Thane Tostig, Wargames Illustrated 428 and my blog!

Well, the latest issue of WI (#428, August 2023) contains a great article on the legendary Thane Tostig by Daniel Mersey.

It's a great read and takes you back to the early years of minis and rule writing. Dan gives it a thoroughly modern update and accompanies it with some lovely pics of painted minis, old and new. 

Some of the pics are mine, used with permission, from my various articles on Thane Tostig. 

http://www.deartonyblair.co.uk/search/label/Thane%20Tostig

Another article is by Rick Priestley, 'Returning to Old Favourites', a wonderful look at his history of collecting proper old school lead and some modern converting to fill out his Minifigs 'Mythical Earth' armies. A great read... I have a growing tub of old Minifigs lead for Rick that I was going to bring over to BOYL last weekend but, as the dice roles go, my ex took the munchkins away so I was left without a dogsitter. Doh! A great weekend missed but I got to spend quality time with my hound. My good friend Tony Yates was there and has posted about it;

http://shadowking-shadowkings.blogspot.com/2023/08/boyl-2023-saturday.html

There's another very interesting article with the Perry twins talking about their sculpting history.

I always think that people today have a tendency to frown on proper old school miniatures as we're now treated to a veritable avalanche of metal, plastic, 3D printed miniatures etc along with a plethora of scenery pieces that could only have been dreamed of decades ago. Someone posted on a old school (Facebook) group a rather derogatory comment about some early sculpts and I couldn't understand why they would walk the halls of such a group. For me, the lack of detail, the small ranges, the joy of waiting weeks for an unknown commodity you've only seen in listed format (possibly extending that wait time by having previously sent a postal order / stamped addressed envelope for said listing), the days of waiting for the postman to visit, the frustrations of non delivery (barring Hinchliffe / Lamming who were extremely efficient)... then the day comes and you are faced with a mixed bunch of metal that brings a smile to your face and, even now, all those years later, bring back those happy memories. In the mid 80's I received a large pile of Pendragon Miniatures sculpted by Barry Minot (of Thane Tostig fame) long after he had stopped producing them (I phoned him at Elstree Studios on the off chance he might still be at the address) and balked at the poor sculpting... today they have been re-released by Wargames Design Workshop (https://wargamesdesignworkshop.co.uk/) along with some other old historical ranges. Now, of course, I look at them and love them. As Karl Hulme, ex assistant manager at Games Workshop in Manchester said (when I worked there and was in charge of miniatures) 'they are his children and he loves them well'. I remain the same to this day.

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Any thoughts or critiques leave a comment below or email me over on enquiries@deartonyblair.co.uk

Thane Tostig Quest II - the skeletons have arrived....

Around June 1977, Barry Minot unleashed 'The Quest of Thane Tostig' onto the gaming world followed by a later second quest against the might of Merlin. I have recently picked up a set of the skeletons and they have been sitting in a dettol bath for 3 weeks.....still some paint adhering after all that time but mostly gone. The old white undercoat should be used on military vehicles in the real world. Nothing seems to shift it....

I present.....The Legion of the Dead Skeleton Warriors

TT37 Skeleton with Axe and Shield

 TT38 Skeleton with Sword and Shield

 TT39 Skeleton with Poleaxe and Shield

 TT40 Skeleton Firing Bow

 TT41 Skeleton with Spiked Mace and Shield

 TT42 Skeleton Standard Bearer

TT43 Skeleton War Trumpeter

Do not judge these sculpts by todays standards. These are old school and wonderful pieces of mini history. 

The original rules and minis are blogged here followed by most of the 2nd quest minis here.

As always; enquiries@deartonyblair.co.uk

Thane Tostig Quest II - versus the might of Merlin!

February 1978......a great time for minis. Barry Minot got around to releasing the 2nd quest for that itinerant Saxon Thane Tostig and his band of merry men (woman and dog)....I'm not aware of a ruleset ever being produced but if anyone knows differently please let me know...

