Coventry Leg of the 2019 GBnUIT

Started by Terry37, 29 September 2019, 10:11:09 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Big Insect

15 October 2019, 01:24:38 PM #15 Last Edit: 15 October 2019, 02:30:41 PM by Big Insect
Hi Terry

As I've said previously, I often create a new army around a specific figure - one that I might have picked up on a Bring & Buy stall at a show or in the case of my next army set (I like making matched pairs) I saw (& bought) this one off eBay.

The armies are all based upon Irish Myths and Legends (Folklore) and are:

Fomorians: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fomorians

Tuatha Dé Danann: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuatha_D%C3%A9_Danann

Fir Bolg: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fir_Bolg

The army started with a Reaper Bones 28mm figure of a Formorian (warped) Giant figure, although my plan is to do all 3 armies in 15mm (on 40mm wide basing).

The lists (as far as I have gotten) look as follows:


HoTT - Fomorians (Irish Legend) - these are warped, mutated and distorted invaders from the sea
1 x Blades General (Indech, and his bodyguard) @ 2pts
1 x Hero (Conand son of Faebar and his retainers) @ 4pts
1 x Magician (Balor Birugderc - Balor of the piercing-eyed* - giant eye) @ 4pts
1 x Behemoth (Fomorian warped giant)
1 x Blades (Morc son of Dela) @ 2pts
1 x Beast (Fáil Inis – magical hound) @ 2pts
6 x Hordes - Fomorian Raiders (assorted sword and spear armed 'warped' Hordes) @ 1pt
Stronghold:
Stone tower by the sea (at Tory Island) called Dún Bhalair
Alternatives:
1 x Artillery (Balor of the piercing eye) @ 3pts
1 x Magicians (band of ragged crazed druids) @ 4pts
1 x Hero (Cú Chulainn in his fiery chariot) @ 4pts (cannot be fielded with Conand)
(*Only 1 version of Balor can be fielded - Balor is difficult to depict, as he is described with a single giant eye, with seven lids, and as his servants lift the lids his gaze becomes stronger and more powerful/deadly ... he is thought to be a representative of the Sun God and a bit like Odin)

HoTT - Tuatha Dé Danann (Irish Legend) - these are the wandering fairy folk of Irish legend - the main pagan gods of Ireland
1 x God (the Dagda*) @ 4pts
1 x Magician (Mogh Roith, "slave of the wheel" – ox drawn chariot of the stars) @ 4pts
1 x Hero (Nuada Airgetlám - Nuada of the Silver Hand) @ 4pts
1 x Shooter General (Lugh with his sling) @ 2pts
1 x Blade (Ogma with club – like Hercules) @ 2pts
1 x Flyer (The three Morrígan, as 3 large black battle crows or a Banshee) @ 2pts
4 x Hordes (the aes sídhe – faery folk or the sluagh sídhe—"the fairy host" ) @ 1pts
1 x Lurker (Far darrig or Rat-boys wearing red cap and red cloak) @ 1pt
1 x Water Lurker (Manannán mac Lir with his mists, sea-born chariot or golden boat, cloak of invisibility and regeneration cauldron) @ 1pt [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manann%C3%A1n_mac_Lir ]
Stronghold:
Ancient passage tomb, such as Brú na Bóinne, which were seen as portals to the Otherworld – or a fairy hill, a fairy ring, a special tree (often a hawthorn) or a particular loch or wood
Alternatives:
1 x Behemoth (the Dagda Donn or Crom Dubh) - was often portrayed as a giant bearded man in a hooded cloak, with a magic staff, a mace/club, a magic cauldron and a golden harp - but generally he was thought to be the god of Death
1 x Lurker (leprechauns & other solitary fairy types - found in woods or at cross-roads, gates or stiles or small bridges over streams) @ 1pt
(*Only one version of the Dagda can be fielded)

