And the Hyborian Barbarians are finished!

I devoted a fair amount of concentrated time getting the last of my HOTT Hyborian Barbarians finished before I depart for foreign climes at the end of the week. There were three groups of elements to complete. First, three groups of Shooters with bows;

Next four Warbands, comprised of warriors with axes or swords and shields, but without any body armour at all (some of the Blades wear mail shirts). I see these as younger fighters, eager to prove themselves in battle;

And finally, four Hordes of primitive and savage cave dwellers, armed with stone weapons, tattooed in arcane designs and led by shamans and priestesses of the Elder Gods;

I am really pleased with this army. I think that it really does justice to Robert E. Howard's invented Hyborian Age. The figures really fit the concept perfectly. The miniatures, from Copplestone Castings Barbarica Fantasy range are really excellent and the detail on them is amazing, lovely and crisp and with a lot of definition. This makes the minis a delight to paint and they take ink well to bring out the details perfectly. I love ink as a finish to my minis. My preference is for Windsor and Newton Peat Brown drawing ink.

The minis are on the larger side of 15mm, chunkier than Essex and considerably bigger than Peter Pig or Magister Militum, but I don't think that is a bad thing at all. Not only does it make them easier to detail, it also makes them look like a really dangerous and powerful-looking force. Of course, whether that translates to success on the table all depends on the luck of the dice and whether I get the tactics right.

So, holiday time now. When I get back I'll really have to finish off all the stuff I've got either prepped on sticks or in various stages of undercoated and initial blocks of colour.

Revealed - my latest project ...............

...........And it is Hyborian Age barbarians, for Hordes Of The Things. Once again, my aim is to build a big enough army to be able to field a 48AP army if I get the chance. Also, I really love the miniatures, which are from the Copplestone Castings 15mm "Barbarica Fantasy" range.

While I was waiting for the figures to arrive, I wrote up some ideas about what a Hyborian Age barbarian army might be like, and how one might arise. Here are my thoughts;

Many of the barbarian tribes of the Hyborian Age still worship the eldritch Elder Gods in their fastnesses on the fringes of the civilised nations. They live for battle, for plunder, for glory and to be named in the songs of the tribes. Great barbarian leaders are remembered for many years and the stories of their deeds are recited and retold around the fires of the tribes long after their deaths. Many of the great leaders of the past are celebrated as almost divine figures.

The armies of the barbaric tribes consist mainly of warbands of brutal fighters armed with swords, axes and warhammers, supported by smaller numbers of warrior elites who usually fight on foot, supported by fighters mounted on the hardy horses of the steppes and plains. These armies also contain a number of skilled hunters, often younger warriors, who fight with the bow, hordes of primitive tattooed tribesmen who use stone clubs and spears, priests and priestesses of the gods, male and female shamans and mighty heroes, some riding barely-tamed savage beasts.

Barbarian armies rarely stay together for long periods, though. Their aim is plunder and pillage and warbands often have a falling out once they have sacked a few settlements or towns, generally returning to their villages with their spoils after trading insults and blows. It takes heroic leaders of great physical presence, personal renown and great charisma to keep a large force in the field long enough to defeat the armies of the kingdoms, but from time to time such a leader emerges, the warbands and tribes unite and an unstoppable tide of bloodthirsty killers descends upon civilisation, leaving death, destruction and red ruin in its wake. Occasionally, huge barbarian confederations can overrun entire provinces, sack great cities and even topple thrones. Some barbarian leaders have even found themselves ruling lands which their hordes have seized after defeating all the armies sent against them. It is rare, though for a barbarian king to found a dynasty and therefore perpetuate barbarian rule over a whole kingdom for several generations, but it has happened more than once.

So, on to the figures. First, here are a dozen mighty warriors representing the Blades component of my army. Because of the size of these minis, I have only put three on each base.

Here they are in two separate groups. I am really impressed with the quality of these castings.
    

Next, I have some mounted troops, based up in threes, who will all be classed as Riders.

I also have enough miniatures prepped ready for painting to give me four elements of Warbands, three of Shooters (bowmen) and four Hordes. I am hoping to get these finished before I go on holiday at the end of next week.

Of course, any army needs to include some characters, and this one is no exception. So here are three mounted Heroes. These were the figures that first attracted me to this range. I think that they are superb. Of course, I can't envisage including all three in a single 24AP army, but they really are irresistible.

Next, here is a giant, who will be my barbarian Behemoth. This miniature is about 60mm tall, so he'll really stand out on the battlefield.

And finally, I have a Magician, OK, two Magicians on one base;

And a pair of savage priestesses of the Elder Gods, who will be used as a Cleric;

As I have mentioned the Elder Gods, the statue on my Stronghold (see my previous post ) is removable, so it can be fielded as a God if I so desire.