December Merry Mithras

So it's about to be the midwinter festival and I think I'm probably not going to get any more painting done. Since my last post I've added to the Vietnam wars by painting the NVA 20mm plastics. I have to say that I'm not a great fan of soft plastics, and these have done nothing to refute my poor impression. They weren't even as detailed as the old aifix waterloo figures. so I think this is a dead end. I'll use them with my sons but not for proper gaming.

Also rebasing my 6mm armies onto polemos bases just in case I decide to get them next year. I think I can use the same basing if I want for both napoleon and Black Powder.

so painting 48 x 20mm NVA

24 x 28mm British

Bought Nil (but got a box of 28mm ECW plastics for renewing my subscription to WI)

More painting

Since the last post I've finished the WW1 Germans, and have moved onto some more napoleonics - Russians this time. They need basing and dipping but are otherwise done. Finally finished the Vietnam US but not very impressed. I still want to game the era, and after the latest Wargames illustrated I've decided to try 10mm from Pendraken rather than the 15mm in the article.

My son has got into 40K so I've been adding to his ork army slowly as I get the chance. This stuff doesn't really do it for me, although I keep wanting to paint some space marines as clone troopers.

My good intentions were ruined by a rip to Warfare at the end of the month. I spent more than I intended - including on a 15mm ECW army to pad out stuff bought on e-bay and then won a 28mm Army on e-bay as well! so skirmish level and massed battles await I think.

Lead Mountain

Bought 15mm ECW - covenantors army

28mm ECW parliament

15mm Marburian infantry

10mm Vietnam Us and VC

Painted 20mm US Vietnam x 48

28mm Russian Napoleonics x 50.

15mm ECW Covenantors x 40

quiet time

So October was a quiet month. A combination of work trips and week in the sun with the family have eaten into the painting time. However I managed to finish the bicorned french and have just got the webbing to do ono my askaris and marines. I tried a new colour on the askaris - the gw iyadan darksun - a sort of yellowy brown. A the moment it looks too yellow but I'm hoping that once dipped it will look sun-weathered.

No new e-bay stuff though so I might actually have reduced the mountain!

Bought - none

Painted - none

even more parcels

so I won the sudan figures and some zulu war british (which may get used for the sudan). The missus has been mollified by a new pair of shoes and some home cooking, with the promise of more to come.

I was looking through my lead mountain and realised that I'd forgotten about the 10mm WW1 project I'd planned, felt guilty and so put it at the bottom of the pile.

parcels what parcels.

So this week has been one of confrontations - a unexpected run of winning bids on ebay has left me with a parcel being delivered every day. This has caused some consternation to my better half who not unreasonably asked what it all cost.

So what had I bought? Well a 6mm Napolionic French and Austrian armies from baccus, a WSS 6mm Bavarian army again from baccus. This was followed the next day by 4 brigades of 10mm FPW french and a pack of pendraken imperial french. Finally a rohan army for WOTR and the guns and gettysburg rules.

Hopefully I won't win the sudan figures I'm bidding on otherwise I might need some protection from the wife....

Lead mountain:

Plus lots and lots (but little so they don't really count)

sloow painting

Somehow I managed to start a load of projects but am stalled on all of them. Got some 28mm modern Us delta force with a view to using the ambush alley rules and day of the ranger, but then remembered how much I hate painting cammo (mainly 'cos I can't). So then moved on to some Duchy of Warsaw grenadiers and voltigeurs. Tried to have some economy of effort by finishing some 20mm french line for my son but again the numbers made it hard going. I think it was made worse by doing this following on from a box of Perry plastic Naps. on that subject I think that they are easier to put together than the victorix but with less poses available.

The 20mm plastic US Vietnam are stalled on the undercoat stage.

So the lead mountain stands as follows:

bought = 10 28mm German WW1 marines

10 28mm German Askaris

German a4 tank

british Mark IV tank

no finished projects so +30

this week

So I've finished the Sash and Sabre Russians, as well as a WW1 german fleet. Thanks to Neil Shuck I've branched out into a new period - Vietnam. However I've tried to limit the cost by going 20mm Plastic. 48 US special forces and NVA for £10. So now have to see if the painting goes to plan. When I've tried to paint plastics in the past i've had trouble with the paint peeling off after a while, so tried a new undercoat of PVa glue. then will undecoat in black. When they're finished i'll try to post some photos.

Next on the table are some Front Rank Austrians from e-bay.

Lead Mountain

bought 96

painted 50 + 15 ships

balance +31 oops (again)

this week I've mainly been

Well I've finally finished the Victrix 28mm British. I have to say that the sheer number of figures was daunting but the end results are good. Not convinced that you need 4 officers and drummers though.

On the reading front I've just read an account of the Agincourt campaign which has rekindled my interest in the 100 years war. I think perhaps I'll wait and see if I'm still interested when the Perry plastics come out.

Now on the painting table are 50 sash and saber 28mm Napoleonic Russians who are almost done. Then it's off to WW1 for a bit I think .....

Don't be cruel

So I've worked out how to upload pictures and here is a very bad shot of my 28mm Austrian Cuirrassiers and then some EIR. Just re based them onto 40x40 bases. This will work for both foundry's rule and General de Brigade (I think) . In the background you can see the carnage that is my painting table. As you can just about make out I use a mix of Vallejo and citadel paints pretty much interchangeably. It's heresy I know but I then varnish with a gloss varnish. I like my toy soldiers to look like toy soldiers. Also it helps when my son drops them onto the floor.

