Thursday, April 30, 2020

Army Spotlight: Eric's Assyrian Army

During the Pandemic Eric has been sharing pics of his many armies on Facebook, and has allowed me to share them here as well for our Army Spotlight. ðŸ˜€

These are his cursed Assyrians. According to Eric, "Some of you have seen the curse in action I only roll ones with this army. It’s record is 1 and 9 despite being one of the better lists in the game. Looking back on how this army came to be I am convinced it was the devils work. Possibly an Assyrian evil deity. I bought the chariots in the flee market, it was feeding frenzy at one table where the seller only said “make me an offer you are happy with” and guys were doing just that. I got a great deal. But I only got the chariots and cavalry the infantry was gone. Mysteriously the infantry I found in my basement pile of old lead I don’t remember how I got them but here they were. I painted them up and the army could take the field. That’s when my suffering began like a monkey paw from hell the “Assyrian curse”."

With a story like that, how can they not be cursed, and how can that not be awesome? I guess Eric just needs to properly propitiate Ashur!

This list is primarily played for L'Art de la Guerre and represents list #9 - Assyrian Empire and Sargonid (745-609 BC).  It's an excellent list that does very well for its period with most players - Eric's constant 1s are truly a curse in this case!


The army on parade!  In the foreground the famous Assyrian heavy chariots, with the generals in the center, the Cimerian light cavalry bow on the left, then heavy infantry in the center, medium or heavy cavalry on the right, Egyptian and Kushite bowmen, a baggage camel camp, and light infantry bow.  

You cannot uite see, because of the spears, but Assyrian cavalry usually carries bows, mking them very useful since the hevay chariots are this army's 'hammer'. The Heavy infantry and bowmen can be deployed separately or in a mixed 1/2 swordsmen/bowmen line, giving excellent versatility.  


The Assyrian list has command +6, and tons of strategists options: Tiglath-Pileser III, Sargon II, Sennacherib, and Assurbanipal. There is no reason this army should ever lack for pips! My only quibble here is that most likely the Assyrian commanders rode chariots into battle. 


There is the heart of this force, the Heavy Chariot Impact. Heavy Chariots are classified as 'knights' in ADLG, and a force like this one is pretty powerful, which matches well the Assyrian Empire's military reputation. 


I've never played this army of Eric's but I would truly love to, though it will most likely overwhelm my own poor Hyksos are for the period!

Friday, April 24, 2020

Pandemic Painting II

Pandemic Painting II!

As we continue to shelter in place in Virginia, the wargamers of SAG continue to paint more figures!  Matt 1, Eric, and Ren have all been producing many quality figures...

Matt 1's Late Imperial Roman heavy foot, with hand drawn chi ro!
Matt's Late Imperial Roman Light Horse, aka Equites Illiricani. 
Command element for Matt 1's late legionaries.
Matt 1's foederati cavalry.
Matt 1's Russians!

Matt 1's rebased Eldar. 

More of Matt 1's troops. 

Matt 1's Germans!

Ren's 1st Pomeranian ready to join the fray, for Black Powder.


Ren's Takeichi Nishi on Uranus.

Ren's Anglo-Dane warrior

Ren's Teutonic Warband, progressed stalled pre-pandemic, but
decals and washes added finishing them during.

Ren's Teutonic warlord

Ren's Nazi vampire.

Ren's British Vampire Hunter
Ren's Japanese Konflict '47 vehicles.

Ren's Shinhoto.


For a red day, a sword day!
Eric's Riders of Rohan.
Theoden leads the Riders of Rohan in a Charge!  Erik started these
30 riders, 6 heroes, 4 Guards, plus dismounts nine months ago but
has finished them during the shelter in place. 

I particularly love Eric's Dernhelm aka Eowyn & Merry figure!

Detail look at the standard bearer. Eric's horses look really good,
His method: "I found that painting the horse red leather then
contrast snakebite brown over the top looks really good.
Cuts down the yellow tint contrast browns have.
They were primed black, zenith spray white and contrast painted.
I noticed they were too yellow or required two coats for a proper Roan.
So I base painted the horse red leather and then contrast
snakebite brown over the top for a nice effect."


Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Pandemic Painting I

Like most gaming groups, I expect, we haven't been able to meet since the Covid-19 hit.  But many of our club members have been using the isolation to try and get some painting done, finally making a dent in the sea of unpainted plastic and metal most miniature wargamers own. ☺

Below are the fruits of their labors over the first couple weeks of isolation here in Virginia.

(We have two Matts, I just call them Matt 1 and Matt 2 based on which one I met first. ☺)

Ren's 28mm Imperial Romans for Saga and Mortal Gods.


Matt 1's 1/56 T-34


Dutch's 15mm L’Art de la Guerre Late Roman army, Light infantry

Legionnaires, Dutch's 15mm L’Art de la Guerre Late Roman army


Artillery & camp, Dutch's 15mm L’Art de la Guerre Late Roman army

Leaders & Camp, Dutch's 15mm L’Art de la Guerre Late Roman army


Matt 1's mud-encrusted 1/56 Panzer IV


Jake's Hoplites and Peltasts for Mortal Gods and Clash of Spears


Archers, Dutch's 15mm L’Art de la Guerre Late Roman army



First fig of Matt 2's Blood Bowl elf team

Jared's camouflaged Panzer IV company, in 15mm.

                                 Matt 2's Necron Kill Team.




Jared's camouflaged Stugs, 15mm.

Ren's Napoleonic British rifles, intended as skirmishers for Blackpowder.


Eric's Test of Honor army.

Eric's figures, horse, dead horse, Théoden and Éowyn, ect  Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game, SAGA Charlemagne

Eric's Test of Honor samurai & bushi

Eric's Test of Honor samurai & bushi

Eric's ruined house, swamps, D&D, Gloomhaven figures, carts baggage.

Eric's mounted samurai for Test of Honor.

Eric's D&D figures, mules, and some Dwarves ...never you mind about the Dwarves they are on dwarf business and not interested in nonsense.

Ren's 1/56 Puma for Bolt Action.

Ren's 28mm Oswald Mosley with a couple thugs for Bolt Action.

Ren's 28mm partisans for Bolt Action.


Ren's 28mm SS Panzer Grenadiers

Ren's Late War 28mm German infantry for Bolt Action.

Ren's partisans throwing a Molotov cocktail, 28mm for Bolt Action.

Matt 1's 1/56 scale, mud encrusted Sd.Kfz. 251 platoon on the advance!