My miniatures painting has been non existent since spring and now I can tell you why…..
Well not exactly. Here are some clues as to where they went or rather the hand that operates them!
See if you can solve the seven clues and location before the next post in a few days.
As another month slips by scenery has remained centre stage.
The net result has been quite a number of scenery pieces have appeared on the work bench.
The reality is little has been completed.
So lots of starts but so far only one more finish since I posted “afterglow”.
The finished piece is an airfix cottage which I have repainted after its long life with a bright yellow thatch.
I have opted for more muted colour and some dry brush work.
The question is whether the scenery phase has now run its course.
Autumn sees me on the move – the other partizan is done and now it was the turn of Fiasco in Leeds.
In contrast to the Newark show I reckon I was about fiftieth in the queue despite arriving about fifteen minutes before the doors opened.
The dock hall is a sombre black lined but very high ceiling cavern! Today there was plenty of space due to less traders and some missing games and others, compared to previous years.
Maybe it was a bit of half term effect as numbers held up during the day?
I was done trader wise in thirty minutes in terms of checking out who was there and what was on offer. So I could then home in on those traders that took my fancy.
Caliver books and Dave lanchester books absence meant that the show was book free except for some stalls typically selling old ospreys.
There were plenty of games being played and in that sense the show was vibrant. Few straight demo/display games or showstopper demo only tables but again every table that set up was playing as far as I could see. Gaming tables for gaming and there was plenty of variety on offer.
Some traders were clearly doing excellent business while others looked a bit too quiet from their owners early doors looks.
Now I went back in the afternoon and I reckon it was still as busy as at ten. You don’t get that at other shows where there is an initial rush and then numbers dwindle.
Fiasco was enjoyable as you could shop without the scrum at many of the big names traders.
I had no particular buying plans for what is really yet another convenient Yorkshire show.
I ended up buying a few things that were wanted plus some surprises.
A few tables caught my eye.
Recycling partizan……
Winter…….
The Yarkshire Wargamer presented his Italian wars game nineteenth century style. Think ACW with vineyards and garibaldis – no not the biscuits!
I chatted to the what a cowboy gamers who were typically happy to converse over their lunch break hence no fighting on the board…..
Buying wise I am still looking at nearly mechanised….
Airfix trusty old kit
A Japan surprise from EWM
These vehicles I bought from the friendly helpful guys at battle zone games
Grubby tanks yielded this ancient Tower in more ways than one from one of their bits and pieces boxes.
I had a chat with Mr Grubby himself as ever willing to talk to his potential customers and just not sell even though he was very busy. He has now selectively cast SHQ/Kennington and has sold them on request. So I need to get an order in for some 1848 Saxons!
https://norber1424.blogspot.com/?m=1
Artillery feature at actual size miniatures. I found a miscasts box – bag ‘em yourself for 1 pound – a bargain I reckon. The owner even helped me match the barrels to the carriages! Chapeaux as cyclists say.
Well that’s it or would have been except Fiasco has a fantastic addition. The royal armouries is a minute across the square.
Part two properly covers my museum trip. But you’ve read that already – probably…..
Next up……
Fiasco is a wargames show with a difference.
Next door is the national armouries https://royalarmouries.org/leeds and if you have never been it’s fantastic and even if you have been it’s worth a revisit every now and then.
I did a selective tour to fill out my visit to Fiasco wargames show next door in the dock hall.
So take a trip to Fiasco 2025 and get a free entry military museum into the bargain.
Having missed the spring partizan show I did not want to miss the autumn offering.
The crowd descended on Newark in a leisurely fashion arriving half an hour after the gates opened. We expected a shorter queue but no it was still the length of the building and some.
Once inside (fairly quickly as it happens) the place was heaving.
So my first comment is it was too crowded to take in all the excellent displays. I am not sure what you do – if the show is less congested people will feel it’s not thriving etc. I don’t think we will see a return to the two venue set up that saw competition games plus more traders in another hall?
In short maybe it’s me but it felt busier than ever?
So overall a busy, popular and I expect successful show.
The congestion also deterred me from taking as many pictures.
Turning to the retail side – all the usual suspects were there but just maybe a few less new offerings and less 3d print offerings visible?
There were no showstoppers in retail as far as I noticed.
I did throw some dice at Chris Kemp’s NQM game – I failed to drive away the Germans from longstop hill…..Chris uses on board indicators to avoid lots of rule checking and I think the scenes are intended to look congested so it’s abstraction might not suit everyone. The important elements are the variety of components that work together to enable the fighting elements to launch and sustain an attack or defence…….a neat grid game which is now a published ruleset.
