DAK - light infantry support.

DAK light infantry support.

Here I got some support options for the infantry. Well some random addition to the infantry at least.

A light mortar, Panzerbuechse, a command team for the infantry, and two spotter teams from the artillery branch.

The miniatures are a mix of Battlefront and Skytrex.

DAK - Pioneer zug

Pioneer zug.

For a long time I had these miniatures glued on an ”assembly line” ready for some painting. I thought it was about time to paint them now.
With all the snow now and all outside… Yeah it is totally wrong but hey, at least they got some paint.

 

The miniatures are mostly from Battlefront but with some Skytrex miniatures added to add even greater variation and because I just love those old “tropical” helmets.

On the bases I wanted to have lots of old scrap metal and rough terrain to show that these guys are sent in to clear some difficult terrain so the panzer can force its way throe.

In flames of war the platoon is big enough for use at the larger options in Early-war but still works for Mid-war if I leave some behind.

Arabic kitbashing part II, painted miniatures.

For part one look here: http://kampgruppe-engel.blogspot.se/2012/11/arabic-kitbashing.html

 

I changed the shields for something that looked a little lighter and this is how they turned out with some paint on them. The shields are the the one from the same as the miniatures, I just shaved of some part and added liquid greenstuff to restructure it somewhat, an easy way of changing the overall look.

I should really stop using that big bucket of cheap wash from Valejjo that I bought, it really destroys the paintjob and is hard to fix, but the price was at least cheap. 

http://kampgruppe-engel.blogspot.se/2012/09/vallejo-wash.html

But for these test models it worked atleast.

The miniatures themselves I think could work perfectly as Barbary Corsairs or other types of light infantry. They are barefoot and lacks all form of armor. But I like how they turned out.
Maybe good enough for laying siege to Malta in 1565?

Saint Sigfrid, Unaman, Sunaman and Vinaman.

Saint Sigfrid, Unaman, Sunaman and Vinaman.

Yeah does are historical names.

The legends tells of Sigfrid a Benedictine missionary bishop from Glastinbury in England sent to Norway and Sweden to Christianized the heathens…

Most of the somewhat contemporary accounts that are from that time are written by Adam of Bremen. 

But most of the legends of Sigfrid was written down during the 13^th century.
This legend tells of an English archbishop of York sent to Sweden by the English king Mildred (no other sources of this kings existence are to be found that I know about).

Sigfrid and his nephews Unaman (a priest), Sunaman (a diacon), Vinaman (a subdiacon) arrived to Värend by Denmark and by a place “chosen by God” by the lake of Växjösjön built a church.

Map of Värend

By the time Sigfrid was in Västergötland to baptize Olof Skötkonung (980-1022) in Husaby (the first Swedish king to remain Christian until his death, all before him returned to their heathen ways..) his nephews was robbed and murdered by pagan raiders under the command of Gunnar Gröpe.

Gunnar Gröpe (more of him later…) was famous for being particularly cruel.
He is acclaimed of beheaded a troll and is a forefather to the Swedish noble family of Trolle that has a beheaded troll in their coat of arms. 

As you see I must include him in this project…

When Sigfrid returned to Värend he found the heads of his nephews in an basket floating in Växjösjön singing to him.

The legends are skeptic and full of contradictions, another source (Saxo Grammaticus) claims that it was another English missionary by the name of Bernhard that baptized Olof Skötkonung. 

Saint Sigfrid were never canonized by a pope or a bishop that were the customs of that time. One source claims he was canonized by pope Hadrianus IV but no such letter remains today. 

The legend of Saint Sigfrid draws a picture of the Diocese of Växjö as one of the oldest in Sweden but the truth is that it’s one of the youngest.
Yeah I know we are all heathens here in deep forest of Småland…

Some historians have questions if Sigfrid even existed.

But it contains lots of stuff that could be incorporated into my project of a mythological Scandinavia. Hope you enjoyed all the reading.

Oh and another fun thing, during a restoration of the Cathedral of Växjö in 1813 a runestone was found under the plaster inside one of the walls.

The inscriptions read:

"Tóki, Tóki the Viking, raised the stone in memory of Gunnarr, Grímr's son. May God help his soul!"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_runestones#Sm_10

I dont think this is the same Gunnar as in Gunnar Gröpe but it could be... "May God help his soul!", Im guessing he needs it.

 

 

Sigfrid seen here with white hair and a book with his nephews walking into a trollforest i my Treemoss fantasy project.

The miniatures are from Gripping beast.

Viking hird

At the same time I painted the limited edition Viking from Gripping beast I also painted his chums.
I just wanted him up here a day earlier then the whole unit.

But here they are, it’s a mix of plastic and lead Vikings from Gripping beast.

One of the hairy dudes is from GW empire line I think, mixed in realy good. I should try to get more of those.

Some of the pictures ended somewhat blurry as my daughter thought it was funny to play with the camera strap.