Michael Perry's knob

Jumping forward in time slightly, to the days of St. Gurnard's gotterdammerung, I fancied painting some cavalry and dug out a pack from Perry Miniatures 1st Crusade range, so who are basically Normans.

One of the ball-aches of 28mm dark age miniatures is gluing in spears and shields which are usually separate items. No matter what glue you use there's always the risk of them getting knocked off.

I was pleased to see Perry trying something to alleviate this problem, namely a protrusion, or knob, on each figure's arm, and shields with a hole in the middle. 

By sliding the knob into the hole, so to speak, the knob becomes the shield boss and this makes for a much more secure attachment than just sticking a whole shield to the arm. An innovation which goes some way to counterbalancing the usual rough casting from Perrys. 

I handpainted a banner for them. The Normans, being practical souls, don't require fancy knotwork animals like other Dark Age armies, relying on straightforward Christian iconography, bless them. The surface wrinkled a bit, I think I started furling it before it had fully dried. Like a fool.

Here are the dastardly continental scumbags, riding about England's fair land as if they own the place.