18 Pdr Completed and ready to roll dice.

Hi Chaps,

Well with some great advice from Tinshed (Mark) from the Lead Adventure Forum my little artillery piece is now completed and ready to roll dice in anger. The build was actually pretty straight forward once the length of the barrel was worked out and wheels found.

A cereal packet provided the front shield and other iron plate bits of the gun and greenstuff helped create the breach. The crew are Plastic Soldier Company Russian plastics with new heads from Sloppy Jalopy and the Warlord German box set.

The same was done for the Infantry unit... so now almost for free I have a little Spanish Civil War/VBCW unit. More importantly if I ever need artillery for something I can be sure of scratch building if I can't afford to buy one.

The scratch building will continue as I have just purchased the Peter Pig Pdf for AK 47. I really do want to make some little terrain pieces for this game-15MM will be a massive change but I used to love this game back when I actually used to play!

Thanks for popping by Chaps you keep me going with your blogs, I love them all.

A Very British Civil War 28MM

Hi Chaps,

Well its been the most productive day or two for months-years? During my clear out I came across some Plastic Soldier Company 28MM Russians still on the sprue. Out came the clippers and the bits box and a few hours later I had a company of Spanish Civil War types...

So with the 18 Pounder that I had begun earlier in the week it seemed logical to see what I could cobble together for the wonderfully British idea of a civil war in 1938. As it turns out I ordered a group of miners from Sally 4th (they arrived very quickly) and some odds and ends-drivers and a dispatch rider from Empress and Footsore...

Whilst passing my local hobby shop I rashly purchased a box of Warlord British Expeditionary Force troopswhich are now based and awaiting an undercoat. So, for the first time in a long time I have 30 or more metal figures awaiting delivery or paint, happy days indeed.

A second 18 Pounder will be started and if I can source more wheels more artillery will be constructed-it really is addictive and I just like the thought of them being home made. I believe that the Perry twins (are they knighted yet?) are going to release plastic figures for world war one which is the best war gaming news I will have ever heard.... the next best would be a re release of the Warhammer Great War set.

Keep gaming and blogging Guys I will update when a few militia units are painted

New Painting Station

Hi Chaps,

Well after a brief intermission from painting I have had a good old fashioned clear out. In fact it was so good that I will shortly be left with just the one army (gasp) a Perry Wars of the Roses era bunch of figures based singly. It was literally amazing to find drawers full of old paints-enamels that had not been used nor ever to be used again...20MM plastics...bits of wood kept for a purpose long forgotten. Anyway the lot went in the bin.

During the clear out I decided to make a new paint rack. This had the potential to end up like Homers spice rack...

Anyway with just the jaw bone of an ass the rack was completed and now houses a mere 145 pots of paint plus a few sundries. First thing I googled last night was the paints on my wish list!

The new table top is a whopping 24"X33" which if I keep tidy should be large enough to paint on. There are three model cars on the shelves which should give a clue as to the next project which has been subject to meticulous military style planning. No expense has been spared on forming army lists and terrain needs... now it just has to get passed the chancellor ie. my better half.

Just incase no one has come across the Lead Adventure Forum please give this website a look. It is a mine of useful information and helpful people. Currently I am attempting to scratch build a couple of 18 Pdr field guns and the help has been tremendous. 

https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=116040.0

The workmanship of some of the guys is astounding-in cardboard-I just want a passable gun on the table and I will be happy and will have saved £30 or more! 

Keep blogging Guys next installment will be a pile of figures!

Back from the void.

Hi Chaps,

How many times do you read a blog with the opening line similar to..."its been a long time since my last post"? It happens rather a lot and probably all for very similar reasons... life is just busy. Life has been too busy for myself but I am determined to make some time to update the blog and paint the occasional figure. I apologize for my absence it was almost beyond my control.

I have been painting over the last six months but only on the odd hour here and there. Despite having no time I have completed the Kill Team set from Games Workshop which is an excellent buy-really good value (who would have thought?). Here are a couple of the miners from that set.

As is normal I apologise for the picture quality, my experiments with lighting have led to naught but failure. I will be attempting a different technique shortly involving an i phone.

My Empire Army has grown in size and is now 4 units strong but I am resisting taking pictures for the moment until I have painted my two remaining units and I can provide an army showcase of sorts. The medieval/fantasy theme s still a favourite of mine and I cannot resist buying the odd Reaper miniature now and again because they are cheap and full of character...

