Tackling the shields.

A bit of progress on the shield transfers from Little Big Men Studios...

The instructions do warn they can be fiddly to apply, and yes they are, but not unduly so. Each sheet is covered with a clear layer of plastic. After cutting out the shield transfer with a sharp craft knife this layer has to be removed, exposing the sticky surface of the transfer beneath. The holes for the bosses are ready-cut, which is a thoughtful move. It allows you to align the transfer sticky side down with the shield. I use dental picks, tweezers and the craft knife blade to maneuver the transfer into place before dabbing it onto the shield surface. A drop of water to moisten the paper, thirty seconds countdown and off the paper comes, leaving a nice neat shield pattern. Once dry, the next step is to give the shields a coat of gloss varnish followed by one of matte to protect the design.

Easier than painting the designs, I think.

So far I've achieved good results, with only one transfer going slightly wonky. This was easily covered up by a touch of brown paint. If it goes really bad, LBMS advise scratching the transfer off and trying a new one. Touch wood I won't need to do that.

I selected the more monochrome designs for the levy, with a couple of colourful ones to break up the pattern a bit. Another feature I like about these transfers is the artist has included battle damage in his design. Exposed boards, scratches and dents are distributed nicely across the sheet, allowing for a slightly beat-up look to the groups and formations.

The next step will be to tidy up the shield edges with a bit of paint, then they'll be ready to glue to the figure. Lacking anything else I'll use E6000 industrial strength adhesive. It's necessary. My previous record of gluing shield onto figures is not too good. My old Seleucid pike phalanx shed shields like Autumn leaves.

Now, if I can work out a way to hold everything in place while the adhesive dries, that'll be great.