Categories
wargaming

Painting Pedestal 23X: unexpected visitors – episode 1

Lieutenant Osteen’s voice crackled over the airwaves.”……the ruskies – their rushing us…..”/ Captain Parker cut in “kill them Lieutenant, take them out – thats an order” / Lt. Osteen “……but sir their not even trying to fight their just crazy running at us…….”/ Cpt. Parker “it is a Ruskie rooze……..take ’em out – over and out!”.

“Damn it, Barnes what the hell is up with Osteen?”. Sergeant Barnes groaned, Osteen as usual had to complicate matters – shoot first ask questions later was the Barnes approach – it had kept him alive after all…..

Capt. Parker stomped out of the command tent.

Lieutenant Osteen’s voice cackled again on the radio, “Lt. Osteen reporting – russian troops have surrendered to us, repeat russian troops have surrendered to us…….”. “What the……” Sgt.Barnes began before Lt Osteen again “We are under attack – who the hell are these Yashin……..” the line fell dead but not before Yashin could be heard by Barnes responding………….. “Captain, Captain, Captaiiiiiiiinnnn Parker” – Barnes raced out the tent.

Meanwhile on the front line………

What is going on? Its only a painting pedestal after all……….
Categories
wargames blog wargaming

Blog Influences 1

I thought about posting on the most influential blogs I have encountered in my gaming. It sort of sounded pompous. And when I thought about it the number is simply incredible anyway.

So I have settled for “Blog Influences”. In a time when “Influencers” are continuously big news it is quite strange to think that a few decades ago we had as much influencing going on but more through dominant communication organisations – the most obvious being newspapers and tv channels not to mention the ever present advertisers of the pre internet age. In a way we have always had influencers, they have simply changed shape, of course methods and their sheer numbers are now off the page.

My first influence then, which to choose? When I thought about it the big influence has been the one which set me off on my own blogging journey.

Blog Influence No1 is ironically the Battlegames Printed Magazine published by Henry Hyde and specifically an article by Greg Horne concerning a beginners guide to blogging (published around 2006) and referencing his “Duchy of Alzheim” blog. At the time I read the article and looked at the blog and thought ok – interesting, very interesting, but right now I just want to paint and game……..this blogging lark would be a distraction and consume precious hobby time.

Battlegames was eventually subsumed into Miniature Wargames Magazine and ultimately Henry went on to running his own successful Digital Platform.

Battlegames Magazine itself took me back into wargames fully by 2009, after over a decade tinkering with solo 15mm DBA campaigns. Not long after taking Battlegames regularly – around 2011 – I descended back into the land of 1/72 plastics which of course is another story. Low cost wargaming seemed appropriate at that time. Although you could say I was expanding from 600mm square 15mm figures at 12 elements a side gaming, towards bigger tables and potentially bigger armies! It is true I had acquired more space for my gaming.

I also remember back then encountering a wargamer at a show saying they were ditching 15mm for larger scales because of their failing eyesight. Maybe that thought stuck? Anyway I think 15mm always felt too much like a compromise. And I have not been drawn into 28mm which would be logical if eyesight were my sole issue concerning size/scale.

It took me another 13 years to actually blog myself but “hey-ho” better late than never. In the meantime blogging bit me as a consumer and my gaming has never been the same since. And it has been more fulfilling as a result.

So there you go – No1 of possibly a new post series.

Categories
Mid 19th Century Wargaming miniatures painting

The Painting Pedestal 23g: Steirmark Volunteer Rifles

These are Hat set 8233 Austrian Napoleonic Landwehr repurposed to be a Volunteer rifle unit from the 1848 Revolutionary period

A skirmisher unit for Neil Thomas rules plus an infantry base to mix in with regulars for adapted Fire & Fury or Piquet Field of Battle
I quite like the Landwehr figures and you can just about get away with painting stocks and breeches as mid 19th century trousers. The coatee is also something that endured until the 1840’s so their wearing old stock…..
The headgear is not correct but near enough and of course they are armed with muskets not rifles – this is the beauty of 1/72 vagueness. They are Matt varnished for a change!
I have waxed and wained over the gaugemaster bright bush plants but this time with some Frome Model shop green tufts I am happy with the field look.

