Blunderbuss Pirate

Though it is never far from my mind or from my gaming table, pirates and Legends of the High Seas have taken a backseat to other projects lately.  I absolutely love the ruleset and the genre but I have been unable to give it the attention I would like over the last six months.  The winds of change are ablowin' however.  A scurvy band of pirates have been seen scouting out the Caribbean town of Port Largo in recent weeks.  The townsfolk know that it's only a matter of time before they become brazen enough to take a prize leaving port.  Yep....I feel a LotHS game brewing!

To add to the denizens that call Port Largo home, I painted up this nifty model from Black Scorpion Miniatures.  Black Scorpion has been my "go to" company for miniatures of the piratey nature for years now.  I've always been pleased with the quality of their products and this blunderbuss wielding rogue is no different.  He is one of the four miniatures offered in the Rogues 1 blister pack.  Though I have yet to paint the other three minis, I can say that the quality of the others is as good as this one.

Since I seem to be giving a mini review (pun fully intended) I must add an important detail.  All of the pirate models I own from Black Scorpion (and I own them all except for the Pirate Girls line) are metal.  It should be no secret to regular readers that I absolutely hate resin.  When I found out that Black Scorpion was switching to resin I hurried to complete my collection of pirates by purchasing my missing figures in metal before they disappeared.  So while I'm giving two thumbs up for the metal sculpts, I cannot say the same for the resin versions.

The first parts I painted on this pirate were his hair and scarf.  Before I had decided on a full color scheme, I knew I wanted both to stand out.  I chose a light auburn for the hair and a garishly bright yellow for his scarf.  For the hair I used my standard color palette for red hair:  Auburn Shadow (09241), Carrot Top Red (09242), and Highlight Orange (09242), all from Reaper.  For the scarf, I tried a new technique for shading yellow.  I painted the scarf in Sun Yellow (09008) and let the pure color stand for the highlight.  I then mixed in small amounts of Imperial Purple (09023) for each successive shade.  I was very pleased with the results.  Instead of powdery looking light yellow highlights and dirty shades, I ended up with a very clean color graduation.  I'm currently working on an elf maiden in a yellow dress.  I plan on trying the same technique to see if the results are as good on a larger surface.  Updates to come.....

The green shirt was a huge problem.  For one, I kept getting small dots of green paint on my freshly painted yellow scarf.  Painting over a dark color with such a light translucent one was no easy task.  The main issue was with the highlighting though.  I used the Mossy Green triad from Reaper.  When I began mixing in the highlights the paint turned chalky.  No matter what I tried I could not get the color to play well with the others.  I mostly fixed the issue by glazing a darker green over the highlights but the evidence is still on the shirt if you look closely.  Oh well.  I don't think I'll be using that combination again anytime soon.

So another new pirate is completed.  Now I need to choose a name (something Irish would do nicely I think) then decide which crew I want to add him to.  I'm thinking this weekend would be a great opportunity to field him for the first time and see what that blunderbuss is capable of.  Will he survive his first raid?

Thanks for reading.

Black Sails

If you're into pirate gaming, or simply like pirates, I recommend you check out the new series on Starz called Black Sails.  I've watched two episodes now and I have to say that I have enjoyed not only the story and visuals, but the cinematography as well (I'm not a TV/movie buff so I cannot put into words what I have noticed, but something is definitely different and refreshing about the camera work).  The acting is top notch and the wardrobe people (see, totally not a movie person.  I don't even know the correct term) have set the series firmly in the proper time period.

The story takes place in and around Nassau in 1715.  I'll not give away any of the plot details but the weekly series is based on a nice mixture of history, literature, and creativity.  Black Sails features historical pirates such as Captain Charles Vane and Calico Jack Rackham.  Fictional pirates such as Captain Flint, Billy Bones, and John Silver add a unique but believable twist to the tale while a cast of invented characters round out the show and bring to life Nassau during the Golden Age of Piracy.  After watching two episodes I am completely hooked.  It's like watching HBO's Game of Thrones set in the Bahamas.  Yes....that's a good thing!

Watching the series has helped rekindle my love for Legends of the High Seas and pirate gaming in general.  Suddenly all of those backlogged projects have taken on a new urgency and I find myself enjoying sitting at the hobby desk again.  Beacause of the show, I am currently at work on two different ships, three different pirates, and a naval captain along with his crew.  I'll post updates in the near future.

Once again, check out Black Sails on Starz and prepare yourself for a damn good pirate tale!  You can watch the first episode online now for free.  It's a heavily modified version (the nudity and some gore have been edited out) but the story and the visuals are still intact.  You can watch it here.

As always, thanks for reading!

Pirate Profiles - Pascal

Though I have been focused quite heavily on fantasy miniatures and gaming, not to mention most recently LotR and The Hobbit, I have not given up on any of my (many) other pursuits.  Though the going has been slow since my hobby time has been divided by so many different projects, I have been able to complete (or nearly complete) several pirate miniatures for my Legends of the High Seas campaign.

Pictured above, is one such miniatures from Black Scorpion.  He is one of the four miniatures included in their Rogues 2 blister.  Fortunately I purchased him a good while back so he is metal and not their resin rubbish (sorry Black Scorpion....you should have stayed with metal.  Your quality has gone done hill since the change over).  In metal, he is a wonderful sculpt.  I really liked the slightly hunched over look which makes the miniature look quite brutish.

