On the painting tray .

The strange thing  is I've found that over the last week  I've been so busy with gardening and  domesticity  that I've got very little painting done. I have got various bits of basing done and cleaned up and glued various models but today was the first time I've actually sat down and painted anything. I wanted to expand my Mexican Cavalry for my Tex-Mex Sharp Practise games , so I'm in the process of painting up another 6 Dragoons . The problem is trying to match them up to the existing ones which were painted about 10 years ago - the new on the left , the existing one on the right . Of course my matt black spray can ran out as soon as I started trying to undercoat them so I had to finish them off by hand . I've always liked the Mexican army uniforms which contrast with the civilian dress of the Texians . 

The Duke of Marlborough

In response to Matt on his 'Waterloo to Mons' blog 

      http://waterlootomons.blogspot.com/2020/03/so-who-is-your-favourite-commander.html
I would like to nominate John Churchill Duke of Marlborough , a great tactician , diplomat and opportunist even when saddled will health problems and a difficult wife ,  . Brought Britain onto the world stage for the first time with his brilliant campaigns . His career ended in controversy and disgrace and his character was flawed but this makes him more human to me - Good Old Corporal John !

An Ebay purchase .

I got this the other day off Ebay , a slim volume printed in March 1981 by Terry Wise , Athena Books . Think they are more or less the same as the original book but with suggestions for the Jacobite Rebellion , French -Indians wars and Napoleonics . 

On the gardening front I've moved the sundial back to it's original position . It was move a couple of years ago because the dog found he could balance himself on top of it and leap over the fence into the neighbours garden to get the bread she threw out for the birds . We now have a taller fence and being older he is less inclined to such things .

Setting it up the sundial, the bezel (?) should point North .

Yes that's about the right time ! , hopefully a bit more wargaming related stuff tomorrow as the weather although fine has got bitterly cold with a strong North wind so I'm less inclined to the garden .

Change of pace .

Having cleared the table of the last game I wanted to do something quick and simple so I set up a Napoleonic C&C game . I'm working my way through the base game which is the Peninsular war and this is Corunna , not as visually pleasing as O.S. toy soldiers but I'm busy outside in the garden because the weather is nice and I can play the odd move now and again .

I'm hacking the back hedge down to half size to make it easier to cut without needing steps and the present flock of chickens don't seem inclined to try and fly over it . The problem is it's quite hard going and I'm having to chop it up very small so it will fit in the recycling wheelie bin and now due the crisis the 'green' bin collection has been cancelled so I'm wondering if I can burn the rest without annoying the neighbours ? .

The present flock , they have just started laying again - they like the nice weather as much as us . They are incredibly untidy creatures and if let loose in a garden will wreak havoc , I've been throwing all the weeds and grass into their run as I'm tidying the garden and they love scratching about in it - but scatter it everywhere . 

AGM SYW-ish game (part3)

The game is coming to a close and the French manage to activate the Regt. D Roi who charge and overrun the Allied battery and capturing the guns .

The next card turned was the sixth Joker so ending the game . 

The stricken field , nearest the camera the French have taken the hill and captured the battery . In the centre the Allies hold the church and village and in the distance they are preparing to counterattack the Swiss . I think I must give the game to the French , the capture of the Allied guns sealed the day for them .  Both sides lost heavily with the French Regt Bearn and the Nassau Saarbruck heavy cavalry taking the most casualties . On the Allied side the 20th Foote and the Prussian Hussars took the most hits as well as the artillery being lost .Using the Colonels as 'brigadiers' under the rules worked well as regiments could move together . Towards the end of the game both sides ran out of cards held in hand which stopped them reacting to situations (the Prussian Hussars not being able to counter charge) . I enjoyed playing it , now to tidy up and think of what next to do . 

PANIC buying !

When this pandemic was starting to kick off I thought "have I got enough hobby stuff to self isolate ?" - well unpainted figures ? - think I have enough to last me a long while , but I then thought - paints etc . I normally buy my brushes and paints from an art and craft shop in town but I suspect they will be shut by now so I went on eBay . 3 new sable brushes (I've tried the modern synthetic ones and find them rubbish) 2 tubes of glue for fixing figures to base etc , a new jar of Acrylic gloss (the old one I've had for years has finally died on me ) I usually use yacht varnish and have a new tin of it but the acrylic is for smaller non-OS figures and finally a new box of artist acrylic paints , I've started using these paints a lot as they remain useable on my wet palette and my old ones are running out . I've finished my AGM SYW-ish game and will be posting the end of the game tomorrow . Was awake at 5.30 so got up and took the dog for a walk (he wondered what was happening!) , never saw a soul (not surprising) but a beautiful morning with a hint of frost . My wife has declared 'Spring Cleaning' , so it maybe the afternoon before any of the above get used . 

It hasn't got this bad YET …….

AGM SYW-ish game (part 2)

Using their last card in hand the French heavy cavalry charge the Prussian Hussars , who being disordered and having already activated cannot respond - oh dear !

They are cut to ribbons and flee - but they did manage to cause a couple of casualties on the French who decided rather than follow up they will retire .

On the other flank the British 20th Foote retires away from the advancing Swiss .

On the French left the Regiment D' Roi advance swiftly (some high dice rolling for movement there) and bear down on the Allied artillery on the hill .

The 18th Foote see off the French Regiment Bearn in the centre with heavy casualties .

The Brunswick Regiment Von Zastrow moves across to shore up the Allied left . I had hoped to get this game finish today , but real life has intervened in the form of hedge cutting and house work but the game will end when the next joker is drawn (night falls) , so that should be tomorrow . I'm wondering which game to play next , but think it will be Old School - I'm in that frame of mind at the moment .

Harvested from the interweb .