Going through the lead pile with a smattering of stuff I’d gathered for a vague Dragon Rampant force, kind of Tilea/Empire adjacent. The whole lot will be useable for Five Leagues From The Borderlands and Mordheim/Frostgrave as well.

First up, the “wizard”, an older Da Vinci from Antediluvian Miniatures. Others from the same pack are pending.

Mud, mud, glorious mud...

 I’m not normally one for blood splatter or mud (Angel’s demon had a dry brush around the base of his cloak and that’s about it), but the bulk and weight of the daVinci tank did call for it...

I wasn’t going to buy anything just for this, so just stippled on Vallejo earth texture and gave it a dark wash. Probably better ways to do it, but worked and serves to hide the sins of wonky handmade wheels...

Tank Commander

 As he won’t be as visible as I thought once the lid is on...

As there appears to be a decent amount of space in the cupola, I’ve  started a second crewman to peer out on one side, just waiting for greenstuff to cure. I’ll see if it looks too crowded before committing though...

More WIP on the daVinci tank

 

Life as ever takes it’s toll and my six month in job is still leaving me pretty dead at the end of a day, so progress is sooooo slow... but hey...

I have, however, discovered the joys of those makeup ring lights and that has helped my painting no end... next, I need to work on converting the tank commander...

Paint WIP

After a few botched attempts to get my head around the contrast paints flesh range, I returned to the tank. Aiming for a linen/leather covered wooden shell effect. I had tried to carve in some tears and dings, exposed wood beneath, but getting that right was a little beyond me for some reason so I moved on and made good . The repair work is again not perfect, and in fact I’ve kept a couple of marks and tried to go with that.

 

Almost there...

Some awful quick photos, but I’m plodding along... 

So, rear doors done, although I started undercoating before realising I'd not shown it. The roof could have been detachable allowing a figure to be placed, but the roof has a solid cross beam in it that is just to painful to remove and I'd have to sink the platform i made as well. It will get a crew man permantly attached and the roof glued in place.

 

Heavy duty wheels

 So the wheels on the tank are wagon wheel thin and I wanted something a little more heavy duty to roll over the zombie corpses... now the fact this was a clockwork model also means the original wheels have lovely medieval cog teeth on them (which would have been very handy when I did the Watermill interior) and the model has a lovely wide slot for the wheels to allow for the teeth. So, inspired by trench gun wheels I went thick...

Because the interior (at least that bit) won’t be visible, I don’t need full replacement wheels which meant less work. I cut two circles about the size of the original wheels from 5mm foam pvc, then added another 3mm just to fill it out more. Carved some wood/plank texture and smoothed off the outer curve with some thin card. I then cut a series of plates to give the heavy duty feel. In my head the wheel itself doesn’t need to be solid and the plates (if damaged) can be replaced from inside the vehicle.

And a dry fit, the extra width and the plates fill the gap nicely. A lot of effort for something not really visible, but it works for me...

The Water Carrier

So this is a thing and I love it... no idea if it will be playable as it would be way over powered I assume, but it’ll make a fun project... may just end up as scenery.

This is weird kit, snap fit and clockwork apparently, but I’m leaving all the gubbins out as they are handy medieval cogs that would have been cool with the water mill, but hey... I’ve removed the outer lettering for the on/off switch (to be filled) and some arrows on the cap (the purpose of which is beyond me), the cap itself rests on the clockwork mechanism inside, so that will need raising a little to allow for the view slot. Not sure how I’ll have them get in and out, will need to think of a hatch on the main shell or have the cap hinged somehow. In my head there is a horse or something in there, so that would need to be a factor. It’s smaller than the real thing would be, but looks ok alongside minis. I’m seriously thinking of an interior...