Adieu 2019

There will not be any new posts this year so may I take this opportunity to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and peaceful New Year. 

And remember that while you can never be overdressed to refight a battle, it is always better to leave your horse outside or else the beast will eat your trees. And knock over your Scotch.

Another Step Forward

The Confederate army takes another lurch forward in the form of this 12 figure infantry unit. They were actually completed over a month ago but I've been busy with life-stuff.

I've gone for a more butternut colour scheme for these figures. \I have one more plastic 12 figure unit in the queue, but first of all I am completing "Sir's" unit using these Perry metal figures.

I should have the last 4 figures and "Sir" himself finished shortly. I thought a more regulation uniform look was suitable for him and his entourage.

I have also been busy on the Jacklex front but will probably save that until the New Year.

Confederate Skirmishers

At the moment I am building a 30 point Confederate army for Rebels and Patriots (R&P from now on).  Each standard unit of skirmishers is 6 figures strong in the rules. I had these 12 figures in suitable poses in the lead pile. 

Unit #1, Good Shots at a total of 4 points

I decided to spend 8 points on these fellows, 2 points for the standard six plus a 2 point upgrade for "good shots".

They are skirmishers after all and a steady hand would be an advantage!

Unit #2, Good Shots at a total of 4 points

I am looking forward to the Union troops more to be honest, this is a bit like painting WW2 Germans for me, a necessary evil before I manage to get to the "good guys". But I've started so I'll finish as someone once said.

Next up some artillery and another plastic 12 figure unit.

Jacklex Miniatures Available Again

The Jacklex range of figures, previously available from Spencer Smith, have a new home:

There are a number of new additions to the ranges and my first order went in this morning. 

The new site is well worth a visit here. The free ACW rules by Andy Callan on the "Wargaming" page here appear to be the answer to my prayers for my planned  Old School ACW project. More of this later.

I Had A Little Pause

It is safe to say that I will not remember 2019 with any fondness. It really has been one bit of bad luck followed by another; the biggest kick in the teeth being my father passing away at the beginning of last month. 

I have been painting away, mainly to take my mind off things and have tried to follow your blog updates when possible. I just did not feel like posting anything myself.

Of all my model collections "the blue and the grey ones" were always Dads' favourites.

So, I will be posting again properly later this week, starting off with my Perry Confederate 28mm figures based for "Rebels and Patriots", I am a handful of figures away from a club night challenge. 

A Gentleman's War Rule Book

While I have not been able to do much painting I have been gaming reasonably regularly on a Wednesday night and making a number of small purchases.

My most recent arrived to day from Amazon:

This is the soft cover version although I wish I had bought the hard cover version now because it would have been even more Old School. 

I have played the game already with the Yahoo Group download rules using various Airfix figures and they do make for a terrific game...thoroughly recommended.

Small Steps

I have now been able to focus back on wargames long enough to produce the British Army Commander for the 1879 project.

Unlike a true British Commander he is actually a bit wobbly - he will need to have a more stable base added. 

Next in the 1879 queue are some British Hussars, but my next post should be the Franco Prussian War. I really do think I should put that one to bed and stop with the distractions.

Distractions: Curse of the Nine to Fiver

It has now been a full month since I started my new work posting. Regular hours, weekends off and only getting off late twice so far. So why the slow output? After all these figures were painted weeks ago and all they needed was basing up.

First 12 figure unit for "Rebels & Redcoats".

 It didn't help that I had a bout of "man-flu" and that suddenly Dad's Taxi Service is so much more convenient than any other mode of transport; but my 6 am week day alarm call is a neatly transferable skill for the weekends. I should have the time (and energy) to do more. 

Therein lies the problem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hardly Pickett's charge but it is a start.

I DO have the time and energy to do things...and I'm getting carried away with it! 

The Formula1 season has started and for the first time I can watch all the races live on any given Sunday. I can also watch Saturday practice and qualifying - so I do. Then to the garden (to keep myself in her good books) for some power mowing and weeding etc. 

Yesterday, for the first time in over 30 years, I visited Brands Hatch race track and watched hours of GT Sprint racing. Didn't realise how much I liked Aston Martin's (see below):

I do need to practice my photography a little!

 And this afternoon I went up into the attic and pulled out plastic kits I bought year's ago. 

So no complaining but I am fully employed with distractions aplenty. I hope to calm down but for the moment I am cleaning off my old airbrush and compressor to see if they still work. I have a  Volkswagen in need of a paint job!

Games Night Tonight

Tonight was another first for me on my new Wednesday "Games Night". A sci-fi game called Battlefleet Gothic (or something like that). Apparently its an old Warhammer game that is no longer in production. As usual I lost. However Neil's models were great and it got me thinking.

I was given control of the two big ships in this picture-both died horribly!

All this "broadsides", "torpedoes" and flat gaming surface stuff got me thinking about naval wargames. Something else that I have never played.

The Battlefleet game itself  requires a level of thinking ahead (after all there's not a lot of stuff to hide behind in space - or at sea) with torpedoes and wreckage dictating your next few moves.

While these guys look like ducks - they turned out to be lethal!

Plus as a visual spectacle the models really come into their own. I have seen some fantastic looking naval models made up and so its certainly got me thinking about the possibilities...

"Tricornicus"

Or "Wargaming the American War of Independance....My Way"

Many moons ago I had a number of 1/72nd AWI figures sculpted for me by Mr Andrew Stadden intended as a retirement project all for me. There are lots of fantastic ranges out there but I wanted to do it in my favourite scale with figures of my specification. 

So far I have 7 master figures sculpted but only 1 of those poses has had moulds made and figures cast - "Early British Infantry Charging"

The figure has a separate musket so lends itself to a fair bit of tweaking and conveniently doubles as a standard bearer and Sergeant with pike with a little work. (The officer figure is a plastic IMEX figure). This is not a commercial project (I learned my lesson first time round) but I would like to expand the collection to other favourite periods in due course.