HoTT Fir Bolg (Irish Legend) - tribal grouping returned from exile in the East over the sea (very stoic and almost bureaucratic in culture, but fierce warriors)
1 x Hero General (Eochaid mac Eirc - High King) @ 4pts
1 x Hero (Sreng, the champion of the Fir Bolg) @ 4pts
1 x Cleric (group of very serious priests/druids - who seem to negate hostile magic)@ 3pts
6 x Warband (tribal troops with spears, swords, axes and round shields - use 15mm Donnington Miniatures Bronze Age warriors) @ 2pts
1 x Lurker (ambush party in woods) @ 1pt
Stronghold
Pallisaded hill fort
NB: I need to do more work/research on the Fir Bolg - they appear to be a bit like the wandering (& enslaved) tribes of Israel

The general view is that Fomorians are the forces of Darkness, Chaos/Destruction and Evil; the Tuatha Dé Danann are Good, Light and Creativity and that the Fir Bolg are humans - caught in the middle between them. However, the Fir Bolg only appear to fight against the Tuatha Dé Danann.

I'll keep you posted as the armies develop - doing them in 15mm might be a challenge as the Fomorian hordes are decribed as being very warped and chaotic, with mixed limbs and hybrid animal human appearance. But the Reaper Bones Fomorian Giant has now arrived and is looking very impressive ... so the project is underway.

Mark

'He could have lived a risk-free, moneyed life, but he preferred to whittle away his fortune on warfare.' Xenophon, The Anabasis

This communication has been written by a dyslexic person. If you have any trouble with the meaning of any of the sentences or words, please do not be afraid to ask for clarification. Remember that dyslexics are often high-level conceptualisers who provide "out of the box" thinking.

mmcv

Hope you share progress on these, sounds like very interesting armies you're putting together. Can play out your own version of the Book of Invasions. Just need a Milesian/Gael army in the mix and you're set!  ;) :D

Duke Speedy of Leighton

Would this be an excuse to get Leon to get the Formians into production? ;)
You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

Big Insect

Sounds like a plan Lemmy  :D

My research on the Fir Bolg has turned up some very 'funny' ideas of what they might look like. A lot of the fantasy artists see them as semi-supernatural beings and have misinterpreted the 'Fir' bit to mean 'fire' but it actually translates as something close to men of the bags or sacks.

I also like the idea of doing the original HoTT Irish legends lists with hordes of chariots and heroes.

But my 15mm John Carter Martians arrived from Alternative Armies this morning and they are also mighty tempting - but they will have to go to the bottom of the list as I also have a Pendraken Samuari Apes army that is next up onto the painting board.

Hey ho ... so much lead ... so little time ... especially with diminishing eye-sight  :'(
'He could have lived a risk-free, moneyed life, but he preferred to whittle away his fortune on warfare.' Xenophon, The Anabasis

This communication has been written by a dyslexic person. If you have any trouble with the meaning of any of the sentences or words, please do not be afraid to ask for clarification. Remember that dyslexics are often high-level conceptualisers who provide "out of the box" thinking.

Terry37

OK Mark, Here's your opportunity to bag another first place win!!!! I just saw this post form Simon Wilson about the Bakewell Leg of hte GBnUIT!!!! If you know HOTT or just want to learn it, there is no better time. Don't have an army, just let Simon now and I'll bet he can supply one. Let me know if interested and I'll get you in touch with Simon!

The next Bakewell event at the Medway Centre will be the GBnU HoTT tournament on Saturday 16 November.  40mm base widths.

So far have the following down as attending:

Tim Sharrock
Mark Johnson
Baldie
Pete Duckworth
Martin Myers
Simon Wilson
John Saunders
Tim Kohler
Rob Rush
Nick Wright-Carter

Let me know if you are interested or would like further information.

The venue has free parking, coffee, tea,  cakes and is minutes walk from pubs and sandwich/take-away food outlets.

Regards,

Simon

__._,_.___
"My heart has joined the thousand for a friend stopped running today." Mr. Richard Adams

Duke Speedy of Leighton

Tim Kohler?
As in Tim who used to have red hair and beard and worked for Shropshire Nature?
Send him my best.
You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

Terry37

Lemmey, Not sure as I do not know that gentleman. But might very well be.

Terry
"My heart has joined the thousand for a friend stopped running today." Mr. Richard Adams