Saxon Sea Raiders and British Naval Infantry

More stuff has been finished! I was going to title this "Saxons and Salty Seamen" but....that would be ........wrong! :)

One of the plastic unarmed Saxons (Wargames Factory) done as a standard bearer. Not bad....

Foundry armored Franks/Saxons done as Gedriht (pronouced "Yedrict") the Saxon's Lords hearthguard. The Leader (Atheling), standard bearer and musician for this unit are almost done.

Figures put in ranks

Close up from one side.....

And from the other! You can see one of the shields has a decal.

British Naval Infantry for the Sudan, 1884-1885

These are Copplestone figures

Looks good with the Army Painter dip!

" Forward men!"

"Looks like Fuzzy-Wuzzys !"

These Copplestone Naval Infantry were a bit better to paint than the crew for the Gatling Gun (Perry Miniatures) as the Copplestone were not modeled with canteens. I was unsure how they would look after using "Army Painter" dip, due to the uniform colors and the straps and pouches being black, but after the spray of Matt, they look quite good, IMHO.

The Saxons, by Foundry (gotten via The War Store at a reasonable price) were easy to paint, except for the shields. I seem to have a issue with free-hand painting shields. My skill is "so-so". I am going to try Harold's system for painting shields, attaching them to small wooden dowels. this should make handling them easier and turning the shield during painting a breeze. Once this unit is finished, I need to do 2 units of 15 (Leader-Standard-Musician-Warriors) and one more unit of skirmishers (8 I believe) and I will have my 750 point starter "Saxon Sea Raider" force done. However, I have a lot more figures (Wargames Factory, Crusader and Gripping Beast) I can paint so I can field a larger force. At some point I need to get cavalry as I can use these figure to represent Dark Ages Anglo-Saxon Army as well.

I am avoiding any new projects in order to get what is on my plate already done. I will have all the 20mm Solothurn anti-tank rifles done for my FoW Italians (Bersaglieri) in the next few days. I believe I need one more 47mm anti-tank gun, but it should be quickly done as I have several gun crews pre-painted. With this done, my Bersaglieri will be up to spec and ready to rock-which means my next FoW Army, my Late War German Heavy Tank group will be up on the production line. And after them, Early War French!

TTFN

OK, I've Been Lazy....

and not updated since, like forever! Anyway, the February game convention - Orccon 2011 went very well for me indeed, both Saturday's and Sunday's games. Sorry, no photos this time but I promise to try to update more often.


The two above photos are of, I believe, the first Napoleonic game I have ever played in (WAB, now this!?! What is next..) at the HMGS Day at Aero Hobbies this March. It was Frank's South American game and Frank and I played against Mark and had a very good time indeed!

Last Sunday, March 13th, Harold and I went up to Dave's Toy's & Hobbies (Whitter) and had a quick 750pt WAB game and then ran a game for 3 of the locals to show them and anyone else who wanted to watch, how WarHammer Ancients was played. The highlight of that game was the Pict's war dogs holding up a unit of Saxons, with many dogs howls and bad Scooby-Doo imitations being done (mostly be me). A "All Historicals Day", once a month there is in the works to have more people learn & play WAB and I can run "The Sword and the Flame" now and then as well, as many people sounded interested it that. Good. I will help keep me going and painting!

The Naval Infantry unit is almost finished, with photos to follow.

TTFN

From the Workbench

It's the new Year (2011) and things on on the move at last, after the Holiday Season! The first of my Saxon Sea Raider WarHammer Ancients Battles forces are finished. Yes, just some skirmishers but it is a start!

Skirmishers - Slingers
In a group and the bases look good!

Looking good from above as well

The first of my Gerdriht (pronounced "Yedrict") my Warlords hearthguard

3 more, almost ready for "THE DIP"!

Leader types - Standard bearers and musicians under way as well

ZOMBIES! Trying to finish another project

Just something I am doing for the heck of it, they are almost ready for "THE DIP"

15mm Dervish Camels for "Patrols in the Sudan 1885"

These figures are done, by the way

With finishing those stands of camels, I have one unit of them ready to play, if I want more I can make 4 more units, of up to 8 stands (counting the leaders stand) each. That would be if I wanted to field a Dervish "camel" force. I can use up to 2 units with an infantry force.

The Saxons I have should be done soon, but the order I place with Gripping Beast in the UK should still take a couple of weeks more, at least, to show up. These would be the rest of my skirmishers and my Geoguth (pronounced "Yoo-guth") who are the young, unarmored (except for a shield) men of my forces. I also plan to get some mounted troops to use when I play my forces as one of the Saxon Kingdoms armies, not as a Sea Raider force.

The Zombies were for the fun of it, not sure what I may do with them, keep or sell. Still, a fun little side project to try something different.

I tried to have another play test of my scenario for the Strategicon in February at the HMGS day at Aero Hobbies in January but it was a bust. Still, I had the terrain set up and some people playing "Warmachine" used it and had fun with it.

I am almost finished with a unit of British Naval Infantry for use with "The Sword and the Flame" and I should post photos soon. I have finished re-basing my Dervish Riflemen and now have a full unit (20) and one half-sized unit (10) ready. I have a unit of dervish, I believe sword armed (?) that now need to be re-based on 25mm rounds (the square bases have been removed). I also need to finish that batch of 15mm ACW figures for Dave. I am in contact now with someone who would like me to paint some Napoleonic 15mm figures for him for $$. Once I have finished Dave's, I might have a project slot free for him.

TTFN

BOOKS! I got BOOKS!

Got some books I order this week. The Combat History of German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653 in World War II, Combat History of the 654th Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung and White Eagle, Red Star, The Polish-Soviet War 1919-1920 & the Miracle on the Vistula.