My inspiration for these Volunteers comes from a nice little guide No9, published by Partizan Press ……………

Converted Piedmont/Sardinian line infantry trudge across the guide cover which sports their fellow guardsmen of 1848

Next up are some more spikey helmets………….

Categories
Mid 19th Century Wargaming miniatures painting wargaming

Buildings Blast – some C19th figures used

My “Buildings Blast” post about two games I fought after setting up most of my buildings scenery covered a What a Tanker game and then a mid C19th game between Austrians and Piedmontese.

The tanks in use were the usual suspects, however the C19th game included several units which were converted – head swops or using different paint jobs.

Here are some of the units that were in play.

For 1859 Piedmontese I basically used these Hat ACW Infantry Firing, a paint job adaption. Crucially the kepi gradually replaced the tapered stove pipe in Piedmont/Sardinian Armies between 1848 and 1870 so ACW sets are a good source for these forces and require little adaption. And at a squint can cover Danish troops in their German wars 1848-1864, but thats another story.
Hat Napoleonic Russian Militia were simply painted as Milan Civil Guard. A couple of figures had flat hats created to replace their busby like hats. The Flag is a home made effort using artists acrylic pens on dried out glasses cleaner material. Yep some “value” glasses cleaner wipes don’t have a long shelf life – and I have packets of them! However oddly they are a bit like tough crepe paper so of course ended up in the hobby spares box.

…….in the foreground my “topiary hedges are on show“

The biggest conversion on show was my 1849 Piedmontese or Sardinians – rapidly expanded infantry were sent into battle with simple frockcoats and larger red tapered shakoes. (the regulars had double breasted frockcoats and smaller tapered stove pipe hats). I used Hat marching ACW union troops and took the Shakoes and back packs from Hat Dutch Napoleonic Infantry.
These lancers are circa early 1970’s Minifigs – conversion is in my “minds eye” to some Piedmont Lancers who of course did not wear green! or had combs on the helmets, red on their pennants……oh well its amazing what you can forgive.

The cobbled street comes from Coritani (Magnetic Displays Ltd).

These figures are Strelets 1877 Russian Artillery posing as french artillery circa 1850. The “piece” is I think a Zvezda item from their Great Northern Wars range
These trusty Hussars date from the 1970’s and are French Napoleonic. They regularly turn up as Austrian Hussars in my games.
The river is from S&A Scenics and the bridge is a laser wood cut kit from 4ground

4ground and S&A Scenics Links

My last unit on show is the 1860 British Legion – that sailed to Sicily with Garibaldi’s Mediterranean Invasion Army. The figures are Strelets Russian Turkish war of 1877 Russians in summer uniform.

Even in these days of a truly massive games market the more obscure historical events being modelled benefit from some conversion and adaption in order to capture the flavour of uniforms.

Categories
Scenery wargaming

Scenery season challenge 2023

Well David Stones’ challenge finally got this piece of scenery done. Credit really goes to john@justneedsvarnish who alerted me to this challenge plus Frank tank rants who suggested that posting about fabulous pro-cycling scenery ought to translate into building some stuff!

Either way I finally completed this 2021 model. Better late than never as the saying goes.

Final touches were a ochre (rowney acrylic tube) whitened (MP Paints) dry brush to suggest some sun bleaching plus a bit of black (MP Paints) in the mix to dry brush the base area suggesting dirt.

Then some gamers grass (2mm summer green tufts) and an ancient pot of games workshop grit to finish the base.

Of course the unbelievably extravagant archway and door are round the back!

Thanks to John, Frank and Dave, I now have a new piece of terrain to use and enjoy.

out of the archive for john just needs varnish, looks like knife work and maybe not cutting before stripping outer card layers.

For those who made it this far…………….

Leaning tower of Parma! For scale here are some 1/72 miniatures – new kids on the block 1848 German Confederacy no less……….which can also double as Rifleman from Duchy of Parma 1851.

You can guess whats next on the Painting Table.

Finally, the question is, whether this will now lead to some more scenery making on my part?

