How I Paint - Irish Warriors

A little background on myself - last summer for my birthday my wife bought me the DNA test from the popular genealogy web site.  It was great fun, and I found out some interesting facts about my ancestry.  About 90% of my DNA matched to three areas of Europe: Northern France, Ireland and Scandanavia.  So apparently, my genetic stock is composed of the Normans and Vikings that invaded and settled in Ireland.  Not the nicest bunch of ancestors, but it might explain my enthusiasm for this particular time and place.

The wargamer and miniature collector in me noticed a problem.  Viking ancestors? Got them. Normans? Loads of them. Irish?  Uh oh, nothing there. I had a few random Crusader Irish from a grab bag purchase, so to fill out a small warband I ordered some extra packs from Age of Glory.  They are a good source of Crusader Miniatures in the U.S., and my order arrived within a week.

I don't rate myself as a top painter by any means, but some of my students interested in gaming and miniatures have asked about how I paint, so here is a summary of the process:

First step is priming.  Testors white primer if I am painting lots of flesh tones and fabric, black if I am painting chainmail and fur.  

Block painted. I would like to say that I always think about selecting a color palette for a unit to create visual cohesion, but I am more intuitive than that.  I try to think of colors and patterns that are historically appropriate yet visually appealing. 

Washing and shading.  I generally apply a sepia wash to whites, yellows and tan colors, and mix a darker shade on colors like reds, greens and blues. 

Highlighting, fabric patterns and eyes

Glued onto circular bases. I then add a mix of white glue and sand or railroad ballast.

Bases with static grass and Army Painter grass clumps.

Edward the Confessor

This is the first in a series of posts about the historical figures associated with the Norman invasion.  Historical information, miniature options, wargaming uses and historical fiction will be covered in this five (possibly six) part series.

King Edward the Confessor



While not a warrior or conqueror, Edward the Confessor was certainly a compelling figure in the eleventh century. The unique circumstances of his life and death led to the Norman invasion which is often rated as the most significant event in English history.  He was born c. 1003, the son of King Ethelred (the Unready) and Emma, daughter of Duke Richard of Normandy. After his father's death, Edward and his brother Alfred went to live in Normandy among his mother's relatives.  It was here that he developed an outlook on religious practice and organization that differed from his home country. Edward was finally invited to rule in 1042 after the death of his half brother Harthacanut.  He took the throne beholden to the powerful Godwin, Earl of Wessex, who years before had a role in the murder of Edward's brother, Alfred. Throughout his reign he tried to check the growing power of the earl and his numerous sons, but was apparently forced into a marriage with Godwin's young daughter Edith.  It was a childless marriage, the nature of which is still a source of speculation.  In 1051, conflict with the Godwins over appointments and the treatment of royal guests escalated to such a degree that the Earl and his sons were exiled from the kingdom.  Edward's triumph over the family was brief.  A year later, with Godwin and his men encamped in London and his own army wavering, Edward was forced to restore the family to their lands.  After Godwin's death in 1053, the aging Edward left more and more of the kingdom's administrative duties to Godwin's son Harold, but nonetheless encouraged his earls to strongly deal with threats from Scotland and Wales.

He died in January of 1066, and was buried in the still unfinished Westminster Abbey, a project that he had begun over twenty years earlier. He was eventually canonized, the only English king so honored.

Modeling Edward:

As far as my googling skills could turn up, no manufacturer markets an Edward the Confessor figure in 28mm (or any other scale).  Edward was often described as a tall, fit man with a prominent white beard.  The figure pictured above is an Anglo-Saxon king from Black Tree Designs. His guard is a mix of Gripping Beast metals and Conquest Games Normans with Dane axes. 

Use in SAGA:

Edward is not exactly a character that the average gamer is clamoring to play.  He was not a warrior, and England had little direct threat during his reign with occasional raids from her neighbors.  In fact, with little to fear from overseas invaders, Edward ordered much of his navy scrapped, lowering taxes in the process. However, with the three principal belligerents from 1066 (Harold, Harald and William) already depicted in SAGA, it is natural to find a place for Edward.

