MIA

Well it's been rather a long time since I posted...mainly because it's been along time since I did anything hobby worthy to post about. Real life has a habit of getting in the way of my hobbies and real life for me culminated in being diagnosed with suffering from stress and depression by my GP a couple of weeks ago one of the things about depression is a total lack of  get up and go or enthusiasm to do anything...sadly in recent months that has included my hobbies.

 Anyway my GP encouraged me to "try and get back to do things you enjoy" so the last couple of weeks I've been plugging away at some miniatures with the vague idea of doing some battles around the Irish sea in the mid 12th century.  I had some plastic vikings and left over Conquest Normans hanging around and while searching the net for ideas came across the Gael- Norse warlord Somerled (and the rather interesting bishop of Mann Wimud). I also came across a few examples of multiple basing of miniatures (Impetvs style) which I thought might be fun to try.

It took quite a bit of effort to get started and my painting skills have gone a bit ropey from lack of use over the last few months but I knocked up this first unit the Hird of the king of Mann Godred Crovan II ready for a dust up with Somerled and his boys. Information for the look of Mann Vikings around 1150 is a bit sketchy (the isle of Lewis chess pieces seem to be the main source) but using my trust Ospreys on early medieval Scandinavia and Vikings I went with a mix of Normans and Vikings I'm taking a punt that Mann (like Ireland, Norway and the Isles) might have been a bit behind the times with regards to military equipment....even if it's not quite right (longer mail coats might have been more appropriate) I like they way they've turned out.

I've tried to give the impression of a shield wall with some berserkers breaking out from the lines. I know berserkers are most likely a bit archaic for the 12th century but I'm using a comment in the WAB shieldwall supplement that the vikings of the Isles where a rum lot known for witch craft and other foul practises to keep this old tradition going (even if it is a bit of fantasy).

anyway here are some photos of the finished unit.....though it seems the camera/lights have combined to make the colours seem a bit more yellow than they are in real life.

Cheers Jon