Blog Warden's Other Paint Log

I would love to learn Japanese! It is one of the languages I want to learn!

Spoiler: Top 6 Languages I want to learn

• Ch'olti' Mayan- classic Mayan, what most ancient Mayan glyph texts are written in

• Yucatec Mayan- current language spoken, also some glyphs texts in northern Yucatan

• Spanish- useful language, second most spoken world language, and would help to know it if I ever get a chance to study in Mexico/Central America

• German- I am mostly German by heritage, to include my grandma, so I really would love to learn it

• Japanese- I also really like Japanese history (hence the army project), I would love to learn more about the Sengoku period in the original language. Plus it would make watching anime in the original language that much easier!

• Mandarin Chinese- most spoken language in the world, also Chinese history is also fascinating! Would love to see the Bejing and Shanghai museums someday

 

Finished up four more blocks of ashigaru spearmen today, and took lots of pictures.



Ii Clan (Red), Otani (white spots on blue), and Konishi clan.

Konishi and Otani clans, both members of the Western Army at Sekigahara:



Ii Clan ashigaru of the Eastern Army:



As you can see, the Ii clan banner is missing a flower mon on the top of the banner. I am hoping to purchase some transfers shortly, so until then the banner will remain simply white with red stripes.

The lot together:

Spoiler: another pic

Just about time for me to do a full samurai army photo, but I want to get some more of my daimyo finished first.

 

Next WIP, the Red Devils of the Ii Clan. First time putting two horses on a single base, so I have that added challenge too.

 

Sorry to derail your other projects thread, but do you remember I was ruminating over Broken Legions in this post as a possible skirmish game for the ancients I was planning to start at some point?

Well, it looks like Warlord have seen a gap in the market and have recently released their own version, called SPQR:


Looks larger-scale than Test of Honour, for example, but it seems that its ruleset still focuses on the cut-and-thrust of skirmish battles.

The starter set contains Romans vs Celts just like the Hail Caesar starter set, and the rulebook contains rules for using skirmish warbands of Romans, Celts (both Gauls and Britons), Germans, Dacians, various Greek City States, the Persians and the Macedonians among others. What’s also great to see is that this has prompted the releases of some new hero and unit sculpts in resin, at a price far cheaper than any resin stuff GW ever made, like the Gaulish Heroes pack (the Vercingetorix figure has been around for a while, but the other three hero sculpts look brand new):

This honestly looks pretty great fun, and would be a cheaper alternative to the Hail Caesar box just to start collecting some ancients and playing with both the rules for this and Hail Caesar. However, not only will my ancients project have to wait a good long time alongside my other theoretical projects as I have so much Warhammer still to make and paint, but the only model shops in my area that stock Warlord games minis I have found so far only stock Bolt Action, the Second World War game (which I honestly am not interested in), except for one that does have a couple of Celtic metal figure packs and a second-hand box of Celtic Warriors up for grabs (I bought my 4th Edition High Elf Archers featured in my painting blog from there last time I went as I didn’t have any High Elf Archers).

One day, I will get round to it. One day...

 

Those are Celtic Warriors. The majority of Celts owned little more than a sword and a shield as chainmail was so expensive - these men generally went into battle in their working clothes, sometimes with the shirt off to prevent overheating/display how brave and heroic they were. There are also accounts of Celts fighting naked, but modern accounts generally agree that only a specific class of them, often referred to as Fanatics, did this as it was their belief that the gods had chosen them to die, and that no armour in the world could save them from their fate (pretty much what Dwarf Slayers in Warhammer Fantasy were based on in many ways).

I’m a big fan of the Celts myself, especially as more recent findings have showed that they had a lot more advanced culture than the Romans gave them credit for, but I understand that their ways of warfare are not always everyone’s cup of tea (but then most other peoples of Northern Europe behaved in a similar fashion - the Ancient Germans and Dacians were not afraid to fight with little in the way of clothing on either!).

 

Yeah that’s the problem - it’s so difficult to tell what’s Roman bias intended to demonise the Celts and what’s actual fact. The only things that we can say are pretty much true are any instances where a Roman writer actually praises the Celts for something (such as Caratacus’ usage of the high ground in some of his battles - the Romans normally describe the Celts as having very little in the way of tactical knowledge so this is big evidence toward the contrary, at least in Caratacus’ case), as whatever it was would have had to be impressive for the Romans to actually acknowledge it and not sweep it under the carpet and replace it with their own biased views.

