The Shape of Things To Come

So I'm currently without a computer and frankly I don't enjoy writing this up on my phone so hopefully this situation will change shortly.

In the meanwhile I have a new plan of action for how I'm sharing stuff with the public.

Photos and small updates will be posted on twitter and then shared on Facebook.

Larger updates (completed forces, aars etc) will be posted on here for your enjoyment. I'll hopefully be posting some scenery pieces soon as well as bolt action forces.

Update (19/06/2017)

Its been a while. Life has taken over, and to be honest I'm getting a bit ground down by this project. So last night I had a review to see how much more I have to do. And its good news! (Blank Tiles show where units are missing).

Prussian Army at Lobositz:

Frederick's Army

Army Assets

Prinz von Preussens's Infantry Corps

von Gessler's Cavalry Corps

So I have 3 Kuirassier Regiments and a Dragoon Regiment as well as the command bases.

Austrian Army at Lobositz:

von Browne's Army

Army Assets (Grenzers)

von Hadik's Advance Guard

Lacy's Infantry Corps

Kollowrat's Main Infantry Corps

Luchesse's Cavalry Corps

So 5 combat stands here; 1 Hussar Regiment (nearly finished), 1 Kuirassier Regiment and 3 Dragoon Regiments.

So all in all, 9 combat stands and then all of the command stands. Feel a lot better now and already started planning the terrain out. Will also try and post more.

New Season Ahead

So as I've said previously, I'm not currently affiliated with any club due to the fact that I am focusing on American Football with Morecambe Bay Storm and the season starts this weekend coming. As such I will probably be slowing down on here (can it get slower?) so that when I'm not training or playing I can spend time with kids and JT. If you want to follow us live the scores will be on ScoreStream (signal dependent) and I'd imagine on twitter too.

Even still I will keep plodding through with the armies I have and trying to get them done - terrain might be a job to do when we have "messy time" with kids. I have some ruined buildings I want to get painted - some for Frostgrave, others for Italy/Sicily.

Yesterday I received my FeldHerr carry case I've bought for my Bolt Action Force - fits all of what I've got with space left in my figures row as well as over half the space left in the vehicles row. My rulebooks fit in the front so all in all very happy. Also frees up a really useful box which I can use for my Russian 10mm Regiment.

I'm going to put up for sale a few of my bits and pieces - this includes my Dystopian Wars German Fleet plus Zeppelins. and depending on funds raised this may go towards opposing forces for something I've got or something new.

As such, was just looking at Age of Sigmar purely out of curiosity. I like the idea of it all but then I saw the price of the models and was really confused by how you make up your army? As in points value etc? Am I missing something? Minis do look stunning though.

Lobositz is still the focus - still going at this unit by unit - now got 6 Austrian Infantry Regiments done as well as a Grenzer skirmish base. I also would like to play in a DnD campaign - but unless someone is willing to come and DM at my house I really can't see that happening.

Tale of Three Armies

So I've currently got 3 Forces that I'm working on at the moment although I'm also going to go through my 10mm stuff and see what I've got there too, due to the shed flood issues.

Got a few bits done last night but I'll show some more pictures of these once I've got a decent amount finished. Closest to finished is my Prussian Army - just short commanders and some Kuirassiers and Dragoons.

Prussian Army

I have also started on my Austrians to oppose these, and I've already got all of the Artillery done - ALL OF IT (2 stands).

2 Regiments of Austrian Infantry and the 2 Units of Artillery I need.

Finally I have my Bolt Action force. Everything to the left of the armour is done so I reckon I'm about a quarter of the way through.

Although its not a priority, I had a bit of a go at my StuG last night (getting nowhere near a 750 point list), heavily washed in brown and I'm going to give a light green too I think. Decals go on and then its going to be sand glued to tracks and road wheels before a lot of drybrushing.

I then need to get myself a decent carry case.

Next up - the return of Sch'yyrk.

Hundred Up!

So One Hundred posts on here for a blog I keep primarily for myself, albeit its nice to know people are looking :). I've no pictures to show you; life has been hectic at moment and I've been doing (as I keep promising) more of a production line on my work (although not the most effective).

Having said all that I should have a fair few bits to show soon as well as news that I will hopefully doing the Lobositz game this summer, so a reason to keep going with it. I also hope to be playing bolt action soon - although working my list out - I've realised I may not have the figures witht he right equipment.

