Work In Progress.....September 2014

The end of September 2014 and due to my arbitrary decision to start my ‘Wargaming Year’ at the beginning of October it’ll soon be time for me to write an irrelevant outlook on the last 12 months of wargaming action.  But for now I’ll concentrate upon the last month and news of a purchase, and not only that a purchase of Battlefront German Flames Of War models!  Truly a momentous occasion considering by my reckoning my last addition to my 15mm Jerry’s was the Open Fire boxed set in September 2013, and I bought that for the Shermans so the German bits are still all packed away.  I have so many Germans that I have not been able to find the willpower to overcome my financial guilt and add to them until now when I filled a gap in my arsenal by buying a pack of 3 15cm Nebelwafer rocket launchers.  Super cheap and very effective I’m hoping they will replace my 10.5cm guns in smaller Flames of War games in supplying smoke and anti-infantry cover, once I make them that is.

Painting & Modelling:

Busy month for painting as I finished off the first batch of my Wars of the Roses troops, and then got my air brush out for the first time in months.  The 3 units of combined bowmen and billmen have already seen service in a game with Aidan’s collection, and I added to them by making 12 mounted men-at-arms and a breach-loaded artillery piece which are spray painted and awaiting attention at some time in the future.  Taking a break from 28mm, and with the suggestion of an October Flames of War tournament, I moved on to my pile of damaged, unmade and badly painted halftracks, 12 in total.  Having made the 3 Plastic Soldier Company ones that Pete so kindly gave to me last month I repaired the other Old Glory models and moved onto air brushing them.  Before I knew it I had spent a good 2 weeks with the air brush set up on the dining table (shoved over when not in use obviously) and an additional 4 RSO tractors, 1 field car, and my 4 Brumbarrs had been dragged into my efforts at building a FOW army I can put down without poorly painted shame.  All still a work in progress and clearly needing their own post.  As will be obvious I have only managed to find short segments of time to airbrush, hence why its taking so long!

Gaming:

Plenty of that in evidence on a Thursday evening as I inducted Dave McClumpa into the mysteries of Saga (although I suspect he already knew about them), played Bolt Action against Luke and reassured Phil that we’d played Flames of War in his campaign, and a clash with Aidan between his/my Yorkists and his Lancastrians.

Painted Vs Purchased – the final totals for 2014:

The painted total for this wargaming year now includes 37 Wars of the Roses 28mm figures, 2 of the excellent Foundry Wild West figures, and a very large porter (54mm+?) and his baggage trolley for my dad’s LGB railway in the garden; 41 in total.  The 3 15cm rocket launchers, plus command stand and observer added an additional 5 models to the purchased total.  A very respectable amount.

Purchased: 32

Painted: 167

 Bio-Titan Special:

Finally; the bio-titan is showing signs of liking playing with toy soldiers.  So far in the last few months we’ve had out my 28mm Romans, Royalists, 6mm American Civil War, Wars of the Roses (cue his explanation to his teacher about ‘Yorkists’), Boromir and half the fellowship and a bunch of goblins, and finally the skaven who are a staple of the playing day on their battlefield in the dining room.  If it was me I’d have been told by SWMBO to pack that rubbish up within hours, how does he do it?  Currently some 15mm Sherman’s are fighting a running battle with several German half tracks and a bunch of cheap plastic toy soldiers through wargaming trees across the coffee table.  I think the Germans are losing.  Surprisingly very few breakages, he’s following the instructions (and squeaks of panic) to be gentle very well, couldn't let any of his friends near them however because in comparison they are all quite rough with their toys and others.