Opposition

As l can’t get into town this weekend l ordered a box of the above as opposition. They arrive by post yesterday afternoon.

I expected grey plastic but was not deterred by the blue , well a little.

Here are some first attempts at painting yesterday afternoon and early evening.

All in all they have come up nicely so far.

State of play when I left them to dry overnight. I will continue this morning. The figures will represent the forces of the Duchy of Volare Cantare. For those who haven’t ventured into the Duchy here is a wee introduction from thirteen years ago -

https://tradgardland.blogspot.com/2013/09/imagineering-volare-cantare.html

 

The Army of Transilvania

Inspired by Bob’s Belle Epoche forces for the Portable Wargame l organised this army from beyond the woods, near the mountains , lakes and forests , a little east of the former Empire and just around the corner from The Duchy of Volare Cantare. The Jazz Age meets The Tambal Age more Hot Club de Carpathia than Paris. The army of Transilvania -

The army consists of regular infantry, militia, bicycle mounted infantry, dismounted cavalry and a small but enthusiastic unit of engineers.

 The army on parade-

Five regiments of regular infantry including one machine gun one

Five regiments of local militia 

Three of bicycle infantry

Two of dismounted cavalry who had disposed of their horses and traditions and await mechanisation 

One of engineers , proud products of the new school of military engineering in the capital

Wonderland or the joy of model shops

Most of my hobby purchases are made online except for paint and other modelling supplies which l get locally. I buy some figure related stuff at shows buts that’s about it. 

Saturday saw me having a wee wander in Edinburgh. I decided to pop up Lothian Road and see the reopened Filmhouse. It played an important part in my youth when one could see films for 50p on a Wednesday afternoon. I went a lot, for at fifty pence you had nothing to lose . I digress. Anyway across from the Filmhouse is Wonderland . It was always a great shop but one for modellers rather than wargamers being filled with a cornucopia of model railway, radio control and kit wonders plus toys. It hadn’t been graced by my presence for ages and l can tell you it now has loads more for the wargamer in terms of Perry, Wargames Atlantic and other 28mm plastic figures. An excellent selection, well worth a browse. My plan was to see if l could get a wee manageable project in terms of task and price. I waited to be hooked in , I was open to a hobby dérive if you like . The idea was to browse in the 1/72 plastic toy soldier bit of the shop. And so l did . Periods and choice galore. In the ended was taken by a box of Strelets figures ( Marmite like you either like loath them, l find them charming if a little crude occasionally ) which you see the box of above . WW2 Romanians. They would serve really well as interwar imaginations figures for a Transilvanian Army. I bought them for £7:50:for 48 figures with ideas forming in my head. The purchase reminded me of fun browsing for toy soldiers in my local post office in the Sixties where the post mistress was kind and patient.

The figures unboxed, washed in detergent and drying prior to painting. I was reminded of Craig David’s song 7 days but something similar “ bought them on a Saturday, painted them on a Sunday by Monday we fighting on the tabletop…” 

Beginning the process of painting and planning what to do with them…Saturday.

Painted , given a dark wash and drying . The helmet and cap figures would serve as regular infantry with the fur hatted chaps being militia.

A coat of gloss varnish whist still on the sprue to seal everything on Sunday.

Cut off the sprue and bases painted, Monday morning early. If I had possessed suitable mdf bases the task would have been finished but after a hunt l realised I needs to order some…

So here we are Wednesday morning early, waiting for the bases to arrive, the figures then being based and used on the table. A cheap, fun wee project to lift the spirit and offer some gaming fun. Opponents will be interwar Austrian imagination and or The Duchy of Volare Cantare…
 

Update

R

Life has been quite stressful of late and remains so . Sometimes l feel like a soldier on a range walking forward and firing at targets as they pop up. Successfully sometimes, sometimes not.  My hobby seems more butterfly flitting even than usual. I have not felt the vibe but carried on. It is not helping that Blogger only allows me to upload photos at random. One in thirty or forty attempts work. So annoying as blogging has become at the core of my hobby.

The mdf house has floorboards, plaster walls and is moving forward. I have based some figures on clear bases which look good equally in doors and out.

A kickstarter arrived from the States and looks interesting but have really given the rules set the attention they deserve. Looking forward to trying though.

Going to try and clear the table for a game when l can be bothered. Think a wee game will enthuse me…

Painting some Night Watch figures and opponents, note clear bases . 

Furniture moving forward at a snails pace but l am very pleased with it…

That was the week that was in the Duchy of Tradgardland.
 

Another chance taken to update…

 Taking the chance to update whilst Blogger is working …

Mdf house floors drying after the addition of coffee stirrer floors and “ plastering” the interior walls.

Some medieval furniture, resin.

What I use for the interior walls and all my bases.

The flooring begins…

Converting Metal Vendel reivers with Perry plastic parts…

Reivers were a fortuitous purchase on eBay. Great stocky 28mm figures.

Friday’s part two of our game French Ordonnance v Swiss Confederation. The mounted figures come a cropper…

The relentless advance of the Swiss pike blocks….unstoppable!

The Franc Archers, Ordonnance Archers and the CinC ( French King) about to meet their demise.

Archers await the onslaught of the Pikemen.

French cavalry having a go but to little avail. Pike below, just before the crunch…

The Swiss drive the French from the village!

Good game but an utter disaster for my French. The Swiss are very powerful in the dbm rules. In fact l believe not powerful enough. They should be given faster movement to portray them more accurately.

More anon when I can post. Probably some late medieval stuff…

Update

Blogger is working intermittently currently so l am posting when I can. Recently l have been caught up in a detailed look at renaissance Irish warfare throughout the two Helion books l posted pictures of below. I have found the Irish fascinating ever since I read of them first in the book “ Renaissance Armies “ by George Gush. My interest continued through “ Elizabeth’s Irish wars “ and the obligatory Osprey book. However these Helion books have taken my interest to a new level and are filed with the “ nuts and bolts” of Irish warfare. One thing that fascinated me was some details inspired by one of my favourite paintings -

The above is a photo l took of it in the gallery in London a few years ago. It is of an English Captain of Kern. You can read a bit about the painting below-

https://www.tate.org.uk/about-us/projects/tudor-stuart-technical-research/entries/portrait-captain-thomas-lee-1594

It always reminded me of the French soldier in Canada who led his First Nation allies stripped to the waist    etcin imitation/ solidarity of them. I always imagined the renaissance portrait was a conceit but recent reading suggests English captains leading allied kern stripped off their renaissance finery and dressed like their troops. Definitely a conversion opportunity. Now all I need is to find a head like the above painting and we are away…

Do read these books if you are interested in the period at all, they are fascinating, filled with new information and perspectives. Highly recommended 

So the plan today is to clear my permanent table and set up a game using the above figures who have to be found a box as part of the process. Then to set up some games, try and write simple rules with period flavour and fight them with a slightly better idea of what things were like . Things like gallowglass throwing their javelins at the start of the battle before getting stuck in with their axes.

Finally found the Osprey and articles l collected on the Tlingit the last time l considered buying some. It didn’t happen then but I am hoping to buy some of the forthcoming Eureka figures. My plan was to paint what l had only currently but l will make an exception for these. They are released in March.

Deep dive