"Hastings Demo 2016; Cavalry Base Test" Topic

I've been messing around with base sizes for the 40 plus cavalry that I now have painted for the Hastings demo game. For those that don't know and I figure that will be most of you, the game will be taking place at Salute next year next to the Lance and Longbow Society stand. Indeed, the game is being put on for the Lance and Longbow Society and the 950th Anniversary of the Battle.

you can read all about it and see many more piccies on my Just Add Water Blog here:

link

Tasters:

If you have any ideas about how i could improve the bases please don't be shy and give me a shout.

Cheers,
Darrell.

Just Add Water Painting (and Hastings Demo) Blog:
link
La Journee (15thC) Hundred Years War Blog:
lajourney-bedford.blogspot.com
Gewalthaufen (Late 15thC Warfare Blog:
gewalthaufen.blogspot.co.uk

I was wondering, since Hastings was fought in October, whether most wild flowers would have bloomed and died by then?

Can you achieve thinner bases? One of my pet peeves is thick bases like this. A beautifully painted army with great bases on great terrain – and then bases that stick out like sore thumbs because of that thick bit that doesn't match! Rather ruins the effect for me.

So, if you can't reduce the thickness of the bases, at least add the step of color variation on the bases, a bit of a color coordinated camouflage to blend base and terrain so at least they don't show so prominently.

That will be one painted army, please. Where do I post it to you and how many can you get done in three months – to a wargaming standard will be fine. : )

I think they look great, Darrell. Crusader?

One thing I have been wondering about (I covet a small Norman army m'self) is the shield edgings. Would they be iron, brass or rawhide?

The battlefield of Hastings is very grassy these days. I believe it was in 1066 as well, although historians argue about it. But they argue about everything!

So maybe a bit less of the gravelly effect and a bit more lush green grass on the base?

Shield edges are another much debated area. Judging by the archaeological evidence from the Anglo-Saxon and Viking age, the most common material was rawhide. Whether rawhide had been superseded by iron by 1066 is hard to say. It has not been mentioned in anything I have read!

I'm sure that iron-edged shields existed. Fully hide covered shields would have been the dominant type … probably. :)

Yes, I was thinking the same things as already mentioned: bases are too thick, imho, and there shouldn't be any gravel, only grassy sward….

Well, I asked! LOL :>)

@ Simon,The shields would mostly be rawhide.

@ Captian Haddock, the leaves of the small shrubs are browning ;>)

@ Earlymorningwriter, The bases are only 2mm thick. Remember, you're looking at an enlarged picture ;>)

Thanks for the comments gents- After meditating on the end result all day I'm pleased to say that I'm happy with the bases and they will stay the way they are! :>)

Darrell.

Just Add Water Painting (and Hastings Demo) Blog:
link
La Journee (15thC) Hundred Years War Blog:
lajourney-bedford.blogspot.com
Gewalthaufen (Late 15thC Warfare Blog:
gewalthaufen.blogspot.co.uk

Nice work again Darrell, I did like the surly expression on the swordsman's face. Had a look on Mr Google and my WRG Dark Ages book – answer to Simon's question seems to be good question………

Bases are very subjective. I use thick bases – as all my chaps are on movement trays anyway, thinner bases are probably just as good.

Garry

Looking good, a more realistic look than the standard 2 horses next to each other. As long as the base covering and edge colours are the same for the whole army do what you like. I think the way you've based them will give more utility for games, NW Europe through the Mediterranean even the Middle east.

These are beautifully painted. The completed armies will look stunning. But my pet peeve is again, basing. While very well done, it looks like the middle-east rather than northern Europe. Much too arid for SE England in Autumn.

Medieval Warm Period? Figures are absolutely smashing.

Beautiful figures. Can't wait for Salute 2016!
Oh, and Darrel, you are so going to want the Crisis 2016 figure.

They look fantastic. Things like base thickness is purely a matter of taste; personally I have started using 3mm to combat warping, because I use impetus size bases now. I like to paint the base edges in a dark brown.
I see you have gone for quite deep bases. I think that helps to simulate a base of figures that look very dynamic. As for the type of grass, making sure that the grass matches a particular season in which a particular battle was fought might just breaking things a little too far!
Nice work, thanks for sharing. I won't be attending Salute but not seeing this game in the flesh will be my loss.

Grass over most of England tends to be very green most of the year round! Something to do with all the rain…

Great painting and I like the use of a deep base to give a more dynamic look than the usual dressed line.

On the vexed topic of basing, I think it is always a compromise between what is historically correct, what looks good and what is practical.

I too like the look of thin bases – my WW2 figures are based on very thin bases and I started doing the same with my Italian Wars figures but it proved quite impractical for them and I had to re-base them. As soon as you start trying to align multi-base units, you need some thickness of base so they butt up against each other instead of sliding over and up. There is also the point that thin bases means greasy fingers must handle the meticulously painted figures direct. 2-3 mm isn't so thick for 28mm and more or less disappears when viewed from above – as they will be on the table.

I don't know what the ground was like at the battle site in 1066 but I agree green and grassy is most likely, apart from the parts that weren't (marsh, churned up or flattened by thousands of hooves and feet…). Two big problems with using that as a basing scheme: it would tie the figures very much to that battle (no Norman field trips to France, Sardinia or the Crusades) and it would look very dull and like a throw back to 1980s basing styles. Maybe a bit more green and less gravel but the mixed ground looks great and keeps that flexibility for other uses of the army.

Thanks for all the kind words guys :>)

On the vexed topic of basing, I think it is always a compromise between what is historically correct, what looks good and what is practical.

Yep, that's the dynamic that one is always battling with.

Cheers,
Darrell.

Just Add Water Painting (and Hastings Demo) Blog:
link
La Journee (15thC) Hundred Years War Blog:
lajourney-bedford.blogspot.com
Gewalthaufen (Late 15thC Warfare Blog:
gewalthaufen.blogspot.co.uk