The Theodosian Walls of Constantinople

The baggage train is marching out through the gates of Constantinople to join the column of the Byzantine Army. Three mules carry provisions, tools and kit lead by boys while a wine merchant walks along looking for a good deal to sell his cheap stock to unsuspecting customers and thirsty soldiers.

 

It is the camp for my upcoming DBA Army of Thematic Byzantium III/29

This Byzantine Gatehouse is inspired by sections of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople, today's Istanbul.

It is a  truly original piece, a stewalin cast from a silicon mold I made by myself. Copies are now for sale, you might contact me by e-mail Menic666@yahoo.com or go to the MENIX MINIATURES SHOP. Please note it comes unpainted and unassembled just like on the image below.

Constantinople's patron is Maria. So, I thought I'd put  her marble effigy over the gate. The statue is made of trinkets you might find in souvenir shops at places of pilgrimage like Rome, Santiago or Einsiedeln.

Stay tuned for the next post when the baggage train catches up with the Byzantine Army! More pictures to come....

Fortress of Laupen 1339

This is the Fortress of Laupen in 1339 I built for a DBA-Scenario . It's for 25mm minis and made of styropor, sandpaper, balsa, sand mixed with glue and paint. But, as one can easly see from the map (below) the model isn't quite accurate. I've built that BUA not caring about authenticity. I was inspired by the way Diebold Schilling drew his schematic castles in the "Spiezer Chronik" (above), written in the late 15th century. I think the most important thing about a BUA are the good looks and it has to be convenient and sturdy enough for tabletop wargames.

Below is a view of the town of Laupen as it appeared in 1809. The town has kept its medieval character. The fortress has drastically changed since the end of the middle ages. And this is actually how it still looks today (if you can ignore the urban sprawl around it!) The battlefield is beyond the pinewoods on the hill (The Bramberg) behind the fortress (right).