It's a miners life

No town is complete without a shack,so I set about changing that and for fun I decided this would be open topped.As you can see he's heading off to dig for gold under the gaze of his hard wife who wonders if he ever will strike it rich like he always claims!
Mineature Company:Wargames Foundry

Bank Robbery!

For this set of pictures I attempted to encompass a large part of my town I constructed.I wanted a scene where the outlaws had just robbed the bank and upon leaving the bank were then confronted by a well prepared and very angry towns folk who then proceeded to shoot them to pieces.The outlaws ran for their lives with guns blazing leaving over half their number behind as either killed or too wounded to keep up.
This story was inspired by true events that happened to Jesse and Frank James gang in Northfield Minnesota when the towns people set a trap and basically shot them to ribbons.
Miniature Company:Wargames Foundry

Gunfight!

For this scene I made a corral inspired by the famous shoot-out at the OK Corral.Of course in my little gunfight here the antagonists are not the actual famous participants,but members of my own posses of outlaws and lawmen.On hand as well are a doctor,mortician,and an ace reporter to write down all the action for the dime novels.



Miniature Company:Wargames Foundry

Bank and Land Office

There seems to be something amiss going on around the bank with two very desperate looking characters lurking outside the bank door.... and it comes as no surprise that indeed they are robbing the Bank!
I built this bank open topped to allow for bank robbery scenario's,but left the Land office closed.I need to add a Wells Fargo safe someday to the bank to complete the picture.
Miniature Company:Wargames Foundry

Jailbreak!

This is a small scene I did of a few outlaws breaking their pal out of jail with the Marshall and his deputies moving in to put a stop to it.
I decided to make an open top jail to place prisoners in and the Water Tower I wanted to be pretty tall so I built it high enough that it taller then all my buildings.
Miniature Company:Wargames Foundry

Saloon and Hotel

This Saloon and Hotel is for my western town called Serenity which of course it's anything but!It's part of the town I built over a summer a few years back.It's populated by some of my western figures.The saloon was quite an undertaking and doing clapboard walls took a lot longer then I ever thought it would!The name of the saloon is an invention,but I wouldn't be surprised if one saloon did have this,although it would only be by accident and not design.




Miniature Company:Wargames Foundry

Going Berserk!

These are a few of my Berserkers,Ulfhednar and Gestir Vikings for WAB.As to what the saga's say on Berserkers are varied and range from elite bodyguards right on up to individual blood crazed killing machines that work themselves up into a murderous rage.Some also describe them as members of cults and brotherhoods.Either way you choose to view them is a personal choice,but all are fascinating.I personally just love the image they represent and give a Viking army that true pagan feel to them.
Miniature Company:Wargames Foundry

Wheeled Cannon

This cannon is probably(really is) a bit late for the period in question and really should rest on the ground.However,I don't think it's too out of place with the complete wooden carriage and wheels and so will not stick out like a sore thumb.
I like the image of this miniature with the old veteran smiling at the shock of the young man at his first test firing of a cannon.They really are loud!
Interesting note in that cannon were used at Crecy.
Miniature Company:Wargames Foundry

The Black Princes Longbowmen

These longbowmen belong to the Black Princes retinue and are wearing his retinue colors of green and white.These deadly archers proved to be the bane of the French at both Crecy and Poitier's.If these men were ever captured by the French,then they could expect little mercy and if they were not killed out of hand then often they would cut off their draw cord pull fingers.The result was that English longbowmen would show their two fingers before battle to taunt the French by showing they still had theirs and intended to put them to good use.As you can see,my center archer is doing just that!(LoL)
Miniature Company:Wargames Foundry

