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Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Start of something Sasanid

Painting all the Adler Napoleonics will involve 10,000+ figures over the next 18 months.  So I also need a 'sanity' project to help with burnout and to not lose touch with different painting techniques.

I have had these Sassanids for about three years waiting for the right moment. Having started to read Adrian Goldsworthy's book "Rome and Persia", I got the itch and so the moment had arrived.

Like all my Ancients armies, these are based for the Impetus rules. The first two units are a heavy foot unit of Levy spearmen and some archers. Basing is pretty simple with just a layer of AK Interactive Dry Ground Terrain Paste which has then had a light drybrush and some tufts applied.

These miniatures are 28mm from Gripping Beast. The army will also include figures from Aventine and A&A Miniatures.







Saturday, March 2, 2024

Oh it's been a while!! (But there are photos of painted miniatures)

I haven't posted anything on here for almost a year, primarily because I have been painting thousands of Adler Napoleonic figures. If you've seen some of the older posts on here you'll know that they are aprox 8mm in height.

While I have been painting them and putting them on plywood bases, I have not done any 'basing' with them as I could not make up my mind what looked best. Bit stupid really when you consider that they are bloody small.

So I did not feel that there was any point in putting up images of (very small) based but unfinished units.

Along the way, one thing that I firmly landed on was that the basing material / ground cover needed to be relatively light in colour as I think that makes a big difference to the unit's visibility on the table top as well as allowing the paint job to be more visible.

At Cancon this year, I saw a basing paste that I thought might wok - and bought a pot to test. I had also seen a great post from a guy on Facebook by the name of Ricky Bell who gave a 'recipe' for a mixture of Javis flocks that looked pretty good to me. So a few weeks ago I painted up a few units and tried it out. I am very pleased with the outcome. The real test will come when I do some artillery bases and limbers this week.

So, with that decision made, expect to see many many more posts about the Napoleonic project over the coming 18 months because ......

I have been collecting these Napoleonic figures from Adler since 1994. While I have approximately half of my figures painted - there are also another half unpainted and they were intended to be a project that I would work on for years and years.

So to my horror, a few weeks ago I received a message from Leon who owns Adler saying that he is planning to shut down production of the 6mm lines. However, very generously he is allowing existing customers to continue to purchase through to June 2025 so as to be able to finish collections off.

After some hand wringing, I decided I'd better make a concerted effort to get as much completed as possible so that I could identify any gaps that needed to be filled.

Taking photos presents a slight quandery - they need to be close to see the little buggers - but get too close and you see all the shortcuts taken to paint a 6mm figure.

These Wurttemburgers supported Napoleon in the 1809, 1812, 1813 and 1814 campaigns. In most cases I have used the 1809 uniforms.

Firstly a group shot.

First up are the Wurttemburg Jäger zu Pferd Regiments - two regiments each of 24 figures in four squadrons.





Next are two Chevauxleger Regiments, again each regiment consists of four squadrons of six figures.



Then we have the Wurttemburg Light Battalions with their snazzy red plumes and blue lapels and turnbacks.

These took some work. The stock figures do not have a plume - but I wanted the dress uniform because (especially at 6mm) it looks good on the table. So, into each shako I drilled a small hole, glued a piece of brass wire and dipped that into the neck of a bottle of Vallejo Plasttic Putty to give some volume to the plumes. In addition, while not really visible on the photos (and certainly not on the table) each shako has a green fabric trim around it at the midpoint. While these are moulded onto the figures, they are meant to be piped in white on the edges. While it would have looked good, my sanity is worth more - so they just have the green fabric painted.



And finally we have the Milan Battalion which served with the French. I wanted this as I thought the light blue jacket looked good.





Sunday, May 14, 2023

Chance to get the Italian Wars out

Ralph has been painitng a new Polish army for Impetus over the past few months.  All was ready for a game so last Thursday, Ralph and I travelled to Richard's house in the Southern Highlands for a great game.  

Ralph had around 800 points and my Italian Wars were the only troops any of us had that came close in period (they are too early) and size of army.  

So I got all I had painted out on the table - Landschnecht, Spanish and Italian all together in a conglomerate force.   

Unfortunately, the Poles fared as well as all new armies perform ......



















