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Model painting notes

HMS Victory's gun ports, photo by Final Approach

A gun port is a square hole which is cut in the hull through which the cannons/ guns were fired. Each had its own port, and they lined the gun-decks at the height of the gun's muzzle, being closed with a port-lid, hinged on the top, when not in use.

Early gunports, placed directly below each other (e.g. on the galleon Great Harry of 1514). But depictions from the 1520s already show the staggered arrangement. This reduced the stress on the ship's hull caused by the recoil.

Until the Revolutionary War with France (1793–1801) the outside of the port-lid in the British Navy was painted the same colour as the outside of the ship; the inside was red, as also were the sides of the ship and, in a few cases, a strip of the gun-decks in the vicinity of the guns as well. The reason for this, it was said, was that any blood spilled in action would not show against the red paint and would therefore not have a depressing effect on the gun crews.

USS Constitution' s gun ports (x)

Later the fashion changed, and port-lids were painted in contrasting colours on the outside, usually black against white or yellow with the gun-decks. This was known in the British Navy as ‘Nelson chequer" , and was introduced around 1805 when Nelson fought the battle of Trafalgar. This gave the familiar chequer pattern of British ships of the line. At about the same time, the inside colour was changed to yellow. Since the War of 1812, the general ship colour scheme changed to black and white the colour scheme of American ships. And as paint became more and more expensive, the Royal Navy simply kept this colour scheme.

But beware not every gun port was a real one, especially larger merchant vessels like the India Companies painted gunports on their ships to suggest that it was a warship and not a merchant ship.

#age of sail #tall ships #AWI #Napoleonic wars

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Reminder to try printing a 2cm poster for a wall of 28mm scale terrain

Automobile Club De France, 1901 Georges Antoine Rochegrosse

#poster art #printable terrain #France

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A couple of frigates per side = the basis of a good basic wargame scenario

Cut a Dido

HMS Dido was a swift, armed light frigate commissioned in the Royal Navy during the late 18th century. 

Capture of La Minerve off Toulon, June 24th 1795,  The scene depicts the capture of La Minerve by the British Dido and Lowestoffe off Toulon on 24th June 1795. The French L'Artemise was also involved in the action, by Thomas Sutherland, 1816 (x) 

Apparently her captain and crew loved her to show off their ship, as well as their own prowess, by cruising smartly around other ships in the fleet. Having literally “ sailed rings around” them, HMS Dido then dropped anchor. When one cuts a Dido ashore, it means to create a sharp, dashing appearance.

#age of sail

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💎 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺! Metallurgist’s Grip
Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement) ___

This plated metal gauntlet extends up your arm. The armored plates are extensively corroded. If you’re missing a hand or arm, the item can function as a prosthesis for it. While you’re attuned to the gauntlet, it can’t be removed from you against your will, and you have resistance to acid damage.

While wearing the gauntlet or using it as a prosthesis, you gain the following properties.

𝘼𝙗𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙗 𝘼𝙘𝙞𝙙. You can use your reaction whenever you take acid damage to reduce the acid damage you take by 2d6 + 3. When you do, the next melee weapon attack you make before the end of your next turn deals extra acid damage equal to the acid damage it reduced.

𝘾𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚. You can use a bonus action to cast the “haste” spell from the gauntlet. When you do, the spell doesn’t require concentration, and you must roll a d6 at the end of each of your turns. You take acid damage equal to the result of the d6, which can’t be prevented or reduced in any way. On a 1, the spell ends. Once this property has been used, it can’t be used again until the next dawn. ___

✨ Patrons get huge perks! Access this and hundreds of other item cards, art files, and compendium entries when you support The Griffon’s Saddlebag on Patreon for less than $10 a month!

#D&D #dnd #5e #Dungeons & Dragons #magic item

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have you done a d10 list of weird boats/ships before?

There are rings for oars, you think, but no oars aboard. There is a mast for sails, you think, but no sails to be seen. Still, the ship seems to be propelled forward, guided by unseen force despite its bare decks, devoid of crew and cargo alike.

The spiderwebbed rigging is the product of the arachnid that sits where you imagined the crow's nest should be. "It's her ship," the crew whispers, "we go where she bids. Her brood is in the hold."

The whole thing is made of glass, from bow to stern. You can see straight through down to the water beneath the hull. It's unsettling; moreso when you spot the shark-like creatures keeping pace with the vessel.

It's carved of teak, of all things. The shipwright was a demigod, they say, from a time when trees grew large enough for a ship to be carved whole from a branch - not even a trunk, a branch! No telling how long she's been asea, but she never wants for crew. Many a sailor would give up their greatest treasures to sail on her decks.

The flag it flies is known to no man. If you look away too long, its colors have changed again. It otherwise appears ordinary. But time goes a bit wobbly when that flag changes, the crew claims.

The churning turbines on its underside were torn from conquered mills. They kick up the silty riverbottom and leave whirlpools in the ship's wake. Its masts were the grists, the poles that did the turning, and its sails are flour sacks sewn together. What cause does a miller have to take to the water?