Same with the Ancient Germans and Dacians - the Romans viewed everyone else, even the Greeks and Carthaginians, as uncivilised barbarians.

In any case, the game still looks fun - if I ever have time to work on 28mm ancients I will give it a try.

 

That looks pretty good! Sizeable collection in a single box, costs a bit but not outrageous. Basically once of those start collecting/two faction boxes that WH used to do. I would say go for it if you haven't pulled the trigger yet already!

I have plenty of samurai models I still have to paint at the moment, and I did just find out that Test of Honour has reached its second edition and has been moved to a new company now (Grey for Now games).

Unlikely Allies



Looks like metal models now?



They seem to be moving away from the Warlord Games plastics (that were originally a different company too). I meant to buy their ninja set but it isn't for sale on this page or the old warlord games page... I hope it comes back out at some point .

Glad I bought the bandits though!

 

Sorry to essentially be derailing your painting blog again Warden mate, but I thought this was the best thread to discuss it in.

I’ve just been watching the Last Samurai the last few nights with my dad. I imagine you’ve probably seen it as you’ve got such an interest in the genre - very good film. Didn’t realise the Samurai had not only lasted for around 900 years since England was still under Saxon rule while Europe had changed so much, but also that they had developed swordfighting into such a disciplined art that they make their knightly counterparts in Europe at the time look like new recruits. Yet even with this gift, they still died to progress like the Celts and Native Americans did - it was just saddening to see such skilled warriors mown down by Gatling Guns because they had no answer to it. Of course they also had some pretty brutal customs such as killing all of the survivors in a defeated army and sending ninjas to assassinate each other (although in this case I’m pretty sure it was the Japanese minister who sent them) but you can’t help admiring them for the way they put such devotion into everything they did.

I look forward to seeing more of your Samurai collection with this new knowledge in mind!

 

I appreciate it!

Most of the era I am interested is quite a bit before the events of Last Samurai take place (which is of course a tad fictionalized) but then again there are a lot of different views on this time period. I really like the competition of the Sengoku period, super interesting to me.

Also random side note, just watched various episodes of Blackadder for the first time and I recognize the guy yelling "huzzah and hurrah" now. Didn't realize the same actor also played House!​

 

I have already posted my Lizardmen army photos HERE, so this will be the second half of the photos for my Lustrian Bretonnians and the current state of the army (as of JUN19... )



Right now I have four lances of Knights complete (two Errant and two Realm) plus four units of 20 Men-at-Arms, four units of 10 archers, a unit of Grail Pilgrims and the Leper King (Reliquae), four trebuchets, and a smattering of foot knights. All jungle based now with their movement trays!

Starting with what everyone comes to Bretonnia for, the Knights!

Spoiler: kn'iggets

Knights Errant:

Spoiler: more Knights Errant

Knights of the Realm:

 

Moving right along to the filthy peasants, we have the Men-at-Arms!

Spoiler: more Men-at-Arms

And the Archers!

Spoiler: archers

And of course the (ze?) Merry Men! Backed up by my jungle trebuchets.

 

Of course no good Bretonnian army is complete without its Trebuchets, though the noble knights would never admit this.

Jungle Trebuchets:



My two painted up siege towers are in the background of this one:

Spoiler: jungle trebuchet

Grail Pilgrims with King Baldwin the Leper King atop his battle-throne:



The Hedge Wizards of Lustria conducting foul magiks behind the noble lines:

Foot Knights:

​

And of course, the Gallows Oak, my (allied?) Treeman!

Spoiler: treeman

 

Few more big shots



Can see my Bretonnian battering ram bedecked with heraldry in this one:

Spoiler: Bretonnian army photo

Moody shot, mostly due to bad lighting ... but made an interesting photo:

​

The whole army!

Spoiler: Lustrian Bretonnians

And a fun one, my Knights charging down a jungle road:



Full Lizardmen and Bretonnian collection, all based!



Cheers!

 

Very awesome! And while the Japanese styled units look awesome, the weeb alert has no exceptions.

 

Weeb alert?