With the simple color pallet I chose for him, he was pretty easy to paint.  The dark skin gave me a few issues though, but only because I have not practiced with dark skin tones much.  To help me with the new tones I used the Reaper Dark Skin triad and that seemed to work pretty well.  I still need more practice though and plan to paint another pirate figure in the near future using the same colors.

 

As I mentioned many times before, every miniature I paint gets some type of background treatment.  For armies, it may be something as simple as a name only but for others, they may get extensive back stories and full profiles.  I know it may sound strange, but thinking about such details actually helps me paint.  As I develop their story in my head, it drives the color selection and the overall theme I choose.  It even guides my brush  strokes in some instances.  Once the process begins it pretty much drives itself, which can be quite fun.  Though I may have ideas in mind when I purchase a miniature, I really never know in what direction the mini will take and in the end, the finished product may end up looking quite different from what I had envisioned in the beginning.

For instance, this miniature's unexpected journey began the moment I cleaned off the flash.  I had one profile in mind but once I started, the background took a very unexpected path and in turn, so did the miniature itself.  Below is his backstory I developed for him while painting:

Pascal hails from the Dahomey region of the Slave Coast in the Bight of Benin.  He was initially sold to an English slaver in 1710 and promptly loaded upon the Endeavor, a slave ship out of Bristol.  The Atlantic crossing was difficult for the human cargo as always but fortune would intervene for some of the slaves.  As the ship neared its destination of Barbados, the vessel was captured by the Courbet, a French pirate sloop out of Guadeloupe.  The French pirates looted the vessel of useable goods then chose twenty of the slaves on board to resell.  Pascal however, was chosen for other reasons.  His immense size and obvious strength impressed the French pirates so he was forced into service.

 

Pascal, as he was dubbed by the pirates since they could not pronounce his native name, quickly proved to be very useful and, unexpectedly, quite intelligent.  As one would expect, Pascal was devastating in action and just the sight of him brought fear to the unfortunate crews that happened upon the path of the Courbet.  However, despite his fearsome countenance, Pascal was rarely overly violent and provided just enough force to subdue his opponents with minimal bloodshed.  Indeed, the French crew began to see that just placing Pascal in a prominent position when approaching possible prizes would often times result in a successful capture without ever firing a shot.

Pascal easily learned the French language and picked up English as well from the few prisoners the pirates would hold from time to time.  One such long term prisoner, a forced surgeon from a British vessel, even taught Pascal to read and write and allowed the big man to assist him in his surgical duties.  Before long, Pascal was called upon to serve as quartermaster aboard the Courbet and often assisted the captain in matters dealing with the written word.

Pascal is an usual man in many aspects.  Perhaps his most unusual trait however is his love of animals.  Though he may appear to others as a big brute, he is anything but to the animals he encounters in his travels.  During his stay aboard the Courbet, Pascal befriended the ship's many cats and spent much of his free time caring for them.  He would forgo the looting of many captured prizes, instead spending his time searching belowdecks for books and pets.

The Courbet was eventually captured by rival pirates and the prize brought to Port Largo.  Most of the crew was given a short trial then hanged by Governor Haldane but Pascal and the ship's surgeon were spared.  The Governor, a notorious sponsor of illicit activities, had better plans for Pascal's talents.

  

Two Minis and a Hurricane

Sorry about the lack of updates this past week.  I had several posts planned but mother nature had different plans for me.  Isaac, though uninvited, decided to come pay my island home a visit.  Since the highest point on the island is only eight feet above sea level, any tropical system deserves my full attention. I've spent the last week pulling my personal boat out of the water, prepping and tying lines on the two work boats, and getting the house ready for a good blow.  Now that all the hard work is done, I'm sitting in my shutter-darkened office, having a nice cold adult beverage, and enjoying the calm before the storm.  And while I still have power, I though I'd just combine a few of the posts I had in mind to form a quick update.

This Isaac

  Not this Isaac

Now for the update. The sweet little lass below is a great mini from Hasslefree Miniatures (Barwench HFV001).  She is part of the villagers line, of which I have several others.  As is usually the case from Hasslefree, the sculpt is wonderful, the details are sharp, and the mini came in with very little prep work to perform.

She is destined to mainly serve in my Legends of the High Seas campaign but like some of the other miniatures I'm using as inhabitants of Port Largo, she is pretty much genera-neutral.  She would be equally at home in the Golden Age of Piracy, medieval Europe, or any fantasy setting. 

 

I've painted her up to be a fairly young serving lass.  I tried to invoke a bit of innocence in the color scheme instead of the bawdiness I emphasized on most of my other "ladies" of Port Largo.  I also moved away from my normal female skin tone and used slightly darker colors.  I was attempting to portray an islander of mixed descent but I'm not sure how well I succeeded.

I was also able to complete another pirate/privateer (I'm still undecided) from Black Scorpion Miniatures.  There's not much to say about him except I'm rather pleased with the gaunt look I was able to achieve on his facial features.  I wanted him to look hungry and a bit desperate.  I may have done that with his face but I failed to factor in his clothing.  He's a bit well-dressed for a man with nothing to lose.  Oh well...

I've also finished off three fantasy miniatures, with an additional four almost completed, but they will have to wait.  My frosty adult beverage is now empty and I just felt another early outer rain band hit.  Time to go and watch the wind blow.  See you all on the other side.

