Back to the Brushes 417

Back in May 2025 dug out some Foundry Spartans to start adding to the existing painted collection. 

In between painting three colour NATO camouflage patterns have tidied up the figures started last year and added in a few more. 

Sadly, the last of the mecrite red foundation paint has gone so the base for the red will be ever so slightly different. On that subject, the triad for the flesh is also different as shown on the original post. 

At this point undecided whether to use these figures as a new unit or fillers for existing units. Time will tell. 

Cheers for now. 

Back to the Brushes 402

Turning the other cheek, with these Spartans from Foundry. 

After a long lull in painting Ancient Greeks and some inspiration from Saxon Dog Wargame Projects on Facebook starting to expand on the existing Spartans and their rebasing back in April 2019. 

Going for more variety in the skin tones for the newer figures, however planing on keeping the same shield imagery for each mora of Spartans.

There are a few gaps in the existing bases so will be painting a few additional figures to complete the bases off. 

The thoughts are to double the number of units to give 16 bases at 60 x 40mm. This will allow a reasonable number of Spartiates for a full DBA army and then moving towards Hail Caesar and ADLG. Depending on how the painting goes may add in a new mora as well. 

Cheers for now.

Back to the Brushes 391

Wire spears have pros and cons but Jesus they can be jaggy little sods when gluing in place. 

The third horse is in the sidelines, waiting on it's trapping getting painted before joining in. 

When finished this will be the last stand of Spartan cavalry from Xyston Miniatures. A few more spearmen will see them finally finished leaving time for allied troops including auxiliaries and a few more phalanxes. 

Cheers for now

Dance of Bronze 29

Recently completed and photographed before being matt varnished, these Spartan cavalry from Xyston should provide easy pickings for other Greek cavalry if history and gaming stats are correct. 

The figures were clean sculpts and casts with the minimum of clean up required. The limited palette and equipment on the figures made for quick painting and basing. 

Still to be varnished as they have joined a small queque of figures waiting for the same. Will get round to the them all this week; real life all being well. 

 Cheers for now

Back to the Brushes 368

General Work in progress update

A lot of things on the painting table just now, too many to be honest; concentrated effort this week on those pesky Early Imperial Romans amongst other things. 

Spartan cavalry, dramatic Thracian skirmishers in the background and an UUruk bezerker for Lord of the Rings.

A wee update on the Vikings with the armour blocked in and the start of colours on the clothing.

Roman auxilia in column, Wars of the Roses men at arms and Cultists in the background. The first four stands of the auxilia are now waiting on basing. 

More pics to follow shortly. 

Cheers for now.

Back to the Brushes 356

Scenes from a game of ADLG last night as Sparta and their Thracian allies (in gray) failed to stop Hannibal and his elephants.

To further crush the fighting spirit of the Spartans the evening ended with a crash, bang, wallop! 29 shields and 19 spears to be reglued into place.

It is every gamers' nightmare and on reflection could have been far worse.

Cheers for now.

Dance of Bronze 26

Finished these off last night as aware that the month is rapidly moving towards the last third and there is nothing as yet completed. 

The figures are from Xyston's range of Greeks and will be used in, well, you guessed it, Greek armies for DBA and ADLG.

Xyston's figures are not to everyone's taste however, I really like them and find the sculpts suit my style of painting for 15mm. 

Back to the Crusaders this evening to progress another combined stand of spear and crossbows for ADLG. 

This takes this month's total to: 

8 x 15mm infantry.

Cheers for now

 

30 Days 30 Miniatures Painting Challenge - July 2021 Round up

Round up pic for July 2021's 30 Days 30 Miniatures Painting Challenge. Managed to add in another 5 crossbowmen for 15mm Late Crusaders army.

This takes the total for last month to 

17 x 15mm infantry

1 x 20mm WW2 terrain piece

2 x 28mm infantry

Totalling 20 figures from 30 or 66% completion. 

Looking to improve on this for next month. 

Stay safe and cheers for now

30 Days 30 Miniatures Painting Challenge - June 2021 Round up

As August looms it seems that July, June and May have passed in a flash. To be fair there has been a lot going on and a lot of things coming to an end at the same time, so sadly, hobby time was over powered by the challenges of real life. 

On the positive, there has been some painting done and the Spartan army is another two stands of hoplites nearer the finish line. The group shot below showing these and the Platoon 20 US Infantry from earlier in June. 

The Spartans are from Xyston and are great sculpts for 15/18mm figures. At present the hoplons have no markings on and this is only due to the fact that the decals are somewhere safe. You know, that safe place that you just can't find when needed. 

Next are the mortar teams from Platoon 20 and there will be bazooka and flame thrower teams to follow these. The difference a paint job can make to a miniature can't be under valued, especially in the lower scales such as 15 and 20mm.  

Hope that you found this interesting. 

Stay safe and cheers for now

Back to the Brushes 313

A long way from finished as the month moves into it's last third. 

A few other bits and bobs are in the sidelines; just needing a clear run at finishing them off. 

Truth be told, too easily distracted at the moment so need to knuckle down and finish a few pieces and focus more clearly on the next unit rather than the current butterfly approach. 

Stay safe and cheers for now

 

Back to the Brushes 301

This month has flown in and work has taken its toil on hobby time. However, the paint still flows and projects are moving forward however slowly that may be. 

Below is the footprint of an Alexandrian Macedonian army in DBA/ADLG for 28mm figures. The bases are double depth for DBA and over the coming weeks some of these will turn into finished stands of figures. The bases are all from Warbases. 

This idea has been acquired from the talented Yarkshire Gamer Blog whose work in this year's AHPC XI has been inspirational. Permission was asked and approved to use this idea here and all credit for it goes to Ken for the idea. 