Categories
Scenery wargaming

The Painting Pedestal 23f – the tower

A combination of Frank tank rats and john just add varnish have propelled me finally to do some scenery.

A 2021 lockdown tower knocked up in a day and then nothing…….

This subject was started back in April 2021 – I was motivated by john just add varnish and his excellent scratch builds.

It’s all card/plain and corrugated, uhu and some judicious glue gun work finished with some fine silver sand and pva. The ubiquitous laser cut bases came in useful

And just for the hell of it I registered this week to join scenery season challenge……

It’s still a work in progress…….

Just need some more dry brush on walls and maybe roof. Then some groundwork oh and door – it’s endless work in progress 😀
Categories
life natural world

Intermission 23j

The sky is always full of interesting shapes and moods.

This cloud formation seems to promise turbulence at some point or maybe not?
sometimes you get the suggestion of a shape – a bird maybe
fluffy clouds never dissappoint and the high level cloud promises a fine day – over Pontefract Castle in Yorkshire
A typical evening cloud this year – sun, rain, cloud, wind – or a bit of everything
Sunsets have still been interesting even if they have been less in number or so it seems
Rainbows are always a welcome diversion from the inevitable rain
Categories
Mid 19th Century Wargaming wargame rules wargaming

Third Battle of Oeversee 1864

In the third battle of Oeversee – a Neil Thomas scenario, the same forces were deployed but slightly differently. Would these minor changes have an impact? The Danes were only very slightly forward and the Austrians attacked in multiple columns.

9th Hussars taking hits while the Artillery has an immediate impact on the Bell shako regiment
The 9th Hussars are dispersed by the blue kepi regiment while the artillery continue to dismay the Bell Shako regiment
The Elite Jaeger charged home suffer terrible losses
in the melee they lost more men and broke
The Danish Artillery deployed on the road with Regular Austrian Battalions green and red/orange taking hits
Three battalions charge home – the Austrians adopted charge home tactics after 1859 war with France.
The kepi Regiment are driven back
The Artillery are overrun – things are collapsing for the Danish
Only the rump of the Bell Shako Regiment survives
The Red Shako Regiment are able to dispatch the red infantry battalion before Austrian the artillery shatter them.
The Austrian battalions pursue the Blue Kepi Regiment destroying them
Now just the rear Danish line remains – sky blue kepi regiment and the dark blue kepi regiment
Alas the Elite Skirmishers have again worked their way round to take take these forces in the rear.
The Austrians charge home and sweep away the sky blue kepi regiment
Next the Orange Battalion takes on the Dark Blue Kepi Regiment
They are soon dispatched
Game over within the time limit – the Austrians have met the objective and no Danes are left on the road. Soon the Imperial Forces will resume their march towards Jutland.

This was a quicker game and the Austrians were not delayed so much as in the previous two games. Crucially the Austrians attacked in force early.

The First battle of Oeversee 1864

https://wordpress.com/post/thewargamingerratic.home.blog/6201

The Second battle of Oeversee 1864

https://wordpress.com/post/thewargamingerratic.home.blog/6232

I do think the three games show there is some subtlety in Neil Thomas’ rules and they repay attention to his design thinking which is comprehensive in achieving such brevity in the mechanisms.

My only issue is that for my bases the “4 in column” for a column look wrong so I may well switch to 2×2 although for the small scenarios like this one might need tweaking.

Categories
Military History

Castles Watch – Giro d’Italia

We move to Italy for the Giro d’Italia.

Typical Italian town with narrow streets, church and often detached square tower
Flags and Sashes – Italian Cities all have identity and their medieval past is often the most influential – also heralding the rennaissance. The very concept of a modern united Italy overlays strong local identity.
This keep at Ripattoni caught my eye with its stone framing? The splayed base is something you don’t often see in in earlier castles in the UK. Is this early medieval or much later then? Strange – internet searches only show a different Ripattoni whose keep/tower or torre is clearly built of bricks and stones without the framing.
A typical hilltop town expanded around its original castle with square defence tower
This castle is attributed to Frederick II – Emperor – mid thirteenth century
looks more Norman?