"Squalls out on the Gulf Stream, big storm's coming soon..." -- Jimmy Buffett

A Merchant Captain for Legends of the High Seas

I've been super busy with the last of the summer tourists and have not had much time for painting or blogging.  Despite the hectic Dog Days of Summer, I have been able to complete a few minis lately.  Since I only have time for a quick update I'll focus on one of them....a merchant captain for my Legends of the High Seas campaign.

 

The miniature is part of the Pirate Captains pack from Old Glory Miniatures. The scale is a bit off from the vast majority of the miniatures I'm using (25mm compared to 28-30) but the addition of the base evened out most the difference.  Of all the miniatures in the pack, this guy is my favorite.  Although he is not armed with a cutlass and only a hint of his pistol is visible, he still strikes me as an opposing figure.  However, since he does not exactly fit the popular image of a pirate captain, I decided to use him as one of the non-pirate citizens of Port Largo.

Though I do not have his background fully fleshed out as of this post, I know he will be serving as a merchant captain on the island.  A pirates plunder is only as good as the coin it can be sold for and that is where this gentleman will play a role.  I envision him as a law abiding mostly law abiding citizen trying to make a living in a port town infested with pirates. He will purchase their ill-gotten gains and sell them to colonists in Charles Towne or some of the other islands.

To set him apart from the mostly colorful pirates I've been painting, I decided upon a fairly muted color scheme.  His britches, boots, hat, and stockings are low key and blend in with the mini.  The blue for the coat was chosen to make him stand out just a bit without being overwhelming.  The grey for the vest was my own private little joke representing his ambiguous position in a pirate society.  The best feature is his chubby cheeks.  Though my iPhone photo does not show it very well since everything is washed out (I had camera troubles with my Nikon on the day of the photo), I worked hard to accentuate that feature and make them stand out while still giving his cheeks and bald head a bit of sunburn/tan from working in the tropical sun.  Now that I have the camera sorted out, I'll try to snap another photo and add it below to illustrate the skin tone I'm describing.

Well, that's it for now.  I have miniatures to paint......

Closing text

The People of Port Largo - 'Ello Governor

Although I have not posted much about the Port Largo pirate project lately, the miniatures, buildings, and ships are coming along quite nicely.  Four other minis are just about finished while the inn and a blacksmith's shop are not far behind.

Quite a few pirates are walking the streets of Port Largo and the ladies are doing their thing as well, but there has been a lack of other inhabitants (aside from a lonely barkeep) for the booming seaport.  Over the next few weeks that issue should be rectified.  In fact, the change starts today with the introduction of Governor Thomas Haldane.

Governor Haldane arrived in Port Largo in 1714 seething with indignity at having been posted to such a minor possession of the King.  Though he is from a fairly prosperous and influential family, his enemies back home sought to remove the Jacobite sympathizer from court and send him to the remote British outpost.  Once on the island however, Governor Haldane made the best of his predicament.  Thomas is heavily involved in the illegal trade on the island and has amassed quite a fortune through his interactions with the pirates and privateers of Port Largo.  Though the pirates and privateers know they have a high ranking ally in the Governor, they also are aware of his precarious nature.  At any moment, the tide may turn and a crew once under the employ of Haldane as privateers may become hunted pirates by the very man that initially empowered them.  A common question of ship captains as they dock in port, "Which way blows the Governor?" illustrates the uncertain loyalties of Thomas Haldane.

The miniature representing Governor Thomas Haldane is from Black Scorpion.  That should come as no surprise for regular readers of this blog.  I'm quite smitten with Black Scorpion and own most of their pirate range.  When I first saw this mini, I knew he was destined to be the Governor of Port Largo.  The sculpt has a close resemblance to a certain Governor from a certain Disney movie and fit the image of what I wanted in my game.  I was fortunate enough to purchase the miniature a few years ago when he was still available in metal (I'm not a fan at all of their resin products but that's a story for another time) but those seeking the mini now may not be so lucky.  

Painting was fairly simple.  I wanted a rich color that suggested wealth without looking too outrageous.  I basecoated the mini with GW Beastial Brown then worked up through several different layers of GW Snakebite Leather and GW Bubonic Brown.  The vest was painted using various cream colors and brown washes.  To add a bit of contrast and color, the scarf was painted using the ultramarine triad from Reaper.  The rest was fairly standard fare. 

My only complaint about the painting is the parchment roll.  From a tabletop standpoint, the writing looks just fine.  Now that I see a closeup photo however, my attempt at freehand looks pretty darn terrible....especially the red wax seal I tried to replicate on the bottom right hand side.  It looks like a big brown blob.  Oh well....

Despite his shortcomings as a miniature, I'm sure that Governor Thomas Haldane will make quite a impression on the island of Port Largo.  I can only hope that my crew remains in his good graces during the games of Legends of the High Seas.

The Ladies of Port Largo - Part 3

Perhaps this entry should have been titled Lady of Port Largo since I only have one miniature ready for the blog at this point.  But to keep the titles of the ongoing series symetrical, I guess I'll leave it in the plural form.  Anyhow..... although this miniature is destined to serve as a character in my Legends of the High Seas campaign, just like the barkeep a few weeks ago, she is well suited for use in a number of settings from fantasy to medieval and even into the closing stages of the last century.  I have no doubt that I'll get quite a bit of use from her.

The miniature is from Fenryll and is part of their Villagers line.  She comes in a blister containing three minis, all of which are well-sculpted and suitable for gaming.  She scales well with Reaper miniatures but not so well with Black Scorpion, which comprises a large part of my pirate collection.  That's OK though.  She is to be used mainly as a background piece and not so much as a character, unlike some of the previous Ladies of Port Largo entries. 