'Necromancer' never saw the light of day if it was related to Thane Tostig...many years later (well, 5 or 6 maybe a few more...must check....) he released a short-lived Victorian horror range.......still waiting to find any examples of these...grrrrrrr. Help! I've listed the range on the Lost Minis WIKI here. Below are a few examples from the 2nd quest range from my collection. At the bottom a tantalising glimpse of the Golden Warrior himself....Talis!

Talis himself!

Barry also did historical..........

Oh, and a link to my first Thane Tostig article here.

enquiries@deartonyblair.co.uk

The Quest of Thane Tostig.....a Barry Minot special!

(updated with better pics below 24th June 2013)

Around June 1977, Barry Minot released range of figures for a ruleset entitled 'The Quest of Thane Tostig', by Eric & William Knowles. Barry also did the illustrations for the ruleset.....all based on the exploits of a Saxon Lord whose father had lost his head in a disagreement with King Hengist.....the tale unfurled of his search for the fabled magic sword, Blooddrinker. 

All the pics are mine barring 2 borrowed off Caffeinehog from the Lost Mini WIKI which I will replace as soon as I can unearth my copies of the figures....all of Barry's other gaming ranges are listed under Minot's Miniatures Armoury. I actually built the underground Sprite lair for this out of plasticard back in the day.....back before the lead pile overwhelmed me. Barry still works in sculpting over at Moonshine Pewter although I haven't had a reply off him to various questions over the last few years. Like many in the early days of the hobby he has moved on from the gaming side although still produces some very nice sculpts of a more ornamental nature.

Starting with some 1977 advertisements and articles from Military Modelling and Battle for Wargamers from 1977 (repeated from the last post I'm afraid).....

The rules booklet itself. A great read and well worth picking up if you can find it on evil bay...goes for around £20 or thereabouts so not too bad....

Although the back page was blank it wouldn't be complete without it.......

TT1 Thane Tostig

TT2 Edith, Tostig's Female Companion

TT3 Beowulf of Barkynge with Battle Axe (Caffeinehog's pic)

TT4 Sigurd, Master of the Bow

TT5 Gurth the Serf, with Spear, Shield & Horn (Caffeinehog's pic)

TT6 Cedric the Slosher

TT7 Infang Tostig's Ferocious Dog

TT8 King Debobmik Fen, Seated on Throne

TT9 Executioner with Axe

TT9a Halt, Naked Female Kneeling

TT10 Court Jester

TT11 Palace Guard with Pole-Axe

TT12 Hudekin the Giant Idol, with Blooddrinker Sword

TT13 Naked Sprite with Hudekin Standard

TT14 Naked Sprite with War Horn

TT15 Naked Sprite Drummer with Drum

TT16 Armoured Sprite with Spiked Mace

TT17 Armoured Sprite with Disemboweling Sword

TT18 Armoured Sprite with Broad-Bladed Sword

TT19 Naked Sprite Tribesman with Pole-Axe

TT20 Naked Sprite Tribesman with Glaive

TT21 Naked Sprite Tribesman Archer

TT22 Naked Sprite Tribesman with Rock

TT23 Stretching Rack and Operator

TT24 Wheel of Torment

TT25 Naked Female Torture Victim

TT26 Naked Male Torture Victim

TT27 Sprite Torturer with Whip

TT28 Sprite Torturer with Ripper Tongs

TT29 Brazier with Hot Brandinq Iron & Sprite Attendant

TT30 The Vile Wood Witch, Hangbeffor

TT31 Hangbeffor's Bubbling Cauldron

TT32 Hangbeffor's Table, with Spell Book & Bats

TT33 Hangbeffor's Giant Earwig Familiar

They did move on to further quests involving Merlin and hordes of undead skeletons, monks etc but I'm not sure if the rules ever appeared. This was my favorite part of the range although you will have to forgive the 36 year old paint jobs.......humbrol enamels were the order of the day - the TSR 'official' AD&D acrylic paints came a few years later and boy were they great quality. I have a couple hanging around somewhere and will take a pic at some point. Link here to Robh's far better painted versions on his Displaced Miniatures  website. Well worth a browse.

As always; enquiries@deartonyblair.co.uk