So what about the table glamour…….
That’s it except to say a well organised and enjoyable show means I plan to return.
Nothing like scissors, paper, pens and in this case pins for a bit of craftwork.
As it happens it’s world mental health day today. I am not a great fan of the idea/method/mechanism except (originally a few days per year was memorable….) to remind us that there are many more than 365 worthwhile things to celebrate or promote.
Mental health is especially important though. The modern world makes massive demands on our number one muscle and it needs continually looking after.
So simple hobbies like craft, art, imagination, writing – not to mention gardening, music and travel – in fact anything that gets you away from your device – mobile/tv/screen is worthwhile – and which releases your creative side is to be welcomed.
Today in my case it’s creating some map pins so I can experiment with map games.
Well summer is well and truly over.
Well back in Spring if you said to me scenery would be centre stage for three months while the miniatures paint brushes holidayed then I would have said no chance.
Yet July, August and September have seen a positive glut of pieces appear from the pit of scenery.
This post is about completions.
First up are my troublesome timber defences. These are very old resin castings. And initially I had painted them in dark and then deep colours with contrast paint. All to no avail. I did not care for any of it.
Finally I went for more neutral browns and slightly washed out. Narrowing the colour range has helped here. I also decided the soil was just that, despite the temptation to grass it.
So these are fresh defences and although I suspect they were sized for early 28mm medieval fantasy i.e. games workshop they are my only ones so will need to do service across the ages.
Next up is a very pleasing Alera destroyed cottage.
I kept it simple with craft paints sienna on the roof, and the wall damage, then stone colour on the walls, dark gray interior and chocolate brown timber. I dry brushed some blast effect around the wall damage but at three feet it’s not there…..
I did not take John at just needs varnish advice about card basing, sloshed one side in craft paint – it curved. Then I sloshed the other side the next day and while still slightly damp got it flat. Short cuts………..
Then of course when I stuck the cottage on plus the static grass it curved again. This time only the free end which with overnight weighting flattened enough.
Moral is – listen to John at just needs varnish
https://justneedsvarnish.wordpress.com
I had planned some rubble or a tree/shrub for the grassed area but for now it will stay plain.
Finally I had reservations about the walls being simply hollow.
Then when I painted them the lack of thickness just disappeared.
I wonder what’s next – maybe the miniature brushes are back from their long holidays?
The July/August scenery challenge proved to be quite productive and it meant some items were still to be completed when the finish line was crossed.
So here are a few that have now made it home so to speak.
First up, I normally plan my wargames activities in darkest December during the lull in UK shows.
This summer I began thinking that perhaps the football season cycle is now more attractive?
I tend to stop gaming and painting in spring as the outdoors beckons. This kind of coincides with the football season ending climax in early May.
And as football returns and autumn beckons my thoughts tend to turn towards indoor interests.
Ok so this summer I did do quite a bit of scenery work courtesy of Dave Stones season of scenery challenge.
https://wargamesculptorsblog.blogspot.com/2024/09/put-one-foot-infront-of-other.html?m=1
That however, seemed to reinforce summer as a break.
So if this is now to be the start of my wargames season what’s on the cards for the next twelve months?
Well firstly probably the plan will fail! With that out of the way what might be done if it succeeds?
Painting wise I feel it will be more mid 19th century forces.
Also nearly mechanised feels like it will get an outing.
Brief summer spells of interest in ancient and renaissance plus Wild West periods have fizzled out in 2024 and I can’t see that changing into 2025.
I guess one wild card could be sci fi which has gained some traction in recent years.
The painting table is more likely to see guns rather than spears it would seem.
Gaming wise I think it will revolve around campaigns and again currently mid 19th century wins out along with nearly mechanised.
I hope to go to the Other Partizan which I missed last year especially as I missed Partizan this year. Oh and I should manage two out of Battleground, Fiasco and Recon.
Recon will be the last at Pudsey civic hall as the property is being sold off.
And just maybe online painting/modelling challenges will figure given both AHPC14 and season of scenery have seen my output of painting and making increase and diversify.
Purchases wise the war chest has been thin of late more because I have what I need so it follows the figure mountain and scenery pit are full.
Books wise purchases have trailed off since 2023. Although 2034 gave me a surprise. But that’s another post.
If I do buy it is more likely targeted. For example I would like some more Irregular Miniatures bell shako infantry as well as some garibaldi men.
Well that seems like the bones of a plan. We will see……
Happy Wargaming.
The Wargaming Erratic 