If you can’t beat them..

 I’ve been enjoying this of late-

https://brownspreadandyellowfruit.blogspot.com/2025/03/a-new-regiment-arrives.html

https://brownspreadandyellowfruit.blogspot.com/2025/03/new-arrivals.html

Eric’s excellent Napoleonic imagination project got me thinking about what my Duchy of Volare Cantare might have been up to in the early eighteen hundreds or even their friends on Adriatic coast..

So this weekend some things came together-

I bought this general off eBay yonks ago. He has been waiting for a project for ages. A Napoleonic imagination for the Portable Wargame and Neil Thomas sounds just the thing.

I scurried around the place and found some figures lying about looking for a project too. So they were given new uniforms and are almost battle ready.

I enjoyed taking the above Osprey off the shelves too and having a wee read for inspiration and uniform ideas.

Opposition will be in the form of my British and Hanoverians from my Very Regency Civil War Project.

Some further recruits required…

All about the base

 Fancied a wee period change and looked these out-

I’m wondering if l can’t be bothered with the single bases, should take the figures off them and glue onto mdf as units for the Portable Wargame and Neil Thomas rules…

Here they are as a trial run on an impetus sized base. Obviously l would get more on the base if the figures were removed from their single bases. Mixed pike/ musket unit.

  60mm square base, all musketeers .

Any base thoughts folks?

Moshartz

 I have always found Mordheim an interesting game. Full of character the skirmish game has been the catalyst for much creativity in both figures and terrain. Last year l discovered the work of Moshartz, his figures and his journal. A few links-

https://www.patreon.com/Moshartz

https://www.myminifactory.com/it/users/Moshartz

https://www.instagram.com/moshartz/reels/

His figures are full of charm and story telling therefore l am pleased to support him and also show some of the figures here-

I bought the kickstarter and follow him on Patreon

Wee packages come in the post from Germany, well packaged.

Each figure has lots of options in terms of heads, arms and weapons.

Two assembled ready for painting.

The kickstarter box, which came with copies of Der Gaukler with , in part , a Mordheim Town Cryer vibe

A wonderful mounted figure awaiting assembly. I really need to bite the bullet and put paint to resin…

Painting and plans

 The recent Bolt Action project has come along very nicely. I found the figures accessible to paint, not too many and found it fun to paint them up and use them in games immediately. The recent addition of British infantry required a complete repaint, re base and gloss varnish. Soaked Friday late afternoon and finished before breakfast on Sunday.

Just enough to provide Regular Army support for the Homeguard in the shape of two slightly undersized sections and a Boys Anti Tank Rifle team of two.

The other day these came from Col Bill’s second had emporium-

They are entitled “Defenders of the realm” and a a pack of 28mm character models for WW2. I bought them for the way they fitted into my scenario plans and also for the charm of some of the sculpts. A man in a raincoat and hat reaching into his coat for a pistol will be a sinister spy, the woman firing a pistol something similar. Homeguard figures on roller skates with Tommy gun will be a useful addition to my Homeguard section, probably as a runner . The other Homeguard figure in a relaxed pose with tin mug of tea is a lovely sculpt and will serve alongside the previous figure. Another charming sculpt is the Boy Scout firing a catapult who will be added to my VBCW and 1940 scout troop.  The final figures of  policeman, woman and ARP with rattle and gas mask will probably be employed adding local colour to games, not quite sure yet…

I’ve been watching this and other videos based on One Hour Wargames-

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=feaXRgmInvc

I like the look of the games and may well try a Homeguard 1940 game on my wee permanent table in the coming days…

maîtres de bataille or Late 17th Century Battle Masters

 At Woking l was most taken with Battle Masters. I wasn’t really interested in the figures but wanted the mat and cards, dice and bits n bobs. I ordered them from eBay and they arrived-

I wanted to use the rules in a late 17th century context and with larger figures. Here is a scale comparison between a 28mm figure and a 60mm -

So I set up a game primarily to see the look of the thing and to have a wee play around with the rules-

A work in progress…

Yesterday

 Yesterday saw a visit from my regular opponents. G arrived early with these-

He brought his latest board game purchase, two games on the Winter War , one at a strategic level one at battalion level plus an Ardennes game. We decided to start with the strategic Finnish game soon.