Although I did just say that the model is nicely sculpted, there is a problem with the eyes.  It may be difficult to tell from the photo, but the recesses are definitely offset.  I tried to cover the flaw with paint but the raised areas only showed the flaws in a unflattering light more readily.  I suppose I could have taken a very very very small file and and removed the sockets but I lack both the skill and the patience, so she will remain as is.   Still, she is a wonderful miniature and I'm quite happy with her.  Now I need to go and create a proper background for her so that she can join the campaign.

A Double Duty Innkeeper

Just finished up a barkeep from Reaper.  He is available in several different blisters, but I purchased him as part of a set with two serving wenches (65086).  I love it when miniatures are able to serve double gaming duty.  In this case he will be the innkeeper in both my Legends of the High Seas campaign and old school D&D world.

For those of you old enough to remember the sitcom Alice, I based the painting off Mel, the grumpy cook and owner of the diner.  Although I was quite young, I could still see Mel's chubby face in my mind and this sculpt just screamed his name to me.  I also suspect that Otik Sandeth, owner and proprietor of the Inn of the Last Home in the Dragonlance books had something to do with the color choices.

I am increasingly using my iPhone 4s for miniature photos due to the ease of editing and obvious convenience.  Most of the time the camera on the phone does a pretty good job of capturing the mini but in this case, the whites and reds are completely overpowered.  I guess that's why all the great miniature painters go to great lengths to use the best camera and lighting available.  For my mediocre painting skills however, my iPhone or little Canon 1400 Power Shot do just fine.  In fact, they probably help me hide many of my mistakes and blemishes.  I've got a serving wench almost finished as well so I'll post real photos (with the better camera) of the "Mel" when she goes live.

Now I'm off to find me some of Otik's spiced potatoes....

Talk Like A Pirate Day - Pirate Project Update

I had hoped to get this posted last night in honor of Talk Like A Pirate Day but real life got in the way as it always seems to do.  However, when you live in the Florida Keys, one can hear pirate speak almost every day so in that respect, I'm right on time.

Though my posting frequency has been lower than normal lately, I have not been idle by any means on the hobby front.  In fact, it's due to the focus I've placed on my hobby projects lately that has left little time for blogging.  I'll try to get a general update posted in the very near future to showcase some of the other undertakings, but for now I want to concentrate on the pirate project.

Port Largo is coming along nicely.  I've been able to shape the terrain boards to my liking and add a bit of elevation here and there.  Since the first part of the campaign will take place mostly in town, I will be adding two boards behind the existing ones to showcase more of the island.  Once the crews manage to gain access to larger ships, the back boards can be removed to give more room for ship maneuvering.

Overhead view of Port Largo

In the view below, one can see the general layout of the town proper.  The docks are now apparent though the actual piers are still under construction.  Several of the buildings are starting to take shape as well, with the inn in the foreground to the right.  I've been trying several different techniques to simulate the classical Caribbean building style and have almost settled on a favored solution.  One method that I will no longer employ however is to use spackle over the foamboard to provide texture.  Not only does it take way too long, but it's quite messy and creates rather heavy structures.  The current winner is to use textured spray paint as a primer then apply colors and washes over that layer.

View of the east side of town

Not shown are the barracks, the blacksmith's shop, and several of the lesser homes that will line the street.  They are sitting on the workbench with clamps holding the sides together to allow the glue to dry.  I'm also working on a gallows that will sit seaward of the tower fort at the southernmost point of the island.  Does anyone know where I can find a miniature to represent a hanged pirate?


The ships are coming along nicely as well.  One of the completed smaller vessels can be seen sailing the Caribbean blue waters below while other unstarted ships can be seen sitting at the docks for scale.  Not shown are the two sloops under construction on the work bench right now.  While it will be some time before the crews are ready to take to the high seas, I do want several watercraft available for scenery and possibly for escapes.

Ships along the waterfront of Port Antigua

I took a break from painting the normal inhabitants of Port Antigua to return to the fighting folk.  I've started a new round of soldiers and a few commanders to go along.  A few pirates and privateers are also primed and ready to go.  All of the miniatures below are from the Black Scorpion line of pirates except for the little guy that belongs to Old Glory.  I've become quite a fan of Black Scorpion over the last year and highly  recommend them for their clean lines, interesting poses, and general good looks.

Pirates in progress

Well, that's about it for the pirates for now.  Projects await......

The Ladies of Port Largo - Part 2

Hurricane Irene thankfully spared the Florida Keys (though my thoughts are with family and friends in the Carolinas) with a timely right turn up the East Coast but ventured close enough to scare away all the tourists for most of the week.  With no boat trips to run and unexpected free time on my hands, I've been able to catch up on some long overdue hobby projects and painting.

The denizens and inhabitants of Port Largo remain near the top of the to-do list and they've seen quite a bit of attention lately...especially the ladies that call the port home.  Two more "maidens" have moved out of the painting queue and are now available for game play.  Watch your coins sir for you are about to be parted from them by their not-so-subtle feminine wiles.

Both figures are available from the Reaper Townsfolk collection.  The miniature on the left, called Maggie by the inhabitants of Port Largo, is from the Townsfolk III pack.  She is a local girl, part of the first generation to be born on the island.  Her father was some sailor or buccaneer, or at least that is the story that has been told to her from time to time.  Her mother wanted to be nothing more than a sailor's bedwarmer and was want to disappear now and then with some salty ner-do-well only to reappear with more lines on her face and another babe in her belly.  Four years ago she did not return at all and Maggie found that she did not grieve for her.  Instead, she found work at the inn, first as a serving girl then as...entertainment.

