Saturday 31 October 2009

Day 2

Good day today. 24 Armoured Ashigaru in light blue and black, 24 Household foot for the Bloody Barons and 16 Union Dismounted cavalry for CWB making 64 figures. Not bad for a few hours whilst listening to Radio 5. Fortunately Keith rang giving me a break as my eyes were ready to go!

Organised a game of CWB at the club with Keith for next Friday which I am looking forawrd to. We will use the pre game sequence and have at it! Some new scenary in the shape of a load of snake fencing which I started yesterday. I may have some cavalry on the table if I can paint the Reb cavalry I prepped yesterday. The Union cavalry is now done, just in time for Peter Pigs resculpts.

I need to finish the bits and bobs for Bloody Barons so they will be first under the brush tomorrow. I may try and prep some more Samurai tonight but I seem to be missing command packs. Either I forgot to order them or else I already have them but don't know where they are! I will have a scrounge around tonight but after my clean up a couple of days ago I am not hopefull.

More soon.........


Total for day: 64 Total for the week: 89

Friday 30 October 2009

Day 1


Day 1 of the big push. I painted my first unit of Levy Ashigaru. 24 figures in browns and creams. They look quite nice for my first effort. For some reason I photographed other bits but not them! They only took an hour to do but I was short of time due to other bits and pieces.
The following pictures were all done over the last couple of days and all have been basecoated and then army painter brushed on. All require a coat of matt varnish hence the shine.
A unit of American troops for Washingtons army. These are all from pack 26 'Militia firing'. Need the command figures which I will order shortly.


Not the greatest photo as still getting used to the camera. Lovely figures though with lots of character and variation of kit within the pack.

They are actually paintd as 6th Maryland with grey coats with green trim. They have blue stockings and trousers in a variety of colours.



A bit shiny that will be sorted with a coat of purity seal.

These are the Essex minis in cloak coats. Again a bit shiny and the base needs static grass applying. Nominally they will represent Irish troops hence the green flag.


A regt of Union cavalry actually painted a few months ago but only based today. Again they will be matt varnished with the other bits sometime tomorrow. Peter Pig are redoing their ACW cavalry so a few additions coming soon.
Hopefully a lot more painting tomorrow.
Total Day 1 - 24pts

Thursday 29 October 2009

Painting Challenge.

I am 507 points short of last years total . I had thought I was going to smash last years total but I may struggle. I will endeavour to push on and get past the 1500 mark at least but the early year prediction of 2000 seems a long way off. I am off work at the moment until a week on Tuesday so plan a real push.

I am going to set myself a challenge of 200 points before Tuesday 10th November. I will blog a daily report of how I am doing. I have ACW cavalry, WotR and Samurai to the fore but may dabble all over. Maybe some AK47, WW2, WW1, even SCW. Of course vehicles, cavalry, and buildings and the like earn me more points so by hook or by crook I pledge to get there!

I have an order prepared for Peter Pig for more Bloody Barons stuff plus some odds like the ACW civilians, some AK47 and a bit of PiTS stuff. However due to the postal strike I may look to get them at Warfare if I can get the time off work and therefore take advantage of the 10% show discount. No worries at the moment as i have plenty to be getting on with.

More soon...............

Update

Well blow me down. I'll go to the foot of my stairs. Would you adam and eve it. I've actually being painting figures! No pictures (suprise suprise). But I have actually but paint of lead followed by Army Painter. And there is more on the way. 15 Peter Pig AWI (pack 26) which are actually militia but I have done them as 6th Maryland, grey coat with green trim. Look the business, just need a command pack to finish them off (why didn't I get one at partizan?).

Also 18 Union troops for CWB. Dont tell anyone but they are some Essex minis but I wanted a unit in cloak coats which Peter Pig don't do. They aren't anywhere near as nice as PP but I have always liked the look of troops in overcoats bring back images from Gods and Generals and the Fredricksburg scenes. I will put some piccies up over the next couple of days using my new camera.

Also I had a long overdue clean up of my painting area. Now, we live in a lovely little two bed cottage in the middel of no where. Its quaint, quiet and cosy, but there isn't an awful lot of room so I make do with a table in our spare room that doubles as dressing room, ironing room and general dumping room. It is the only room we have yet to decorate since moving in a few years ago, having done the rest of the house bit by bit. As a consequence the room is often crammed with washing, ironing boards and the other detritus of modern living. And it does from time to time put me off sitting in there to do 'hobby'. Or as Lisa calls it 'Cutting and sticking'. At such times I have a nice padded tray that I use to paint on whilst watching tv.

After around 4 hours of sorting, sifting and shifting, it alls looks much better and inviting for me to sit in and work. It always amazes me that when I do one of these 'spring cleans' I generally come across something I have purchased at a show and then forgotten about or lost. Today I found the Reb cavalry I bought at Salute in April, put in a little bag and some how stuffed it in a box with a load of flock and lichen under my table. I had been wondering where they had got to!

