Alcohol and the internet

If you have read this blog for any length of time it will be no surprise to you that I am financially challenged...hence my searching of the dictionary for the meaning of the word remorse..."a painful emotional state brought about by ones own actions"..and the cause of my remorse? A measly £8.09 spent on Orion miniatures Chechan fighters, how can I resist after 4 cans of cider? I blame it on other blogs full of well painted figure porn...I am only a man for gods sake...
Take a look at Orion minis...amazing!
And as for the other bloggers who caused this?..Karma...it will get you one day...

US troops work in progress

Hi
thought I'd plop a picture of my first unit of US infantry on here, the chaps in the foreground had not recieved their flesh highlight at the time of the photo...the unit is now complete. Despite my initial reservations about this scale I have sent for some Ceasar insurgents, its so cheap I just thought why not? The next purchase will be some Humvees in resin...there are a couple of Blogs to blame for this Sgt Scream in particular is to blame..

Any suggestions on manufacturers who accept paypal would help as I am new to this scale. What are RH models like? Thanks.

20mm painting frenzy begins...slowly

Hi,
these are the first four 20mm figures from Revell. I think that I need a new set of eyeballs! Also a finer brush would not go amiss. The cammo scheme was meant to be desert but in the end it turned out nothing like it but my old eyes dont seem to mind. My main concern is the bendy plastic which has already had a coat of PVA glue, if these were a touch tougher I would'nt mind spending the time painting...

American plastic troops...

Had enough time through the day to prepare my newly acquired US infantry in 1/72nd scale-soft plastic is a strange medium to work with when you are not used to it. I coated the figures with PVA glue a couple of hours before spraying them black, even the contact adhesive used to glue the figures to their bases is new to me.
I will be painting these chaps in a desert colour scheme and see how these turn out. I also noticed that there are plenty of insurgent types on the internet to cross swords with...I've not gamed with soft plastic since I was a kid but the price is so low it does actually match my funds at the moment! Oh well I will paint for a couple of hours tonight and post the results tomorrow.

1/72nd American Infantry...in plastic...oh my

A complete lack of figures to paint has forced my hand! £5.99 omn a box of little men that turned out to be rubbery and greasy-maybe I should have just paid another £15 and gone for quality 28mm... I have a problem-how the hell to paint these flexible little chaps?

I remember buying some Soviet WW2 infantry and the plastic was very hard and the figures very "full", these chaps are anorexic floppy bitches in comparison....oh well it looks like PVA glue coating before matt black.....will keep you posted.
Thanks and have a good Saturday night.

South African army pic

Hi,
this is a pic of a friend of mine who served in the South African forces when it was actually rather dangerous to do so. Maybe of use to anyone studying uniform colours or flesh tones! Mr Harpers fascination with snakes continues to this day.

Repainted and rebased some Artillery

As the Renegade order has still not arrived I took this opportunity to repaint and rebase some old artillery pieces. I think they are Hinchcliffe and they are over 20 years old...my goodness that makess me feel so ancient. Anyway I thought they might come in handy for colonial games even though they started life as an artillery battery for the Royalists! Waste not want not as the really irritating Victorian saying goes.
My pictures lately havent been up to much but better weather and lighting may allow me to take a picture of a game or two.
My project for this evening is rather different, I have had a toy car in my bits box for nearly 5 years and I intend to alter it drastically for a Back of Beyond adventure. Quite when I will afford the figures to go with it is another matter but I am an optimist and I expect a large lottery win any day now. Any suggestions or links to a similar project would be of immense help, it will be a bonus if I keep all my digits after messing with power tools.

Dixon miniatures saved me....

In one last desperate rummage around I found a handful (posse?) of old Dixon miniature mexicans-and they got painted! They are still a work in progress as the bases are not finished. In the background are two old cannons...one of which has the start of a gaudy paint job so that I can use it in Darkest Africa or Back of Beyond games....just need to base the crews seperatley.
A mention in despatches must go to Arcane scenery...I ordered from them using ebay, just a packet of round bases and they turned up today-thats less than 24 hours which is pretty damn amazing. Needless to say renegade are still awol with their order but its only two weeks tomorrow so I'm not unduly worried yet. I've included a photo of the drunken Mexicans...

Sorry about the quality I will search out some better pictures as my painting desk has starred in far too many posts recently.