The Romans are from foundry. I went to one of their open days and ended up buying more than I needed. I think at the last count I had enough to make a century in 1:1 scale together with another of auxiliaries. Given that I've still got a box or two of Warlord plastics to put together I think in the end I might try for a complete legion (cue evil cackle of megalomania)

the painting front has been quiet. I've almost finished the first box Victrix british, and halfway through 50 Sash and Sabre Nap. Russians (bought direct when the dollar was very weak). Getting fed up with all the cuffs and collars so I think I might do some celts after these are finished before the Duchy of Warsaw infantry (impulse e-bay buy together with 48 french in bicornes)

So in terms of decreasing the lead mountain:

Painted 52

Bought 80

balance +28 ooops!

hurrah.

okay sad I know but just downloaded all the old episodes of meeples and miniatures to my blackberry so I can listen to them on the way to/from work. already got to episode 32 and I have to say it's proving bad for the lead mountain. I now feel I have to have some 20/28mm Vietnam so I can refight platoon, and I might have to add to my 6mm Napoleonics. The latter may not be that bad as I have to work my way through some 28mm Naps so could possibly kill 2 birds with one stone.

Managed to finish the 2 WW1 regiments from Renegade and waiting with eager anticipation for the next ones to arrive.

Right must get the paint out and start thinking about the next purchases.

My god i've been busy

Well, after complaining in the last post that I've tons to do, I got down to some serious painting. So in the last week or so have managed to finish 24 WW1 Germans, 12 CSA skirmishers and the pile of orks I was doing for my son. Also managed to basecoat the Khorne beserkers and possessed (new e-bay purchase) and assemble 1 box of victrix british. As wells a this have rebased all my existing Nap British to 40mm squares.

I have to say that I am very impressed with the service FENRIS GAMES give (e-bay shop). I ordered 500 40mm square bases and they arrived within a week and were very well packaged. And at £45 for the lot it's less expensive then any other supplier this side if the pond. Litko are cheaper but then you have to pay VAT on top as well as give the Royal Mail £8.50 for the pleasure of them collecting the VAT from you.

So next onto the painting table go the WW1 British and some ww1 ships which I think are 1/1200 scale (only by comparison to my 1/3000 scale ww2 navwar fleet)

you never know at this rate I might even get to do some gaming!0

Slooooow painting

I realised that I forgot completely about this blog thing. Part of it is due to the lack of time for painting due to work stuff and a backlog of good books to read.

The main reason is I'm stuck in a rut. I'm halfway through a bargain bucket of old style WH40K orcs (20 boyz with guns and choppas, 20 gretchen with lasguns, 10 with what look like shotguns and another 6 boyz with guns). I've also just put together a box of Victrix penisular british, as well as a box of Khorne beserkers.

To get away from the plastic mountain I've started on the Renagade WW1 germans, and have made good progress there, but in a moment of madness I ordered 4 more regiments to take advantage of their deal (buy 4 get one free).

So despite my best intentions the lead mountain is growing, and the end seems far off. Especially as I've decided to rebase all my Naps and SYW. I'm going to a 40cm square base with 4 casting on each for infantry, and 2 for cavalry as this should allow me to move between the General de Brigade rules and the new foundry Napoleon rules.

Sooo, only 500 bases to re-do then. At this rate I'll finish just before christmas 2050. And that's before I start on the 10mm Zulus. british and c19th austrians/prussians, as well as the 10mm WW1 stuff......

more thoughts

getting the hang of this blogging lark, I think. Had a good painting session the other night. Managed to almost finish some german sailors to go with my seebattalion. The plan is to get sufficient troops to do an alternative WW 1 set in the late C19th. I've already got enough Zulu war british, especially when I manage to finish the remaining 60 Wargames Factory plastics. My Germans will be a mix of Franco-prussian war foundry and the seebattalion. I don't see why the German's cannot use their navy in the same way the british did.

Managed to download the latest meeples and miniatures podcast and will try to listen to it over the weekend.

In an ideal world I'd be off to salute this weekend, but as I haven't painted all I bought at crusade yet I can't justify the expense.

More random thoughts.

My delivery from Renegade Minis arrived this morning and I must say how great they are. The packaging was sufficient to allow them to get here unscathed but not enough to destroy the planet. 

I took advantage of their regimental offer and bought the following:

WW1 British and German Infantry (early)

Saxon Cavalry

Celtic slingers and archers

Celtic Chariots.

At first glance all are well sculpted and not a trace of flash anywhere. They are at the larger end of the scale (prob 30mm rather than 28mm) and I hope they will fit in with my Warlord games Celts/Britons, and my artizan/old glory anglo-danish.

Finished a 10mm FPW batalion (Magister Millitum) the other night. They are great little sculpts and the only problem is that I don't think that my painting skills really do them justice.

I'm still experimenting with the camera and hope to post some photo's in the near future.

Right, where did I leave that paintbrush?

Hello

Decided to join the fad for blogging. So hello, I'm Melvyn and I live in Wales, and yes I'm  a wargamer. When I say wargamer I actually mean that over the last 10 years I've probably spent thousands of pounds on little lead men of varying sizes, then hundreds of hours  painting the same with varying degrees of success, but now I come to think of it I've haven't really played a game for about a year. This should all change now that my son Tom has caught the bug and invested his birthday money in a Foundry regiment of Spartans. He's painted them quicker than I would have and has got some reasonable results. his next purchase with the remaining money was a bargain load of Orks he got at Crusade. I'll try to post some photo's when I've figured out how.