Naples – some serious constructions

round towers and flared bases – looks like it was moated – wet or dry? not much opportunity for mining even if it was a dry moat though.
detour – always an amazing sight.

Amalfi with Ravello cling to a rocky coastline and were naval in outlook. Amalfi was a vibrant state in the late Byzantine period

Back to Naples……

harbour fortress and former medieval castle I believe

Heading north……..

This looks like a new build in the gunpowder era or just maybe there was an earlier castle now buried within its construction.

Italian castles are a splendid mix of square and round towers plus later bastions. Wikipedia have a convenient thread on bastions………

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastion_fort

Bergamo was a significant City and often fought over.

Further into the lakes…….

Which Romans in the 6th Century – 500 to 599 AD? I guess thats Byzantine Exarchate by then as we are on the Adige in the Trento region? Shortly to be invaded by the Lombards and then the Carolingians. After them came the German Emperors and this castle layout dates from 13th century.

An original “guns of navarone” – scenario beckons?
Something a bit different – the bridge had many interesting lives and was destroyed in world war 2 – this modern version is a copy of the 1569 replacement bridge – if you see what I mean.
The great thing about many castles in Italy is they are a composite – irregularly shaped, with square and round towers plus later gunpowder era bastions.
circular wall circuit
square wall circuit
congestion
the ever present piazza and tower – note its looks to predate the adjacent building because of its misalignment. Its 13th century and so is the Paazzo to the left while the connecting part seems 17th century – which makes sense and again is characteristic of building upon building giving these cities their attraction to the eye.

now we go to the high passes…..

Fort built in the 1890’s
Memorial tribute to the savage mountain war between the austrians and italians in world war 1 complete with artillery piece
This impressive tower in Rome overlooks the Tiber and was there in 532 when Belisarius retook the city from the Goths for Emperor Justinian – Castel Sant d’Angelo AD134/139, which I think is so impressive when you see it. Its contents were looted in the 401 sack while later on the Romans took its decorative stonework to dress up St Peters. This reminds me that you can see fantastic Byzantine metalwork in Italy – made by craftsmen from Constantinople and sometimes simply looted from there by Normans and Venetians etc.
no idea which battle or which painting/mural either !
I started to watch the Slovenia cycle race but got distracted – I believe its a castle rich area given is “marcher” region history.

dates from 1278 according to brief wikipedia entry. I like the pen and ink picture!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%BDovnek_Castle

There you go – hardly a straight edge in sight – 0k a couple – but in Italy the castle and fortress designs seem to hug the contours and show only your imagination stands between you and your own dream castle.

Categories
miniatures painting wargaming

Tangent – Crash Test Dummies

What are 28mm figures good for? Well if your a 1/72 figure follower then they are fantastic to paint!

Or rather in my case to experiment with. Recently Wargames Illustrated ran a contrast paints article while Wargames Soldiers and Strategy dealt with slap chop.

I have been edging towards these products simply because I bought a load on impulse. This is normal behaviour for an Erratic: A solution looking for a problem.

The problem has been I could not bring myself to use them in anger on my 1/72, 20-25mm figures without knowing their possibilities for me including my failures. Clearly they have been a great success for others.

And then there was the Wargames Illustrated article on “what a cowboy”, next minute I dug out some Dixon and Blue Moon figures from the dim and distant past, gathering dust in the great figure vault.

And then “ping” what if I experimented with these new paints and methods (new for me) on these figures?

They were definitely bought at Triples in Sheffield but around 2011!!! I think that means they were on the back burner……..

Anyway this is as far as I got and maybe I might not get much further – back on the painting table……

Big turf out and a surprising number of figures – they were already based and undercoated white. I sloshed cheap burnt sienna over them….
I realised some were prohibition era gangsters while I also found a couple of freebies – Rasputin and Karl Marx. I primed these black. I then did some slap chop white dusting – at least I used a stolen make up brush on the gangsters……it worked quite nicely. Need to buy some.
And then I simply ignored all the video and magazine advice I had gathered recently and got paint on the figures! Which was very pleasing. Note the appalling slap chop white work on Mr red hats arm – never mind.

Well this Tangent may develop or simply become another Icarus episode in the world of the wargaming erratic.