25/02/2013

Crewe - not much booty, but...

there was someone selling Humbrol acrylics, so a big Hurrah as I was down to the dregs of some favourite colours. Other purchases were equally modest a Zvezda German Medical Team and a discounted Italeri fast build Italian Semovente kit. After the M13/40 made up so quickly I was easily tempted by this in the boxes underneath one of the Modelling Society stands.

It's quite interesting that unlike wargame shows putting surplus models up for sale on the stand is quite common, obviously it avoids paying the B&B fee, but also it means there is someone you trust keeping an eye on the models. Still mustn't grumble too much as the local B&B was reasonably well run unlike some at quite a few wargames shows and I did manage to sell some of my surplus.

23/02/2013

"Bydand"

Having worked in Aberdeen and as my Scottish Brigade for last years big game came mainly from the Gordon Highlanders, It was the obvious choice for the Scottish regiment to be added to my 1801 British army in Egypt.

The figures are of course the venerable Airfix Highlanders, and thanks to Daff who provided a replacement when one of them broke. A strange case of the brittle plastic disease, as the musket was still fully flexible and the whole kneeling figure just broke off the base at the ankles.

Off to Crewe tomorrow

It's time for South Cheshire Militaire again. It only a short drive away and it makes a great day out at this time of year. It's a good opportunity to see what's happening in the bigger modelling world and I usually find something to buy.

Trading - Haves - February 2013 update

I have the following currently available for trade, see the Trading Department for more details. I'm also prepared to sell the figures and other bulkier items at any show I'm attending.

Unpainted-

Airfix AWI casualties/Lying down
Airfix British Paratroops (34 figs)
Airfix German Infantry (1) (42figs)
BP Casts – US 57mm & crew
Caesar German Infantry (complete set)
Dwarves (3 painted figs)
Esci French Guard Artillerymen (22 figs)
Hat French Line Lancers (2 figs)
Imex Indians (17figs)
Italeri AWI American Infantry (complete set less the Indians)
Italeri AWI British Light cavalry (complete set)
Perry 28mm figures (2 Foot Dragoons)
Perry 28mm figures (6 riflemen)
Strelets German Stormtroops (3 sprues out of 4)

Painted-

Festes-haus zu Ransback (lasercut building)
Airfix Eastern Roman Archers (21 figures)
Strelets WSS Austrian Artillery (4 guns & 12 figures)
Strelets GNW Swedish Artillery (2 guns & 6 figures)
Strelets GNW Russian Artillery (2 guns, 6 crew plus two extra)

…Plus odd figures remaining from various sets, etc. that I haven't sorted ut yet

Needs are summarised on another post

Contact me at Fire-At-Will at live.co.uk

20/02/2013

Old Airfix - Stug III

Old, but still good, a pair of Airfix Stug IIIs that were sitting in my stash. It was when I completed my latest Stug IV I saw the deterioration in the tracks on my very old Stug III models, so hence the decision to build these. They are very much straight out of the box, but I've added cut down shurtzen from the Plastic Soldier Company Panzer IV and a couple of Orion Panzer crewmen.

18/02/2013

Little and Large

A few more items that sneaked onto the painting table.

First off a couple of Italian L3/33 Tankettes. A lovely model from S-Models. I added a crewman to one, and modified the other into the Command version. It's an easy conversion, just requiring the addition of battery boxes and a loop aerial. The crewman is from the Waterloo 1815 Italian crew set.


Then there is the extremely large Sdkfz 9 Famo. It's a Blitz diecast, that was available on special offer from GB&SD Modeks. I've just added various bits of stowage and an Orion Panzer crew and repainted it.


BTW I'm not slacking on the Jacobites, it's taken quite a while to clean up the figures ready for painting, and I've just started on the undercoat.

16/02/2013

Last of the British Paras?

At last, the transport is complete. I'm slightly annoyed that part way through the work I found out that the "Ready to Roll" Heavy weapons jeep had the cloverleaf containers moulded on them. Still I'm sure the scratch-building was good for my soul. So I now have three 6pdr tows and two 75mm howitzer tows all jeeps, then a pair of Morris C8s for the 17pdrs and finally a cut down Carrier.

Most of the figures are the bargain packs of AB Paras that I picked up at York. All of course laden with stowage from various sources.

15/02/2013

More desert Italians

These were a pleasure to paint, a quartet of TL37 tractors from Minimi, the only downside was the base, but I decided to keep it as it was a lot thinner than on previous models. The drivers are old Airfix jeep drivers with Italian heads from Reiver.



Why doing these I also worked on a pair of the Italeri M13/40 tanks, lovely models, shame that they are 1/72 rather than 1/76. They also provided a useful set of decals, which also provided the number plates for the TL37s. The only other downside is that the hatches are fixed closed.