One could use generic Anglo-Saxon or Anglo-Dane king as Edward, and give him typical Warlord rules. For a more customizable character, I used two of the Charlemagne traits from The Raven's Shadow, along with a modified two SAGA dice rule. It should be acceptable in terms of game balance and if anything, Edward is nerfed a bit like my previous custom characters.

Elderly: Taking the throne at the advanced (Medieval) age of 40, Edward generates only 3 Attack Dice In combat, rather than the 5 usually granted to Warlords. He may not voluntarily engage the enemy in melee, and is not subject to the Warlord's Pride rule. He may not use the side by side rule.

Blessed: Although Edward only generates two SAGA Dice, his piety and devotion guide and reward him. Therefore, as long as he is on the table, one SAGA Dice can be re-rolled per turn.  This must be done during the Orders Phase.

Household: At the start of the game, one unit of four Housecarls may be designated as his royal guard.  The armour value of these household troops is increased to 6. Its role being that of the king’s bodyguard, if this unit starts the Activation Phase of its controlling player more than M away from Edward, it takes two FATIGUES.

PDF Download of Edward's Character Card

Suggested Reading (Historical Fiction)

The predominant view of Edward has long been that of a saintly and slightly withdrawn king who cared little for earthly matters, aside from hunting.  For a nuanced view of King Edward, check out Alfred Duggan's The Cunning of the Dove.  Decidedly pro-Norman and anti-Godwin, Duggan's pre-1066 England is withering under fractious rule by incompetent and jealous earls. King Edward is genuinely devout and celibate, who, as the book's title implies, subtly tried to insure that his successor will be one who will reform the church and centralize authority.

Edward the Confessor also plays a prominent role in Julian Rathbone's The Last English King.  Here he is not so celibate, in a not-that-there's-anything-wrong-with-that depiction. This Edward is also more petulant and selfish, and lacking the foresight to see the damage that his death will bring to England.  It's also a very thought provoking book about the basis of power and authority, along with some intentionally sly anachronisms. 

Up next will be a look at Edward's brother in law and immediate successor, Harold Godwinson.

Game Report: A Feast of Crows

This week, I met up with a SAGA gamer through the Studio Tomahawk forum who lives relatively close to me.  For those who live in a game store laden metropolitan area, "close" means someone who shares this rather obscure hobby within an hour's drive.

With three people playing, we went for the Feast of Crows scenario, slightly modifying the starting deployment. I fielded my Scots, my first time playing the faction, while my two opponents went with the Normans and the Welsh.  If one wants to be historical, its an encounter that could take place in Northumbria in the 1070s or 1080s, as the Normans pushed the boundaries of their English conquests.

Above, after the first turn, my Scots move into cover with Normans to the left and Welsh to the right.

The first encounter takes place between the Normans and Welsh, as a group of Sergeants get pelted by Welsh javelins.  

On the other side of the field, Norman knights take a hit from the Scot Levy javelins as they bear down on a unit of Thanes.

The Thanes were wiped out by the Knights, with me losing three of the Scots for two Knights.  Above, I pull up a unit of Soer-Chele to assist the levy. 

The Scot Warlord and Thanes turn back the Welsh Warlord and mounted Teulu without a single loss. 

The Norman player's collection of defeated models, winning with the most victory points. My quick after-analysis says that Norman win was because the player took advantage of their two strengths - they are "shooty" and heavily armored. I like the Normans for the same reason. Despite my second place finish, I feel good about the Scots and plan to use them again, but perhaps with a bow levy instead of a javelin levy.  They are very defensive, which suits my play style very well, but with some nasty abilities such as Hold the Ground and Give Ground, both very devastating if used correctly.  

