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Saturday 6 July 2019

No Summer Purchases Challenge - Day 36: TW3 6.7.19

Still no purchases!
Continuing the bits and bobs

  • More TYW pikemen finished
  • French artillery rebased
  • British artillery rebased.
  • 5 turns of the Vimeiro scenario played (no displays of senility yet, although there has been an imbalance in dice fortune in my favour - I suspect it will reverse radically in the next session).

A bit of a hole where the first French grenadier brigade was


The second grenadier brigade closes in on the British line


The left of the British line - out of shot to the left Acland's brigade of 2 battalions has just arrived

Monday 1 July 2019

Thursday 27 June 2019

No Summer Purchases - Day 27 - 27.6.19 and a game of To The Strongest

So last Tuesday night Dave came over for a Hundred Years War game using "To The Strongest". It was a great game using the "time is of the essence scenario" where the French lose a token at the beginning of every move after the first.

I was the English and Dave was the French, with the English winning a game that was plagued by alternating bouts of senility on either side of the table.

We have decided that game will never be spoken of again.

Next up is probably the Vimiero Hill scenario from the GDB "Wellington's Victories" book using General D'Armee Rules. I've got the table set up and just need to base 4 French limbers for it.

I've carried on painting odds and sods for my Napoleonic and TYW set ups - still haven't bought anything.



Thursday 20 June 2019

No Summer Purchases - Day 20 - 20.6.19 and Innumeracy

So I'm cracking on doing bits and bobs relating to my TYW set up and decide to set out my "finished" HYW armies for a bit of a break. There are six archer units on my English list so I set them out:
1
2
3
4
5
Where's the sixth?


Still stuck on it's impetus base with the extra figures in the spares box is where it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On YouTube I often see videos mentioning that no matter how many times you calculate an order, when it comes through the letter box you always find you've cocked something up and need to order extra bits, so I suppose this is just an extension of that particular war gaming trait.

It also provides proof positive that being crap with numbers is no bar to obtaining a professional accountancy qualification.

On a more positive note - twenty (I think) days and I still haven't bought anything.

Tuesday 18 June 2019

No Summer Purchases - Day 18 - 18.6.19


  1. Ballasted the bases of the french spearmen and some blank spacers for the TYW movement trays.
  2. Stuck some dice frames onto spacers for TYW movement trays.

Monday 17 June 2019

No Summer Purchases - Day 17 - 17.6.19

French spearmen varnished and ready to go on bases. This is the last unit for my Hundred Years War set up, so when the bases are done I'll take some pictures of both armies and post them (if I can be bothered, which I probably can't).

Sunday 16 June 2019

No Summer Purchases - Day 16 - 16.6.19 and Split Rail Fences

I've done nothing hobby-wise for a couple of days but on a positive note I still haven't bought anything!

I'm about to start a bit more painting now, but this morning I watched these two videos:



I thought they were really interesting and will inform how I go forward with my War of 1812 terrain.
The point at the end of the first video about the absurdness of the Union army's policy of only allowing troops to remove the top rail from a fence for firewood was quite amusing.


Thursday 13 June 2019

No Summer Purchases - Day 13 - 13.6.19

Drybrushed the base of Spartan hoplites and 3 bases of 6th division skirmishers.

Wednesday 12 June 2019

No Summer Purchases - Day 12 - 12.6.19


  1. Started the metallics on the French spearmen.
  2. Bailando!

Tuesday 11 June 2019

No Summer Purchases - Day 11 - 11.6.19


  1. Agrax Earthshade wash on French spearmen.
  2. Vallejo European dust wash on 6th Division skirmisher bases.

Monday 10 June 2019

Sunday 9 June 2019

No Summer Purchases - Day 9 - 9.6.19

Jackets and brigandines painted on French spearmen.

Saturday 8 June 2019

No Summer Purchases - Day 8 - 8.6.19


  1. Ballasted the Spartan hoplites base.
  2. A bit of painting on the French spearmen.
And that's probably it for the day. The weather is absolutely miserable and I can't be bothered to do anything.

Friday 7 June 2019

No Summer Purchases - Day 7 - 7.6.19


  1. 12 Spartans glued to base
  2. Ballasted 7 bases of 6th division skirmishers.
  3. Bailando!

Thursday 6 June 2019

No Summer Purchases - Day 6 - 6.6.19


  1. Removed another 3 bases of 6th division skirmishers from their bases.
  2. Put the all the skirmishers for the 6th division on 7 new bases.
  3. Finished painting the 12 Spartan hoplites - Shield edges, spear tips and went over the spear shafts: now ready for varnishing.
  4. Started work on the French spearmen.
  5. Varnished the Spartan hoplites.

Wednesday 5 June 2019

No Summer Purchases - Day 5 - 5.6.19


  1. Stuck the shields on the 12 Spartan hoplites.
  2. Primed the remaining 3 French spearmen.
  3. Removed a brigade skirmish screen from their bases from my peninsular 6th division in order to rebase them.
  4. Bailando!

Tuesday 4 June 2019

No Summer Purchases - Day 4 - 4.6.19


  1. Painted the inside of the 12 Spartan shields.
  2. Dry brushed the 5 bases of the 5th division skirmishers.
  3. Primed 12 of 15 spearmen last unit for my French HYW army.
Not much, but something!

