Thursday 27 January 2022

Red Rowan Mounted Reiver

 A small step - but each thousand mile journey begins with the first step - and here he is, the first of the mounted versions of my eighteen Timeline/Hoka Hey Miniatures Border Reivers. The range has about six "families" of Reivers, both mounted and dismounted versions. In a economic decision, I purchased 3 dismounted families some time ago but have only recently psyched myself up to spend basically 40 pounds (including postage) for one mounted unit of 6. My intention is to get the other two families over a period, to spread the pain!

Each foot figure has an equivalent mounted figure - generally, they have the same helmet, same face. same equipment etc - but as it turns out, they are not all EXACT matches. I thought this was the mounted leader figure until I tried to match him with the foot figure, and discovered he isnt! This mounted figure, unlike the other 5, has a cloak which is absent from the dismounted version. Its not a big deal but seems odd as the other 5 appear to be accoutered exactly the same in both mounted and dismounted versions....




I believe these figures may have been originally sculpted 15+ years ago - despite that, they certainly are very nice work, full of character and nice little details....



A couple of comparisons of the mounted and dismounted versions Note, the mounted version is also deficient a shield....odd!




The horses in this range are a little idiosyncratic - I dont mind them too much, but they are all sculpted in a similar pose to the above and look a little bit like a merry go round horse to my eye!

Now, to justify this post, I thought I would share a few images of our gaming mate Nick's rather impressive paint work. Most of these are WIP (work in progress) shots rather than the finished article, but I think you will be impressed none the less.












I have lots more images but I think these are probably sufficient to showcase Nicks work. He has always been a brilliant figure painter but for the last year or so he has been using the contrast paint system and he really has put a huge amount of effort into developing the best techniques to bring out the best in this process. I often say, his 28mm figures look like Meissen Pottery - in fact, I may have said it on this blog quite recently!
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29 comments:

  1. Steve J.27 January 2022 at 22:01

    That figure does look nice, but rather odd regarding the cloak and shield issue. £40 for 6 figures, even mounted, seems a lot to me, but then we don't have the postage issues that you face, so it may be not too bad. Still, good to spread the pain a bit as you say.

    Nick's figures are very nice and I always find that greys and blues are rather hard to blend the colours well, but Nick has certainly got this off pat. One advantage of 10mm is that I don't really have to worry about this!

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    1. rross27 January 2022 at 22:13

      Thanks Steve....the base price is 29.95 for the six mounted figures, compared with 9.95 for six on foot. So five quid each which seems a lot to me but I guess is about average. But then it's 15 postage...and I checked, Alan at Hokahey paid 14 to Royal Mail so allow the other quid for packaging and handling...it's obvious he isn't making anything on the postage. So in fact, it's nearer 45 pounds for six mounted figures...it's a pricey proposition, and one I am not in a rush to repeat!

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  2. The Jolly Broom Man27 January 2022 at 22:23

    Ouch, that’s ruddy costly. Nice figures though. Given the genre I suspect you will have to have them though since I doubt they did a lot of long distance cattle rustling on foot!

    Your mates figures are excellent. I hate to think how long each one takes.

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    1. rross27 January 2022 at 22:53

      Thanks JBM....I actually have other mounted Reivers by TAG, but I do like the idea if having the matching foot and mounted versions. I think Nick only takes around the average time to paint his figures...some of if is quicker than his earlier dry brushing technique....or so he claims! Whatver, he certainly does a great job.

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  3. Old Nick27 January 2022 at 23:58

    Never mind the cost if you are happy with them. The paint jobs are wonderful. Well done!

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    1. rross28 January 2022 at 06:08

      That's a sensible point of view Mark....but I am far too Scottish to be able to feel that what unfortunately!

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  4. Jonathan Freitag28 January 2022 at 00:21

    Nick’s brushwork is superb but so is yours. We each have different styles. One thing is for sure. On the gaming table, individual figures tends to meld and it is the overall impression that comes through to these old eyes. For me, differences in painting quality disappear when viewed at arm’s length.

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    1. rross28 January 2022 at 06:12

      This is, of course, absolutely true Jon! In my case, it's worse. I can really only see the detail I have gone to all the trouble of painting when wearing my special "painting" glasses. Without them, even wearing the normal glasses I have for reading etc, I really can't see the detail very clearly at all. Sometimes, I only see painting errors when I take the photos for this blog!

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  5. pancerni28 January 2022 at 00:37

    The cape must be rolled and left on the horse, when mounted the shield is hidden by the cape. That would be my story.

    Nick is one of those people who have found ways to blend new and old techniques for effect. Very nice,especially to show folds and movement in cloth.

    You paint with an eye for blending colors and shading subtle details. A table with yours and Nick's figures no doubt looks pretty slick!
    As to the economics of the figures, your painted collection will be worth it.
    Which rules will you use for this period/setting?

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    1. rross28 January 2022 at 06:16

      Thank you Joe, I would not put my painting in the same category as Nicks, but I am happy enough with how my figures turn out. For the Reivers games, we have used a two or three page set of rules that came free in an issue of WI some years ago. They give a simple, fast and fun game.