I base coated a unti of levy and a unit of ashigaru for BAW yesterday. Feelign nervous about tackling them but they wont paint themselves. I did email Jase at the Bunker to see if he had room in his schedule but he is busy until after Christmas and I really want to crack on and get some bits done.

Right I am off to have a quick game of Washingtons Army using my home made counters.

More soon............

Tuesday 27 October 2009

Tempus Fugit

....or something like that!

Ironically these last few months of inactivity have coincided with a more regular return to my club which I have been enjoying. No piggie activity I am afraid, but plenty of gaming (well for me anyway!)

I am very excited about the new set of rules curently in playtest from Peter Pig, Washingtons Army covering the AWI. I have long thought that the AWI would be a good subject for Mr Pig to tackle. Small battles, tatty uniforms that for some troop types that could be used for either side and in keeping with the whole Pig philosophy in my eyes. They are very much based around Battles in the Age of War/Civil War Battles/Bloody Barons and seem to take the best bits of each set. This 'model' that Mr Pig first really used in Regiments of Foote has developed and evolved with each set. They dont bog down in detail, aiming for a strict balance between giving a good game and arriving at a plausible result.

Of course Martin has promised an entire range of figures to complement the rules, the first of which are out now, with the major release anticipated around spring next year. Which means I must kick on and finish a couple of projects before diving in to the AWI when the rules and figures come out.

The Wars of the Roses is close to first stage completion. I have always planned to put on 'Towton' at Alumwell next year. I would say I am 75% done on figures. I still have 5 more units of retinue to buy/paint plus the paraphenalia of dead markers and the like. They are all primed and ready for the brush. As Towton was characterised by a snow covered landscape, the old fall back of a white sheet sprayed with patches of brown and green will represent that small corner of Yorkshire with sculpted hills underneath and leafless trees in the wooded area. Should look nice. It certainly does in my minds eye!

Samurai have been waiting patiently for the brush treatment since Salute (how long ago??!!) I am determined to make a start on these before Christmas, even if its only 1 or 2 units I will pluck up the courage to get them under way. The Perry Miniatures website is great for painting ideas for Samurai which I will peruse and digest.

The Samurai will be similar to my experience with the Wars of the Roses in that I am sure it will take a short while to get used to the figures in my hands before I get into top gear with the brush. I often find myself wondering what different bits are on a figure and what colour they should be painted. I found on the Wars of the Roses that the first few units were a bit of a hodge podge whilst I got used to what different bits were before reaching some consistency. Later units I have found myself putting less colour on, using a Coat 'd Arms Brown (leather I think) for all boots, bows, shafts, straps and the like. Once Army Painter dip goes on it all comes together nicely. At least when viewed from arms length!

So as we head towards winter I need to take stock of what I have achieved and where i have fallen down. I will do a more complete retrospective closer ot years end but for now....

1) More gaming at the club in the second half of the year with less gaming at home.
2) Failure to keep up my painting output from the first quarter of the year.
3) Still several projects that haven't hit the radar (ie still in the loft/under the painting table) inclduing Ancient Germans and Romans/Spanish Civil War/WW1/Cowboys/early WW2/Pirates
4) Built alot of scenary for my club, WFB WH40K mostly.
5) Failed to attend some Piggie events that I wanted to get to
6) Made it down to STABs PBI day (possibly my highlight of the year!)

Work wise I managed to transfer to a place of work much closer to home with a 20 minute drive to work rather than over an hour. Shifts still interfere with my face to face gaming more than I would like but thats out of my control for the time being.

Since early September I have had one illness and one injury at work both of which hospitalised me for a short time, the second of which is still affecting me somewhat but thats the nature of my work! Getting through it now though so no excuses.

I have professional work related exams in around 10 months time which I need ot knuckle down and study for (should have done these last month but pulled out). I am convinced this should not hit my hobby time too much. It's all about time management which I have never been great at. I will moan at my lack of time to get stuff down but then end up reading blogs like this for several hours whilst Lisa watches whatever she has Sky+'ed. I need to cut back on my time on-line and actually get more stuff done with my lead pile. An hour here or there can be very productive as I found out earlier in the year. Also I think I am going to aim for at least 1 game a month at home, in addition to 2-3 nights at the club. Not too much to ask, and certainly room for more gaming where possible.

I will in all liklihood cut back on the shows I attend (not that I have over done it this year!). My main deciding factor will be Peter Pig attendance to take advantage of the 10% off for preorders. I will be less inclined to take leave to attend though, saving some leave for RFCM games days organised by Stewart or Miles down south. York, Alumwell, Partizan and possibly Warfare and Derby will be my target shows, nicely spread over the year. No Sheffield unless i am off and at a loose end. No Salute either, possibly to make way for a trip to Fisticuffs, we'll see.

So plans, ideas and thoughts. Who said no plan survives contact with the enemy? What do they know!!!!

More soon....................