Hey Ho, Let's Go!

It's a new dawn and a new day and a new year. So lets start with looking forward not back.

Wa have a lot to look forward to this year, seeing friends, playing games, maybe even winning some battles too. New projects to start, old ones to see on a table again. Conventions, club meets and gatherings. New books, articles and knowledge. New toys to enjoy.

It's going to be good.

I am looking forward to finishing Against Spain, the sequel to the Sugar Islands. I am also working on something covering 16thC battles in Aberdeenshire.

For the tabletop, I am working on some figures to use in scenarios for the Philippines right now. 

After that I have Indian solders for WW1 to complete. Facing them will be either Turks or Germans and Askaris.

Some Jacobites will make an appearance too.

But my big project will be the Franco-Prussian War, in 28mm, on a grand scale, in collaboration will Graham H. 

I can't wait to get started!

  

200

 200th Post.

Well it's been a long time since I started the blog. Thank you to everyone who pops in to have a look and leave a comment.  Huge thank you to everyone who bought the Sugar Islands Campaign. Against Spain is still being worked on but with covid and big changes in my workload I've not had the headspace to work on it as much as I'd like. This has been a year like no other that's for sure. 

I have continued painting. Both 18thC  and 16thC lately. An experimental game of Pikemans Lament with my Marian / Corrichie stuff and it worked well. Playing against my son the first game saw me take the rebels as clansmen and forlorn hope and thanks to a lucky die roll, gained some reinforcing shot. These fended off the royalist border horse trotters, whilst my clansmen and forlorn hope crashed into the shot.

We switched sides for game two and it was a closer run thing. This time I too, the royalists and pushed out my shot and trotters to wear down the approaching Rebels. This worked to a degree and gave me time to close ranks with my pike so I was ready to attack the rebel foot first. It was still touch and go but a more even fight and it came down to both sides being a couple of figures off 50% casualties when a good roll from me won the day. 

Now that I know the rules work I will finish off the bases and paint the movement trays, ready for the battle proper. I still have some flags to do too. 

I received some of the new Crann Tara figures on Friday. I will use these as militia for Cuba and the Philippines and for anywhere else that needs a locally raised levy. They'll do perfectly for the AWI and FIW too, even as Jacobite lowlanders and as always are cleanly cast and sculpted. Graham's figures got from strength to strength. 

This post is dedicated to Danny. 2006-2020. 

My furry bud. 

Naval landing party

I have just finished these off - Crann Tara's excellent Naval Landing Party. 

As always these figures are very well sculpted and cleanly cast and are a joy to paint. Although sold as a landing party they could see service as civilians, militia or even pirates. 

They will join my marines in landing on the beaches of Cuba and the Philippines. 

That just about wraps up all the figures which I need for the former. I hope to have some black militia soon but will have to wait til these are finished being sculpted. Meantime I have some scenarios to playtest and will start painting figures which I intend using for the Filipino tribesmen which caused the British some bother. 

Cojimar Beach, Cuba, 1762.

 A few test shots. These are some bits and pieces I have been working on over the last couple of weeks. The figures are all CrannTara. The fort is from Slug Industries. The battery from Blood and Plunder. The mats are from Tiny Wargames. 

 

I'm currently working on a scenario for the landings and as for the book, the British now stand outside El Moro and the siege is underway. The rest of the book is sketched out and moving forward fairly quickly. 

Stay tuned!

Beach Gun Emplacement - Finished

A nice relaxing evening Friday spent listening to music, enjoying a nice malt....and painting.  

Emplacements done.

Crann Tara naval landing party crewing the gun. Clear bases showing working a treat!

British Marines next.