Outremer: Faith and Blood Arrived!

This also arrived while I was on vacation.

I am really looking forward to reading these rules, as they have character level development, just like traditional RPGs - but first I shall have to read Chosen Men to get some motivation for painting my... Chosen Men (Sharpe's Rifles).

Vacation 2016 - Day 14, Part 2: The Road to Carcassonne, Take 2: A61 Cathar Memorial

When driving on the A61 from Narbonne to Carcassonne, we stopped for lunch at the Aire de Peche Loubat, which turned out to provide an unexpected experience.

From the picnic area we could see some strange shapes on the hill, so after eating, we investigated.

When looking at the first sculpture, three things caught my eye:

1. moyen age (middle ages)
2. croisade (crusade)
3. 1209

Colour me interested!

And here: La tragedie cathare (the cathar tragedy)

Montsegur and 1244

I should have taken pics from the front of those strange 'towers' - as I have found they are a sculpture called 'The Cathar Knights' by Jacques Tissinier:
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-the-cathar-knights-is-a-cement-sculpture-by-jacques-tissinier-above-81171710.html

After leaving the rest area, heading for Carcassonne, we passed a couple of castles.

Next up is the city of Carcassonne, and of course I knocked myself out taking pictures of that marvellous place!

Osprey: Knight Hospitaller

I got the last missing part of my lates Osprey order yesterday.

I have had time only for a quick flip-through, but it is looking good!

I am wondering, though, if it is possible to find models with the long-sleved monkish robe for representing the early times of the order (I think the Templars wore a similar garb in white early on).

Well, my medieval projects are on hold at the moment, while I strive to get some stuff ready for Blood Eagle, so not an issue I have to address right now, anyway...

Osprey: The Knights of Christ

I also got this - and although one of the earlier Osprey publications, it does contain some information I find useful.

I hope to get my hands on titles dedicated to the Teutonic Knights, and to the Knights Hospitalier, too, but until then, this will serve my purposes for reference (I have the volume dedicated to the Knights Templar).

Well, not much more to say about the matter - I am not going to construct Orders Militant forces right now (although I may start making some test warbands for Blood Eagle when - or if - I get my Vikings done).

Last West Wind Brotherhood Minis - For Now...

I got the last 2 Brotherhood minis cleaned up and  glued onto 20mm steel washers today.

I am going to clean up the 8 Killer Scarecrows I have, too, before adding filler to the bases on all 21 models (13 Brotherhood and 8 Scarecrows). As soon as I have finished cleaning up the Scarecrows, I am going to order some minis from Crooked Dice, as they have a deal of 4 'Corn Dolls' that will bring up my Scarecrows to a total of 12 - the number probably needed for using them as a unit in Dragon Rampant, and, if adding some command models, enough for a God of Battles unit, too.

In addition, they have a couple of NOT Doctor Who minis I want to add to my collection, and with Warlord Games bringing out their new licensed Doctor Who Miniatures Game, I'd better get them before they are being C&D'd.

West Wind Brotherhood Minis.

Hobby-wise, I have been cleaning up mot of my recently acquired West wind Brotherhood models.

I have a couple to do, before I break out the 2 packs of Scarecrows I bought on the same occation.

Originally, I intended to use the models for Frostgrave, but I don't think that I am going to play that game at all, as I simply dislike the  combat system too much.

Instead, I intend to make a unit useable for Lion/Dragon Rampant, maybe SAGA Crescent and Cross, and, of course, a warband for Chaos in Carpathia, which I have had on hold for some years.

The Scarecrows will be supplemented with a few more, to bring them up to strength to use as a unit for God of Battles, and again, also for Lion/Dragon Rampant, and Chaos in Carpathia.

Well, so much for the plans. Now, let's see if I see them through...

Frostgrave: Angry Monks and Scarecrows

Got this parcel from West Wind Productions in the mail while being sound asleep today:

Four packs of Vampire Wars Brotherhood, for my Thaumaturge Frostgrave warband (and Chaos in Carpathia), and two different packs of Killer Scarecrows, to use as constructs in Frostgrave (and probably also Chaos in Carpathia, and other horror themed settings, such as Strange Aeons).

Frostgrave: The Crusaders - Part 3

I assembled my 'knight' - which is going to be painted up as a Templar Serjeant - and had second thoughts about the 'templar' model, for which I decide to use an uncowled head instead.

This negates the need for using putty, and I wonder if the cowled heads are, in fact, meant to go with the plain cloaks/capes of the Fireforge Templar Infantry set...

Well, if my angry monks do not show up tomorrow, I shall be taking filler to the bases of these (after trimming some intergral bases a bit),

After noon, Ulolkish is bringing a mock-up warband to play my mock-up Necromancer warband in our first test game, so stay tuned for a game report and some afterthoughts one of the next days!

Frostgrave: The Crusaders - Part 2

I have been doing stuff outside today, as the temperatures rose over 17 degrees Celsius, and no rain was in sight (rare occasion this summer), but I found time to put the last piece (the head) on a Fireforge Templar, dig out my old Citadel 'not Friar Tuck', and rebase him on a steel washer.

Templar, Man-at-Arms, and Apothecary for my upcoming Thaumaturge warband.

The Templar needs some putty-work around the hood (and trimming of the integral base), but otherwise I am quite pleased with this collection of henchmen.

Funny detail: The merry Friar was originally (20 years ago?) intended as an Apothecary for my Blood Bowl team 'The Oakhill Rangers', but never got painted before the Blood Bowl craze at out local club in Svendborg waned, but I remembered him, and now could get him out and back on his career track.

Next up is a Fireforge Templar sarjeant, that I am going to use for the 'Knight' soldier archetype. I expect to do most of the work on him tomorrow, and then I expect the West Wind Brotherhood minis to arrive in a couple of days, so I can probably get these ready for primer in the meantime.

Frostgrave: The Crusaders - Part 1

So, July is ending, I am slowly getting used to working my night watch again, and my vacation-induced hobby-stupor needs to be ended.

A couple of days ago, I decided to do something completely different for Frostgrave, as I currently do not feel motivated to work on touch-ups and/or repaints of old models.

I am going to base a Thaumaturge warband on crusading Monks and Templars, and to that end I have ordered all the Brotherhood packs from West Wind's Vampire Wars range (they are going to serve both in Frostgrave and as a Brotherhood warband for Chaos in Carpathia, which I have long wanted to start playing).

Some of the warband will be made up from members of the Order of the Knights Templar, and thus I have cleaned the knights sprue from my Fireforge Templar Infantry box, and a sprue from my Fireforge Foot Sergeants box, so I can make a Man-at-Arms, a Knight, and a Templar, while I wait form my angry monks to arrive from West Wind.

I shall probably start assembling the minis tomorrow, if I get up in time to do so, before my wife returns home from work, when we have to go shopping for some woollen fabric for warm medieval dresses for my daughters.

SAGA: The Crescent and the Cross

Got this in the mail today.

Initially, I am going to use the rules for Crusaders and Saracens (or Moors) for Gondor vs Haradrim. I already have some Gondor infantry units ready from my GoB army, and I shall have to paint up some cavalry units to represent mounted knights (and possibly serjeants and squires, haven't had time to read the rules/army lists, yet).

That being said, I don't think I'm going to be able to resist the urge to use the Milites Christi rules and make a small Knights Templar army.