lastswordminiatures

Paint

Hey folks,

We’ve painted quite a few things this month. For those of you who haven’t been keeping an eye on our social media, here’s a quick recap.

What do you think?

JUNE 2025 — THE LAND DEMANDS, THE IRON ANSWERS

Greetings, Oathswords!

June bursts forth, laden with new releases that strengthen two of your favorite lines. This month, we delve into the tenacity of those who till and defend their homes, and the precise engineering of those who master the deep places. Prepare to welcome units that represent the very backbone of their hosts and the stark realities of war.

From the Anglo-Saxon fields come free men ready for the fray, leaders forged in duty, and structures...

Murnazdruld Sappers

"Rock yields to patience and steel. We bring both." — Common saying among the Sappers.

The Dwarven Sappers are the silent spearhead of the Murnazdruld, the forgers of the paths their brethren will tread in war. Though heirs to a deep mining tradition, their current labor is that of the military engineer: to open a way where none exists, secure the ground, and prepare the battlefield from within the very heart of the earth.

When the dwarven legions prepare to marc...

The Fangs of Bandars - Dwarf Bolt Throwers

Greetings, Oathswords!

Today, we're showing off something we've had brewing in the forge for a while, and we know you're going to dig it! Hold onto your beards, because our new Dwarf Bolt Throwers are here! And no, these aren't your typical little siege engines you might have seen around.

We wanted them to be truly imposing machines, the kind that really make a statement on the table—much larger and with that level of detail we all adore. You kn...

Khargrun Skullclaw: The Echo of Iron

Not all dwarves find honor in death; some, like Khargrun, bear the shame of surviving when their kin fell. After seeing his unit annihilated in the western tunnels, he faced no trial, only the cold contempt that freezes the soul.

That very night, Khargrun became "Skullclaw." For each fallen comrade, an iron nail hammered into his own skull—a visible and perpetual penance. He asked for no forgiveness; instead, he sought an end among the Fists of Karn.

Among the fanatics of Karn-V...

June – The Adventurer Tier: Prince Edward, Heir of Wessex

“Each must mourn the loss of his lord
who thinks to live after him with honour.”
— Beowulf, línes 3170–3171

Edward is not yet king.
But from the moment his sword was first belted to his waist, the burden of the crown has followed him like a shadow.

As an ætheling, a royal-born heir, his life is no longer his own. He is the living pledge of continuity, the vessel of ancestral oath, and th...

June – The Adventurer Tier: Ealdorman Leofwine and the Command of the Fyrd

“It is better to fall in battle than to live in shame.”
— The Battle of Maldon, line 85 (paraphrased from Byrhtnoth’s speech)

When the enemy approached and smoke rose above the villages, it was not the king who stood in their way—it was the ealdorman.

The ealdorman was the king’s appointed warleader in each region, responsible for mustering the fyrd: a levy of free men—ceorls and t...

Dwarven Supply Cart

There’s no glory in pushing a cart uphill. No songs sing of its arrival.
But without it, no bastion holds, no tunnel is dug, and no bolt is fired.

The supply carts of Murnazdruld aren't built to impress — they’re built to last. Made of thick wood, reinforced with iron plates and covered with canvas to shield their contents from dust and damp, they carry what matters: tools, nails, rope, provisions, and spare parts.

The dwarf behind it wears no rank, but he knows every cre...

Ceorls in Open Combat

“Courage must be the firmer, heart the bolder, spirit the greater as our strength lessens.”
— The Battle of Maldon, lines 312–313

When the shieldwall broke, only the man remained.
Without the shield beside him, the ceorl had to choose: retreat or stand. And many stood, though the line was gone.

In that moment, the battle became something else—closer, dirtier, more desperate. Short strikes, seax to the chest, mud and blood underfoot.

T...

Dwarven Berserker – Fists of Karn

As Tharnûl of Karz-Morûn, I watched them from the other side of the tunnel with a scowl. They were the escort for Karn-Vâruk's envoy, and everything about them was an insult to tradition. Ten dwarves, barely armed with leather harnesses and pieces of metal, like gladiators ready for the pit. Their appearance was a walking rejection of the Murnazdruld's discipline, a mockery of the heavy armor that represented the ancestral order.

I recognized a few of them. A lad whose clan had been ...

The Engineer of the Karnrûn

"Where the dragon's fire burns, the stone must speak louder." — Brômdar Khezzûl, Forge Master of Kar-Gundrak

The Engineers of the Karnrûn are a brotherhood born from humiliation: the dwarven answer to the dragon fire that melted their fortresses during the Elven War. Their tradition began with Kalin de Bandars, a smith who transformed the spite of seeing his life's work incinerated into the blueprints for a new weapon.

For centuries, his descendants s...

Ceorls in Shieldwall

“He who can hold his place, let him hold it. He who cannot, let him flee.”
— The Battle of Maldon, line 199

The ceorl was no professional soldier, but his duty was clear: hold the line.

The law called him, custom placed him in formation, and necessity kept him there—shoulder to shoulder, shield to shield. With only a spear, a seax, and the trust of the man beside him, the ceorls formed the kingdom’s living wall.

They di...

Development Diary – June 2025

Anglo-Saxon Ceorls & Dwarf Bolt Thrower

This month, we've been working on two very different releases—but both have brought a lot of joy, each in their own way.

On the historical side, we’ve expanded our range with a new set of Anglo-Saxon Ceorls. These aren’t elite warriors. No heavy armor, no exaggerated heroic poses—just simple men, standing their ground with a round shield, a spear, and a sense of duty. And that’s exactly why we ...

The Bannerman: June – Dwarves Return to the Forge

"No king rules if his law is not carved in stone."
— Fragment of the Code of Brokhaz

This month on The Bannerman, we return to the stone halls to bring you a new collection of dwarven miniatures. Warriors, engineers, and war machines forged to preserve the legacy of a people who have carried their traditions through centuries of conflict.

We are working on designs inspired by Gallo-Roman aesthetics, featuring ...

The adventurer: Ceorls: History or Hypothesis?

We're working on the Anglo-Saxon ceorls — that middle class who were neither humble fyrdmen nor noble thegns. And we’ve hit a key design question:
How do we distinguish them visually without making things up?

One option we're considering is the use of scale armour made of leather or lightweight materials, inspired by late Roman traditions. There’s no direct evidence of this among the Anglo-Saxons, but we do have sugge...

Dwarf Miners

Upcoming Patreon subscription changes — anyone else following this?

Hi everyone,

Patreon is planning a big change to its subscription model by the end of the year. To support Apple Pay, they’ll be switching all creators to a system where each subscription lasts exactly one month from the date a supporter joins.

Until now, it didn’t matter when someone joined — everyone received the current month’s rewards, and the next billing happened on the 1st. With the new system, this becomes trickier, especially for creators who deliver rewards on a ...

MAY 2025 – Fury and Faith & Call of the Herd

Two paths. No mercy

This month we present two opposing forces.

One marches from the north: farmers turned fighters, trance-driven warriors, and seers who speak with roots and bones. The other rises from forgotten lands, far from patrol roads and noble banners. Where luminarias rot, bodies twist. And what was once elven memory becomes soil for something else.

MAY IN THE ADVENTUR...