Maggie of Port Antigua

She is amongst the favorites at The Wind and Whistle and has a smile and a wink ready for all who enter.  Though friendly and flirtatious, she does not suffer the unclean.  A large copper pot sits in the corner of her room and the water is changed often....more so when a ship has come to port. It is said you can always tell the man in the street that just left Maggie's arms by his freshly washed look and grin on his face.

All is not well with Maggie however.  She was recently beaten by a mate from Captain Barkley's sloop and some of her saved coin stolen.  If the tales be true, she has taken to hiding a dagger under her pillow and tells the other girls that when His Majesty's warship arrives, she plans to become quite friendly with the crew so as to gain a bit of protection from the sorry lot the Governor has been allowing to walk the streets.

Caroline Walsh, formerly of Charles Towne

Next is a miniature that I call Caroline.  She is from the Townsfolk II package but can also be found in the Village of Kullhaven boxed set.  Unlike Maggie, she is new to Port Largo, having arrived only four months ago with her elderly Grandfather.  It is no secret that they both came from Charles Towne in Carolina from a family with some wealth.  It is said that Willard was sent by his son to help set up trade between the booming island economy and the family business in Charles Towne but that Caroline was whisked away with the elder Willard due to some scandalous behavior on her part.

 

Things have changed for the two in the few short months they have been in Port Largo.  Willard's health is failing quickly and what money the two brought with them is rapidly running out.  Either the family business is not going well back in Charles Towne or the younger Willard has disowned them both.  As for Caroline, she has taken work at The Wind and Whistle to help care for her Grandfather.  As to what that work might be, she has kept to herself and away from the ears of Old Man Willard.

More Pirates Completed --- Finally...

As I was lamenting in another post, my painting style lends itself to protracted periods of seemingly endless inactivity.  My own style of batch painting slows down production to almost a standstill, especially when beginning a new batch. While it's more about the journey than the destination for me, seeing completed miniatures leave the painting queue provides both satisfaction and a bit of personal pride.  Those feelings tend to occur few and far between for me lately however.

While my own peculiar take on batch painting has many downfalls, occasionally the benefits start rolling in.  "Batches" of minis all started at the same time also near completion near simultaneously.     Such is the case this week.  I have several pirates and other miniatures all nearing completion together.  I want to share the first two with you.

Captain Hook and Melisande Wavecutter

Both of these piratical miniatures have been in the queue for quite some time.  I have an excuse for one and well, nothing for the other.  I am extremely glad they are both completed and ready for a bit of action in my Legend of the High Seas campaign.

Melisande Wavecutter from Reaper

Ladies first:  Melisande Wavecutter is a miniature from the Reaper "pirates" line.  I emphasize the word "pirate" because Reaper has put a decidedly fantasy twist to their swashbucklers.  Historical accuracy is obviously not their focus.  On some models the fantasy slant is very apparent but it's not so noticeable on Melisande.  Beyond the fact that she is a female and dressed as a captain, only the skulls on her boots belie the trend.

Miss Wavecutter has been in my collection for a very long time and in the painting queue since the first of the year.  I am terrible with female skin tones (especially facial features) and the fear of completely mucking her up has kept her from completion for months.  Sheer desperation finally allowed me to finish her but I'm still not happy with her face.  I simply cannot seem to get the subtle female shading correct no matter how hard I try.  Maybe the purchase of the OptiVisor I ordered will help me achieve better results.

More detail of the hat and coat

Though my meager painting skills did not do her justice, the miniature itself is a beautiful sculpt.  The hat, greatcoat, and the face make the mini stand out for me so I chose colors that would emphasize some of those features.  If I had more time I think I would have removed the skulls from the boots and possibly added a bit of trim around the coat though.  I'm fairly pleased with her overall however and look forward to using her in the next game.  As far as her backstory goes, I'll have to think on that a bit.

Captain Hook from Reaper

 Next up is Captain Hook, also from Reaper Miniatures.  He too suffers from the fantasy element that Reaper has imposed upon their pirate line...mainly in the size of his saber cutlass meatcleaver.  Just as Melisande has lingered in limbo for months, the captain has seen more than his share of time in the painting queue.  So what's his excuse?  I'm not really sure.  Though I'm not at all opposed to the miniature itself (after all, I did purchase it for a reason), I think over time he became one of those rare minis that I simply could not get into.  Perhaps it's the huge weapon or maybe it's the terrible color scheme I chose for him, but whenever I sat down to paint, my eyes would pass over him almost every time in favor of another model to work on.  I finally forced myself to wrestle with the inertia surrounding the good captain and he is now complete.  I wonder how he will fare in the next game of Legends of the High Seas.

I need to work on a good background for this miniature as well.  I really have not thought too much about it but I can assure you that his name will not be Captain Hook.  Arrrr....!!!

I have two other rogues to share as soon as the varnish is finished drying then it's time for the ladies.  Yep, the wenches I've been ignoring forever are nearing completion as well.  My pirates are thirsty and ready to spend some of their ill gotten gains.  Their arrival could not be more appropriate nor appreciated but pirates beware!  These ladies will have a few tricks up their...hmmm....bodices.

