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.