Thanks to The Battlegrounds in Dalton, Georgia for letting us use their space.  I am sure we looked odd amongst the Yugioh and Magic players, but their stock of board games and RPGs was top notch. Their racks of vintage NES, Sega and Playstation games was temptingly nostalgic, and I plan to pick some up the next time I am in there.  I look forward to more battles with my new friend, and possibly converting some of the curious teens who wandered over to our table into wargamers. 

Varangians and upcoming plans

The Byzantine army continues to grow.  My work this week was a pack of Crusader Miniatures Varangians, a command pack and several plastic conversions.

Turned with the shields shown.  I generally prefer handpainted shields to transfers, even if the are a kittke too clean. A personal painting goal for this year is to work on weathering and damage.  However, it is a little hard psychologically to do a nice job on a shield, and then paint over it and intentionally ruin your work.  

Harold Hardrada, center, with his command retinue.  I do not know why it wasn't obvious to me before, but Harold probably shouldn't be given the appellation Hardrada ("Hard Ruler") during his Byzantine service, because he had yet to rule.  Furthermore, according to most sources, that name does not appear in written records until well after his death at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. 

Several conversions are pictured above.  On the left is a Byzantine artisan or merchant, flanked by two Varangian in their more formal tunics.  The civilian is a Wargames Factory Numidian puttied up and painted according to this reference.  The Varangians are Conquest Games Normans with Gripping Beast Dark Age heads. The bases are from Happy Seppuku stamps.    

I plan a few more civilian conversions for some skirmishes using Byzantines in the recently released Song of Shadows and Dust.  It is a SBH variant for urban combat in the ancient world.  Most of the buildings and streets will be papercraft, which I enjoy using (see the pic above). Maybe next month...after some more 1066 stuff...

Character Card Updates

Quick notice, on the Downloads page I have added links to newly created PDF character cards for my previous homebrew SAGA heroes.  Included are Alfonso, El Cid, George Maniakes and Gruffud ap Cynan. Expect a few more historical character cards in the near future.  I am currently reading some books on Edward the Confessor and the years leading up to 1066, and some ideas are developing.

Gruffud ap Cynan

Over the Christmas break I read several books that had been on my to-do list, but the one that I enjoyed the most was a last minute impulse-buy from a young self published author.  Caveat emptor is the general rule when it comes to self published Kindle books, but Ethan Jones' Birthright is worth your attention. From my Amazon review:

Wales in the late eleventh century was dangerous territory. A generally poor land divided into three kingdoms, it was nonetheless caught up in the machinations between Normans, Irish, Norse Gaels and its own rival rulers. Into this came the young Welsh prince Gruffud ap Cynan seeking to reclaim his kingdom of Gwynned from evil usurpers - at least, that's how he sees it.  Jones should be commended for plucking Gruffud from history and into the pages of his first novel.  As the author depicts him, Gruffud is not an invincible medieval superman (I am looking at you Uhtred).  He is a powerful warrior and bright for his age, but impetuous and diplomatically naive.

Jones can write a vivid and bloody battle.  The violence is Homeresque in its detail: limbs are severed, teeth shatter, noses are rent from faces.  The beatdown one of Gruffud's allies administers to an enemy is so brutal and sickeningly described that even our hero looks away in disgust.  The characters, while mostly all warriors, are well shaded with different motivations and attitudes. The plot does follow many of the conventions and expectations of historical fictions, but I do not necessarily blame Jones for this predictability.  Gruffud's life was one of almost constant battle and intrigue, the basic material for this genre - but do yourself a favor and do not wikipedia him until after you have read this book.  One convention of historical fiction I would have liked to have seen included was a map of Wales in this era with the novel's locations marked.

Highly satisfying, and I will be back for more when Mr. Jones brings us the next volume in Gruffud's life.


For wargamers, especially players of SAGA, there is a lot to enjoy. Battles are generally skirmishes, with Gruffud taking an active and leading role.  The differences in unit names, weapons and fighting styles of the Welsh, Norse and Normans are described in terms that button-counting wargamers will appreciate.

So the following is my interpretation of Gruffud for SAGA based in part on history and on Ethan Jones' depiction in Birthright. 