I will get the other 6 figures (British & American officers and drummers, American infantry and a British Grenadier) cast up much later this year, but as I start my new Monday to Friday job tomorrow I thought I can at least show off my toys and start to dream of my little pet project finally taking off.  

Rebs!

A quick preview of my fledgling latest collection. As mentioned in an earlier post I have joined a wargames club here. In a rush of enthusiasm on the first night I signed up to an ACW rule system that the club intend to play - "Redcoats & Rebels". I know the Union forces have already been started by other members so I have glued up and started painting some Perry Plastic 28mm Confederates first.

This game came be played to a conclusion within the 2-3 hours available on a Wednesday night. 

However I also love BIG ACW battles using "Fire & Fury" and have a separate collection going on there in 15mm. Plus, I have a small collection of vintage 20mm ACW figures (mainly Hinton Hunt) which I have been amassing over the years. 3 collections may seem a little extravagant but you only live once. And it is the American Civil War.

So, 28mm ACW is the second project for the remainder of 2019 and with the relatively low number of figures needed is the most likely to be completed. Especially as others are also now expecting a full contribution on my part. 

More Airfix Waterloo

Having reached a milestone of more games played in 2019 than 2017 & 2018 combined I have also been slowly adding to various collections. The first is this British artillery base.

Waterloo Horse Artillery - probably my favourite of all the Airfux sets

I have a few more weeks of shift work to go before I join the 9-5 set so I hope to increase output very soon. Rather than go bonkers and start painting everything I have I will probably stick with 4 main projects for 2019. Next up for the Airfix collection are those really useful marching French artillerymen. 

But for my next post are some 28mm ACW destined for some club games later in the year.

Tonight I Played A Wargame

In my build up to normality in the working arena, tonight I visited a local wargames club and played a wargame. Actually two - we played the same game twice.

It looked nothing like this....I wasn't wearing a tie.

The game itself was linked to the "Terminator" movies and I was a test player for a participation game for a wargames show this Sunday. Having never played the game, which involved plenty of dice (always a good sign) I did manage to defend humanity in one game and throw it all away in the second. I have sort of signed myself up to assisting in figures for an ACW era "Rebels & Patriots" game so I obviously had a fair bit a fun. The rules are ordered and on their way and I am sure the figure orders will follow swiftly!

A Proper Version Of The Best Story Ever?

My all time favourite read has to be HG Wells "War of the Worlds". I have longed for a true cinematic adaption to come along, but alas films are always "adapted" to contemporary settings (and invariably transferred to the USA). So imagine my delight when I discovered last night about this upcoming BBC, 3-part production for 2019.

Even looks like one of my favourite illustrations from booklet inside the Jeff Wayne album.

Will we finally see "The Thunderchild" in action? The "black smoke"?

Now I know this is the BBC and the possibility exists that the Martians will be sent packing by vegan Suffragettes dissuading them from acts of violence or some such; but the blurb says it will be true to the original story. Dare to dream, but this could be a major tick on the old bucket list. 

Middlesex Regiment Mobilised

Today we would laugh at the idea of some Pan-European Super State watching us from across The Channel with envious eyes, secretly making plans to impose their will, their laws and their dictatorial views upon the true democracy that is Dear Old Blighty. Ahem. 

But as the invasion of 1879 showed this was not always the case. One of the first regiments to be mobilised  to face the invading horde was the Middlesex Regiment,  lead by none other than Colonel Arthur Brown VC; "Hero of Balaclava".

Not a wobbly lip in the lot of them.

Colonel Brown (of the Newcastle Brown's) needs no introduction; his flanking attack on the Russian looters of the Royal Welch Fusilier's Balaclava camp is the stuff of legend. Not so his similar assault on Constables Barker and Reeves at the "Fusiliers Arms" Woolwich upon his return, but I digress.

Brown's batman obviously forgot to unpack the VC when this shot was taken!

Private soldier's promotions, medal awards and moustaches will be added as the great campaign unfolds, but for now the Regiment has been issued the necessary arms, ammunition and gloss varnish. For Queen, country and real ale, huzzah!

(I would have started on the first of the dastardly German invaders however I made a total arse of my first order and have had to send the heads back for the correct pickelhaube replacements to be sent. I obviously had one too many port's in the mess before going on line).

Empire in Peril

While I have been busy painting it has mainly been for other people's collections at the moment. However in the early morning commute I have been catching up on my historical reading.

A thumping good yarn!

Long inspired by the old school games of Ross (and others) I have finally taken the plunge. One of  my projects for 2019 will be Spencer Smith's "Little Britons" range of  toy soldiers and using the web available "Gentleman's War" rules. Here's my first rosy cheeked test figure:

Moustaches to be the reserve of officers and NCO's.

The author William Le Queux generously gives us a choice of French, Russian and German adversaries. Choices, choices, choices!

20mm 1914 German Infantry

Incredibly it has been over 4 years now since I added to the Battle of Mons collection. I had 19 remaining German infantry which as you can see are now complete.

I still intend to use the "Crush the Kaiser" rules which I have played a couple of times now. A new order has been placed with Tumbling Dice for the outstanding infantry figures to make up a whole battalion, plus limbers for the already complete guns.

"Small" 20mm figures from Tumbling Dice

My most important purchase for 2019 however is a new lamp so that I can improve the lighting on my photographs! It should arrive next week.

I am quietly confident that 2019 will be a better year for figure output and even some games (I  only played one in 2018) due to a transfer of departments planned for April. Mainly office based, working office hours and weekends off. Just like normal people.

Wishing you all the best for 2019,

Matt