Easter Weekend game photos

Well the Easter Muster has come and gone once again. This year I felt was very poorly attended compared to last year, it is a funny thing that wargamers are always complaining about a lack of events yet fail to turn up when these events are on. I had fun despite having to do a 3 hour round trip both days and run the game. Anyway Nathan and I enjoyed the game and it was good to catch up with other gamers I haven't seen for awhile. The photos below show the course of the British relief column over the 2 days, note the fantastic scratch built paddle steamer lent to me by Mark Temple for the game, I tried to talk him into selling it but no luck. The fort is a Hudson and Allen kit which I painted for Kevin Jowett who imports them into Australia. Enjoy, Scott

Easter Weekend game

Nathan Vinson of Elite Miniatures Australia at the first Easter Muster 4 years ago

Haven't posted anything for the last month, combination of new baby, school and just being plain tired (a little baby is hard work). Today is Friday and I am putting the final touches to the terrain and some figures that I will be using over the weekend at the Easter Muster. I didn't finish all the figures that I wanted but there will be over 500 28mm figures on the board so it should look alright. I have finished a 12x2 foot section of river which will represent the Nile and Mark Temple has lent me a superb scratch built paddle steamer that will be protecting the flank of the British column and hopefully get to the fort before it falls to the Mahdi. The whole set is 12x7 foot and has loads of terrain for the Mahdi to hide in and suprise the British. We will be using 'Science versus Pluck' and I will be using a Freekriegspilling appraoch on both days. I will post loads of photos of the game and other demos from the weekend next week. Cheers Scott

1st Sudan game

Finally got to have a game with my Sudan stuff last Sudnay and had a ball. We used Command Piquet for the game and really enjoyed the rule system except for the dice roll for turns. I like 90% of the package that is Piquet but the D20 Command dice roll off really leaves me cold, suffice to say that the British forces had verrrrry bad rolls and ended up reacting to everything the Fuzzies could throw at them. It was fun but sitting back and not doing anything except reacting to an opposing army gets a bit tedious, I will use the FOB rule next game as I feel it will give a much more enjoyable game.

Indian Mutiny painting has been going pretty well, I have finished 100 figures in the first month. I have yet to do the terrain details on the bases on these as I have had serious thoughts about the level I want to play at (Battalion or company). I have based them twice already and have finally decided to go for the original idea of companies on 40mm square bases, 4 bases a company much like the Sudan British. I was going to base these and photograph them this weekend but my better half decided to have a baby on Saturday, so I have had my hands a little full with our baby girl Sofie. Cheers Scott

January painting total

Not much to report really except for my monthly painting total. I painted the following 28mm figures in January:

16 Swedish cavalry for the Deluge (about 100 to go).
60 Indian figures for the Indian Mutiny (40 Sepoys and 20 civilians, lots to go).
5 Swiss for my Italian Wars project.

Not bad but I aim to do 10-15 Indian Mutiny figures every 2 days for the next 3 months to get the project finished (our first baby arrives in 5 weeks which will upset the painting schedule somewhat I feel).

The Italian Wars figures look very effective with the Army Painter, I have undercoated them white, painted the base colours and then hit them with Strong tone, when dry Matt spray them and then highlight the uniform colours. The plastic GW figures look the part and I am not that picky about very little details. I look forward to getting a French army finished to use against Kevin's Imperialist force (I have around 200 foot, 28 cavalry, 2 guns and hopefully another 150 foot on their way by the end of this week). I will post photos of the finished figures this week as well as pictures of my first large Sudan game using the virgin collection, we will be using Command Piquet which I really like. Cheers Scott

They're here: or Indian Mutiny

Got my 30 packs of Old Glory yesterday and sat down and organised them all into their respective units. I have cleaned up 40 Mutineers (enough for 16 bases) and have started to paint them already, I will post photos of the first unit on the weekend. I have used a white undercoat and block painted the colours, used a brush to apply Army Painter (Strong tone), Matt sprayed this after 12 hours drying and then highlighted belts, rifle slings, shoes and headgear. They are looking pretty swell and the Old Glory Mutiny range is a joy to paint. I know some Old Glory ranges are average but this range and the Eastern Renaissance range are some of their best work and 30 packs for 30 bucks Australian is not to be sneezed at. I still think that the cavalry need work though, I tend to add a saddle cloth of greenstuff to ensure the figure sits properly upon the back of the horse.