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  6. Michal DwarfCrypt28 January 2022 at 05:11

    Brushwork is amazing sir!

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  7. Dai28 January 2022 at 06:54

    Pricey minis for sure sir, but then shipping from anywhere out of one's home country seems to be that way these days sadly.

    Saying that, the Reiver looks very well painted! I wouldn't be too worried about the differences between the two versions, I've seen other manufacturers do similarly and have one version missing a detail or two from the other. I don't think it detracts from the coolness of the pair at all.

    Nick's ACW collection is indeed very nifty! Hope as he grows these two forces you can keep us up to date with pics!

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    1. rross28 January 2022 at 07:33

      Thanks Dai - I guess I should stop being so mean! It is inbred through generations - plus for most of my life here in NZ, I had a wife and three kids plus a mortgage to take care of on a single income, so I have got used to having no disposable income - its really only in the last few years I have been able to let go of the purse strings a bit! Nicks lovely ACW (of both sides) are all very well, but I want him to start painting hordes of GNW Russians because he was the one who suggested I do a Swedish collection to play Beneath Lilly Banners with him!

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  8. caveadsum147128 January 2022 at 06:58

    Lovely looking mounted reiver, whatever the price,your mates figures are nice too!
    Best Iain

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    1. rross28 January 2022 at 07:34

      Cheers Iain - I guess I better stop moaning about the cost of things, it irritates my wife too! My daughter seems to have inherited this trait from me although not my son!

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  9. Lawrence H28 January 2022 at 09:24

    They look very nice Keith, both the sculpts and your rendering of them, and I think the price is justifiable for half a dozen or so but I'd hate to have to purchase dozens of them.

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    1. rross28 January 2022 at 11:10

      Thanks Lawrence - I think my Reivers look pretty good too. Unfortunately, to fully complete the collection "properly" I should buy another two packs of six.....I will do it eventually I think but one lot at a time - I cant handle 60 quid plus 30 quid for 12 figures!

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  10. Stew28 January 2022 at 16:02

    Great painting job for both of you; but I’m unsure of what you meant by ‘families’. Are they like feuding families?

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    1. rross28 January 2022 at 22:37

      Hi Stew...thanks for the comment re the paintwork. Re the Border Reivers, yes, they were feuding "families". The famous enough ones include...Armstrongs, Graham's, Scott's and Kerrs...lots if others too. Basically the same as Clans in the Highlands but without the tartan etc. Some families had long held inter generational feuds with each other, others just randomly pillaged whoever they came across....all good clean fun, and perfect backdrop for skirmish gaming!

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    2. Aly Morrison29 January 2022 at 10:48

      Stew if you want a good background to this fascinating period you can’t go too wrong with George MacDonald Fraser’s book The Steel Bonnets.

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    3. rross29 January 2022 at 11:13

      Indeed, or if you want to spend a few minutes getting a brief idea, search up Border Reivers on YouTube....lots there too!

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  11. Ray Rousell28 January 2022 at 23:13

    What a great figure Red Rowan is, superb painting Sir! Nick's painting is rather nice too!

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    1. rross29 January 2022 at 09:50

      Thanks Ray...the Reiver figures are nice, bold, chunky sculpts that are full of character, making painting them a pretty simple task.

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  12. Neil Scott29 January 2022 at 08:56

    Excellent painting. Red Rowan is the family I picked up and painted a couple of years ago. Hoka Hey are great to deal with as I picked up a few individual buildings for this range

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    1. rross29 January 2022 at 09:52

      Totally agree Scotty...Alan seems to be a top bloke...several emails to and fro each purchase, always lets you know when figures have been posted etc. Outstanding service ...plus the figures sure great!

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  13. Aly Morrison29 January 2022 at 10:59

    Lovely toys all round Keith…
    The Reivers are lovely chunky miniatures… they were sculpted by my old chum Jim Bowen many years ago… but the have really stood the test of time in my opinion.

    Nick has done a lovely job on the Dixon ACW…

    All the best. Aly

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    1. rross29 January 2022 at 11:11

      Cheers Aly, I agree about Jim Bowens sculpting. I believe he passed away and that's why it's quite a small range? Alan at Hokahey has tried to add to it but unfortunately (and no disrespect here is intended) the new sculptor can't replicate the look of the original range . I feel that the like of Mark Copplestone would come closer to the mark, given the general chunking ss of his style....
      I thought the ACW figures were Dixon...it's hard to know as Nick mixes and matches different ranges, sometimes in the same unit! I just left a comment on Takes from GHQ re Dixon...they are not my favourite figures, but Nick loves their caricature style as they allow his painting skills to shine through!

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    2. Aly Morrison29 January 2022 at 11:24

      Yes Jim sadly passed away (quite) a few years ago… A lovely man.. missed by all who new him… his sculpted miniatures and the lovely painted miniatures by him that a lot of us have in our collections are a splendid legacy..

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