Gruffud ap Cynan, Rightful king of Gwynned

Gruffud, with the Lion of the House of Aberffraw on his shield.
Figure: Gripping Beast's Norse-Gael Warlord

Across Britain  in the eleventh century, alliances and territory shifted with an alarming frequency between Saxon, Viking and Welsh peoples. The arrival of the Normans on the Welsh Marches brought further strife to the region.

Into this world was born Gruffud, heir to the House of Aberffaw, claimant of the Welsh kingdom of Gwynned.  Through his mother, Gruffud was a grandson of Sigtrygg Silkbeard of the Hiberno-Norse rulers of Dublin.  It was there that he was raised following his family's ousting from Gwynned when he was a child. Supported by loyal Welsh, along with Irish allies, he set out in 1072 to reclaim his birthright.

His hold on the throne lost and regained more than once. Later in his life, he was held captive by the Normans for at least a decade until his escape.  Ultimately, he beat the odds and died an old man, King of Gwynedd.

Something to Prove—As a Hero of the Viking Age, Gruffud generates 3 SAGA dice per turn but only if he is the first unit on his side to engage in melee.  Otherwise, Gruffud will only generate 2 SAGA dice per turn. Note: the player will begin a game with three dice for Gruffud and keep them as long as the above conditions are met.

Mixed Ancestry —As his mother was a granddaughter of Sigtrygg Silkbeard, Gruffud can call on support from his Welsh or Norse Gael allies.  At the start of each turn, you may choose what mix of SAGA dice to roll between the Welsh and Viking Dice.  Viking dice may only be used on the Norse-Gael Battle Board and the Welsh Dice may only be used on the Welsh Battle Board.

Resourceful — unlike other Heroes of the Viking Age, Gruffud can call upon Swords for Hire units the Gall-Gaedhil or Flemish mercenaries.

Let me know if you have any suggestions on improving his stats.  I play tested it in a couple of short turn sequences.  The use of two Battleboards is interesting and based on Cnut, but he is intentionally less powerful than your average Hero.  After all, the historical Gruffud was marginally successful, but definitely not on the order of William of Normandy or Charlemagne!

Open a PDF of Gruffud's battle card
Update: I just fixed the link so that it can be opened without a request, sorry!

Birthright on the US Kindle Store

Review: Happy Seppuku Basing Stamps

The impact of Kickstarter on the gaming hobby exploded in 2013 - judging by the amount I funded this year (6) compared to 2012 (2). Most of my experiences were good, but the Happy Seppuku basing stamps were the rarity that delivered on time and as promised. They delivered shortly before Thanksgiving, and after a month of use, I have some reasonably presentable results.

The stamps are in the form of a stiff rubber-like mold, about 3x5 inches.  A bit of two-part putty can be placed on a base and pressed into the stamp to give it a certain texture.  Also, some of the accent stamps can be used to produce small bits for your terrain or scenery.  

Across the top: swamp accent, brick, treasure horde and tavern accent.   On the bottom row: snow/mud, sand and the sampler stamp.  

Below are some bits assembled from the tavern accent stamp:

Above, a primed mini pressed into the wood grain texture.  Below, the finished result.  

The swamp accent stamp used to add a stump detail to a terrain piece.

Final recommendation: For the historical wargamers, these stamps are probably of marginal use.  Basing a large army of figures to this detail is not an effective use of your time. The swamp accent piece might be the best choice for adding details such as vines, limbs and stumps to bases. However, if you are also an RPG GM or have an interest in fantasy/sci-fi skirmish games, these bases become a lot more of a value.  

Speaking of value, two part putty isn't cheap and that is perhaps the main drawback of basing most or all of your figures this way. On the other hand, an $8 pack of Miliput could easily create 50 or so bases and bits so the cost might not be too much of a negative incentive.    

I am still exploring the potential of these stamps, such as combining or overlaying textures and pining figures flush to the bases.

www.happyseppuku.com