Redoubtable resin

Arriving at my door last week was a wee package from Paul's Modelling Workshop in the UK. I first saw Paul's work when Troy Wold set up a line of breastworks for a Pike & Shotte game using Paul's models, which are sold fully painted through Warlord Games. (Troy: They're £28 cheaper if you buy the fully painted ones directly from Paul.)

Last month, I finally got around to thinking that I wanted some kind of field fortification to use in The Pikeman's Lament games. I crawled the 'Net and found Paul's products sold through his own site.

I instantly wanted all of it, but limited myself to a ravelin and a lunette. Both will make handy standalone field works that are ideal for skirmish games.

In my correspondence with Paul, I found that he was a Seattle Seahawks fan. Who knew there were American football fans in the wilds of Hampshire? Though, to be fair, there are plenty of European football (i.e., soccer) fans in the wilds of Seattle.

Go Hawks!

Paul sells the fully painted pieces through his website, but he also sells the unpainted resin too. I opted for the latter because I can paint and flock to match other terrain I've done.

The pieces are large and sturdy. The lunette measures 9 5/8 inches from end to end (or 24.5 cm for those who can't manage fractions) and will easily provide cover for one or two TPL sized units. The ravelin  is 5 1/2 inches deep and 5 inches wide. It's great for a gun  and crew, but any unit could fit.

The raw ravelin

The pieces cleaned up nicely, there wasn't any kind of flash that needed trimming and no assembly required. I just gave 'em a wash with hot water and dish soap and they were ready to rock.

I used white primer on them. I've used Rust-oleum brown primer on some terrain pieces in the past, but with all the wood bits. I thought I'd stick to my standard substrate.

The wood bits on the pieces were painted with a  base coat of Vallejo Light Brown (Marron Claro) 70.929. This is my go-to wood color. I use it for pike/spear shafts, gunstocks, peg legs, etc.

Base wood coat — kinda orangey

I then went over that with a scrub of  Vallejo Cork Brown (Marron Corcho) 70843, which is a bit lighter in color. Then, to get a weathered look, I drybrushed it with Vallejo Deck Tan (Marron Cubierta) 986. Finally, I went over it all with a wash using a matte varnish with Vallejo Game Ink Sepia 72091 added, then watered down.

Wood bits complete — less orangey

Once the wood bits were done, I gave it a spray of Krylon Matte Finish, and then on to the dirt bits.

I used my standard coat of Vallejo Model Air Mud Brown (Marron Lodo) 71.037. I use this color as the base color for all my basing. After that, I did a drybrush of Vallejo Yellow Ochre (Ocre Amarillo) 70.913, which is also standard for most of the basing, namely for figures that aren't desert types.

I then pondered the question to flock or not to flock? The completed models that Paul does have a flocking that runs raggedly across the bottom. I like the look, but I also liked the plain dirt. In the end, I flocked. I am not sorry.

Murderin' Meg protected by dirt

These little lovelies turned out well and I'm eager to put them to use in a game. They're good for pretty much anything from the Renaissance through 19th c.

Lunette manned by ECW dragoons

Until someone comes to take it away

Of course, I'm also ideating on other Pauline purchases. There's a very nice Large Gun Bastion I have my eye on...