Finally finished something - Spanish Knights

It has taken me a long time - but they have finally been completed.  These knights were started in July and left as I did not get them completed in time to use at Wintercon with the new Spanish Impetus army.

They are TAG figures and based as a CP unit for Impetus.

 

State of the painting desk

Nothing finished to show - but the fact that I have been able to take a photo of painting underway is a significant breakthrough for me and a reason to post.

 

I think I have picked up a paintbrush on only 3 or 4 occasions since early July - each time lasting less than 30 minutes.  I've really struggled with motivation to paint anything.  Part of the issue has been a struggle to decide what I wanted to focus on among the many projects that I've got on the go.

 

So a few days ago I just decided to paint whatever was buried somewhere on the desk or in started piles around the room. 

 

Over the weekend I have finished two battalions of Prussian LW in 6mm (not based yet and not on the desk as they are now done). 

 

I'm also half way through a 6mm LW cavalry regiment with two more prepared and horses painted.  Also two battalions of 6mm Prussian Musketeers are prepared and undercoated.  

 

In the back right is the finishing touches to a unit of CP Spanish Cavalry for my Renaissance Spanish.  Horses were finished and based in July and the cavalry have hung around since them. 

 

Finally on the left is a unit of Cheveauxleger for the SYW Saxons.

 

So a pretty good weekend and hopefully start of a productive period (around family, friends and work commitments over the next 2 months).

 

 

Remodelling the game room

I am making some changes to the games room to fix two issues.  Firstly I do not have enough storage for stuff so need some more cupboards.  Secondly being below the house there is little air movement and so it gets a bit stuffy, so I have spoken to a builder about getting a smallish window at one end above the table.  I am lucky as the room sits about 4 feet below the driveway and so a window would open out onto the driveway and faces east which is where most of the (good) breezes come from (NE or SE).

While I am at it - I decided to widen the table to make it 6 feet wide and add the ability to have an extension of 2 feet which, when added, will make it 10 feet long.

So it has meant taking off the table top and frame, dismantling the terrain storage rack that I built and getting a few new cupboards.

So now need to engage an engineer and someone to amend the drawings so I can submit it to the council to get the window approved.  It is supposed to be easier under the new process - ha ha.

TYW Battle of Brettenfield

We had a wonderful days' gaming yesterday at Ralph's house.  He had put on a refight of the Battle of Brettenfield in the Thirty Years War.

We were using his wonderful 15mm collection of miniatures on purpose built terrain for the battle. Special mention must also go to Rosie for keeping us well provisioned during the long struggle all day.

On one side we had me with Gustavus and his Swedes with Ralph taking the Saxons.  Facing us was Richard and Alan with Tilly's Catholic - Imperial army.

Pappeneheim's cavalry that I was facing

Tilly's tercios arranged for battle

My victorious cavalry - see last photo below :)

More glory for Gustavus' cavalry

On come Tilly's mighty tercios - some a bit softened up from fire on the way in

Hard fighting in the centre with the Tercios up against Swedish foot

The Swedes have broken through Tilly's powerful tercios

I know I should not gloat - but here are Pappenheim's casualties

Italians v Burguandians

We had a great casual game recently with my Italians up against Richard's very nice looking Burgundians using 500 points with Impetus.

The photos are not too good as they were taken with an iphone into the light - but they're all I have got.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Renaissance Spanish at work

Last weekend was the first outing of the new Renaissance Spanish army in the Impetus comp at Wintercon in Canberra.

They had a pretty good run - only falling to those superhuman Swiss class A pike blocks.

A few photos of them about to do battle.  I will get some better shots of the new units on the weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

The Papal Army on the attack

Last weekend at the club - the Goulburn Valiant Stormers - we had a few games of Impetus.  While my new Spanish Renaissance army is being painted, I pulled out their Italian cousins in the shape of the Pope's Army.

Here are a few "action" shots from the day's play taken brilliantly by David Hilyard.  Thanks David for the photos.

 

Saxon SYW IR6 Maxmillian

These have taken me a while to finish - in fact they have been painted for about 3 weeks - just needed to find the time to base and flag.

So they are Eureka Saxon's.  In particular the IR6 Maxmillian.

First Age of Reason stuff underway

I got an order of Eureka's wonderful Saxon Army at Cancon in January.  First unit is underway - these are the first 28mm figures painted from the horse and musket period - it needs more precision than the ancients and renaissance that I have been painitng.

Might get the painting of the uniforms finished today - mainly more highlighting to go. Officer's horse still needs the oil treatment and then finishing before I base them all.

20mm Germans in SS Camo

Here is a bunch of 20mm AB Germans (SS actually) - they are being painted for my 12th SS force from the Normandy Battlegroups book for Rapidfire.  

The camouflage is a mix of patterns - a lot of Oakleaf Summer and Autumn, some Planetree and quite a few Peadot.  

They have been hard work to paint - and I have another 2 battalions plus support to go!

Sorry about the photos and being blurred - I like to think that the camo is doing such a great job of confusing the auto focus.  The light green is also much brighter in these than in real life.

The bug has bittten

Very excited to get home and see the postie had delivered a package from On Military Matters that enclosed this book of Landschnecht goodness.

It is dual language - Italian / English.  It has 80 pages, 18 of which are full colour of uniforms and flags.  Each of the remainder pages has a woodcut / engraving or two plus text.

It covers the:
- battles
- commanders
- organisation
- weapons and equipment
- clothing

Landschnechts doing their thing at Cancon

Unfortunately the only two photos that I was able to take of the Landschnechts and their Italian allies in action in the service of the pope at the recent Cancon convention.

 

 

As I noted in the post below, this was a great two days of gaming with a great bunch of blokes.

Huns on the field

John and I played a few games at the club in Goulburn last weekend.  Two games of 350 points Impetus.  John brought his Normans and I had the Huns.

 Results were evenly split - one game each.  Both games were a lot of fun.

The mat is one that I won at the Impetus comp in Cancon in January.  It was generously donated by Campaign Books and Games Logistics http://www.campaignbooksandgameslogistics.com/

Pikes in action

A pair of good photos taken by my friend Rex H at Cancon which show the ranpaging pike blocks on their way to do the Pope's bidding.

 

I'm very glad he took some shots as I don't think any of mine came out.

Landschnect pike and commands

These are fruits of my labour over the past three weeks as I added to the existing Italian troop types so I could field a Papal army in the Impetus system.

 

So first up are the kings of the field in those days - two pike of Landschnecht pikes.  The figures are Foundry and the pikes are - well sharp.  I have the painting list sitting beside me (on the back of the army list as it was handy at the time)- it shows a combination of 16 colours in deep, mid and highlight for their fabric alone - plus all the rest.

Next up is a unit of Italan infantry - these ones are Old Glory figures and look suitably determined.

Finally a few shots of the two units of command.  The guy with the big round red headress is Perry and the other three from the Perry Knights range.

Finally flags on all of these are from Pete's Flags who you can find on the ...bay.

More renaissance shot and crossbowmen

Stay tuned dear followers.  These are the first of a burst of painting that is needed for me to put a Papal Italian army on the field next weekend at Cancon.

 

Also needed are 28 Landscnhecht pikemen, some Doppelsoldners - maybe some command and even more maybe a new camp - although the ones I already have will do fine.

These two bases (done for Impetus) are generic Italian troops.  The shot are Foundry and the Crossbow are Old Glory.  When you consider the price of the Old Glory figures with the benefit of their Amy Card, this range is extra good.