15mm Crossbows

Well this is the last of my unpainted figures which maybe just as well given how awkward I found them to paint! Come on Renegade I know its only day 12 but you would'nt want to see me sat without a project would you? Actually renagade just relax, no pressure with the price you charge I should be more patient.
Without any further ado here are 3 crossbowmen and a very rubbery Turk from Hat...I would be tempted with more of HATs products if they would hold paint-does anyone use them? Does anyone know howto toughen these little suckers up? The HAT artillery is superb...oh well.

Ever Victorious armies, by Chris Peers anyone?

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone has used this ruleset, I used to use it a lot but I think it is now collecting dust at my inlaws in Thailand-or I lent it out! Either way I need to acquire another copy of this Chris Peers classic ruleset...I can either buy it or swap an as new copy of Rapid Fire for it. I have tried all the usual traders but to no avail which is odd because these are a really useful set and I cant be the only person other than Mr Peers who likes them can I?
I have painted a few models over the last week Renegade you cause me pain with your absence!), these really are the bottom of my now empty spares box. First up the Renegade artillery and crew which now just need their bases finishing and lastly a wargames factory (?) ancient brit and a one legged pirate...If it was a one legged gold digger Paul McCartney would be emailing me like a shot!
Oh well I hope the postie arrives with good news tomorrow, I have been taking pics of Chitra to plaster my blog with if the painting stops entirely! Oh and I almost forgot ordering either Hat 28mm El Cid or wargames factory Zulus...will decide over a cup of tea tonight...

Hat 28mm What is it like?

It seems odd (due to the amount of time I spend looking at miniature figures) that I have never considered Hat in 28mm. It could be the rubbery artillery that put me off them...that was a wierd experience! Anyway I was trawling fleabay when I chanced upon the hard plastic 28mm offerings from this company. At around £12 for 32 figures these things have to be seriously considered....by the poor gamer anyway! Has anyone any experience of painting these little characters?
What armies could one build? Just the ElCid gig or can they be veratile? Anyway next week I shall throw caution to the wind and buy a couple of boxes! 62 28mm figures to paint....thats a DBA army at least? Help would be appreciated.
I am sure that lots of knowledgeable people may drop by here so does anyone know what this next picture is? It looks like a gorget? Is it military? Boars tusk or walrus...no one here knows...

Meet the girls...

Hi All,
just thought I'd pop a picture of some models on here that I painted years ago...just a bit of fun for a cold winters evening. I must point out they were painted a long long time ago and they havent aged gracefully! On the plus side they dont say much!

The chaos of my painting desk can just be glimpsed...its strange but I have a folder full of pictures of other peoples work stations! Matbe we can learn from how others sort their kit out? Anyway over the next couple of days I will post a pic of my work station and model shelves.

Unknown figures and my bases arrive.

Earlier I started to trawl through "the box" that ever wargamer of a certain age will have. Its the one full of tins of old enamel paint (why did we keep them) and of unpainted figures whose origin is probably forgotten! Amongst various bits of scrap card (kept for scratch building that never seems to happen) I found 22 archers which maybe Assyrian? Persian? I dont know what they are or who made them so if anyone could inform me it would solve a mystery-hey if anyone in the UK wants them I will post them to you!
Also my bases arrived-not a big deal to most but East Riding Miniatures deserve a mention in despatches for their usual good service. This actually means that I can base 12 figures on each of the larger basess....now need to acquire a Black powder army to practise my basing technique! One base for a small battalion, two for a normal sized unit and three for a large one! Cheap and cheerful if I could decide a period....another pleasant problem.

Lastly I have added a pic from my bedroon window...no rabbits to take for the pot yet...anyone got an old airgun doing nothing? I have a growing collection of the things!

Waiting...

Well I've had to paint another dated figure as I have exhausted my reserves of normal models. This chap was speed painted late at night, beer was involved as you can see. For the life of me I cant remember the name of the boardgame he's from...anyone help?
Anyway I await the dainty patter of the posties approaching steps as he delivers my bases from East Riding Minis and my figures from Renegade their arrival will release me from the torment of dated castings that belong in some sort of miniature museum!

More midnight madness Ral Patha Retro style!

