The Olde Gods.

Well, this terrain piece has resurfaced! I keep finding it hidden in the dark recesses under the table. I haven't the foggiest idea where or when it was purchased? I think it might date back from when I purchased my Foundry Bronze Age armies back in 2001 (?), back then Foundry did some cracking army deals - buy one get the second half price! (It was a different world then) so I took advantage of the deal and bought 2 European Bronze Age armies. These have been painted up years ago but never seen much tabletop action I'm afraid. So, I thought I'd paint it up - I added a few suitable shields as trophies/offerings.

It only took me about half an hour to get it done (mainly dry brushing) and here it is in a suitable setting with some of my figures. I think it portrays Cernunous the Horned God of the forest - having got it on the table I think I should set up a game involving it. (Click on photos to enlarge)

 

A Lady of fortune.

One of the byproducts of my re-boxing of my 54mm figures has been the resurfacing of some forgotten in the mists of time. This is a lady on a horse, riding side-saddle, I've given her a simple paint job, mounted the model on a base and just gloss varnished her. She will be the 'General's Mistress' one of the 'Cameo' cards used in 'A Gentleman's War' rules. Having got her ready, she will be appearing in the new game I'm setting up - as soon as her varnish dries.     

 

What's in the box ?

The problem I've been having with my 54mm collection is storage, at the present they are stored in two draws in a writing desk. This is not very satisfactory as they are hard to access and becoming jumbled. So, on a visit to our local Asda, I found some plastic storage boxes - £11 for three - a bargain! Box one Red army cavalry, Commanders and gun crews. 

Box two Red army Infantry, Naval contingent, Cyclists and Commanders. These boxes will make choosing figures for games a lot easier.

Blue army in Box three, Cavalry, Infantry and Commanders - Hmm! I could do with a few more Heavy Cavalry for this army. (Click on photo to enlarge).

At this point I realised I was short of boxes! luckily, I found one which we had used for camping equipment/utensils etc.so this has the overflow of Blue armies Infantry and various odds and sods. I must admit I'm rather pleased with myself organising not being one of my strong points. These boxes are a great idea which will enhance my gaming as I can pick and choose units much easier now I can see them properly. I must celebrate with a game using these figures! 

 

Northumbrian jaunt.

 

    We've been away on holiday staying in a cottage in Northumbria, the weather was brilliant although there was a cool wind - it is Northumberland after all. Here we seen Mr. and Mrs. Walker on the beach at Alnmouth, very bracing!

We did a fair amount of walking along the River Tyne and here is the rather splendid bridge over it at Corbridge. 

The view of the River Tyne looking upstream from the afore said bridge.

Came across this impressive pile of dressed sandstone blocks (dog for scale).

The explanation of the edifice. (Click on photo to enlarge)

Much to Mrs. Ks alarm our path took use over the Carlisle-Newcastle railway tracks - she always thinks I'm capable of doing something silly in circumstances like this. I explained to her how as a small child we used to place pennies on our local railway tracks to get them squashed by the speeding trains - the problem was finding them after the train had passed! (Health and Safety wasn't a thing then) 

We stopped for lunch, and I thought a photo shoot with Mr. and Mrs. Walker overlooking the Tyne Valley was in order.

Further on we had to cross the 'Dyvils' Water via the 'Dyvils' Bridge - a new one. the old stone one was washed away by floods - the authour and hound for scale. The dog is on the lead because of pheasants in whose presence he has a tendency to disgrace himself. 

The 'Dyvils' Water from the bridge rather innocuous at the moment but a raging torrent capable of sweeping bridges away it seems in spate.

The theme for this holiday seems to be bridges, another fine one here at Hexham . 

What was I saying about bridges-upstream is the remains of an old branch line bridge which was demolished in the 1950's when the line closed.

Since the authour had been a good boy and not got himself run over on the railway tracks he got to visit 'Barter Books' in Anwick sited in the old railway station - a huge secondhand bookshop which is always well wort a visit, much to Mrs. Ks alarm I proceeded to try and take a picture of Mr. and Mrs. Walker outside the entrance - she thinks the passing public will think I'm 'odd' and her by association, hence the hurried out of focus picture as somebody was coming. 

We had to have a cup of tea and cakes in their cafe and I perused the bookshelves, coming away with a modest haul of a couple of 'Bill Bryson's' and a book on collecting Toy Soldiers. I was intrigued to see a copy of Charles Grant's 'Wargaming Tactics' in the locked display cabinets they keep for rare expensive books for the price of £56! - I have a copy at home that cost me about £2.50 when it came out in 1979, A grand holiday with fine weather all the week. 

 

 

  

 

Wings over the Andes.

 

For the air war in my games, I resorted to my battered copy of the above book. There is little published on this subject but Johns book is very good. There were many problems with using aircraft in war, the lack of finance which resulted in old out of date planes, a lack of trained pilots and the habit of ground troops opening fire on any aircraft they saw. W.E. Johns comments " as we flew over the battlefield both sides stopped fighting each other and started shooting at us". This habit seemed to almost be encouraged by the Officers who often resorted to firing their pistols at them irreverent of which side the aircraft belonged to or the fact they were completely out of range.

A convoy of Republican troops speed down the Salsa Valley unaware they are being observed from the sky by a Neuvo Rician aircraft.

Having made his observations, the plane returns to the Neuvo Ricaian airfield to report to the awaiting High Command. 

 

Wargaming humour No. 57

 

Illustration found on the web.

Well, that's them done!

 

Finally got my backlog of 'waiting to get painted' figures done. Here are a Bishop and rather worried Queen from Antediluvian Miniatures which will be used in 'Lion Rampant' games as objective markers etc. 

Another unit for 'Lion Rampant', Heavy Infantry Sergeants. These have been painted very generically so they will do for most Medieval armies. They are from North Star I think - I have had them for quite a while and I can't remember where I got them from. I didn't paint the wolf's heads on the shield - they are some old GW 40k transfers.

Finally finished.

We are off on our holidays soon and I thought it a good idea to clear up my painting backlog before we go. I was given these 3D printed resin figures several weeks ago and although I had made a start on them, I thought it a good idea to finish painting them and get the bases done. They are lovely figures, very crisp castings but I wonder how they will weather the rough and tumble of wargaming, but I'm pleased with them, are they the future of wargaming figures?