Saga: Al-Andalus الأندلس

Posted in Miniatures with tags , , , , , , , , on March 19, 2026 by Sean

Continuing on my previous post about adding Warlords to my model collections to build armies for Saga, I return to my Moors.

Image
Image

The Warlord rides his fine mount, festooned with decoration. He wears a deep red cloak over his golden scale male and saffron robes. I wanted this guy to look rich and luxurious. His face is protected by a white wrap, giving him a nice mysterious air. I made his horse a lighter grey so his bright colors would pop.

Typical to my Warlord models, I added some battlefield debris to his base. This time it’s a Spanish shield and helmet, tossed aside by a fleeing enemy. This model was a 3D print of Yusuf ibn Tashfin, an Almoravid leader, from Garrison Miniatures.

Next are 2 points of the foot Warriors, representing the town militias. Here they are arranged into a good shield wall, with a prominent banner acting as a rallying point. I posted some of these miniatures a while back. I wanted them to be bright and colorful, befitting the rich lands of Muslim Spain. The shields as expected lack any heraldry, instead using stripes, dots, stars, and script. I also gave them a mix of skin tones, representing the melting pot of Spain at the time, with Spaniards, Moors, Berbers, Africans, and Arabs mixing for centuries. The models are Gripping Beast Arab Infantry, with a few Wargames Atlantic Medieval Peasant bodies mixed in.

Image
Image

Finally are the mounted Warriors, the Jinetes. These light cavalry will give the force plenty of speed and harassment of the enemy. This is a single point on the table. The miniatures are a mix of Gripping Beast Dark Age Cavalry, with weapon, shields, and heads from the Arab Infantry. The horses are from a few companies, including Gripping Beast, Wargames Factory, and others. The unit got its own standard, a bright pennant blowing in the breeze.

I included a shot of them on the table just to see how they look.

The rest of the army will be a point of mounted Hearthguard and a point of bow Levy. More to come!

Leave a comment »

Saga: Roma delenda est!

Posted in Miniatures with tags , , , , , on March 8, 2026 by Sean

With major projects over with for now, I’ve turned to my own painting. I wanted to expand my Saga factions, and a good way to do that is painting up Warlords. With many factions able to be represented by a fair spread of generic troops of their respective eras, the Warlord is a good way to ‘define’ the warband. I do this with factions like Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, and Anglo-Danes, with most of the troops the same models across the forces, while having characteristic Warlords. I do the same with Britons and Late Romans, or Crusaders and Polish.

This is harder to do in the Classical Era, as unlike the forces of the Viking Age or Late Roman, the models have a lot more variety. I can get by most forces in those time periods with generic ‘bearded guy with shield and spear’ type models, with specific models mixed in. But a Roman is very distinct from a Persian or Greek or Gaul. This does create the problem if I want to switch things around or just try other factions. But Carthage is the outlier. Since it was a broad coalition of Carthaginians, Libyans, Gaulic and Iberian tribes, Greeks, Italians, and even troops using looted Roman gear, if allows me to use parts of my other warbands to build a force. However, I still wanted distinctive Warlords.

The Carthaginian Warlord has the option of being on foot or mounted, so I painted up both so I could have my choice for games.

Image
Image

The first is the foot commander. He wears a rich purple cape and Greek-style armor and helmet. I used the model from Footsore since it had a nice calm look, as if he was carefully surveying the battlefield, ready to spring the trap. A proper officer for Hannibal.

He is accompanied by a Numidian veteran, carrying the standard. He has a mish-mash of gear, including looted Roman mail and a Greek-style helmet, though he carries his lord’s Carthaginian shield. My African Spear Warriors have the same mixed equipment. The model is a converted Victrix Roman, with swapped arms, legs, and head from other Victrix kits. The standard icon comes the old Wargames Factory Numidian box.