More Pirates Flock to Port Largo

Rumor has spread throughout the West Indies that Port Largo has become a bit of a pirate haven, second only to Nassau in the Bahamas.  While not openly welcomed, seadogs, buccaneers, privateers, and pirates know that for a price, anything can be bought or sold there as long as the Governor gets his share.  Those "on the account" walk the streets and frequent the taverns and brothels on the island with no fear of capture while their cargo and coin continues to enrich the residents. 

I've managed to finish up five more pirates and soon they too will join their brethren in Port Largo for my Legends of the High Seas project.  Over the next few days I plan to profile each of these unsavory characters and send dispatches to other Governors and captains so that they may be on the lookout for these wretches of the sea.

On the Horizon for April

The fact that I am late with this monthly feature is indicative of the month thus far.  Business is still brisk and I have had precious few moments for hobbies and blogging.  But as the saying goes, better late than never.  However, by the time I get this posted, half the month will have come and gone and my plans, ambitious even for a full month, will be neigh on impossible to reach.  Oh well...Ad Astra Per Aspera.

Looming work ahead.

First up for this month's projects is my miniature queue.  Though I did get quite a bit of painting completed last month, little if any change was to be noticed in the paint rack.  Many miniatures received my attention but few were completed and thus remained in the rack.  This month is different however.  Although there are several familiar faces in the photo below, I was able to complete several others and move new projects into the queue.

The full painting queue.

Finally some changes in the queue...

The painting rack.

From left to right top to bottom:  Saruman 1 and 2, which are in the exact same state as last month, followed by Strider from The Three Hunters blister.  Since I primed him for the Gesso post I might as well paint him up to join the plethora of other Striders in my collection.  The barkeep next to him is from Reaper's Townsfolk collection.  John Snow from Dark Sword Miniatures is next.  My collection of GRRM minis have been sitting around for quite some time but with the excitement of the looming series on HBO, I definitely foresee more action on this front. Christina the Devout from Reaper rounds out the first row.  I have had her for almost four years now and cannot seem to get started.  She's a great sculpt but inspiration for painting Christina is lacking.  If I do not get to the miniature this month I may take her out of the queue and come back to her later.

On the next row is the poor Cadian test model that has only manged to get a basecoat of flesh and boots. Once again the month of the Cadians has come and gone with little to no progress.  Instead of March of the Cadians, I may find myself looking at November of the Cadians...not quite as catchy is it?   Cyndria Stormcaller from Reaper got a little love last month with some basecoating.  She's certainly not my favorite sculpt but I only have a few female pirates in my collection thus far and would like to get her painted up.  Speaking of favorite sculpts, the next in line from Dark Sword certainly ranks highly with me.  The Young Hedge Knight looks quite striking and clever in his light armor and cloak.  I'm not sure how GRRM would feel about the bow on the back of a knight but the addition is fine with me.  He will make a great miniature to represent a RP character.  Next is a Wilding, also from the Game of Thrones line.  He was added this month to the queue not only due to the general ASoIaF frenzy but also to represent a dark age warrior in a project inspired by these posts over at The Man Cave.  The Governor of Port Antigua (from Black Scorpion) has received a bascoat for his soon to be gold greatcoat and tricorn.  I plan on doing something special with his waistcoat...perhaps a brocade pattern or something similar.  Melisande Wavecutter from Reaper is last on the row.  And yes, for those of you that follow this monthly update, she has not been touched at all.  I'm torn about what to do with the hat so she sits and waits for me to decide

The five minis not mounted yet are Waiting for Shadamehr from the DSM Larry Elmore collection, a male ranger also from DSM, and three unprimed pirate captains from Old Glory.  They will move to painting mounts as soon as I get some dull coat on a few completed miniatures and free up their mounts.

A motley collection of miniatures stand in front of the painting rack and await my attention.  From left to right, top to bottom:  Another pirate captain from Old Glory starts out the top row.  I have yet to paint a single pirate from the Old Glory collection and I am anxious to see the results.  Some painters/gamers love their sculpts while others find them lacking.  I wonder what side of the debate I will land on?  Alidee the Bandit from Reaper is next in line.  She is the first of yet another new project where I plan to select and paint  miniatures to represent the individual members of my LotRO Kinship.  This particular mini will be the miniature version of Myriade Hawkes, our favorite burglar.  The next three minis are all from Reaper's Townsfolk line and will represent some of the less than respectable ladies in Port Antigua in my Legends of the High Seas project.  Another female rounds out the row - Terezinya from Reaper.   I really like her pose but dislike the numerous skulls on her outfit.  I really do not want to worry with a conversion right now (minor as it would be) so I will paint her as is.  Down the road I may purchase another copy and spend the time to remove the features in question.

On the next row is Kurff the Swift from Reaper followed by a pirate with a musket from Black Scorpion.  I have only made little progress on the next mini from Black Cat bases.  Once completed she will join the other strumpets of Port Antigua but beware, she is not so simple as she seems.  Hidden behind the back of that lowered bodice is a sharp dagger.  Next is another female from the Townsfolk range though she is not quite as sketchy as the other lasses.  Autumn Bronzeleaf from Reaper is the last figure on the row and has only received a flesh basecoat at this point.