Lord Thomas Beauchamp's Knights and Men at Arms

This is for my Early Hundred Years War English army based around the Black Princes and Lord Thomas Beauchamp's Earl of Warwick's retinues at the battles of Crecy and Poitier's.The rule system is Warhammer Ancient Battles.This Retinue is a combination of Knights and Men at Arms serving Lord Beauchamp.I couldn't find his colors for his retinue so I decided on blue and white.His personal heraldry is correct however.All the knights are actual knights that did serve in these campaign's to include Sir FitzSimon's carrying the banner of St. George and Lord Thomas Beauchamp himself in the center front leading the unit.
Ignore the standards as I need to paint some up and just photocopied these so as not to have blank poles.All the heraldry on the knights themselves however I did paint on and this does take some time,but is pleasing in the end.
Miniature Company:Wargames Foundry

Harald Haraada

This is Harald Sigurdsson (aka Hardrada or Hard Ruler)a famous Viking king from Norway.This viking was a true adventurer and warrior.
He fought in Norway in support of a claim to the throne and then traveled to Kiev and acted as bodyguard to Prince Yaroslav the Wise when it failed.He then went on to Constantinople where he served in the famous Varangian Guard.
After once again returning to Norway,he eventually became it's ruler and entered into a 15 yer long war with Denmark's ruler King Svein Ulfsson before it ended in a truce.
In 1066 he invaded England to assume the crown vacated by Edward the Confessor after his death.He had two rivals in the form of Harold Godwinson and William the Conqueror.
With some 15,000 men and 300 longboats he landed in England and won a great victory at Fulford before moving on to York.Harald Hardrada then heard Harold Godwinson was approaching with an army.He believed Godwinson was coming to surrender or offer peace in favor of Hardrada's claim to the throne.After only taking half his men and removing their heavy armour they met the Saxon king Godwinson at Stamford Bridge.He surprised to meet a heavily armoured army nearly twice his own with ideas of battle and not surrender.To add to his blunder he chose to give battle and both he and his army were virtually wiped out.
After Hardrada's death and defeat Harold Godwinson went on to be in turn defeated by William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings and the rest is history.
Since my army is a Danish army I'll be using Harald Hardrada as a Danish Character and not the famous king himself.
Miniature Company:Gripping Beast

Under the Raven

This is my General,Godi(a form of pagan warrior priest)and my army standard carrying the famous symbol of the vikings in the form of a raven,although the banner was not a national banner as some wrongly believe,but was instead carried by various chieftains.
Viking leaders needed to be both skilled in arms as well in cunning as trickery was a respected aspect in their leaders unlike many other cultures.
Godi's were there to inspire the men in combat through both deeds and more importantly reminding them that the Gods are watching.They preached warriors who fight with honor will both be given luck by the Gods and if they are slain then they will join them in Valhalla.You will notice the Godi has horns on his helmet which is completely fictional as Vikings never had this on their helmets as it's to impractical,however I like it on the Godi as it makes him stand out and adds atmosphere.
The reason a chose and painted a Raven standard for my Danes was looks first and that the Danes also believed that Odin(Father of the gods and battle)was behind them and it also had an effect on the Saxons they commonly fought who thought it was imbued with magical properties.
The small baggage diorama with a Viking raider overseeing captured villagers is used for special scenario's and also as a center piece on the battlefield to add a bit of Viking flavor to the battlefield and helps set the mood.
Miniature Company:Wargames Foundry

Viking Hirdmen

Vikings have fascinated me for many years and they were one of the first armies I started collecting for historical wargaming in 25/28mm.I really love their imagery and background history.All those beards,axes,and a bit of savage mischief I find very appealing.
The system I choose to play was Warhammer Ancient Battles(WAB)and it operates more or less on single bases,although you can of course put them on multiple bases.I also chose to mount them on citadel bases as I liked them at the time,but now I prefer a flatter bases.
The Type and period for my army was a pagan Danish Vikings.They fought more in field army concept and less as raiders,of course they did some of that to!
This unit is Viking Hirdman unit,although you could view them as Huscarls.The distinction lies more in the rules for the game.Huscarls the unit type is only allowed to Saxon players,although Vikings of course had them and had them first.This was carried over to England and later adopted by the Saxons themselves.Anyways,these Hirdmen are the professional warriors and are the strong arm of any Viking army.
Miniature Company:Wargames Foundry