Article by Guy Rheuark
I recently finished painting the Pirates of Legend box, and took the time to take some pictures of them. The Pirates of Legend box contains 10 unique, multi-part hard plastic miniatures for Blood & Plunder. Each miniature represents a high profile character from the Raise the Black expansion that covers the Golden Age of Piracy.
Bartholomew Roberts
Let’s start with my favorite that I painted, Bartholomew “Black Bart” Roberts. I painted his coat red with black trim.
His art in Raise the Black adds little swirls to his coat, so I had to try replicating that
I gave every pirate with the Black moniker some clothing that is black, and with Black Bart it is his sash.
Edward “Blackbeard” Teach
Black Beard should need no introduction. If you are wondering why I included him with the Pirates of Legend, it is because he is part of the Sprue.
I tried painting Blackbeard to match the 2 Player Starter box art by Ian Hosfeld. The pinstripe pants were the hardest, but they turned out good.
I gave his black hair a brown wash and a gray highlight to help it stand out from the other places I used black on the model.
Black Beard’s coat and sash has some great creases that are great for washes, and by extension contrast paints.
Black Caesar
For Black Caesar I wanted him to look like a shipwreck survivor that has slowly upgraded his clothes. I’ve slowly been getting better at white worn clothes and used that technique here.
I tried making his arm band, bandana, and impromptu coat tie look like that might of all come from the same donor coat.
I used a lot of different browns here. Luckily I had painted up a Garifuna force prior and used those same skin tones, though I did change my gun stock color to not use the same base color.
“Black Sam” Bellamy
“Black Sam” Bellamy was the last model I painted. His attire struck me as more modern, so I made the coat and hat look like leather.
I tried making his pistol scarf look like silk, to contrast the dark tones of the coat and pants.
His expression is not as interesting as some of the others; more pensive as he pulls on his pipe.
Stede Bonnet
Wearing a bright orange coat is Stede Bonnet. His sculpt has a lot of details that remind me of some of the 17th century Firelock Games models, such as the sleeves and frilled trim.
While orange might seem a little odd, I did find some period art that I used as a reference.
I ended up very happy with how he turned out.
Amaro “Pargo” Rodriguez Felipe
Amaro “Pargo” Rodriguez Felipe’s coat is the Spanish uniform of the time, including the red tights.
I added a metallic golden trim to his hat with yellow feathers.
Pargo is wearing a black tunic under his coat. Black is a common theme in these models, but Pargo’s tunic has less wear and fade.
Olivier “La Buse” Levasseur
Olivier “La Buse” Levasseur I put in a coat close to a French marine uniform.
I gave him a bright red bandanna as a reference to a vulture.
Interestingly I think this is supposed to be La Buse from his early career, before his eye wound.
Charles Vane
I wasn’t as happy with my job on Charles Vane, in a simple gray shirt, so I added some blood to make it a little more interesting.
I added some interesting contrasts to his shirt and shoes, along with an orange wool hat.
Robert Maynard
The last pirate of this bunch isn’t really a pirate. Robert Maynard is usually depicted in a blue coat, the English uniform of the time.
His coat is simpler and different than the reference, so I interpreted it as an different type of coat, and made it gray to match other English Navy uniforms.
I also intend for Maynard to stand in as a character sometimes.
Anne Bonny & Mary Read
The three I am missing are Anne Bonny, Mary Read, and Jack Rackham. I painted these before I opened this sprue, and have been detailed on this blog before.
I intend to paint the extras I have, but different somehow.
I hope you enjoyed this look at this painted sprue. Painting a whole box of commanders was an exhausting experience because I try to paint my commanders at my highest skill level. Most of this was edge highlighting, dry brushing, washes, glazes, and attention to detail. Keep painting those pirates!
Additional Recommended Reading
- Charles Vane Painted Miniature
- Stede Bonnet Painted Miniature
- Blackbeard Painted Miniature
- Mary Read & Anne Bonny Miniatures
- Dan’s Blackbeard vs. Maynard Two Player Starter Set