12/02/2013

DAK Transport

Well I think I've got enough transport for my DAK now(*) These are the six Pegasus German trucks that forced their way onto my painting table. The S Models Panzer II was completed at the same time. The trucks are quite basic, but fit for purpose, the only downside is that they have bench seats, which reduces their range of uses. The Panzer II is a really nice fast build kit, but the the suspension is a bit two dimensional, but I won't notice while playing.


* Trouble is, to make an early DAK force I need plenty of Horch field cars.

11/02/2013

Minefield decals anyone?

Thursday night at Deeside Defenders, Steve from The Baggage Train showed me the latest addition to his range of decals. These are specifically for marking up German Minefields. They look suitable for either 20 or 28mm figures.


Note they are the one's from Warflag, but Steve received permission to sell them "At cost"

06/02/2013

Vapa weekend - part 4 purchasing

The weekend was quite high for expenditures as I both bought goodies at the show and my order from Models2U arrived while I was out on Saturday.  So a large heap to work through!  Here they are with my rationale for purchasing:

  • 1 x Blitz Famo (it was on special offer and the DAK Rapid Fire orbats do include one)
  • 2 x Caesar 150mm IG (again for my DAK)
  • 1 x Italeri Italian M13/40 (to "complete" my Italian tanks)
  • 1 x Hat 8299 Zulu War Brit Command (for both Sudan and Zulu war vignettes, etc.)
  • 1 x Hat El Cid Moorish Command (For some extra Sudanese commanders, the remainder will mix in with my Saracens)
  • 1 x Hat 8279 Napoleonic Mounted Officers (I really need to improve the staff officers in my Napoleonic armies)
  • 1 x Hat 8304 Nap. British Command (The mounted officers will provide staff for my British in Egypt and the remainder will be used to upgrade my Napoleonic British army, whenever I get around to rebasing it!)
  • 1 x Orion German WWII Panzer Soldiers (to provide crew figures for my Panzers)
  • 3 x Pegasus Opel Blitz/equivalent (DAK transport, these will leap straight onto the painting table)
  • 2 x Redbox Continental Mercenaries, WOTR (More variety for my Medievals,  the handgunners are especially welcome) 
  • 1 x Strelets Crusader Transport 1 (I always like the bits and pieces produced by Strelets)
  • 1 x Strelets Crusader Transport 2 (a nice bit of eye-candy for my Medievals)
  • 2 x AB Seated British Paras (A bargain picked up cheap at the show and just what is needed for my Para transport)
  • 1 x Waterloo Italian Tank, Vehicle and Artillery Crews (Expensive, but provides crews for some of my Italian vehicles)
Luckily I managed to sell some surplus stuff from the stash at the show so it hasn't increased.

05/02/2013

Vapa Weekend - part 3 - The other games

Just a few of the games I saw ant the Vapnartak show and I continued experimenting with my new camera, so several were unusable

Siege of Newcastle 1643




Another Indian Mutiny






Vapa weekend - part 2 - Grandson 1476

Come Sunday it was an early start across the Pennines to York, quite uneventful this year after last years snow.

This years Lance & Longbow game was Grandson 1476, a Swiss/Burgundian bash, it's been done before, but Bob wanted to try a few more tweak to the Poleaxed rules to better reflect the participants fighting styles. This time round I was Burgundian, and the trundling mass of Swiss is quite intimidating, especially as it crashes into your rather thin line. Gradually, despite the lost of one contingent the battle swung in favour of the Burgundian and by the end we had a minor victory.

The Swiss Adavance Guard


A ponoramic view of the Battlefield using a feature on my new camera (right mouse click and open in a new window or tab to get the full effect)


The burgundian guns very pretty, but not very effective, the pavasis are cardboard


Crunch!! The swiss get stuck in, while the Burgundian cavalry work around their flank


The victorious Burgundians


Vapa weekend - part 1 - Indian Mutiny

The first part of the weekend saw the Gentlemen Pensioners gathering at Steve's for an Indian Mutiny game in 15mm. The game covered the siege of Delhi and the attempts by the Mutineers to attack the British positions and to prevent the arrival of the siege games.

The British positions


The start of the Mutineers attack, I commanded a mixed force of Badmashies, Ghazis and Pindari Horse in the bottom right and attempted to intercaept the siege train arriving lower left.


Various pots of the game












A fuller blow by blow account can be found over on Wargame Amateur blog.

01/02/2013

On the Workbench - February 2013

It's tartan month, I've decided it's time to make the effort and paint my Jacobites. OK it may take a bit more than a month, but it has to be done. To try and maintain some sanity I will also be working on
  • A Highland unit for Egypt 1801 (yes more tartan)
  • Finish off the Italian TL37 artillery tractors
  • Ditto an extra DAK Panzer II
  • A couple of Stug IIIs (They've been sitting in the stash for years)
  • Some Roman transport and an extra general
  • Some Egyptian cavalry for the Sudan.
  • I haven't forgotten the British Para transport, I need to get a few more figures on Sunday at the York show.
Doesn't look that much yet with the figures still in boxes!