For those who are wondering about the Deluge, fear not I have been busy painting Swedish cavalry and have finished 16 so far this week and have undercoated another 48 which are in various stages of painting, will post photos after I have finished the lot (including basing them. I use Bicorne, Renegade, TAG and Redoubt Miniatures in my collection as I love the larger figure, the first 3 ranges are all designed by Nick Collier who has just gotten better and better. The purpose of this ramble is to tell you all that Renegade UK are selling Nick Collier designed ECW (TYW) regiment packs of 24 infantry or 9 cavalry for the bargain price of 12 pounds (buy some). Back to painting

Deluge game: Victory without Quarter

Finally had a game set in the Deluge period on Wednesday. Mark Temple came over with with 4 units of cavalry and a couple of guns. The rules used were Clarence Harrison's 'Victory without Quarter' (Quindia Studios), with a few extra modifications to cover some of the different Eastern troop types (bow, lance etc.). The Poles had 4 brigades and the Swedes had 3, so they were easier to control. I must say that they were very easy and enabled us to finish a large game in 4 hours (with chatting and coffee in between). I like these rules and will continue to play them when we all get together but I am looking at Piquet's 'Anchor of Faith' which need proper army lists for Eastern Europe. The new army lists are being done in the style of 'Band of Brothers' and I have taken the ideas from the 'Pike and Plunder'Blog (fantastic site on the Italian Wars). I will post some of these in the near future, so if you are interested leave a comment on the site. Cheers Scott

2009 Wargaming Plans

The year has only just begun and I have changed my priorities with my gaming plans already. I had planned to start with the Wellington in India project but as I still need to gather figures from Redoubt Miniatures I thought that I would start with the Indian Mutiny. I did state that 2009 and would have a strong Colonial feel and the Indian Mutiny has long been a period I wanted to game, however I could not afford the Foundry range so I have let it slide for many years however Old Glory and their 40% discount have come to my rescue once again. Saturday I ordered 30 packs of British and Mutineers from Old Glory's 25mm range and with postage to Australia it has cost around 27 dollars Australian a pack, thanks to Teressa at Old Glory slipping it all into 2 boxes.

I have been reading the Flashman novels for Indian inspiration and these novels as well as the excellent book from Foundry on India have tipped me over the edge. The Foundry book is fantastic and it and another book are the first items I have gotten from Foundry since I recieved a Horde pack of Macedonian Companions as a Slingshot prize for a coiple of Successor articles 4 years ago.

The Mutiny project is to take me 6 months, I plan to paint at least 100 figures a month, which I know I can do using Army Painter. The Sudan figures have all been done with Strong tone Army Painter and I found that I could finish 10 British infantry in Khaki an hour. I plan to paint much of the British force in campaign dress, so khaki, white, light grey and scarlet will be the go, the Indian mutineers will be very similar. The Indian Mutiny special in the Spanish wargaming magazine is inspirational, not only in terms of figures but also in terrain, I feel the need for Indian fortress walls and many new buildings as well as new trees and river sections which can all be used for Wellington in India.

British
5 regiments of British infantry (30 figures each in 3 companies of 10 men, 4 bases to a company).
1 regiment of Highlanders (30 figures organised as above).
1 regiment of volunteers (20 figures organised as above).
2 regiments of loyals sepoys (30 figures each as above)
3 gun batteries (2 guns each with 4 crew per gun and 1 4 horse limber per battery).
3 cavalry regiments (2 British and 1 Indian each with 2 squadrons of 6 figures, 4 bases to a squadron).
6 command bases (2-3 figures a base).

Mutineers
6 regiments of Mutineer infantry (organised as per British infantry)
4 gun batteries (organised as per British guns but 2 batteries are drawn by oxen).
2 mutineer cavalry regiments (organised as per British horse).
4 irregular cavalry units (2-3 squadrons per unit).
9 units of irregulars (10 per units, 4 bases per unit).
6 command bases (2-3 figures per base).

Bits and pieces
4-5 elephant guns limbers (scratch build limbers, have elephants).
Baggage train (10 ox carts and numerous camels).
Indian civilians (20-30 on display bases from Eureka Miniatures).

Rules
Many of the battles during the Mutiny took place near or inside built up areas, therefore I wanted my uniits to be large and with several companies to fight in these areas but I also want them to be multiple bases (2-3 per base). I thought that Piquet FOB with the Zulu War/Sudan company suggestions will be the go but I might swing back to John Company by the Virtual Armchair General (worth getting just for campaign, uniform, battle, scenario and terrain details).

Thats the plan, so I will update the Indian Mutiny section every 30 days and show what I have painted. Cheers Scott