Irish SAGA

Gerry, from Gerry Can hobby tips fame, shared his ideas on how to get a good base force from the Wargames Atlantic box.

1 pt – 12 levy javelins (though might mix in slingers for fun)

2pts – 2 x 8 warriors

1 pt – a pack of 8 dags. (aka dogs) and handler.

I then need to turn to the Saga Age of Vikings book for where best to add two more points to make a standard 6 point army.

I have some metal heroes. I have a priest, but he looks a bit too Norman to me, so might kit bash my own.

Quite by accident, whilst picking up minis I liked at Salute, more as a painting project than playing, i have picked up the Gripping Beast Ulf the quarrelsome and the Footsore Ulf the quarrelsome. I can use them as my Warlord or as the hero of myth and legend.

Will wait until I have painted them myself before final judgement. ?

Like cutting blancmange with angel delight, i mixed some 50p sprue Wargames Factory dark age bodies with Wargames Atlantic heads, shields and right arms. This gave me 4 more warriors. I had wondered that with the saxon like clothes and the best shields and helmets whether they would pass as a hearth guard group, but looking at them once built, I think I want some mail or heavy leather armour for my hearth guard.

The arms are slightly more heroic scale than the Wargames Factory bodies. I needed to fill the neck with sprue, because the Wargames Atlantic heads are designed to rest on a flat neck piece, rather than the ball joint style of the Wargames Factory minis. I think once painted they will add some fun variety to my force.

For a look close up at the kit and some build examples…

Unboxing: Dark Age Irish Miniatures | Wargames Atlantic

But for extra help on list builds and to share your paint jobs I started a Facebook page which has over 600 members. ?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1748859648777691/?ref=share

And for general great quality chats on Saga try this YouTube channel.

Decided to keep my kitbashed warriors as warriors and probably use spare Gripping Beast Saxons or Viking Bodies as the basis for some Irish hearthguard later.

I liked the free hand on this guy. The Little Big Men Studios Irish shield designs seem to be Black and Yellow with standard geometric symbols, serpents and gaelic swirls. This was my first freehand attempt in this style.

I think I will just use similar colours but have fun with different designs.

I will be consistent with the basing, a mix of flint chips and woodland floor flock left to dry and then patchy steppes grass on top.

The plaid could be far neater, but as a test piece I think it’s OK.

No tartan this time. Lazy. I know. Hope the shield design makes up for it a bit. ?

Zandri dust trousers, steel legion drab clothes, Snakebite Leather Contrast paint on the leg wraps and belt, Mournfang Brown hair with Jokaero Orange highlights. Almost everything had an Agrax Earthshade wash and used Reikland Fleshshade on the head and hands. The flesh was Bugman’s Glow with Army Painter Barbarian Flesh mix highlight.

Got some solid advice from Gerry and found an old picture from SuetoniusPaulinus (RiP Andy)
Wasn’t sure how to paint this Wargames Atlantic shield.
Andy painted his quite a pale bronze, but a lot of images from museums were a more golden bronze.
I think I decided on a middle ground for mine. Army Painter Weapon Bronze with a bronze and silver mix for highlight. Bit of Reikland Fleshshade to wash and some weathering.

Happy with the colours I chose and the freehand. This has given me plenty of food for thought to create my warriors from the main box.

The last guy is in a red padded ensemble from the catwalks of Normandy most likely. Accessorised with a high status Irish shword and shield. ?

I think I want an 8 man shield and spear warrior unit and another 4 shield and hand weapon minis using the best clothes I can find to finish this warrior unit.

Then I will use the minis with the least clothing etc to make my 12 levy javelin skirmishers. This will be 24 minis from the 30.

Then I want one dog handler, and One kit bash priest. This leaves me another 4 minis to consider what to do with.

I still haven’t dug out my rule book to check on what are actually good options to get the best out of the Irish battle board.

For my hearthguard I will see if the chain mail covered arms from some Gripping Beast sprues look any good on Wargames Atlantic bodies and give the impression that there is a chainmail coat under their over clothes. If that doesn’t look right I will add Wargames Atlantic heads and shields to Gripping Beast chainmail covered bodies. ?