Monday 3 June 2019

No Summer Purchases - Day 3 - 3.6.19


  1. Varnished the 12 Spartan shields I put the transfers on yesterday.
  2. Stuck pikes on 5 old QRF TYW pikeman figures to be used as morale failure markers for TODR. Note: These are much smaller than the QRF ECW figures which are much more compatible with Minifigs and Essex
  3. Put a wash of Vallejo "European Dust" on the 5th Division skirmish bases.

Sunday 2 June 2019

No Summer Purchases - Day 2 - 2.6.19


  1. Ballasted the 9 bases of musketeers I put together yesterday
  2. Ballasted the 2 elements of Brunswick Oels Jaegers I varnished yesterday.
  3. Ballasted 6 bases of line infantry for my Peninsular 5th Division.
  4. Put transfers on shields for 12 Spartan hoplites.
  5. Made 4 new flags for the TYW Protestant Union army.
  6. Bailando!


Saturday 1 June 2019

No Summer Purchases - Day 1 - 1.6.19


  1. Varnished 2 skirmish bases of Brunswick Oels Jaegers for my Peninsular 5th Division - General D'Armee. These were previously on bases of 2s for "General de Brigade", but I'm using  3 figures  on 45mm x 20mm bases for GDA. All my close order infantry are based 3 figures to a 30mm x 20mm base.
  2. Ballasted 8 bases of pike and shot for "For King and Parliament" and "Twilight of Divine Right". These were spare painted figures from the bits box. Now that I am using movement trays for this period I am trying to make the basing as flexible as possible to create 2 different sizes of  various formations in ratios of 2:1, 3:2 and 1:1.
  3. While there was some PVA left in the pot I ballasted 2 bases of line infantry for the 5th division.
  4. Found another 27 random painted musketeers in the spares box so stuck another 3 bases together. These were painted years ago and not up to the way I paint now but stuff it. They are 15mm and they will be lost in the large formations on the table. The whole idea is to get stuff on the table.

At the moment I am not applying tufts or flock to the bases of any figures. They will be playable with just the ballast on them. I'll review the foliage and tart the bases up later on.


Sunday 26 May 2019

Paint All The Minis Channel - No Summer Purchases Challenge

Paint all the minis video on YouTube

I watched the above video and agreed with everything he says, so I'm going for the challenge - no hobby purchases from 1.6.19 to 31.8.19

I'll post regularly (yes I know, but I didn't say daily!) on what I've done and we'll see what 's been achieved by the end of the challenge.

[It's still only May 26th though :)]

The idea is to cut down the pile of lead, stop hoarding, get stuff painted and most importantly play games.

And Marie Kondo is bloody brilliant:
Marie Kondo trailer on YouTube
Most wargamers will require straightjacketing after watching her programs on Netflix.

Tuesday 16 April 2019

Murdoch's Guns - Part 2

The day did not go well for the men of Blockhouse Number 4.

After trading shots with the Americans, Pendrick's locals in the Grundy house became so elated with the effect of their musketry that they charged out of the house and around the corner into the flank of the U.S light infantry that had advanced into the farm.*

Suddenly aware that they were outnumbered 2:1 reality dawned, and with Pendrick down they ran back across the field of fire of Murdoch's militia who had now replaced Brackenreid's regulars in the front line.





George Crabtree and the voltigeurs finally arrived, but were unable to fend off the combination of American riflemen and light infantry. At least George didn't get hit this time!




Brackenreid's regulars had taken heavy shock and retired behind Murdoch's militia in an attempt to recover some order.



At this point Brackenreid decide that the guns were not worth the hammering his men were taking and chose to retire from the field.



Another great game of Sharp Practice with Dave getting revenge for the American's showing last time out.

My luck with the dice continued the abysmal streak which started last Saturday at "Wor Lard". Dave and I were lucky enough to take part in Richard Clarke's  Chain of Command Game. After making a tremendous start with command dice roles, my Japanese assault along the Rubber Plantation's railway line  ground to a shuddering halt outside a bungalow full of Dave's Australians with some truly appallingly horrendous dice throws.


*Random firing event after three consecutive flags!!!!!



Sunday 7 April 2019

¡Si Tu Eres Latino, Saca Tu Bandera!

Nuevas banderas por mi ejercito de la guerra de treinta años.


I'll shortly be having a go at the Fleurus scenario from the "Twilight of Divine Right" rule set. I didn't like the idea of the Spanish side fighting under German Imperial banners, so I've now made all my flags replaceable; the figures will now do for all TYW and ECW armies. I really enjoyed doing these.

And while I was making them I couldn't get this out of my head!
Gente De Zona & Marc Anthony




Thursday 28 March 2019

Murdoch's Guns - Muck and Bullets near Grundy's Lane,

A few days ago the forces of evil again approached Viagara on the Lake. They got as far as Eddy Grundy's farm on the 4th Concession Road, close to the junction with the side road know as Grundy's Lane, but were driven back by a force of regulars and left a pair of guns behind.

On hearing that the noisy neighbours were attempting to recover the guns, Major Brackenreid, Captain Murdoch and the local garrison set out to frustrate their plans.

A remarkably slim looking Captain Canon leads his riflemen sneakily "adroitly"* around the flank of Brackenreid's position.


Captain Murdoch guards the guns as Brackenreid is driven back across the ploughed field by US musketry.


Captain Rockford's light company skirmishers in the wood across the road duel with Pendrick's locals on the first floor of the Grundy house.


As is now customary in these affairs, Sergeant Crabtree and his Voltigeurs Canadiens are as yet nowhere to be found.

*Fake news