Second is the cavalry commander. He represented a more aggressive type of leader, riding at speed, Roman gladius ready for the fight. He carries his helmet on his other arm to get a better view. His other gear is standard, wearing a Greek muscle cuirass like the foot commander. His cape is a lustrous red, with a golden trim. Last detail is a Syracusan Greek shield, cast aside by his defeated enemy. I like to sometimes add discarded equipment from other armies as decoration, for variety and to tie them together with my models. Cavalry models being on 50mm give me plenty of room to fill.

I wanted to include the variety of cultures the Punic army would have, so he was painted up as either a Numidian or Libyan.

Image

I posted these Carthaginian African Spear a while ago, but wanted to show them again, now that their leaders are painted up. They are a Warrior unit, deployed in the hoplite style of fighting. Their equipment is a mix of Greek-style armor and shields, with some looted Roman gear included.

Leave a comment »

Charnel Guard: Fiery Doom 2

Posted in Miniatures with tags , , , , on February 16, 2026 by Sean

The Charnel Guard Space Marines army is done! I’ve been working on these somber guys for months now, and with this model the force is complete.

The second Baal Predator rolls out of the shop. It matches its brother, with the same markings for vehicle, squadron, and company, as well as campaign marking. I did move the blood drop from the hatch to the front right quarter panel just to change things up.

Image
Image

This Predator has the same sort of corrosion, battle damage, and mud spatter seen with the other. A line of bullet/laser impacts runs up from the left front panel all the way to the turret, showing the Pred has seen real action. I did give it a decorative scroll on the front panel to distinguish it from its brother. It bears the words ‘IGNEA FATA’ meaning ‘fiery doom’ in Latin (or at least the Imperium’s High Gothic).

With that, I’m going to relax a bit and work on some smaller projects, and a few for myself.

Leave a comment »

Charnel Guard: Fiery Doom

Posted in Miniatures with tags , , , , on February 9, 2026 by Sean

The Charnel Guard Marines army is near completion! The only models left are the pair of Baal Predators that will join the flying infantry to lay down walls of flaming promethium.

Image
Image

Here is the first Predator. It bears the chapter colors of course, a dark grey with creative red paneling and details.

The chapter symbols for both tanks are place on front left and side left panels, as well as the rear hatch. I put the cross symbol on red so it would be more eye-catching. The chapter icons were custom made transfers, used with GW standard ones. Both also bear blood drops (company symbol), skull (squadron symbol), vehicle numbers, and a campaign symbol (on the back right panel).

The large areas of plating also lent itself to battle damage, corrosion, and general dirt and muck you’d expect on the fields of 40K. I’m less enthused with too much battle damage on infantry, since it can disrupt an otherwise nice color scheme. On a bit tank however, there is room for the random nicks, abrasions, battle scarring, and rust. The fact the tank carries 3 flame throwers means I could also realistically have soot all over it. I restrained myself from adding too much, but I think it adds a lot to the character.

One more Predator to go!

Leave a comment »

Saga: Light Cavalry

Posted in Miniatures with tags , , , , , , on January 27, 2026 by Sean

Among random projects I’ve been adding to my own armies for Saga. These units are all light cavalry for their respective armies, representing Warriors on the table.

Image
Image

First are Burgundian light horse for Age of Chivalry. I have a group of generic horsemen that I can use for English, Scots, French, or Burgundian, with a few members with specific shield devices to denote members of their proper forces. Some of the Scots got heraldry to accompany Scottish lords or simply the white saltire. For the Burgundians, one member gets the X cross of St. Andrew, another got a blue and yellow diagonal design, and several got the blue and white feathers associated with the Kingdom. I added visors to some members to ‘update’ them to later parts of the 15th Century when Burgundy was flourishing.

I took the pic in from of a background to make them pop. I definitely want to do more.

The second pic is a small group of Moorish Berber horsemen for Age of Crusades. These javelin-armed Warriors will get expanded to 8 eventually. I used the Gripping Beast Dark Age Cavalry kit, with heads and gear from the Moorish Infantry set. This way they match the Moorish infantry for the force. The horses are a mix of Gripping Beast and 3D prints.