Monday, February 27, 2023

Practice game of Trebbia - Impetus

We are putting on a demo game at an open day that a club to the north of Sydney are hosting in a few weeks.  So yesterday we decided to get what we had out on the table to have a practice game.  It was useful as a way of reviewing what we were missing / needed to paint and trying out the playabilty in the time available.  Consequently there are a few stand-in units on the table.  

The game was a closely run thing.  I had the left Carthaginian wing - Mago's ambush was devestating and combined with the power of my medium Cartho / Spanish cavalry we routed the Romans / Italian Allies opposite.  Initially the Cartho centre (mainly Gauls and Spaniards) did better then expected - however as the game played on the Romans came out on top with the Cartahginian centre folding.  On the right flank there was a closely faught battle that was fairly even.  In the end the Romans broke as an army while the Cartahginians were only one more unit from going the same way!  

  

The table prior to kickoff

Half of my medium cavalry

The other half


The elephants waiting patiently!

The cavalry advance to face Roman cavalry and Gaul warbands


Elephants follow supported by Carthaginian infantry


Beginiing of the end for the Romans 


Battle developing in the centre and right wing
Not too many smiles on the faces of the Roman commanders!!


Mago's ambush is sprung at the back left

 
Seen from behind the ambush -
those Roman cavalry didn't last long


Where did theygo .....
that was the end of the Roman right flank


Sunday, February 19, 2023

Christening of John's new shed and a birthday bash

It was over the table at last weekend's Nijmegan game that I proposed a get together to recognise another of our group - Richard's - eligibility for the seniors travel card.  We agreed that we would gather in Bowral on Friday for a lunch to celebrate the significant birthday.

John then suggested that we should bookend the lunch with a big Impetus game which could also serve as an official 'christening' for his new shed.  It shoud be noted here that the new shed is in the backyard of the house that John and his wife have purchased in Bowral.  The house is undergoing a signficant extension / renovation - but John was clever enough to sequence the construction of the shed early in the project.  The result is that he has moved into the wargames shed - and a very nice pool installed alongside - even though the rest of the house is 3-4 months off completion.

So a 700 point a side Impetus game was planned pitting the Burgundians againt Imperials.  We gathered around 9 and the game got underway - to be interrupted for a few hours for a great lunch in town and concluded before a cool off (it was 32 C) in the pool for a few.








I was staying the evening at Richard's house so we enjoyed a glass or two in the backyard as the sun descended.  A great end to a wonderful day.











Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Rapid Fire 20mm Nijmegan Bridge and Groesbeek Heights

We decided to do a large game at the club last Sunday with six of us playing. It was decided to base it on the new Rapid Fire Market Garden guide and use RFR as a rules set.

As anyone with any knowledge of Market Garden or the movie A Brdge Too Far will know, there is one iconic action that we wargamers want to replay when thinking of Nijmegan - the storm boat assault over the river Waal.  As I was the only one with a set of the old Brittania (now Grubby) boats and US Para crews, I was tasked with being the 82nd Airborne in Nijmegan while John was the Guards Armoured Battlegroup assaulting Nijmegan and supporting my US Paras and Grant was the 82nd Airborne holding the Groesbeek Heights from the Germans advancing out of Germany.  The Germans were played by Warwick, Terry and Bob.

By the time we had set up the table and forces, the game got underway about 10am.  With a good hour for lunch and a few beers at the local pub, we were finished by 3.30pm.  A few photos below - which do focus on my sector as I took them :)    

The river crossing in the forground.
Nijmegan, rail and road bridges through
to the villages at the foot of Groesbeek Heights


A few of my Dutch resin railway buildings 


2/505 advancing to cover the crossing site


75mm pack howitzers providing supporting fire


The arrival of the boats (pontoon trucks standing in) is on 
a randon roll - we rolled well. 


3/504 advancing to meet the boats - no waiting
in this movie


First wave is launched


and targeted by the German artillery and MG fire


One of 4 boats reach the far shore - but they disembark and
take out a dug in German MMG and pass morale


The rail bridge is rushed by elements of the 2nd Household
Cavalry and Stuarts of the Grenadier Guards


... which are targeted by an 88mm


A US Engineer Coy follow over the bridge while the second
wave (2/505) are launched


Gane is up for the Germans as the boats start disembarking
an untouched battalion and the Engineers cross the bridge with 
few casualties