Well another night without sleep and another night scratching around trying to find something to paint. Last nights victim has been on my unpainted pile for a whopping 13 years! Its a Ral Patha viking giant from 1997...god knows why I bought him....anyway he was duly undercoated black and painted.
Its very wierd painting such a dated figure...a bit like vintage porn! What was once really interesting has become dated and about as fashionable as a powdered wig....I've done it but wont be doing it again. I hope that the Renegade order arrives next week to spare me from more dubious models.

My painting station needs a tidy up and scouring...not as much to remove dirt but to rid it of the memory of some of the awful castings it has been home to recently.

Insomnia and a lack of figures = this!

Trawled through boxes from under the bed to find a couple of figures...sprayed them matt black yesterday which was lucky because last night I couldnt sleep. Its a poor photo but it was 1am and my only light source was weak. I think this figure is from an old boardgame, I have a few that are very similar in design, they will end up in my HOTT goblin army-I dont actually have a list for this yet but I am sure that the figures will be useful for something.

Renegade Miniatures rock!

Hi, just put in an order for a WW1 regiment and command from Renegade miniatures. 10.55am on 7th January...wonder how long it will be before they arrive? I have always liked Renegade miniatures, they are easy to paint, a good size and best of all cheap! At a tad under £25 these figures are very good value, 3 HMGs, 16 infantry and a pack of 8 command...add this to the odds I have now and its starting to look like an army! Useful not only for the first world war but at a push they could be part of a Back of Beyond force...ah happy times!

Random pics of past work

Hi, its a cause of celebration-blue sky! To make the most of this event (almost as rare as a solar eclipse here in Cumbria) I grabbed some old figures and pointed a camera at them. The pics are'nt great but at least I've got something to plop on here. By the way if anyone ever wants to swap some of my painted stuff for your unpainted...drop me a line. Fleabay has taken enough of my hard earned to bother with them any more, it always seems that my stuff goes for 99p unless I put a reserve on it!
I have a soft spot for the science fiction figures-they were the last figures my wife bought me before she died...
Anyway on a lighter note it was fun to paint the 6mm stuff but its just not my bag-so they will have to go as I have very limited space.

Old Rulesets.

Being a solo wargamer (that is if I actually game at all) I prefer simple rule mechanisms that actually allow me to complete a game without feeling that I've run a marathon. Anyone remember WRG 7th edition!? So travelling along this line of thought I began to think of rulesets that were important to me on my solo journey. Heres a brief list-most of the rules have been superceded by more modern thought but at the time these were groundbreaking.

1) DBA. The king of solo rulesets, cheap and complete with army lists.
2) Rapid Fire, the best modern set for WW2 and especially useful to the financially challenged gamer who can build his armies in 20mm plastic.
3) Operation Warboard, amazing groundbreaking set-I used this till the book fell apart!
4) PSL Guide to wargaming, what an excellent book this was!
5) Black powder, wargaming excellence.
6) Contemptable Little Armies, written by the scribe to the wargaming gods himself Chris Peers.
7) Ever Victorious Armies, if you find a copy buy it! I left mine in Thailand....
8) WRG 5th Edition...the last playable set from RG till DBA arrived.
9) Irregular miniatures Napoleonic rules for 6mm. these come in a box and are printed on coloured index cards-they actually work very well!
10) Fire and Fury, played this a few times and they worked well.

So there you have it 1685-1845 should get an honourable mention-what did you chaps use? I shall be delving into Black Powder this year at some point...the Sudan looks good and cheap-if we get plastic tribesman....

Work in Progress

Hi All,
despite being rather tipsy over the new year I have started to paint some 28mm WW1 Germans. I've not painted for a while and the camers seems to show a lot of problems-but they are not yet finished....thats my excuse. I'm rather looking forward to playing a couple of small games using more Renegade minis, maybe some French? I will use a Chris Peers ruleset, my son understands them and is rather tactically aware!

Hope everyone out there is starting a new campaign for a new year! What will it be chaps?

New Years Day

Well just eaten a Thai curry...looking through some pics from last year again and found these chaps. I dont think I will try the 20mm plastics as I've just seen some that I did last year and they look...shabby! Just found at the bottom of a drawer-8 german WW1 Renegade figureas and an artillery piece with crew-lifes good when little victories like this occur. Come on plastic manufacturers lets have some first world war back of beyond types produced...enough of the Napoleonic nonsense!

Definatley no 20mm plastics! They are easy to paint but look so spindly!