You'd never met a ship with a mindwright before, but that's what they seem to call the man in the brig. He could be sleeping, you think, but it is his will and his will alone tethering this ship to reality. By all rights it shouldn't exist: a hulk of bone and rot from a creature long-dead. The brig is to keep things out, not to keep him in, for if he is disturbed, the whole vessel will go to the drown.

Ebbs and flows, waves and still waters: the ship contains them all. You're unsure of the magic animating it, but you can walk on the deck and pull a line and turn the wheel just as you would on a mundane boat, albeit with wet hands and feet. The dampness chills your very bones.

Chains writhe around the hull with a horrible grinding cacophony. They crawl up the masts like ivy and weave in and out of portholes. That much weight might sink a ship, except the chain leviathan lurking beneath the waves holds it aloft. Those who set foot on its decks never see shore again.

You watch, incredulous, as the paper unfolds, and again, and again and again and again, into a four-masted vessel with trimmed sails and an origami figurehead.

all d10 lists

#D&D

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Frostgrave Diorama Charity Competition for Alzheimer’s Society

*sharing appreciated*

Paul Cooke – Pandaemonium Miniatures

I have created a special Frostgrave-themed diorama, ‘Yelen and Mirika Semova vs. the Necromancer’ to offer as the prize in a competition with all proceeds going to Alzheimer's Society in memory of my dad.

The diorama represents approximately 30 hours of planning, building and painting, and I am very pleased with it and very grateful for the support of those credited below.

I hope the diorama finds a new home with someone who will display it in pride-of-place.

To be in with a chance of winning, please make a donation of a minimum of £5 to the JustGiving page, include your name and contact information, and use the additional comments box on the JustGiving page to answer the following question:

Who is the author of Frostgrave?

Terms and conditions (also on JustGivingPage)

• Cost is £5 per answer attempt - if you wish to donate more, thank you for your generosity.

If you would like more chances to win, then please do so in separate transactions with separate guesses.

• Please only add your answer to the JustGiving comment box, do not answer the question on any of my social media posts as it won’t count.

• Please make sure you select to share your contact information so that I can contact you if you are the winner.

• Please do not select Gift Aid, as the donations are part of a competition and Gift Aid is not permitted.

• Open worldwide – I can cover UK postage but overseas entrants must be willing to cover the cost of shipping if they win

• Competition closes at midnight (UK time) on Friday 1st September 2023

• The winner will be selected at random from those who have answered correctly, and the winner will be announced on Sunday 3rd September 2023 via my social media accounts.

Credits for collaborations and sources of materials:

Photography: Dave Shipley

Miniatures from North Star Military Figures Frostgrave Range

Steps and summoning gate from Fenris Games

Walnut plinth by Tim Fitch of Miniature-Heroes

Inscription Plate by Versatile Terrain

Ladder from SPELLCROW

Ivy from Rival Crafts - Unique Gamer Scenics

Additional publicity: John Wombat (Shadows of Centralis Magazine), John Treadaway (Miniature Wargames Magazine), Nick Eyre (North Star Figures)

Windows: Fairy Bridge Woodcraft

Invaluable support from Zena Jones (Alzheimer’s Society)

Design, construction and painting: Paul Cooke (Pandaemonium Miniatures)

#Frostgrave #diorama #fantasy #miniatures

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Seem appropriate for some game tables as posters on miniature walls

fun with the safety sign generator

#warning #miniature terrain

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10mm peasants with 10mm chickens and 10mm chicks

10mm peasants complete

#fantasy miniatures #wargaming #miniature wargaming

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If you have a name for it i will gladly shamelessly rip it off thank you.

#5e #D&D #rogue #rogue subclass #5e homebrew class

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Wargames Illustrated 424 arrived in the US, through Ironheart Artisans' distribution. It's 2023 and we learned a long time ago that you can't mail irregular-shaped solid items in thin plastic bags -- USPS sends envelopes through high speed rollers with predictable results when anything thicker than papers or credit cards are inside. I actually was surprised that only 2 figures were broken off the sprue, and one was still present in the other end of the torn inner bag. Other issues have had bent/broken figures bases or smashed details on ships and multiple missing pieces.

In the case of this sprue it's no great loss. The figures look identical to pictures posted in reviews that Warlord themselves apparently have described as "substandard castings that we should not be sending out."

#Warlord Games #Wargames Illustrated #Ironheart Artisans #wargame #wargaming #Epic Pike & Shotte #Pike & Shotte Epic Battles #mail fail

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Shocked Pikachu face/Take my money Fry meme

Coming Out in April. “Pit Fiend’s Tavern and Colosseum” for the Underdark. Probably not possible to overstate the size of this thing though it is still a little smaller than our 2019 tower. Still time to get the first part of our Underdark fortifications out on Patreon and Tribes. Still a couple dozen minor tweeks to preform and we’ll have an option for light crystals on 3 of the stalagmites. Thanks for looking. More info https://bio.site/gamescape3d  . Not much atmosphere in the tavern level yet, I’m guessing that will get worked out in June’s release.

