Tag: wargames

Categories
Scenery

Painting Picnic V and VI

This year’s season of scenery has been very productive indeed. Thanks Dave.

Although Dave has extended the season which would be great for me normally I think life will intervene a lot in September and so I will call it for now. If I get lucky there might be a picnic no7 in October- who knows?

Anyway back to the scenery…

The test piece of battlement is from my iron gate scenery Scottish castle set. I have opted for a Norman’s in the south theme.

I base primed with Vallejo white then a stone craft paint coat followed. A heavy dry brush of Naples yellow craft paint left the stonework as suggested pale mortar with sandstone walling. Finally a sand highlight gave it a more dusty look. I used a very diluted raw sienna wash for the steps and walkway. I may yet make the walling look a bit more grubby.

Now I need to decide if this is the look I will run with – about a dozen pieces make up the castle as sold.

The water tower is an Airfix original 1/72 kit for model railways. Dapol make these kits in Wales using the original moulds. They warn about warping and miscasting etc and offer to replace completely any kit found wanting. Unlike Airfix who offered a parts service dapol only swop complete kits.

The parts did have flash but it was easily removed. Instructions were clear but I did not follow them
I opted to make the cross ties first which was a mistake
Top right you can see due to the warped base of the tank that there is a gap glueing the last column to cross ties piece. I was able to coax everything into position and then with some restraint to hold everything together the glue (revel) welded the parts solid.

Next time ! I will probably glue the ties to the columns and then take out any mismatch on the circular castings which is probably how the originals were tensioned up…

I had a few issues with twisted parts but managed to fix them all without resorting to hot water flexing.

I am pleased with the result especially once it was painted.

A suggested level of wear – I might try a bit more weathering on this one.
Categories
wargaming

Another bricks and mortar bargain? Shop

I had good fortune to see this box in a charity shop window. There is something satisfying about just walking into a shop and picking up a bargain. I did optimistically ask if there were others, to no avail.

The box was sealed with what looked like proper tape. But I seem to recall that was not the norm back when this model first found itself on a shelf.

Suffice to say the kit had been started although it is a complete set of parts including transfers.

A previous owner has started to gloss figures and parts. Unlike metals you can’t put this lot in a slime bath to lift off the paint – and scratching it without of mark suggests this a baked on humbrol gloss paint.

I guess it’s a case of sanding before applying acrylic primer unless anyone has a better suggestion? Blue is not my colour of choice here either as my Fauxterre 1930 forces tend to be in black, beige, khaki, green or brown …..

Other than that it’s a snip at a tenner for two very detailed vehicles. I see 3d prints inevitably climbing in price so airfix injection moulding kits remain an option if you don’t mind building them.

On that last point the history blurb ends with comments that these two chassis make great conversion opportunities by dumping the tanks and post factory doing your own fit outs….

Categories
wargaming

Painting Picnic VII

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So this is more an ideas in progress rather than even a work in progress post.

Packaging Polystyrene blocks kicked this idea off

Having just been on a late Roman figure painting jaunt this summer and despite having numerous castles yet to be built I somehow returned to a theme of Roman city walls “would be nice”. I think it was propelled by the guardsmen diorama where I made a card backdrop.

All sorts of ideas have led to experiments
The internet has plenty of gatehouses
Colchester’s almost unique 4 arch gateway – I do like the red brick courses……
And at the east coast end of Hadrian’s wall but on the south side of the Tyne river is Arbeia

So plenty to inspire and cajole me into trying out some homespun walls. Of course I could just buy off the shelf or made to print ones but it is of course the creativity element that’s being sought here.

I have opted for some crenellations and a ready supply of thick corrugated cardboard is the experiment here
Dove grey dry brushed over a light grey and then a very light dusting of dry white on top. The roughness comes from the polystyrene plus some indenting with a cuticle manicure pusher! Then tissue paper glued over with pva followed by the paint regime.

And those brick courses which it turns out were most definitely a later Roman idea which among other things could sustain the wall better during earthquakes!

I decided I would experiment with discrete strips of coursing made from cornflake card

So here is some wall testing for the look of the thing.

Categories
wargaming

Just in at my local hobby store!

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Yep I strolled into my favourite hobby shop on a trip into York to discover they had not only stocked the said new products but even had the original General Lee version of the famous British Grant M3 and in 1:72.

Nowadays M3’s are a rare beast even in the ubiquitous world of 3D prints. Let’s face it who wants an already outdated quirky tank of 1942 when you can have the elegant simplicity of the Sherman in all its variants running through to ‘45 and beyond.

An excellent walk out price with no waiting nor postage but included friendly chat with store guy and some exercise in my part.

Well given my preference is anything up to and including Operation Torch and maybe a bit of Italian toe, then some M3’s are worth a punt.

See the cupolas tower and blob nosed gun

The US original comes with the impossible multi stack turreting (great for looking over hedges) and a chunky balancing weight on the 75mm gun. Talk about ugly.

