A rather extensive update today! Thanks to the fact that my camera was AWOL for a while there, and that I finished three projects within that time, I have not two but three different projects to showcase! Along with that a new article.

Firstly, I finished everything I plan on doing for the II/7 Later Achaemenid Persian DBA army that I was working on! What a long haul that was with crazy clothing and shield and banner designs. It was fun, but I'm glad it's done! See the army in its entirety in the Complete Persian Army Article Showcase that I did for it, or just check out the ones you want to check out in the Persian Army Gallery. Keep in mind that no decals were harmed (or used at all) in the composition of that army! It's all freehand!

The second project that I finished was a medieval camp for DBA. I made it as one of the prizes for a tournament that I am running in the autumn of this year... It was intended to be given to the last-place person... Either that or the person who lost the most elements in total. Either way, it explains the concept behind the camp! Now that it is done though, I might keep it and build another for the tournament; it's one of my favourites! Check it out in the DBA Terrain Gallery.

Last but certainly not least, I finished a couple of spearmen elements for my Hordes of the Things Bretonnian army (fondly referred to as HotT-Hammer). They were a pleasure to paint; I used Perry Miniatures 'Aigencourt to Orleans' Hundred Years War figures and they worked out better than the Games Workship figures in my opinion! Check them out in the Bretonnia Gallery.

I should also mention that I changed the format of the articles page. I split up the Army Showcase articles from the DBA Army Notes articles and gave them there own little section. I did this because I added a new army showcase article to the list: Ramona's Undead . Basically it shows off all of the HotT undead elements that I did for the army as well as providing the army background. The background is the same background I dreamed up back in the early 1990s when I originally started to put that Warhammer Undead (pre-dating the split between Vampire Counts and Khemri undead) army together. It also fits in well with the Bretonnians that I am doing... So that's it. Three gallery updates and a new article to boot!

It doesn't look like there will be any painting updates this week... Those Persians are just killing me! Far too much detail for 15mm figures, and to be honest, painting 15mm figures isn't much easier than 28mm figures. The same number of strokes and colour changes. The only thing different is the size of the strokes and the volume of paint... So, that should be done some time next week.

But for this week I have done a couple of sculpting articles. I have been pushing putty around for fun over the last year (has it been that long already?), and I put together a few articles to help beginner 15mm sculpters like myself. Not one but two! The first is one on Sculpting 15mm Women. I did this because if you can sculpt women, then sculpting men is easy-peasy; it's not true in the opposite. The second article outlines how to Sculpt Faces in 15mm because I figured sculpting faces needed more attention. Together they walk you through *more-or-less* the sculpting of an entire figure! Until next time!

A couple of little updates. The first is a top view of the Persian scythed chariot that I posted pictures of today. Someone asked for a top view and it made me realize that it's kinda odd that there aren't more top views of miniatures in general... I mean, on the gaming table that's the standard view. Check out the top view of the Persian chariot in the Persian gallery.

Also, I posted the outline and beginning of the next DBA campaign that I am running! This one is based around medieval southern Europe some time around 1303. The campaign starts in September, but I wanted to get things rolling. So, check out the details around the Cry 'Havoc!' - Medieval Southern Europe in the campaigns section. Note that I am adding additional alternate rules to this one.

Finally getting on with those Late Achaemenid Persians. They are fun to paint, but there's nothing like a deadline to take the enjoyment out of something ;) I have craploads of figures to paint in the next few months, so we'll see if they all make it, or if I chop some to save the hobby for myself (that is, if it's too much like work, it won't be a hobby anymore). Still, the Persians are nice to see come together, and the first three (of six) cavalry elements are done, and there's only three more to go! Check out the latest in the Late Achaemenid Persia Gallery.

I also dropped a new picture of my painting desk in the desk gallery. Funny, it was taken in late May, and my desk in the pic is relatively tidy... Now it is chaos! No time to clean up after myself :) Oh well, there's always tomorow ;) Check out the picture in the Desk gallery.

Another DBA battle report! This one is the last battle that I fought for the Circa 800 Viking campaign. It was quite the tense battle for sure, but it was fun. Check out the action in the Skuld Darkhair invades Ireland in the Battle of Dublin battle report.

At the moment I am painting some 15mm LA Persians; all mounted now, as the foot are all done (see them in the Late Achaemenid Persia Gallery). I spent an hour this morning on some Skythian horse archers, but it didn't work out! Another hour lost... Oh well. Likely Persian cavalry next, but I just got my Perry miniatures Hundred Years War (HYW) miniatures in the mail for my Bretonnian HotT project, so we'll see...

More archers to darken the skies over Bretonnia! So far, 12 archers in total, making up four bases for my Hordes of the Things Bretonnian army (HotT-Hammer for short!). This time around I decided to go with the peasant idea; no brightly colour tunics as with the mercenaries, but a group of somewhat mis-matched servants of a selfish lord. These peasants march into battle for some foolish reason having something to do with who's cousin should serve as Duke of Somethingorother... Overall, they'd rather be at home. I really like these figs more and more as I paint them. They are simple to paint, not too detailed, but very realistic... So contrary to most GW stuff these days... This is likely it for archers for this army for a while; I want more knights and I have some Perry spearmen with pavise on the way as well, so there's no more room for more archers! In any case, check out the new figs in the Bretonnia Gallery.