Castle Extension no. 2

03Oct
by patmcf

Well finally after 18 months I have finally finished the third castle add on, the Archers.  They are another fine set of Valdemar figures that fit in well with the rest of life that went on around the castle back then.  Archery would have been one activity that would be very much at the fore and these guys fit the scene perfectly.

There isn’t really much to say apart from the cart in the lane leading to the village (Paul Bod has covered this very well on his site so I won’t go on about it).  It is very heavy and has caused a lot of grief but the figures that come with it are superb.  Maybe if they could have saved some metal and made it lighter…  anyway enough of my grumbles about the wagon!  The figures are well made and great for what I would imagine just ordinary mundane life as we know it would have been like.

I have added a few plastic guys for a bit of fun, I’m not sure what’s in the wagon that it needs an escort of big bull mastiffs but I would imagine it might be a vaccine for the plague!

Not much more to add apart from the targets, they are just bits of string that I coiled tightly and super glued to a thin bit of balsawood and stuck a paper punch of red paper to the centre and added the great little arrows to them.

38 thoughts on “Castle Extension no. 2”

  1. Azazel

    Really nice slice of life stuff again, Pat. And then I saw the village and market! Blown away by the number of figures and little details on it all! Once again you’ve outdone yourself!

    Liked by 4 people

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    1. patmcf

      Thanks mate ! With wiser planning 7 years ago I could have linked the village up wth the castle effectively, but this time I have left the options open for building a new village to fit along side the archers , oh what we learn in marvellous hobby !🤓

      Liked by 3 people

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  2. Dave Stone

    What an astounding piece Pat, so much detail and life, could spend weeks looking at this and probably still miss loads. The archers look excellent, if you could find them some child archers would add another level of detail, as it was requirement that everyone of an age practiced

    Liked by 4 people

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    1. patmcf

      Thanks Dave! so true, that would be spectacular, I bet Valdemar have picked up on your suggestion right now and are going to add some in the future, well you never know they are truly a great producer of figures.

      Liked by 2 people

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    1. patmcf

      Thanks John! but bugger me I added those naughty lads peering at the bathing beauties as you suggested when I first posted the bathers but in the struggle I had with the new Word press system the photo has dis appeared!! Ill Try again when Tech adviser is allowed to come back to Victoria if they ever take down the blockade!!

      Liked by 3 people

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  6. theimperfectmodeller

    As an individual piece it is a little gem Pat but collectively the whole thing is really awesome. You are right about those archers they really fit in well. So nice when you can get diorama figure poses and not just action posed figures. Love the targets too, very well done. If I do some medieval stuff I’ll nick that idea for sure. 🙂.

    Liked by 4 people

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    1. patmcf

      Thanks Dave It took some time but it worked out in the end, I dough I’ll try butting any up against each other a bugger of a thing to get right. Your right about getting good figures, Valdemar do a fine job but they are only Medieval and go for the targets, it will be easy for you mate as you are an old has hand at string!! Oh and thanks for the callout earlier on!

      Liked by 2 people

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  7. Marvin

    A perfectly created miniature world! Yes, stunning stuff which just needs lots of views.

    The target works really nicely. I imagine my ancestors, like all good serfs, would have been firing off arrows at those things very regularly indeed!

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. patmcf

      Thanks mate they worked well in the end, and one has to love the arrows that come with them, a good twenty! I cant wait to get up country as they have an archery club there and its been some time since I picked up a bow.

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  8. Azazel

    I’m sure with your skills you could put together a bridging piece that would leave none of us any the wiser if we were to see it – though I wouldn’t say no to seeing another village. Or maybe a village “expansion” that could also act as a bridge between the two as well as a standalone piece or could be displayed alongside either in a seamless way…. 😀

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. patmcf

      Thanks mate, the only problem with the old village is that all the soil is strikingly different in colour when seen in real life but there is a chance of a new one in the future, but for now it all has to be packed up as I have decided to retire. I had been planning it for next year but I’ll need six months to pack everything up for the move!!!!!

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  9. Wudugast

    I know I’ve said this many times but this piece just blows me away and the archers are a fantastic addition. There’s so many little details, every time I look at it I spot something else (just noticed the guy harvesting his cabbages – brilliant!). I think my favourite thing about it is the way its bringing a bit of history to life, I can put myself in the scene and every model looks like a character with their own personality.

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    1. patmcf

      Thanks Wudda ,there is a lot going on in the village and your not alone with spotting detail, some times when I get it out one member of the family will they hadn’t seen something before!
      I have to say I was originally inspired to do the village way back after I saw Paul Bodds great work using the Valdemar medieval figures but started with the Strelets ones as money was an issue back then!!

      Liked by 2 people

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    1. patmcf

      Thanks Dave, I feel for you mate as I’m in what’s classed as essential as we produce Pharmaceutical products and like you say busy ,busy, but Its quietened down now so its time to give the job over to younger hands.

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. patmcf

      Thanks Mark , looking forward to more creativity once I’m settled in up country, but a lot of clearing out has to be done before then !😳😳😳🤓The young one put me onto Instagram when the WordPress changed but Tech Adviser said WordPress was better , so now this old hits stuck with multiple technology that he is struggling to master😳😉

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  16. Ann

    That is quite a castle diorama you’ve built up and some nice archers. As for the plague, perhaps some torches and braziers of appropriate herbs, minerals and such to drive away the pestilential airs would be in order?

    Liked by 1 person

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