P arrived at noon. We then, post lunch, set up a roadblock scenario from the Bolt Action Seelowe sourcebook. I defended , P was the German attacker and G umpired.

Getting the troops out on the table in preparation.

The Homeguard hold the roadblock with cyclists on the right flank and a section in woods on the left .

The view , with order dice, from behind the road block.

German invaders come across a small section in a wood, hidden there, subsequently supported by the cyclists. A fight ensues.

Red dice show number of pins btw.

The umpire points out something to us which l can’t recall.

Things not looking good for the Homeguard. They have been worn down by weight of numbers…

The end sees the Homeguard commander meeting his demise. Defeat but an enjoyable game.

Afterwards l was sorting out some recycling, took a chance to look for something in the lead pile ( which I failed to locate ) but found some British infantry Fromm an old , stalled VBCW project. Here they are being removed by boiling water from their old bases-

Enough for a section or two, they were started to be repainted yesterday and I will continue to do so today…

Off the painting desk

 

Downed German aircrew for use in Homeguard scenarios.

The ragged Soldier’s gift painted up and battle ready.

Homeguard snipers in Ghillie suits .

School’s out for…

 Yesterday saw me in Glasgow for the final class of my weekly Seventeenth Century Dutch Art course.

Glasgow was bathed in sunshine, albeit cold, and looked at her best.

We were having a visit to the Kelvingrove as a field trip and l arrived in time for part of the daily organ recital. Sweet Caroline blared out in a wonderfully uplifting way.

Popped by to see one of my favourite paintings…

We had a most interesting time looking at the paintings with our lecturer and chatting amongst ourselves.

This charming town lacks urban planning and seems to have organically grown up around the church.

Interesting pistols on display and in the painting below.

Couldn’t resist taking a photo of this striking picture. A grand day out indeed.

P.s On Sunday I accompanied my middle daughter to Aberdour where she swam in the see. We were fascinated by watching a seal who kept appearing and disappearing off shore during her time in the water and after.

In defence of sprues

 

I like free figure sprues. Perhaps they subconsciously remind me of free gifts in comics as a child. I like the way they function as a taster for a period or scale you have never tried or perhaps they function as chance to try new painting techniques . They are fun , said the big kid at heart.

So what to do with them? Use them, horde them or give them to a good home . I have done all three. Ok the magazines would be cheaper without but as well as the above free sprues could be just the right thing , at the right price , at the right place and at the right time to bring someone to take their first faltering steps in a hobby that will last a lifetime .

Sprues for free are fun. They gave just enough werewolves for a project, just enough German paratroopers in winter gear to start a new project and get into Bolt Action  and now just enough Caesarean Legionnaires for a wee skirmish. Viva free sprues!

Foreign intervention in the Very British Civil War

 Yesterday we had another VBCW game using Bolt Action 2nd edition. Again it was a big table game to allow us to try out vehicles and tanks. The table was more rural than in the last game. The forces were the Leverpool Free State against German paratroopers and mountain troops with a panzer one for support. A most enjoyable game was had but I forgot to take photos as I got absorbed in the tabletop situation. Here are a few l took-

German mountain troops have acquired transport in the form of a steam lorry. They are supported by German paratroopers on foot. This was near the start of the game.

Again early in the game. The German tank advances supported by infantry. German infantry and support weapons advanced through and round a field of crops.

The LFS improvised armoured car has just destroyed a German mortar team. The LFS are defending doggedly a field surrounded by a stone wall. Meanwhile a German flamethrower sneaks forward…

The LFS brought into action a T26 ( a gift from their friends in the Soviet Union) which fired on the panzer  one ( who had advanced to command the crossroads, leaving its supporting infantry behind) and missed!

In the end I conceded as most of my units had taken heavy casualties. An enjoyable game. Next game will be a 1940 Homeguard one…