Potential passengers are already signing up in Norway and Denmark for a cruise organised by Olaf Tryggvason which will set sail next Spring. Highlights of the trip will include a visit to Ipswich and the opportunity to walk the causeway at Maldon when it is exposed at low tide.
Maldon (AD 991) will be the featured game at the 2025 Society of Ancients Battle Day. To this end I am recruiting more 15mm Norse to join those already signed up for next year’s cruise to East Anglia. I have a number of small units already but wanted to expand them. This means painting up new figures to blend in with the older ones in the above photo which I painted back in 2009.
First up is a retinue of one element which I will double in size. Searching through my not insignificant lead pile I looked for suitable figures which will match those already painted. Most are Old Glory mixed with a few from various other 15mm ranges.
The finished unit is arranged to give them the appearance of surging forward from the centre. These days I prefer to give a bit more coherence to a unit through a consistent colour scheme even if non-uniformed. Working with older painted figures I had to compromise a little but there is still a predominance of yellow and red to make the men in the unit look like they belong together.
I did the same with a band of followers.
There is less colour coherence with this unit but I think they look the part of individuals drawn from many places to follow a leader of reputation.
I have one more band of followers to paint to complete the contingent of one retinue and two bands of followers.
In the meantime the two completed units already have the look of a formidable force. They will fight at Maldon using Shieldwall rules which are available as a free download from my website here.
In responding to the comments posted so far it might well be that the locals will make an impression on the Norse/Danes and will give the heathens a wee bit of a surprise 🤔😉🤣
They look superb, Simon, and I love the shield designs, knowing you no doubt they are hand painted. You've made me feel rather guilty because their Saxon opponents weren't painted by me - well not many of them anyway 😉
I’m not sure those wee chaps look like typical Saga cruise passengers, but I imagine they’ll make an impression on the locals of East Anglia 🙂