The two German unit histories are because I would like to build them both as late-war forces for using with Flames of War. I have most of the miniatures I need to build the 654th now. It uses the Jagpanther, a tank I have always liked. The 653rd uses the "Elefant" which is another interesting vehicle. One army at a time...(see previous blog)

I have had an interesting odd historical events, and after getting the "Skirmish Elite" book on it (The Russo-Polish War 1919-Battles of the Borderlands) the history sounded interesting so I wanted to read more about it, just like I did when I got interested in what happened at Wake Island. So I got this book to find out more...yet another project??? SIGH.........

TTFN

Some Projects are FINISHED!

I have at last finished the Basti for my Wargods of Aegyptus!
They look good - I used the Army Painter "Shade" on them

"MEOW!"

The Beloved of Sobek and a standard bearer

The Beloved gets it's first green croc color

Italian 47mm anti-tank guns

4 stands of the 6 I need are done - they are now part of the infantry squads

I have at least gotten more stuff done! Re-basing the Dervish Spear unit is done and they are now back in their box. As the change in Flame of War for my Italian Bersaglieri forces, each infantry squad has 2x stands of infantry, 1x HMG and 1x 47mm anti-tank gun. I need to finish 2 more ATG's and the optional (sort of) 20mm anti-tank rifle for each as well (6 ATR's). On the defensive my Italians have alot of firepower, at least if the are assaulted.

Working on other projects has helped, and cleaning up my workbench has been nice. I am not sure if those LOTR Warg riders are not going in the "away" bin for now. I don't like the figures all that much, and I have some 15mm Civil War I have to finish on comission for Dave, finish those Dervish Camels for "Patrols in the Sudan" , other Colonial stuff (the Naval Infantry that are half done) and now that I am building a WarHammer Ancient Battles "Ages of Arthur" army, I need to get going on what little I have so far (6 slingers, some household guard and Command figs). But I also have to order some 20mm square stands for my infantry. I think I will mount the skirmishers on 25mm rounds, which will make them stand out as skirmish only troops, not like light troops that can do both (good idea Tim!)

Back to the painting grind tomorrow and maybe some gaming this weekend, but as Christmas gets closer, I need to decorate the house and other stuff, so as usual for this time of year, gaming takes a back seat.

TTFN

I've Been Busy!

Some photos of the test game for "The Patrol", the scenario I am going to be running at the February game Convention using "The Sword and The Flame". This scenario if from the 20th Anniversary Scenario book and the idea is taken from the movie "Gunga Din". 2 Infantry platoons of Indian soldiers back up with a Gatling Gun and 3 British Officers go to a remote village to see why the telegraph is no longer working. It's down because the tribesmen want to get someone to check it out and "crush" them. This game was run at Aero Hobbies on 11-07-2010 as part of HMGS day (every 1st Sunday).

Indian soldiers look down the street at a group of Afghan tribesmen moving toward them.
Afghan tribesmen (Pathans) charge down the street, hoping to survive rifle fire and the Gatling gun (which, lucky for them, jammed!) The vulture, on the edge of the roof, watches & waits for din-din...

Two tribes (clans) of Pathans move around buildings, waiting for the right moment to charge.

Fire-fight & melee at the low wall

The complete set of photos can be seen at:

http://s207.photobucket.com/albums/bb44/juggernought57/Playtest%20%20The%20Patrol%20%2011-02-2010/

Now some photos of a WarHammer Ancient Battles game I played with Harold on Saturday, 11-13-2010 at the Games Workshop Battle Bunker in Westminister. Now I am not that into WAB just yet, but it was fun and Harold's opponent for this game was going to be late I believe.

I was playing Greeks vs. ancient Hebrew army

My skirmishers against Light Israelite cavalry, acting as "speed bumps" when they were charged by the cavalry, which they heroically did for 1 turn...

This is a above shot just before the cavalry charged the skirmishers

Light Cavalry, looking for trouble....

So I have had a playtesting one weekend and a WAB game the next. Lots of fun! I have also gotten much painting done, which I will have to up-date my projects on my home page. Everything I need for my game is done, terrain picked out, etc. I hope to get a couple more playtests before February. Some of the ideas the players had about set-up, etc. in the 1st playtest I want to try, as well as a game with 1/2 sized units (10 figures).

I also had a brainstorm on my terrain issues, which was "what do I have?" I will take photos of it all, so I have a catalog of what hills, trees, buildings, etc. I have to use. Should take a day or two but in the end will be very worth it!

TTFN

Prototype telegraph poles - One is on a 1.5" washer and the other is a 1.25" washer.

The last of the Pathans

Some of them in a GW movement tray used for "War of the Ring" Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game (the mass battles). This might work well to move masses of native figures

Another view of Pathans in the GW WotR movement base

At least, the last 20 Pathans are done!!!

So they are done, now I need to get the telegraph poles attached to the bases, which I will do with my trusty hot-glue gun. The Gatling Gun is almost finished. I attached a small metal plate on it so I can just attach the figure that is firing it via a small rare earth magnet attached to his seat. This way I can use the same gun for the Sudan with it's Naval Gun crew or in the North-West Frontier with a different crew. I still need to get another Gardner Gun sometime for the British. 2 Gardner's, one Gatling Gun and a as-yet-unpainted screw gun, the Anglo-Egyptian forces should have enough artillery/MG's.

I am also working on my Mid-War Italians, doing up the extra 47mm ATG's that are integral to the infantry platoons. I didn't have any more ammo boxes that are for these guns, so I ordered some from The War Store. They just look "wrong" without the right ammo boxes.

I also may be spending some $$$ at Black Tree Designs to order some Daleks (Doctor Who) as they might not have them much longer. It's just the !@#@! things are expensive! But to have a game with them and say "Exterminate!" all the time..

TTFN