Ok so the lead photo is actually the British “Lee” with tapered barrel and flexible sponson but you can also do a US troop of Lee’s and Russian lend lease versions. I guess the Russian ones might have been lend only?

And that’s not all, Monkbar Models are stocking some classic vintage airfix figures as well.

1960’s Airfix vintage rub shoulders with more recent ? lines from the seventies and eighties !!!
A convertors classic
I have rediscovered this great range in recent times – I converted a couple stephensons rockets for AHPC16 this year- that was fun if a little tortuous at times.

I also picked up a dapol 1/72 water tank – always needed….. I am thinking of Fauxterre 1930 here. A utilitarian design that still has some character.

Categories
Scenery

Painting Picnic IV – medieval

I captioned this latest painting picnic offering as medieval yet of course the building by definition is able to fit into centuries of warfare and wargaming periods.

This tabletop workshop item led me to their website and holy moly August sees them launch Lee and Grant M3’s in 1/72 !!!!!!

I picked up the kit at a late bring and buy tour as I left the May Partizan show around three pm.

It was a tenner – the “walk away with it” price seemed ok and I was buying some magazines from the same guy – he was pricing to shift stuff unlike a guy next to him where the seller was asking far too much – the 1/72 imex stuff was way more expensive than grubby tanks was selling in the show itself off a trade stand.

Clip together simples, no flash, no prep, very sharp moulding – top quality.

It pays to check stuff out and I had quick look online and found my kit building selling at 15-20 quid.

The building is designed to hold gaming miniatures with an easily removable first floor and roof piece

I took a shine to it and the guy extra discounted a bulk buy of old practical wargamer magazines into the deal.

The magazines are great as they all have Mr Ralph Weaver C19th wars articles complete with his glorious artwork in them.

Their website shows far better more grubby versions than mine which looks more like a 21st century makeover 😂

Back to the medieval building I gave it a Vallejo white prime then black undercoat interior plus roof before my craft paints provided the sand all over wood and walls then followed by citadels dark oath flesh contrast for the wood. Naples yellow dry brush for the stone base with coffee highlights did for the building. Roof wise I did a blue, black, red mix rough brushed and then dark grey dry brush with same grey plus white for final very light dry brush.

All done in quick time. Another pleasing result both at speed and to my visual liking.

It’s bit like buses here – expect a long wait for the next one!

Categories
miniatures painting

Painting Picnic III – a chocolate box musical diversion

A member of the family having moved home needed a smaller (not 54mm) display of guardsmen.

So I got it into my head the idea to use last years purchase of Airfix 20mm British guards (destined for Fauxterre 1848) to create a small diorama.

I am delighted with the result.

I stole a Ferraro Rocher chocolate box and then knocked up a background – I wanted a context for the sentry boxes so put in an archway entrance.

Technically this is a season of scenery challenge entry

A bit of blue mounting card made the pavement

Then I picked just enough figures for the space – not too crowded.

The set conveniently comes with two sentry boxes and their occupants. You get one bandmaster who is just right – a bit of swagger there?

The band march past my pencil sketched archway – theatrical scenery in the best sense – rough, functional and temporary

The four abreast marching guards sort of suggests the back of a column with the main focus the bandmaster and some bandsmen.

I picked various colours from Vallejo but best of all was their sea green/blue which was just right painted over citadel game colour night blue as an undercoat for the sentry boxes.

In a way this is a tribute to Marvin and all his Christmas Units at Suburban Militarism….

https://suburbanmilitarism.wordpress.com/2025/12/21/the-suburban-militarism-christmas-card-2025/

With cover off there is more clarity
With the cover on there’s a better chance the figures will survive the duster!
Categories
miniatures painting

Painting Picnic II

………I have not done much travelling (sorry I couldn’t resist).

Nope, we are talking scenery modelling not the real stuff. Mind you a lot of it now looks like wargames scenery – all one colour and very dry!

So back to my poor excuse for the scenery season slow start.

OK these figures are complete except for their varnish and basing. Technically these have not made it over the Painting Portrait finishing line.

Hence I have invented the Picnic Painting theme to reflect a certain casualness compared to my usual Painting Portrait standards – background, supporting scenic items and units based and Wargames ready.

On show are really some sample figures – Roman legion, auxilia and skirmishers plus their Sassanian opponents – archers, slingers, javelin plus some spear and shield legion fodder.

The Sassanians are by Hat miniatures as are some of the Roman auxilia and bow figures.

Miniart provided legion and Roman bow/javelin men while Italeri provided additional Legion and Bow.

As usual I looked long and hard into the Notitia Dignitatum to no avail and then simply dug out my Osprey books for inspiration.

I am delighted not only with the result but also the speed of my work which is most unusual.

Next up is yet more diversion from the scenic journey…..

Categories
miniatures painting

I never got a badge before

Real life has taken centre stage for the last month or so but fortunately I managed to participate in the forgotten heroes challenge beforehand.