2 Comments »

Charnel Guard: The Beasts

Posted in Miniatures with tags , , , , on January 10, 2026 by Sean

The Charnel Guard Marines army is almost finished…

The infantry models wrap up with Asteroth, the final character for the force. This miniature is a third-party sculpt of the original design. I followed the style of the rest of the army, with blood red armor like Mephiston. He has armor panels sculpted with muscle pattern. I gave him slightly different skin tone to the other bare-headed members of the army to make him stand out more. The deathly pallor was built from a grey-blue base, with a mix of grey and flesh tone highlights.

He has the same winged jetpack as the one I used for Dante. He launches forward with his Black Axe aloft, held up by trailing purity seals and litany scrolls.

Image
Image
Image

The other pics are the real beast, the Death Company Dreadnought. This guy was a real effort, with tons of detail. Like other models this size and complexity, I had to paint him in pieces and assemble after.

He is covered in decoration befitting a Death Company hero. The original model is of course Blood Angels-themed, but a few changes made him Charnel Guard. His right shoulder has the blood red color used on the shoulder pads of the Marines, with the chapter icon. I added a fair amount of battle damage and wear and tear. I like some paint chipping and corrosion, but it can get overboard quick. His loincloth has a red-black fade, representing the cloth soaked in blood.

The scrolls have the words LETUM (death) and STRAGES (bloodshed).

With these two miniatures, only a pair of Predator tanks to finish.

The Dreadnought pics was taken with a new photo setup. I used a grey backdrop, and I think it works very nicely.

4 Comments »

Lord Dante: The Golden Host

Posted in Miniatures with tags , , , on December 20, 2025 by Sean

The Charnel Guard are nearly complete. I’ve finished the leader character for the army, Commander Dante. He leads his companions, the Sanguinary Guard.

Image
Image

Dante is usually depicted in golden muscle armor, resembling a Greco-Roman god. The deathmask helmet looks like a classic Roman Equestrian ‘sports’ helmet. The gold works well with Blood Angels’ bright red armor. The Charnel Guard I’ve been working on however is much more of a dark Gothic look with charcoal grey and blood-red armor. An accent color used throughout the army is a deep bronze (common on chest eagles and weapon casings). Dante gets this bronze all over to reallt make him stand out.

The armor was painted with a GW Warplock Bronze base, washed with Agrax Earthshade and small areas of Seraphim Sepia. It was then highlighted with mixed Bronze and Vallejo Silver. This gave a shiny but somber bronze effect, looking rich and ancient. Some details like his chest eagle and belt buckle were picked out in much brighter Vallejo Bronze. His oak leaf wreathe was painted in Gehenna’s Gold. His long loin cloth is a simple clean white. The halo on his head is a bluish silver, with a white ribbon.

Danet’s axe was painted to really pop on the table. The blade was based with a mix of black and Vallejo Nocturnal Red, blended up to Mephiston Red, then Army Painter Red. The edges got further highlights of red and yellow. The carriage for the axe was picked out in golds and lighter bronzes to further brighten the weapon. It would be conspicuous against the backdrop of the commander himself.

The GW miniature has had a few simple additions. The shoulder pauldrons have been swapped from the generic Blood Angels iconography to the Charnel Guard and a skull and scroll design. The other change is the jump pack. The original jump pack was not nearly ostentatious enough for this bronze god, so I swapped a winged pack from the third party-designed Lemartes (seen earlier)

The pack was the same bronze as Dante’s armor, with the feathers in black. This was to further match him with his Sanguinary Guard.

Image
Image
Image

The Sanguinary Guard are the personal companions of the commander, hand-picked for skill and bravery. This unit is a 3D sculpt like the rest of the army (Dante being the only actual GW infantry model). They wear the same deep bronze armor as their leader, with light bronze details like belt buckles, icons, chest eagles, and ornaments. The also have the white loin cloths and red axes (though not nearly as bright as Dante). Other details matching Dante are the blueish silver halos- even carried over to the standard. Their wings are more organic looking than Dante’s (a different company’s sculpt) but the look is unified.