A similar picture for 15mm Spartans in DBA will also be here soon and this time it will be much closer to the finish line. 

Work in progress pictures to follow along with the start of this year's Challenge entries as the countdown begins to March 21 and Challenge's End. 

Stay safe

Cheers for now

Back to the Brushes 299

In the need to get some points on the board for the AHPC XI, sometime is needing to be spent on this ramshackle collection of partially painted miniatures. 

With Spartans from Xyston, Macedonians from Foundry, Caesarian Romans from Warlord and Crusaders from Gripping Beast there is a good range of choices of things to be getting on with. 

Hoping to finish working on a fair number of these this week. 

Stay safe and keep painting

Cheers for now

Back to the Brushes 295

 A few things on the go at the moment for AHPC XI.

Starting at the bottom left there are two C09 Dark Elf Sorceresses from back in the early days of painting miniatures. 

Next is a Norman Crossbowman to complete a srand of crossbowmen for use in ADLG

Then from Footsore Miniatures a Healer for the Spartan Lochas in Mortal Gods. 

On the top row is the start of the riders for two stands of Prodromoi. Looking for a different look to the flesh on these figures than on some other Greeks and Spartans. The base colour here is Vallejo Heavy Flesh; from here not yet sure how to go, most likely washed with Army Painter flesh wash and then layered with either Foundry or Vallejo flesh tones. 

Thanks for looking. 

Cheers for now

Back to the Brushes 294

Last night saw the start of a few different pieces for the AHPC XI with ancients as the primary focus; in particular Spartans. 

The priest below is from Warlord Games and will join the Spartans for Mortal Gods and other ancient skirmish games.

A characterful figure that will take the role of a seer in the Spartan Lochos.

The other Spartans are from Xyston and will appear shortly as if the above pic is slightly out of focus then the 15mm's were totally out of focus. 

Along with these there is a solitary Norman crossbowman to complete a stand of four figures for ADLG. 

Hope that you found this interesting and stay safe. 

Cheers for now. 

Back to the Brushes 293

And so it begins again: Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge XI. This my tenth year in the AHPC and hoping to more this year than previous years. Pictured below are a selection of the figures ready for painting over the next three months. 

These include in no relation at all to the pictures order:

• 15mm Spartans from Xyston - grey undercoat top pic
• 28mm Fallschirmjager from Warlord Games - bone undercoat - windowsill
• 18mm Seven Year War Austrians painted as Bavarians from Eureka - white undercoat windowsill
• 28mm Caesarian Romans from Foundry - grey undercoat windowsill
• 28mm Norman crossbowman from Gripping Beast - 1 figure top pic
• 28mm Macedonian phalangites from Foundry - on cutting mat
• 15mm EIR skirmishers from Forged in Battle - windowsill pic
• 28mm Germanic Tribes from Footsore and Gripping Beast - last on right on windowsill
• 28mm Prodromoi from A & & Miniatures - painted horses in top pic

Not shown in the pics but ready to be painted depending on how things progress are 28mm pirates, Prussians, ECW, Gondorians and Iberians, 15mm Wars of the Roses, Arabs, Mongols and ACW. More than enough to keep busy with for the rest of the year and beyond. 

Below are the first figures from Wee Eck and the Macs DBA - Prodromoi from A & A Miniatures. Whilst there are 12 figures for this troop type in the cabinets of shame only 4 will be required for ADGL; the others will be up for sale in the near future.

The horses have partially painted for a good few years now. No so much, the riders, however, that's about to change. 

Dotted here and there are suitable figures for the Bonus themes as well. Mostly retro figures being dusted off for the digital age. 

Cheers to those in the AHPC and hope that this has been on interest to you

Stay safe
 

30 Days 30 Miniatures November 2020

In the end it turned out to be a very productive 30 Days Challenge as shown below

 Complete in this challenge included the following

• 13 x 18mm SYW Infantry - Eureka Miniatures
• 16 x 15mm Spartan Infantry - Xyston
• 11 x 15mm Early Imperial Roman Infantry - Plastic Soldier Company
• 8 x 28mm Caesarian Romans Infantry - Wargames Foundry

The total for the 30 Days is 48 figures

This month's challenge will be announced tomorrow and will be a little different. 

Hope that you found this interesting

Cheers for now

Dance of Bronze 21

Last summer the Spartan army for Impetus was repurposed on to 60mm front bases to allow more use with a variety of systems including ADLG and Hail Caesar. The paint work on this figure was slightly damaged during this process. Now touched up and rebased for use in Mortal Gods. 

Hope this has been of interest to you 

Stay safe and cheers for now.

Dance of Bronze 20

Recently completed and based these Greek slingers are from Foundry's original range of Ancient Greeks. 

As a result they are slightly shorter and thinner build than the World of the Greeks range however this does not stop them being used in the same armies. 

As these were the last two left to paint there was no option to vary the poses on this stand; it was advancing with sling as shown or nothing.  

As they are broadly generic figures they can be used for most armies in this period so will likely be a part of the Spartans and future Caesarian and Carthaginian armies for DBA and ADLG

Hope that you found this interesting. 

Stay safe and cheers for now.

Back to the Brushes 256

Three Greek skirmishers for Mortal Gods that need to be finished for Friday.

Will post an update tomorrow on these and other AHPC X progress on a variety of projects.

Cheers for now

Back to the Brushes 255

Starting another part of this year's

Challenge by blocking in the flesh tone on the first batch of Xyston 15mm Spartans for DBA and ADLG. 

Very nice sculpts with great detail; will update you on the progress with the separate shield and spears in the future. 

Next to these is another stand worth of knights and one of cavalry for the Lancasterians in War of the Roses. These again are for DBA and ADLG.

Quite a few odds and sods to get based and photographed as well, so there will be some finished work in the near future too.

Cheers for now