English Civil War - Artillery

Progress has been immensely pleasing in the last month or so with completed units and models joining their comrades at a great pace.  It is often the inspiration from finishing a unit which acts as the spur to get the next batch of unpainted lead moving through the painting desk.

I have completed these guns and crews in just two weeks.  This is incredibly fast for me.  I painted and based 3 models in about 5 days and then 2 more models in another 5 days.  It was nice to get models out which I had undercoated a few years ago and put aside and finally get some paint on them!

These models are from Bicorne miniatures and are mixture of 'Galloper' guns and Falconets.  Actually two of the Galloper guns are very old Minifigs pieces which I had retired.  They had been painted in a gaudy red and looked dreadful.  However I noticed that size-wise they fitted very well with the Bicorne models, so I would see how a darker hue would look.

The two central models in the pics above and below are the Minifigs Galloper guns, suitably worn from travelling on poor English roads.  I'm really pleased how they have turned out. Now manned by an able Bicorne crew they are worthy of taking their places in the gun lines (or in hedgerows, placed by Sir William Waller, ready to ambush the Royalist vanguards in the lanes of the West Country!).

Paints were a combination of Foundry Triads, Vallejo, Miniature Paints, and even Flames of War.  I am using Foundry Paints probably for 75% of my painting these days. 

There are some real characters amongst the gun crews but I think the Parliamentarian officer above is one of my favourites.

I have just received a much needed set of reinforcements for Waller's army which are just waiting for some paint to go on.  I have been side-tracked by an unexpected project though.  More to follow!

Latest Show Haul - 'Overlord' Abingdon

Two posts in a week from me...outrageous! This time it's just a chance to follow the lead (or 'lead'as in metal -  it's all in the pronunciation!) of others in showing the goodies they bought from a show. It's always interesting to see what other gamers have bought - and it's also a good indication to me as to whether I'm totally bonkers spending as much at shows as I sometimes do!

The Abingdon Club has been running for 20 years this year and the show for about as long.  It's funny but I think I went to their first show and it still seems like a 'new' show to me unlike Salute or Colours.  Interestingly the club member taking the money on the front desk last Sunday asked everyone how they first heard of the show.  My whispered sharply answer of 'The voices in my head' seemed to amuse him immensely and then I confessed to having been there since their first show, so the real answer seemed considerably more bland.

I have never joined a club, being content to have a regular opponent, and also to solo play as well as to entertain the occasional interested friends.  I think I was always put off joining a club from the day I attended a wargames centre out in the east of England (gone now I think), where the players were the most argumentative, set of unfortunates I have ever had the misfortune to meet. The game organiser stayed well out of it and just brought in cake and tea. His role as umpire thrown to the wind as he left the players to argue. The good thing about this whole blog thing is that I know now that there are darned fine bunch of wargamers out there and that I was cursed on that day by being in the presence of bad sorts (except the two guys I went there with - and one chap on the opposition - who seemed as perplexed as me I should add!).

Anyway, my purchases.   'The Last Valley' caught my eye again as they did at the last show I was at.  These days I am getting more gaming in than I have in the last 10 years combined.  Scenery has become so much more important to me. Thus these impulse buys came back with me.  A lovely pieced of Marshland and some fabulous stone walls and walled fields.

I also purchased these ruined Greek columns. I nearly bought some of these at 'Colours' at Newbury last year and regretted not doing so.  They just shout out Ancient Greece and will set the scene immediately it is on the table. I have a tiny force of Greeks which I will add to soon.

I should say that almost everything I bought was not on my list! I gave into Wargamer's impulse.  I was going to get some Vallejo paints but couldn't find anyone selling any there.  I bought some of the excellent Miniature Paints from the Redoubt stand.  I will get paints from any source I can now other than Games Workshop.  That whole 'Space Marine' copyright saga turned me right off them. I never have liked bullies.

The Bring and Buy was interesting with a good variety of goodies.  I only bought one thing from there and that was the book 'Berlin' by Anthony Beevor.  I already own 'Stalingrad' by the same author and it really is so well written. For £1 I didn't feel I could go wrong with buying 'Berlin'! :-)

...And finally...are those Dark Age figures in the top pic?..Yes they are.  It happened!.  This is my first delve into another period for nearly a year.  I visited the Conquest Miniature stand and picked up their lovely Norman Infantry figures.  I built 27 of them in two sessions and have already undercoated them...all this whilst Prince Rupert's foot are patiently waiting for me to complete their officers and re-base them!  I have small Norman and Saxon armies which I started (scarily) about 18 years ago and based singly. I played a game of Warhammer with them once I think but since then they have been left forlornly in their boxes.  Now I feel is the time to get them out. I know they will play great with 'Hail Caesar' so I will set about re-basing my existing Old Glory and Gripping Beast chaps and build up my forces to create my 'playable armies'. I'm happy to go buy units from lots of history periods as long as I can get playable armies for each. Nearly forgot - I bought Saxon Thegns from Wargames Factory but I have yet to assemble them.

Well, that's all for now. I'm up in 5 hours to shoot at Bisley all day. Pity the weather is forecast to be the wettest days of the week.  Still I love days off :-)