The last mounted row begins with Klaus Copperthumb and Anirion, both from Reaper.  Since Raistlin miniatures are difficult to find and expensive to obtain, I think Anirion will serve as a proxy Dragonlance mage.  Another pirate from Black Scorpion is next.  Yes, I realize the upper half looks like a statue.  He was/is a test subject for an upcoming experiment and tutorial on graybrushing.  Mason Thornwarden and Ilsa Darkstep are both from Reaper and sport only basecoats, except for the ranger's cloak which is approaching the final highlighting stage.  Finally, below the mounted minis are four Brits awaiting primer for the LotHS project.  They will join these fellows and help man the garrison in Port Antigua.

Unless you're living under a rock, I'm sure any reader is aware of HBO's upcoming adaptation of G.R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series.  I have watched all the trailers and the first fifteen minutes of episode one and am quite pleased with the results.  It seems HBO is willing to remain true to the books (and why not - the books are great as is) and in doing so, renewed my love for Westeros.  To celebrate the upcoming series I am in the process of turning a box of Bretonnians into knights of Westeros.

I am planning on painting the Bretonnians to match some of the great houses of Westeros for an upcoming project that combines roleplaying and small skirmish wargaming.  The idea struck me when I noticed the antlers adorning the helm of one of the mounted knights.  While Robert Baratheon in the books is both fat and a drunkard, at the time he won the throne he was a mighty warrior and in my mind would have looked much like the miniature below.  I have ideas for most of the others but first things first....I have to find where I hid all the shields.  Yikes!

As mentioned above, I have been thinking of starting a dark age miniature campaign and project.  To help in the scenery department I have been building a few more structures for LotR and Age of Blood.  Since Rohan architecture and culture can fit quite nicely with a dark age theme I feel I'm getting a good deal here with my scenery. 

Is this simple home in Engla-lond or Rohan?

Finally, while speaking of LotR, I've pulled my nearly complete Rangers of Gondor out of the darkness and onto a shelf.  I started them several years ago but for some reason never finished.  See the pattern here?  With just a bit of highlighting here and there these guys will be ready to go in short order however.  And with their completion I may actually catch up to where I meant to be this year with my completed miniature count.

Rangers of Gondor await painting orders.

Well, there it is.  My plans for what is left of April.  Is the goal attainable?  I don't know...probably not.  But would goals be as interesting if they were set so low that they were always met?  Plus, just posting what I would like to accomplish at the start of every month is a huge motivating factor.

Do any of you do something similar to help organize your hobby plans?  If so, do you find that the plans help or hinder your projects?

Royal Navy Marines or Trouble In Port Largo

Though I have not completed any miniatures the last two weeks, I have been working on quite a few.  I tend to batch paint which sometimes leads to long delays between completions.  However, there are several that are ready to come off the assembly line and join the ranks.

The first to exit the painting queue is a batch of Royal Navy Marines from Black Scorpion.  I had a terrible time painting these guys due to several reasons.  For one, I used a white primer thinking that I would save time with the whites and get a more vibrant red.  I quickly learned that I should have used black or gray instead.  Besides the red coats, white is the predominant color on the minis and I found myself either outlining in black to create separation between the garments or repainting all the white areas in gray then highlighting back up. I felt like I was taking two steps back to go one step forward.  The other difficulty is that I simply hate painting reds.  That color, more than any other, seems to be my bane and nemesis.  I think the coats came out OK but not nearly as well as I had hoped.

Technically the miniatures are not quite finished.  I still need to add a layer of gloss coat followed by Testor's dullcote to knock off the shine.  The humidity has been very high here in the Florida Keys over the last week so they have to sit and wait for a change in the weather.  When the protective coats are completed, I can finally finish off the models with a bit of flock on the bases.

I have eight more of these fellows to paint for a proper crew.  I think I will try a different approach this time though.  I recently read of a technique called gray-brushing?? that works well with models that have large areas of lighter color.  I plan to primer black as usual then drybrush a nice medium gray over the miniature followed by another drybrushed coat of white.  If I understood the technique correctly, this should give me a good base for working with the whites and reds while still giving me the separation and depth that a black undercoat would.  I'll post the results when they are finished.

As far as the miniature's role in my Legends of the High Seas project, let's just say the Governor of Port Largo will not be happy to see the HMS Fury sail into the harbor and these guys disembark for their new post.  Since the HMS Defiance departed the Windward Islands for home over two years ago, the waters around the port have been quite lawless.  Piracy increased significantly but the Governor and many of the merchants in town have done very well for themselves despite the occasional loss of goods and ships.  The pirates and ruffians frequently return from sea heavily laden with goods to sell and coin to spend and they find officials in Port Largo willing to turn a blind eye to the origin of said goods - for a price.  Though the port sees more than its fair share of trouble when the "lads" are in town drinking and wenching, all in all, the arrangement is beneficial to both parties.

However word as reached the Governor that the HMS Fury is due to arrive shortly and that the 20-gun frigate is to be stationed in Port Largo for the foreseeable future.  Furthermore, her captain, William Anson, is rumored to be carrying orders to hunt down several of the most notorious pirates in the area....many of which are some of the Governor's most profitable partners.

There is talk on the streets and whispers in the tavern... A storm is gathering in Port Largo.

Pirate Profile - William "Billy" Bullard

William "Billy" Bullard was born in Dover sometime around the early 1670's.  His exact birth date is unknown but according to Bullard himself, he signed on his first ship when he was a "lad of twelve years."  According to papers found in London, William signed aboard the sloop Deliverance as cabin boy on the 8th of March, 1683.  If his memory served him correctly, that would make his birth date 1671.