Almost done!

Leave a comment »

Warzone Eternal: Welcome back 1993

Posted in Miniatures with tags , , , on December 13, 2025 by Sean

I’ve stepped into the time tunnel for the newest edition of Warzone, the Mutant Chronicles miniatures game. So much nostalgia!

I always loved the style and aesthetic of the art and miniatures, courtesy of the great illustrator Paul Bonner. They had a serious 40K-esque vibe with big pauldrons, over the top weapons, and grimdark setting. The newest designs harken back to 1st edition, but with some restraint and modern sculpting techniques.

I painted a bunch of Warzone back in the day. My favorite faction then was the Imperials, the Brits, with a mix of WWI-in-space Trenchers and SAS commandos in the form of Blood Berets and Golden Lions. I picked up the starter box and have had a few games so far. The models are 3D prints from Trenchworx.

Image
Image

The first pic is the completed starter set. It has a Blood Beret leader, Blood Beret Trooper and RPG Trooper, 3 Trenchers, and Golden Lion Operator and Trooper. It’s a good mix of the weapon loadouts and uniform styles.

Next are the Trenchers. These are the poor bloody infantry, so aren’t flashy like the other units. Instead, they are right out of the Western Front, with gas masks, ragged cloaks, and good old Brodie helmets. I kept their colors intentionally drab, and made their armor scuffed and dark.

Image
Image

Next are the Blood Berets, the elite line soldiers. They got a nice green uniform with a simple camouflage. The red berets certainly give mixed signals on stealth though …

I gave the Leader model industrial striping on his chainripper knife to make him more visible on the table.

Finally the Golden Lions. Their bright red armor is patterned with black tiger striping. No subtlety for these commandos.

I’m not sure what I’ll add to the force to expand it. We’ll see what new units get added.

Leave a comment »

Charnel Guard: Guardians of the Lost

Posted in Miniatures with tags , , , on December 2, 2025 by Sean

The Charnel Guard continues…here we have a pair of characters to lead the squads. Both are Chaplains, assigned to the two Death Company squads.

Image
Image
Image

First is the special character Chaplain Lemartes, leader of the Blood Angels Death Company as a whole. Guess he’s joined on with the Charnel Guard, or simply has a separate Chaplain with similar rules (always good for making your own fluff). The miniature is a 3D print like the rest of the army, with a unique sculpt.

He leaps off a pile of rubble, pistol and crozius arcanum at the ready. The sculpt originally had a winged jump pack, but I wanted that pack for the army’s Commander Dante, so they swapped. Can’t upstage the boss! I did add a winged goblet icon to give him just a little more zazz befitting a named character.

His armor is the typical black and bone, with the darker bronze edging seen throughout the army. This gave him the same somber tone, despite all the gold, silver, and red details.

Second is a generic unnamed Chaplain. He is also a third-party 3D sculpt. He stands out from Lemartes with all the scripture and seals decorating his army. I like the pose, looking like he’s just coming in for a landing. I did decorate his left shoulder with a Charnel Guard transfer.

Next is Dante and the rest of his Sanguinary Guard.

1 Comment »

Charnel Guard: The Lost

Posted in Miniatures with tags , , , on November 4, 2025 by Sean

The Charnel Guard army is nearing completion. All the Intercessors and Death Company are done (40 Marines). Next up are the Sanguinary Guard and characters.

Image
Image

The two Death Company squads in all their glory. They all have identical decoration, but have X wound markings on either side of their jump packs.

The units have a mix of extra weapons, with the first squad carrying 2 Power Swords, 1 Power Fist, 2 Eviscerators, 1 Plasma Pistol, and 1 Inferno Pistol. The second squad has 2 Plasma Pistols, 2 Eviscerators, 2 Power Fists, and 1 Power Sword instead.

Next up some characters. Looking forward to Dante in proper Charnel Guard color and decoration.

Leave a comment »

« Older Entries
Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started