He’s got the look ( or at least trying to find it)

 Feeling very tired this morning and not having a painting vibe, l decided to see how the MLS figures would look on terrain l currently had . I got out the terrain ( 6 by 4 hex mat, hex hills and trees) I had bought from DC some time back and set up a few trial shots-

I like the height and could paint up some of the unpainted thick hexes in brown/ grey as very rough terrain  , more mountains than hills.

The trees work well with the figures but I can’t make up my mind wheter or not to paint the wooden tree bases. I like the wood but wonder if it would be better green.

The figures climb the hills through the woods. They look fine to me. Not retro I agree but certainly something that could be used.

Trying to see what is the optimum number of figures for a hex. I think five, possibly six , will be the way forward…

Single vehicle, MG or artillery hex occupancy will be what I go for. I like the idea of officers moving as individuals to affect ( for better or worse) the infantry etc whose hex they are in. 

Some further thoughts on Mark’s Little Soldiers…

 Not really settling to much today. Got some useful practical things done around the house and a wee bit painting, reading and planning-

A few sample painted figures, not finished but just seeing what I feel about the look. They originally were painted in Army Painter Leather Brown jackets, trousers and helmets  ( going down a Hungarian route) but I just wasn’t sure…

The Tintin book arrived this morning and it is good to read it again. Further shots of unfinished infantry beside some illustrations from the book. Bergland MLS figures used.

I am considering calling the country Ostarrîchi but we will see…

A start with Mark’s Little Soldiers

 Yesterday saw me unpack and start a few of MLS soldiers which arrived in profusion this week. They , as said elsewhere, are well cast, tall and with minimal flash. They are a easy to paint compared to others I tried recently. However l am currently tired and caught up with real life , if not physically then mentally. August, as we go through the latter half of the month, becomes a lead up to Jan’s anniversary on the 30th. The girls need extra support to negotiate this time be they local or far away.This was compounded this year by what would have been my late father’s 95th birthday on the 26th. There is a sense of relief when we enter September.

Anyway a start has been made with painting and I have even made a simple conversion, more of which anon. 

The above picture is of some of my reading currently. I can’t seem to find the suitable Tintin volume around the house but am looking. It’s the one about King Ottokar. Anyway what has been developing in my mind are two tiny states which have come out from what was the former Austrian Hungarian Empire . One ( a tad like Mark’s Slovskan) is a well equipped modern army with a Czech vibe whilst the other is rather more backward looking, overly bureaucratic and less modern in tactical outlook. It is based around Austrian and Hungarian armies of the period. I will use Mark’s Bergland figures for it. Name suggestions welcome!

So here we are. Watch this space for further developments…

Mark’s Little Soldiers- countries & uniforms

 Are you going with Mark’s countries and uniforms or creating your own?

Mark’s Little Soldiers- rules?

 I wonder if anyone has given thought to what rules they are going to use with Mark’s Little Soldiers?

The hedges of KFC County- turn one

 Turn one-

It comes..

 It has come , a new madness begins!

http://nstarmagazine.com/marks_little_soldiers.htm

The hedges of KFC County

 Coming soon to a table near me…

Mission accomplished

 Got the figures finished and based today. Will set up the game in the coming days…

Finishing off

 I’ve been trying to finish off my AWI militia and riflemen.These are the ones I got as part of an order with Ronnie from Fife & Drum in America. Not too much is left to do prior to basing. The mdf bases were  glued to felt yesterday afternoon and lay under a pile of heavy books to adhere them together. Hopefully over the coming days I will get some time to complete these.

The bases need cut out with scissors and then the figures attached with super glue. The round bases are for the riflemen and the squares for the militia. The small round base is for the force commander.

I quite like the idea of returning to the K.F.C for the games. This was a small American county - Karl Frederick County populated by Tradgardland settlers and name after the duke of whence they came. The inspiration was the battle of Oriskany and Nicolas Herkimer.

The militia and riflemen will defend against a force of Hessians and Native Americans.

Rules to be used are by Jim Purky and here is a link to a useful tutorial on them-

http://altefritz.blogspot.com/2017/08/fife-drum-awi-rules-tutorial.html

Articles on Vendel Age culture etc

 Some interesting articles-

http://www.scandinavianarchaeology.com/reenactment-to-the-next-level/

http://www.scandinavianarchaeology.com/the-vendel-period-the-golden-age-of-the-norse/

https://cheyenneolander.blog/2021/09/07/an-attempt-to-recreate-the-outfit-of-a-vendel-period-woman/

https://www.sea.museum/2016/05/28/the-walking-dead-bringing-1500-year-old-graves-to-life

Guiding

 Guiding quite a lot recently for the Mansfield Traquair Trust as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.Here is a link to their website-

https://www.mansfieldtraquair.org.uk/

Really enjoying telling the story of the building to locals and visitors alike.

