My fifth complete DBA army, built from a DBA army pack for Scots-Irish from Essex miniatures, with a few Old Glory figs to replace the ancient Brits that Essex included as the warband general option. It just wouldn't do to have Brits leading and Irish army :) Anyway, it is a pretty monochrome army if done historically, so I did what I could.
Composition wise, this army is made up of nine elements of 3Ax, good for rought terrain fighting. Also a chariot or warband/auxalia general and a couple psiloi. The chariot doesn't really fit to be honest, being an in the open sorta elements... I mean, the general would be in the open while all the troops slink through the trees! But it's cool, and that's all that really counts ;)
My Irish all assembled and ready for battle! Lead by the fearless Morrigan!
I wanted to do a female hero for this army, as females figure prominently in Irish warfare.
It's a pitty that nobody has female warriors for this range. This one specifically I sculpted
myself! (you can see the green in the greens gallery). Again with the painted shield. I still
might string the reigns on the horses as well, if so I'll upate the picture!
I had a few extra figs (these are all Old Glory) so I figured I would do a warband
general option. I did a poor sculpting job on that bull's skull there, and note how
out of scale it is with the bulls horn horn instrument held by the musician there. But it
works. I went with painted shields as well because they look good :)
More yellow and black action. More celtic knot work. Not the
fig on the right of the element is not Essex, but Old Glory. Side by
side they don't look too bad, but you can see the extra blocky-chunkiness of the
Old Glory fig.
The fig in the middle is my favourite pose, and I really wanted to do it in red
at least once, so here it is. More knots on the sheilds.
Yet another set of 3Ax figs, a little red, black and yellow. More red, but it
fits in the context of the army. Again with the knotted shields, and some tryst
action on the boss-less sheild.
More black and white bees from Ulster! And a new shield design with a celtic feel.
One knotwork shield as well. I reduced the blob effect on the stripes by thickening
them slightly, and also taking the time to go back and touch them up. Pretty happy with
these figs, although I must admit, the black and yellow scheme is getting a bit tenuous!
The things I do for historical accuracy!
I had to add some blue to the mix! It's still historically feasible apparently and
compliments the red hair well! Also, still with the thicker stripes on the tunics
and the knotwork and three twirl shields.
A red tunic! Again, it is also historically feasible, and a close up of the new shield
design.
So, this element is where I leanred than the thicker the stripes, the better! Not the
red-headed fig on the outside, the back has the thin stripes, and the front has thicker
ones. Again with the blue jacket there.
A 3-Auxalia elemnt for the Scot-Irish army. The army consists of nine of these
elements all together, along with two Psiloi and a chariot or warband. Not the
fairly monochrome colours: yellow, black, off-white. According to ancient Irish
laws, the lower classes were only allowed to wear those three colours. There were
some exceptions apparently. Also worth note in this elements is the presence of the
dubiously historically accurate wicker shield (far left). Although its historical
accuracy has been doubted, it seems that this shield type is such a part of the
ancient Irish image that you can't do without it!
I like this stand a lot with the freehand shields. Simple, yet effective
designs. Here I also have a warrior in a green tunic, which some would argue
isn't all that accurate. Still, others would say it is and I should couldn't
bring myself to use only yellow and black!
A couple psiloi in the standard balck, white and yellow sorta colours.
Note the lack of shield designs on these poor fighters.
Another set of Psiloi, completing the two psiloi elements for the
army. Again with the green tunic. These are some pretty wealthy psiloi
considering their garb, but it's likely because they just beat up and stole
the clothes off of some Linster types :)