Viking Hirdmen

 

Here are some Viking hirdmen that I've just finished painting. These are mainly Gripping Beast plastic figures with two Warlord Games metal figures to make up numbers. Shield transfers are LBM/Victrix. When we visited the Galloway Hoard exhibition at Melbourne Museum last November I picked up a book, The Viking Great Army and the Making of England, by Dawn Hadley and Julian Richards. This is a really interesting book that tracks the movements of the Viking Great army in England between 865 and 878. They have another book Life in the Viking Great Army; Raiders, Traders and Settlers which I have ordered. I also bought a copy of Blood Feud the Lion Rampant supplement that is set in Iceland and deals with the Icelandic sagas, I haven't finished reading it yet but will hopefully get in a game of this soon.

Marton 871 - Command and Colors Medieval Game

 

Vikings deployed

Anglo-Saxons deployed

Vikings advance in the centre

Last Monday afternoon I played a solo Command and Colors Medieval game out in the shed. The scenario was Marton 871 with the Anglo-Saxons of Wessex fighting a Viking force led by Halfdan Ragnurrson. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles:

Aethelred and his brother Alfred fought the force at Maeredun; they were in two groups and they put them both to flight. Long into the day they had the victory, and there was great slaughter on either hand; and the Danes had the power of the battlefield.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles translated and collated by Ann Savage, Book Club Associates, London, 1983.


The Saxons in the scenario have three leaders, Aethelred, Alfred and the Bishop Heahmund, four command cards and two inspired action tokens. The Vikings move first, have a single leader, five command cards and three inspired action tokens. For these Norse Invasions of England scenarios the Boar's Snout foot rules replaces the Mounted Charge Command card. The Vikings advanced in the centre and the Saxons followed suit. Scattered woods meant most of the action in the game was funnelled towards the centre. Multiple combats followed before the Saxons emerged with a hard fought victory 6-4.

Saxons follow suit

Vikings attack 

Action is funnelled towards the centre

Casualties mount

Saxons win a hard fought game 6-4

Neo-Elamite Kallapani

 

Happy New Year for 2026!

Here is a four mule Neo-Elamite Kallapani cart that I've just finished painting. There's a comparison shot with a two mule cart I painted earlier. The figures are all Eureka Miniatures.These carts were mobile shooting platforms with a crew of a driver and kneeling, massed archers who could dismount as archers on foot. They were drawn by two or four mules or small horses. I wanted some with four mules for variety so bought some extra Eureka mules and added bridle and harness by gluing strips of paper on with PVA. Each cart will have a unit of foot archers to deploy as dismounted troops.

Late Republican Roman Civil War ADLG Game

 

Armies deployed

Opposite end

Armies advance

Gallic cavalry take a hit from slingers

Centre and right flank close

Last Monday afternoon Craig came over and we played another ADLG Roman civil war game out in the shed. This time both sides were Late Republican Romans, I was the attacker and Craig the defender. I chose as many legionary units as I could, two scorpions (light artillery), two eastern bowmen and slingers with Gallic and German cavalry on each flank supported by a unit of light cavalry. Craig's army consisted of legionaries, gladiators (heavy swordsmen), Thracians (medium swordsmen 2HW) slingers and all of his cavalry, including quite a few Spanish light cavalry, were deployed in one corps on his right flank.

Our armies advanced and my cavalry charged on both flanks. On the right my Gallic cavalry tried to chase some slingers down, while on the left my German cavalry quickly accounted for the Spanish light cavalry and then moved on to Craig's heavy cavalry. Once the infantry closed the usual legionary slogging match ensued. I was very lucky with my dice initially, throwing quite a few fives (we use average dice for combat in our games), even destroying the disordered Thracians in combat with my bowmen. In the end Craig's legionaries just managed to survive in the centre and on his left flank but my greater number of legionaries had won the day. Craig's army was on the verge of breaking and he conceded the game.

German cavalry line up a charge on the left flank

German cavalry charge

Combat along the line

Opposite end with casualties mounting

Neo-Elamite Horse Archers and Infantry

 

Here are some Neo-Elamite horse archers and infantry that I've just finished painting. The figures are by Steve Barber Models with a single Eureka Miniatures horse archer. The infantry are mixed with front rank spearmen and rear rank archers. I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and happy gaming, painting and blogging for 2026!