I managed two entries.

I posted about Flora Sandes British WW1 heroine….

I also posted about my take on the dreaded Lokans, a childhood memory from Ranger/Look & Learn magazine SciFi fantasy adventure cartoon strip stories.

Yep my lokans are blue skins…

It was all good fun and I enjoyed this particular painting challenge.

Into the bargain I got a badge from Jez and Roger the organisers who have achieved ten years of running this particular painting challenge.

https://rantingsfromunderthewargamestable.wordpress.com/2026/06/29/thats-amaizaing-and-totally-rad-man-forgotten-heroes/

https://carrioncrowsbuffet.wordpress.com/

Chapeau’s sirs!

The one that got away was mucking about with early civil war uniforms in 1/72

One Friedrich Hecker – who raising early war volunteer Union regiments might have worn both blue and gray depending upon the quartermasters stores.

Now it’s back to real life but hopefully some season of scenery fun too.

Categories
wargaming

Progress of sorts

So well into first month of scenery season and yep – zero progress….

However my late Romans are moving along nicely and not only have I started rereading some great books but I have added to the book mountain.

Heathers better book – the other one is technically fascinating but hard work. JJ’s trilogy remains my all time Byzantine favourite and of these the first book is brilliant. Hearder’s Italian sprint is just simply an enjoyable read.

I already have some useful material for later Roman armies.

My Byzantine leanings have always caused a problem

However I happened to search for 4/5th century eastern Roman books and lo and behold there was an osprey on provincial forces and specifically units.

The book I found was only available to order……

I took a punt on the western publication instead that came out in 2024.

Initially I was dissatisfied as a quick flick through showed no shield detail discussion in the text or contents.

A second detailed read revealed a more interesting approach in this MAA. The book illustrations are composites of western empire wide discoveries carefully matched to recreate a likely dressed soldier. And the image notes are brief because the whole book is dedicated to the illustrations with its content referenced to the illustrations.

So no generalised text padding – it’s straight in and descriptive. In fact Latin terms are only partially explained with no appendix so you need to get online if they are not tripping off your tongue already.

So I actually like this offering – maybe not for all subjects but it (they) will complement my other books.

2024 publication whose Eastern compliment is due out in August
It’s always good to buy loads of flat pack furniture for the season of scenery challenge…….

Trouble is what do you do with the furniture left over……..

I do hope to get going on my scenery but before embarking on scratch build items I think this small bridge might be in order.

My beloved first small stone bridge by Bellona has long gone to scenery heaven along with its larger sibling. So this EWM item caught my eye when I was shopping for Fauxterre 1930 kit.
Categories
Book Reviews wargaming

Dominion of the Spear

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Right now I am meant to be in scenery mode – it’s summer and Dave stones season of scenery has monopolised summer wargaming in recent years.

However the late late very very late Late Roman show landed and so I am painting forces for Rome and Sassanid Empires instead.

This project started a long time ago which of course is another story.

Yet my recent excursion into medieval May painting did drag me off the 19/20th century theme that has dominated my gaming since Norman’s in the south collided with Covid and the Schleswig Holstein Wars about five years ago.

The net result is I have been drifting back in wargames time and that’s why I read up a bit more on various blogs about dominion of the spear rules.

The author has referenced quite a few other rules authors – notably bob corderoy of portable wargame fame not to mention lots of army lists.

Essentially the ruleset is what I would describe as a stripped down version of DBA which I think if it had been offered in the nineties would have been ridiculed given DBA was the stripped down rules of the day.

I was sceptical about these rules but the various comments and blog posts were well reasoned and so I had a bit more of a dig and then took the plunge.

Wargames Vault is the online shop to get them from.

In fact I went for two of the pdf’s – the core rules and the 36 ancient battles set. With the former you can play anything historical or fantasy etc. with the latter the author presents structured refights from history as scenarios.

On the face of it if you like campaigning (tick) solo wargaming (tick) quick narrative gaming (tick) then these rules might just be worth a look.

My own reference point for these rules is kingmaker which I played back in the late seventies and early eighties. The advanced rules included a three “battles” (left, right and centre) a side option to replace the simple card turn battle result of the basic rules.

Over the years I used it with various simple rules in my solo ancient and medieval campaigns.

Then it got dumped in favour of DBA either using 15mm figures or card token armies on a 60cm square board.

The requirement was a quick game to add some flavour and inform the narrative – usually around character development.

It was always intended to keep the campaign at a certain pace which made bigger wargames impractical.

These rules absolutely fit that bill. Perhaps better than DBA.

What’s interesting is that they’re so stripped down you would think there is limited opportunity other than repetition of outcomes and that vanilla is the only constant flavour.

Now I have yet to play them but the read through is encouraging. They look to contain sufficient detail/variety whilst absolutely delivering a fast game.

Suffice to say I have the itch to campaign which is a very dangerous distraction from painting late Romans or creating 1/72 scenery.

Hey ho.