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.

Against Spain - Update

 I am currently working out the scenarios for the sequel to the Wargaming Sugar Islands Campaign Book and preparing scenery.

These rather tasty gun emplacements come from the Blood and Plunder range which I picked up at Falkirk, (last year!) from Gavin at Gaming Figures. All I have done for the moment is given them a blast of Humbrol Sand paint. They'll be finished off over the next few days.

The British marines are on the blocks too so it won't be long before I have some games to try out.

New blogger still isn't perfect, but it works, mostly!

Books - Polish Army 1815 -1830 & Polish - Russian War 1831

 This gorgeous book dropped through the letter box last week. I've fancied it for a while since reading about the Polish Russian war in a thread on the Lead Adventure Forum.

What drew me to it was it's illustrations. Beautiful watercolour paintings of Polish soldiers from 1815 through to 1831. They are somewhat stylised, but that's what I like about them. The remind me of Tintin for some reason, but whatever it is I love them.

The troops are divided up into the typical categories, but during the aforementioned war the regulars were supplemented by many volunteer and privately raised units and it is amongst these that the uniforms start to become spectacular.

Steve Barber has several figures available in 28mm and others can be found, altered with a deft brush stroke or some fine scalpel or putty work amongst Polish and Prussian Napoleonic ranges. For now however I will be satisfied with the book....

...but that's because I have already something shiny up my sleeve from the 1830's. But that, as they say, is another story!

A busy week of Wargames goodies

It's been a very busy week of goodies for the Wargames table and bookshelf.

A couple of eBay purchases turned up. Some lovely Crann Tara British in campaign dress which will be prefect for Cuba or elsewhere.

Some of the British, (and dog).

Then another eBay purchase, this time 19thC. Highlanders for the Crimea. I'd always wanted to have Crimean War figures and this project is turning into a labour of love. I can't wait for Great War to restock so I can get my mitts on some Rifle Brigade. Then I need to flesh out the Russians with some skirmishers and add the Cossack artillery I'm painting.

A trip to Ballater on Saturday meant a visit to Deeside books. And I seldom if ever leave without something under my arm. This time it was Hellion's book on the battle of Sheriffmuir - "Crucible of the Jacobite '15" by Jonathan Oates, half price no less. Check them out online do...they have an excellent history section and also some rarities.

I did some painting too, making a start on the rowers for my landing boats for Havana and Manila as I now have oars supplied by Graham H's printer. I plan on mounting the oarsmen on small plastic "seats" made of square plasticard tube. This will allow a stand of troops to fit alongside them in the boat. For a mock up I have used some 6mm dice, which are roughly the size needed, and it seems to work out well. The book is moving along and I'm am ready to start drafting the first scenarios.



Lastly I must mention another book I received this weekend. I'm not really a modern history fan nor do I know much about the modern "troubles" in Northern Ireland other than what I remember from tv as a kid. However I had the good fortune to work with the author a few years ago and a very fine chap he is indeed. The book in question is "A Winter in Belfast" by David Ellis. It is his diary of a tour spent there during 76-77 whilst he was in the Parachute Regiment. It is very clearly written and both forthright and frank and I'm finding it  an excellent read.