Patent illustration

 Found this on a trawl through the interweb. A fascinating patent drawing. Does anyone know anything about it?

Vendel age Not Viking age!

 Always fancied doing some Vendel Age figures. Now I can in 18mm! 

Lying around the house that never was

 In a house that never was , her family home, Lilli finds these items that remind her of the all consuming hobby-

Some progress

 Life post Covid has become very hectic with family matters and guiding duties. However l have taken forward my Volare Cantare troops and scenery forward a little as well a little think on the rules. Here are the figures on the work bench as of this morning-

Simple painting on the figures reflecting their painting at home as if by children.

Scenery is given a similar look. It moves forward towards a game…

The rules that never were- kleine kreig fur kinder 2

 Been playing around with ideas for these imaginary rules. The non existent original is a crumpled pamphlet , in gothic script, found in a box of abandoned toys in an attic somewhere in mittel Europe that looks much like Nuremberg but isn’t.

The game commences with each side taking turn about to place one figure on the board. Each square can hold up to 3 infantry, three cavalry, two tanks or one machine gun/ artillery.

Movement is in squares- infantry 2 , cavalry 3, tank2 , guns 1 amended by terrain.

Firing - each figure throws a d6 5,6 to hit , 6 if target is in cover. Saving throw is a six.

Infantry fire with one d6 , machine gun, tank with four as do artillery.

Range unlimited for artillery, four for mg/ tank and three for infantry.

And that’s it so far. Pictures below are me working out arc of fire for machine guns and simple infantry combat.

Currently looking at ideas of officer figures and what role they have on the table top, simple morale and melee. Game is lacking flavour  but not sure how to add it…

Film and semi flats

 A rainy evening in the Duchy . I had binned for good my current viewing ( Sandman) due to the unpleasantness set in a diner, nah tooo much! I was looking around for something to watch and at the back of my mind I recalled that “The Grand Budapest Hotel “ had been mentioned. I gave it a go and am thoroughly enjoying it. Just the ticket for someone who loves imaginations.

In other news I have been working on semi flat scenery. Early days yet but it might well work out ok.

P.S amazing thunderstorm last night , quite the most spectacular here for years!

Grendel - Marillion (lyrics) and book alfresco

Immersed in the past today.

Mark’s Little Soldiers inspiration

 This is most interesting but I can’t get the videos to work-

http://90letarmady.imatic.cz/between-wars.html

Mark’s Little Soldiers

 I have become enamoured recently with Mark Copplestone’s forthcoming retro range of figures-

https://www.instagram.com/marks_little_soldiers/

http://nstarmagazine.com/marks_little_soldiers.htm

https://www.copplestonecastings.co.uk/list.php?cat=23&page=1

And finally the release schedule-

http://nstarmagazine.com/marks_little_soldiers_1.htm

I have followed Mark on Instagram and enjoyed his journey towards production via creating imaginations and imaginary retro wargames. He has done so with great creativity, interesting terrain ideas and fun too.

It is lovely to see such a project mainstream in the hobby and eagerly anticipated too. I wish Mark well in this venture.

I have succumbed to these elegant, faux retro figures via the pre order and await their arrival enthusiastically.

Come on in the water is lovely !

Arrived!

 My preorder arrived this afternoon. I have not had a chance to read much yet. Any thoughts on it?

Eliminate the negative

 Thanks for your kind words. My experience of Covid this time was that it was much worse than when I last had it in January. I was surprised how it laid me low and my daughter too. I feel I am just turning the corner now…

I have listened to Round the Horne , started the Sandman on Netflix, listened to the radio cricket as well as Tolkien podcasts. These have been my background to dozing quite a lot of the time. Guilty tv pleasure was “Come dine with me “ repeats

Here are a few pictures of an 40mm interwar imaginations game I set up recently. In more lucid moments I have been imagining a simple, child friendly game played on a grid in a 1920s that never was. I have called it “ Kleine kreig fur kinder” . An odd note was jotted down. The pictures represent such a game. I will close now as I am going to doze.