 Little is known of his childhood save what he has told this author during our last voyage together.  Many a night was spent listening to his tales of adventure as a lad on the docks of Dover but I have been unable to verify any of the information.  He told me his father was a sailor but was lost at sea when Billy was very young and he remembered little of the man.  His mother however, is another story.  To provide for the young Bullard she apparently turned to less than noble ways of earning money.  She became a favorite at The George and Dragon for many a sailor and it was no doubt here that William first felt a call of the sea.

As he grew older, William spent less time around The George and Dragon and the promiscuous ways of his mother.  His days were spent on the Dover merchant docks where he dreamed of a life at sea when not begging or stealing food.  It was on these docks that a chance meeting changed his life.  The young urchin was caught stealing hard tack by none other than the good Captain William Hastings, master of the Queen's Fancy.  For some odd reason that even Billy can not explain to this day, instead of beating the young rascal or worse, the captain pitied his lot in life and took him for his own.

In time Billy grew to love the old captain, yet in the beginning the relationship was strained.  Young Billy, as the captain began to call him to differentiate the junior from the senior, wanted to take to the sea on the Queen's Fancy with Captain Hastings, but instead the lad was made to stay at home with Abagail Hastings and was schooled as best as could be afforded.  Though Billy longed for the sea, he proved himself a capable student and excelled in his studies...a trait that would serve him well in his later years.

Finally in 1683, William "Billy" Bullard was allowed to go to sea with Captain Hastings, now master of the Deliverance.  It was during this first voyage to the West Indies that the young Bullard showcased his uncanny ability for navigation.  He would routinely match or best the navigator's plotting and seemed to intimately understand the currents, tides, and winds of both the wide open sea and areas closer to land, even though this was his first ocean voyage.  This gift did not go unnoticed by Captain Hastings or the ship's crew.  In fact, on one particular stormy evening after the ship's cable parted, Billy was able to help guide the Deliverance through a gap in the reef line and out to the comparative safety of the open sea despite poor visibility and challenging sea conditions.  This heroic feat earned the boy gratitude and a respected position among both the officers and crew.

William Bullard continued on his first voyage as cabin boy in name only.  Even as a young lad, the superstitious crew began to trust Bullard's instincts and adopted him as their good luck charm.  Before navigation decisions were made, the officers and crew would insist that Captain Hastings have a word with "young Billy".  In this manner, William gained rank rapidly and became a fixture upon the Deliverance for the next eight years.  As a side note, the Deliverance was lost with all hands on the very first voyage undertaken after Billy left.  (Author's note:  Captain Hastings was not on board the voyage either).

Great love and respect grew between the elder William and the younger.  But in 1691 their ways parted.  At this point in his career, Captain Hastings was more than happy to continue the routine crossing of the Atlantic from Bristol to the West Indies but Billy Bullard felt the call of the great unknown.  He served as sailing master and navigator aboard both merchant vessels and Royal Navy ships of war with great distinction until 1699.  It was in this year that his navigational abilities brought him to the attention of William Dampier.  Having already circumnavigated the world one time, Dampier was about to attempt the feat once again.  He was given command of the 26-gun ship St. George and signed on William "Billy" Bullard as navigator.  For the next two years Bullard gained invaluable experience and returned as one of the foremost sailors of his time.

But Bullard was not one to rest upon his laurels.  When Dampier was hired by Woodes Rogers in 1708 as sailing master aboard the Duke, Dampier in turned insisted that William Bullard accompany him.  Once again Billy rounded the world in a very profitable voyage, capturing three Spanish vessels in the process. But the trip would prove costly on a personal level.  A bullet from a Spanish sharpshooter found its mark during the last ship to ship action of the voyage and Billy would have perished if not for the valiant efforts of Stancil Jones, the ship's surgeon.

It was on this fateful voyage that Alexander Selkirk was rescued from the Juan Fernandez islands off the coast of Chile.  Selkirk had been the sailing master on board the ship Cinque Ports which had accompanied the St. George on Bullard's first circumnavigation.  Selkirk was marooned when he complained of the ship's seaworthiness and left on the island with little more than a musket, gunpowder, a few tools, and rope.  Bullard and Selkirk were on friendly terms and Billy did not take well to the marooning and it may have been from the urging of William that the Duke rescued Selkirk more than four years later.

William "Billy" Bullard returned from his second circumnavigation both well off financially and quite experienced.  Rather than settle down to an easy life on land however, Bullard continued to serve as sailing master aboard both merchant and privateer vessels.  It was as navigator on the latter that he achieved his greatest fame.  With his unmatched knowledge of the West Indies and the east coast of the Americas, few foes could out sail or hide from him.  Many a captain has credited Bullard's navigational ability as the deciding factor in the success of a voyage.  And though he is getting on in age, it is in this capacity that he continues to make a name for himself today.


Profile:   S     F     St    D    A   W    C    Fa   Ft                   Recruitment Fee:  16 doubloons
             -----------------------------------------
              6+   2     3     3     1     1     3    2     1                     Retainer:  7 doubloons

* Once per game, William may reroll both dice when using the Master of the Wind ability and choose the highest single result from both attempts.

* William "Billy" Bullard acts as a hero in game terms but must be hired like other hired hands.  He is a bit more expensive due to his added point of Fate and ability enhancement.


(This is the first of a series where I will profile characters created for my Legend's of the High Seas game.  Though the background will include elements of historical people, places, and/or events, any resemblance to actual history is purely coincidental.  Readers may use the profiles for their own games as long as I am given proper credit.)