Early Imperials WiP Little Big Men Shield Transfers

Ok, so I have been putting off this bit, as it was something that was terrifying me. I had over 150 shield transfers to apply, and I had never used this type before. First results were mixed, mainly my fault, Doh!

So first of all, all my EIR minis are Corvus Belli, so when I ordered the transfers from LBMS Little Big Men Studios, I made sure I ordered the ones designed for Corvus Belli. The oval transfers for the Auxilia seemed to fit perfectly, but the ones for the legionary shields are just a tiny bit too small.  As you can see from the Legionary element on the right below, there is a border round the shield (one of them isn't terribly straight either, but so be it).

Auxilia on the Left, Legions on the right, but you knew that anyway, right?

Apologies for the photograph but it's 11pm and I still haven't got my macro lense for the Canon 500D.

LBMS advise in the instructions to paint the shield white - which I have done..  As you can see there is a noticeable white border. For the rest of the minis, I will paint the shields centres white and then do the best colour match I can to paint around the edge. It should be hardly noticeable.

The process of applying the transfers is fiddly - but straight-forward. So heres my advice.

1. Do this with plenty of light.
2. Do it on a contrasting background. Not white, and not the transfer colour either!
3. Have a rubbish area for all the tiny bits of plastic and paper that you will generate.
4. Make sure you have a very sharp (new) blade for your knife to cut out bosses. (I found doing all the strokes in one direction down a transfer sheet then turning it to cut the other direction made it easier). Have a spare blade handy as nothing blunts a knife faster than cutting paper.
5. Buy yourself a really really good pair of small scissors, and make sure they are completely clean. I can't emphasise this enough, you don't want to cut curves using a craft knife.
6. Removing the plastic covering is easier than I thought it would be, but you will need a LOT of patience. It is fiddly. Don't do it on the day you came home from work and kicked the cat.
7. Yes, they really do stick very well!
8. As you will be blobbing water on to the figure to remove the backing, make sure the figure is sealed or at least paints/washes have had plenty of time to set.
9. Get a rhythmn going. Sort out how many you intend to do. Once you start you can be peeling backing off the first figure in the element and then placing the transfer on the last. You can get quite quick.

Overall, with the caveat that the legionary transfers seem to be slightly too small, I am very pleased with the overall result. I will certainly use LBMS transfers again, and I am also no longer gripped with terror at the thought of having to do the entire army. I suspect a couple of hours will knock them all over.

So now I just have to get back to painting..