Despite not having time to paint I purchased a couple of boxes of Perry Wars of the Roses infantry and Mercenaries. The problem I face is do I base them singly or on multiple bases? Tips would be welcome.

Keep blogging Guys you got me through a crappy 12 months.

Rapid Fire Germans Speed Painted.

Hi Chaps,

Just a quick update on my painting activities which have been severely curtailed by work and other life commitments. Due to such little time to paint but still containing the desire to game I decided to speed paint my Valiant Germans.

It has been an interesting experiment with so far three colours on the figures slapped on with a huge Humbrol size 6 brush... not pretty.

Next stage is a wash of nuln oil and then the flesh will be applied. The final stage will be re touching the uniform and equipment. Hopefully these guys will be useable and give me the starting point of having a British and German force. Already I have a little list of desired vehicles from Frontline and Grubby and of course... more figures!

Next week I will begin a few buildings in 20mm which is a scale that I have never had much success in previously but I do need some houses for the guys to shelter in and fight over.

Keep Blogging.

WarHammer 40K Kill Team starter set arrives.

Hi Chaps,

It would seem that I have turned into a Games Workshop devotee but if I have it came out of nowhere and I can explain...

Games Workshop have been producing models and games that are good value for the money. That right there is a shocker. For most of my adult gaming life I have rarely if ever purchased anything other than paint from them. This year I have bought two boxed sets and the latest one is by far one of the most interesting and complete wargames purchases that I have ever made.

The set cost £75 off Amazon Uk (it is sold out nearly everywhere) and is very good value for money. It comes with a quality gaming board, dice, figures, ruler and an awful lot of scenery and an excellent rulebook and a few manuals etc to help you start playing. Nothing else in miniature wargaming comes close to this.

To add to my enthusiasm for the set the rules are actually intriguing and seem very simple to use, not at all like the 40K mass battle ruleset which I find a confusing mess. Both "teams" are actually human looking-not a tin suit in sight which for me adds to the suspension of disbelief.

It will take a while to paint the figures and even the scenery which are now all assembled and undercoated. Pics will follow if I can actually paint something instead of rolling dice and enjoying myself. The wargaming gods have been against me though as I have worked two weeks straight though I intend a painting frenzy when I finally get a day off.

Keep blogging Chaps and if you get a chance to play this game do have a go.

Games Workshop best figures in the world?

Hi Chaps,

Its been busy at work but I have found time to paint a few figures in a hurried fashion in between life, work, decorating and the usual life hassles. Indeed I have painted some Skaven simply because I have never painted or owned them before...they were fun but I have no idea how they will slot into my fantasy world just yet.

As you can see they are not based yet, indeed these little guys were bought off ebay for a few pounds based on square bases but never painted, another few pounds and I was the proud owner of 50 round plastic bases, bless ebay.

Like everyone else in Britain (seemingly) I bought the Conquest magazine by Games Workshop and scored three paints, a brush and three figures costing £1.99. Absolute bargain-I bought four of the magazines. When I made one of the figures though it became clear that the Space Marines have been on steroids.

I wonder if this is now the size of all Space Marines or just for the Conquest game?

My plan of a free peoples army slogs along as fast as life allows and this is where I am at now. Two infantry units, a cannon and a grudge pony... my army will have Dwarves in it even amongst the men as in my world they get along just enough to do this.

The Grudge Pony is a wonderfully strange model that I have owned since my now 17 year old was about 4 or 5. Took a while to get around to him even for me.

Here are the rest of the lads...

I have to admit that I pretty much ignored Games Workshop for decades due to their pricing and strategy of making you buy codex books but since the release of Sigmar I have been impressed. The release of free rules means I don't mind buying a Generals handbook and the starter sets are actually very good value. I am still painting the first Sigmar set that I bought in January....

Today I went to spend £80 on the Kill Team starter set and..... it was not in stock. Trust me I rarely have £80 to spend on the hobby at any one time and today was going to be a treat. Balls. Oh well I may have to wait a few days to get hold of the starter set which at least does not contain Space Marines which are my least favourite figures they produce. Lets face it GW do produce the best figures in the world, followed so closely by the Perries who would get the title if only their figures were slightly stockier.

I actually did write to the old CEO of GW to voice my opinions and they have followed my advice to the letter (well I like to think so) so just incase they follow this blog please bring back the Bretonians and Empire, release a line of human looking 40K types and for the love of all that is holy adopt a Sigmar style set of rules for 40K which will be free......

So thanks for looking Chaps, sorry about the photo quality (again) and keep blogging it practically keeps me sane at work.