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.