#3D printing #gamescape3d #wargaming #underdark

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These look fantastic — If the room with my printers ever warms up, watch out

Added New images showing more scale with some true 28’s vs 32’s to show the size of the buildings better.Join us onhttps://www.myminifactory.com/users/GameScape3D

or

https://www.patreon.com/GameScape3D

This month we are releasing the first part of our new Underworld Empire series! Join us on Tribes or Patreon for only $5. We will be reimaging the architectural world of the Underdark. However the buildings are generalized (no spiders) and should be suitable for a number of scenarios, environments, and denizens. You can really let your imagination run wild! Diagram downloads available on both sites. Thanks for checking it out:)

#3D printing #gamescape3d #D&D #dnd #Underdark #miniature terrain

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Some very useful encounter ideas here

Visual development on a cancel feature film.

Loved the rpg vibe of this project.

#monsters #fantasy #D&D #dnd #Dungeons & Dragons

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Next in the queue for my Early Imperial Romans: the optios, literally “chosen” men, second to a centurion in rank.  These are from Warlord Games and 2 of the 3 in the pack needed to be converted to fix their hastiles (the staff used as a symbol of authority as well as probably to shove or wack any soldier that needed encouragement).

The first in lorica segmentata had a thin staff cast in soft bendy metal that could barely be straightened, sticking out at an angle that made it impossible to handle the figure without mashing it out of shape.  I cut the entire lower part away, drilled out the underside of the fist, and glued a steel replacement cut from a paperclip.

The second in lorica hamata (mail) actually lacked a hastile as well as the two plumes beside the crest that should mark his rank, and simply looked like any other soldier in a fighting pose with his shield forward.  I left off the rectangular scutum and drilled completely through his left fist for a steel wire, then added greenstuff details to both ends.  Maybe he’ll be in trouble for losing his shield, but now he looks like he’s shoving a reluctant rear rank forward.  His mail armor will fit with an auxilia unit, without needing to sculpt an oval shield to match theirs.  I decided against adding greenstuff plumes to the helmet -- perhaps he was only recently raised to the position.

The third also was supposed to be in a fighting pose, ready to thrust his gladius from behind a rectangular shield while holding the hastile behind the shield with his thumb.  I simply left off the shield so his hastile is more visible, though it results in an awkward-looking sword arm pose.  He also wears lorica hamata so he will lead another unit of auxilia with oval shields or with bows.

#Early Imperial Romans #historical miniatures #Wargames Foundry #Infamy Infamy #WIP #wargaming #miniature wargaming

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Early Imperial Roman legionaries -- All done, finally received their scutums (with Little Big Men decals plus some extra weathering).  I need to 3D print some 8-man sabot trays and flock them to match.  Next up, they need some officers and a couple of units of auxiliary troops.

#Early Imperial Romans #Wargames Foundry #wargaming #historical miniatures #miniature wargaming #miniature painting

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Early Imperial Romans, WIP part 3 -- Almost done -- figures shaded and highlighted, bases flocked.  Only need shields completed and attached then a bit of spray sealing.

For my future reference:  Figures shaded with Army Painter Strong Tone, except for skin shaded with AP Flesh Wash; both washes watered down 50/50 with Midwinter Medium (50% matt acrylic medium, 50% water, + a couple of drops of flow improver).  This left some shading in recesses but didn’t dull most of the higher areas much, so I only needed to highlight and touch-up some of the skin and the edges of the helmets’ cheek plates.

Base flocking started with a few patches of sand painted tan, and small pebbles painted a dull flat stone grey (that look bright blue above for some reason), and all the rest covered with Woodland Scenics Green Blended Turf (a very fine ground foam with several medium green hues and a few flecks of yellow).  Static Grass Tufts include Army Painter Mountain Tuft (a dry tan), and Gamers Grass Light Green, Mixed Green, Autumn, and Tiny Beige.  A few pinches of GF9 Green and Dark Green static grasses were added to a few bases.  Base edges finished with Reaper Earth Brown paint.

#Early Imperial Romans #wargaming #miniature wargaming #historical miniatures #miniature painting #Infamy Infamy #Romans #WIP

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More progress on the Early Imperial Romans -- All base colors blocked out, ready for some shade & highlight then attaching shields and finishing the bases.

Vallejo Game Color Gunmetal on all iron armor and weapon parts, Reaper Oiled Leather on shoulder strap and sandals, Vallejo German Grey (a dark charcoal off-black) on the painted wooden sword & dagger scabbards, Reaper Antique Gold on all polished bronze/brass contrasting metal bits (belt, cingulum, “eyebrow” swoosh shapes on helmet, latches on front of shoulder armor, scabbard trim, and sword & dagger hilt & pommel), Reaper Shield Brown on pilum shaft and on back side of shield painted separately, Citadel Mephiston Red for the focale (neck scarf; I chose to have it match the tunic instead of being a contrasting color).  Also slapped some Reaper Earth Brown on the bases as a first layer.

#wargaming #historical miniatures #Infamy Infamy #Early Imperial Romans #Wargames Foundry #WIP