Macedonian and Successor Infantry

 

Here are some 15mm Macedonian and Successor infantry that I've just finished painting. The figures are all Xyston Miniatures with LBM shield transfers. The phalangites are unarmoured Leukaspides (White Shields) on the left, the elite Argyraspides (Silver Shields) in the centre and Chalkaspides (Bronze Shields) on the right. The light infantry are Cretan Archers and there is a group shot at the bottom.

Aramaean Infantry

 

Here are some Aramaean javelin men that I've just finished painting. Figures are by Warlord Games but unfortunately no longer seem to be available. I will use these figures as allies for my Neo-Babylonians and Neo-Elamites. I have 15mm Aramaean, Israelite, Arab and Neo-Assyrian armies with Essex, Red Copper and Museum Miniatures as I want to refight the Battle of Karkar or Qarqar 853 BC.  In this battle the Neo-Assyrian army of Shalmaneser III fought the combined forces of Damascus, Hamath, Ahab of Israel, Que, Musri, Irqanata, Arvad, Usanata, Shian and Gundibu, an Arab chieftain, led by Hadadezer of Damascus, also known as the 12 Kings Alliance. This was a huge army comprising 3940 chariots, 1800 cavalry, 65000 infantry and 1000 Arab camel-riders. Shalmaneser claimed to have defeated them and slain 14000 enemy soldiers but his opponents held on to their thrones and he was forced to campaign again in the area several more times in the following decade.

Early Imperial Roman Civil War ADLG Game

 

Craig's Romans deployed

My Romans deployed

My Romans advance

Same thing on my right flank

Archers and artillery exchange fire

Last Wednesday afternoon Craig came over and we played an Early Imperial Civil War ADLG game out in the shed. I had the advantage in cavalry and made four units of my auxiliaries, heavy infantry with impact rather than, medium infantry with impact. Craig had two Praetorian units and a few barbarian units that were medium impetuous swordsmen. We advanced and the archers and artillery were soon exchanging fire. My cavalry charged on both flanks and eventually I managed to break through on the left flank near the vines. 

The infantry closed in combat and this was the usual extended slogging match between legionaries and auxiliaries. Craig's impetuous barbarian infantry charged my heavy infantry auxiliaries but didn't last too long and were broken fairly quickly. On the left flank and in the centre my Romans eventually ground out a win. While trying to hold on there on the right flank I managed to rally three consecutive units in combat! Eventually after a hard fought game Craig's Roman were broken, his medium infantry barbarians and auxiliaries lacking the resilience of my heavy infantry.

My cavalry charge on the left flank near the vines

My cavalry charge on the right flank

Onager scores a hit in the centre

Infantry close on the left flank

Craig's Romans are eventually broken

Zenobia

 

Here's Queen Zenobia of Palmyra with a standard bearer that I've just finished painting. The figures are by A&A Miniatures. I have two Palmyran armies to paint, one in 28mm all A&A and one in 15mm by Forged in Battle.

Treasures of the Viking Age - The Galloway Hoard

 

Silver Anglo-Saxon pectoral cross with
niello inlay and gold, depicting four evangelists.

Silver arm-rings

Silver ingots and hacksilver

Silver broad-band arm-rings

Silver arm-rings

Silver annular rod arm-ring

Silver arm-rings and ingots

Four silver ribbon arm-rings bound by a
smaller silver broad-band arm-ring

Last weekend we drove down to Melbourne and as part of our trip visited the Treasures of the Viking Age The Galloway Hoard exhibition at Melbourne Museum. This exhibition is from the National Museums of Scotland and is on display at the Melbourne Museum until 26 January 2026. The Galloway Hoard was buried in 900 AD and is one of the richest collections of Viking-age objects found in Britain and Ireland. It was discovered by metal detectorists in 2014 at Balmagie, Kirkcudbrightshire in Scotland. The Galloway Hoard consists of over five kilograms of silver bullion, unique gold objects, the rare preservation of textiles and an unusual range of other materials. A very highly recommended exhibition! There is also an excellent book on the hoard by Martin Goldberg and Mary Davis available at the museum shop.

Gold ring, bird-pin and ingot

Copy of silver gilt lidded vessel which contained the
hoard was wrapped in partially preserved textiles

Glass beads, bead wth a silver pendant and a coin,
silver-mounted rock crystal pendant and a rattlestone.

Silver penannular brooch-hoop

3D print of a rock crystal jar, the original has
a gold mesh holding a filigree 
and rope-work decorated lid in place.

Gold pendant and silver hinged strap

Gold twisted rod, ingot and
three animal-headed gold mounts

Silver Anglo-Saxon brooches with niello inlay

Silver Anglo-Saxon brooches with niello inlay