Monday, 25 August 2025

"An Anglo-Saxon Haystack Was A Structure Of Mown Grass..."

"...Called a rick or hay-rick, used to store winter fodder for livestock."

This 32mm scale model of a (small) Anglo-Saxon Haystack was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 5 3D Printer, and is available as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file from the "Last Sword Miniatures" webstore. Measuring an impressive 100mm in height and approximately 50mm in width, the piece of scenery was super-glued onto a 70mm circular MDF base by "Warbases". I also drilled three holes into the base just in case there was still any uncured resin inside the hollow print, which could allow any lingering fumes to properly vent.

As I want to use the piece for both "Pillage" and "The Silver Bayonet", I decided to paint it using the same basic palette as I use for my 28mm metal Strawbears by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio”. Resultantly, the model was primed using a couple of coats of “Vallejo” Dark Yellow and liberally drenched in “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade. It was then heavily dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” Dark Yellow and a little (lighter-coloured) Buff. The haystack's pole was simply given a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, darkened down using a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and finally highlighted back up with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna.

"In Star Trek, asteroids are used for bases, penal colonies like Rura Penthe, and strategic locations."

With my cheeky little entry into Dave Stone's Season of Scenery Challenge completed, I have also finished another pair of asteroids by "Fat Dragon Games" which are included in the company's "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set. Both of these small 'floating rocks' were created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer, and as with the previous two I've pigmented I decided to put them on some 40mm round MDF bases by "Warbases" rather than use the tiny, arrow-headed ones they come with.

Each asteroid was primed in "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and later layered using "Vallejo" Sombre Grey. I then shaded the miniatures in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, dry-brushed them with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and later gave them (and their bases) a much lighter dry-brush of Heavy Bluegrey. As a final step, the models' stands were washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil and sprinkled with a little 2mm tall Chilli Red flock around the bottom - thereby allowing me to use them as scatter terrain for any future 'moon-based' battles as well.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Four Napoleonic Austrian Infantrymen

Setting aside my foray into scenery, I've also been making some progress on my burgeoning Napoleonic Austrian force using some 28mm metal figures by "Wargames Foundry". Originally, I had been planning to simply paint just enough soldiers to provide me with a warband for "The Silver Bayonet". But having patiently begun picking my way up a fusilier from the blister AN002 German Infantry Marching, I thought I might simply just pigment a quartet of the packet's identical sculpts instead.

Indeed, I'm hoping to actually play a few games of "Black Powder" by "Warlord Games" with my 'entire' Napoleonic collection once these Austrian infantrymen are tabletop ready, and use them as a tiny unit for my (Second/Third) Coalition army. This change of direction has definitely given my project a bit of much-needed momentum, having recently lost some of my enthusiasm 'battling' to complete an Hungarian Officer, and has actually caused me to get a handful of German Grenadiers undercoated too, ready to take the fusiliers' place in my painting queue when the time arrives...

No comments:

Post a Comment