Also going to get my MDF buildings based and painted - need to make fairly generic as meant to be for both Frostgrave and South Italy - might be pushing that one!

Finally, I've decided on my OPFOR for Bolt Action against my Fallschirmjager as US Combat Engineers - basing it around 16th Engineer Battalion (1st Division) - although with the flexibility to remove the M3s and use as Engineers from an Infantry Division.

US Combat Engineer Platoon (16th Armored Engineers) - 10 Dice
All Regular
2nd Lt + Buddy
1st Squad: NCO (SMG), 1 BAR, 8 Rifles
2nd Squad: NCO (SMG), 1 BAR, 8 Rifles
2 x MMG Teams
1 Bazooka Team
2 x M3 H/Track (Both with 1 addtional MMG)
1 Jeep
1 2 1/2 Ton Dump Truck

So its a case of spotting bargains and building up slowly (based around the Armoured Fist box set). I also intend to do a Sherman Dozer to maintain the theme when I go to 1000+ points.

As per usual, let me know what you think.

Storage Needed

Another update; damaged my shoulder at weekend (no idea how but stabbing pains aren't good for Football or painting), so a week missing training ahead (not happy).

Need some bigger storage

Having said all that, the missus was down at Watford all weekend to visit Harry Potter World so after fun filled days with the kids I managed to get a bit more painting done. Finished off the last of the Prussian Infantry I need and got an Austrian unit done. Still got Prussian Dragoons and I need to order some more Kuirassiers.

Austrian 1st Infantry Regiment

Couple of things realised; Austrians will have Imperial Yellow colours for odd numbered regiments and white for even (for variety; there is more odd numbered at Lobositz so still majority Yellow).

Also how little infantry (or how much cavalry?) did the Prussians have had Lobositz; including the Grenadiers that is 13 stands of infantry as opposed to about the same Cavalry!

I also am running out of bases - fortunately I ordered a load more last week and hopefully will have enough then.

The remaining bases

Trying to arrange a D&D night but no go as yet. Got a group we're doing Lost Mines of Phandelver with - otherwise I want to start a campaign doing either Hoard of Dragon Queen or Storm King's Thunder if anyone is interested on a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday or at a push Sunday night in Lancaster (comment below).

2 More Down

I'm sure you're sick of these now - units are coming out looking very similar (slight variations unit to unit in lapels/turnbacks/cuffs and colours) but I am moving along. I've now got just one Infantry Regiment to do for Lobositz and one Grenadier Regiment.

30th Infantry Regiment

Last night I got 2 more done and they were the 30th Infantry and the 7th Infantry - who I've been putting off due to them having pink lapels etc and me not having pink paint (finally just mixed some up).

3rd Infantry Regiment

So after those 2 being completed I have 10 Infantry Regiments.

BR: 17,20,21,27,30
FR: 3,5,7,9,13

So I'm getting there; just a few bits left - not sure if I'm going to get some Dragoons done or maybe start on the Austrians which I managed to spraycoat a batch of last night. Alternatively I may well go back to my Bolt Action Fallschirmjagers to mix it up.

Infantry, Grenadiers and Artillery, Cavalry

Final thing to mention, I'm undecided both on when and how I'm going to base these - I might get the texture on the Prussians once I'm finished with them just to give some extra protection (especially to the artillery which have the wheels hanging in the air on some of the models.

Artillery!!!

So got a couple of bits painted up for the Prussians. I'm getting there and hope to get another couple of Infantry Regiments or Dragoon Regiments painted this weekend as well as the other 2 Artillery units.

In future I will use the single gun stand to represent a Battery whilst the double gun is a battalion. However, at Lobositz there are 4 artillery battalions and I only have 6 gun models so the 2 battalions will be the 2 heavy artillery battalions whilst the single ones will represent the field battalions.

Painted: 17/32 (Over half way!)

Lobositz Update

Not much exciting to show but I am moving forward with the Lobositz project as well as slowly moving with Fallschirmjager force.

The fallschirmjager now have a Kettenkrad, 28mm AT gun and an MG42 on a tripod constructed and undercoated. So for now the force is all together - just need to finish painting it all up.

For Lobositz I have a map, Volley and Bayonet orbats which I have in full detailed format, simplified format and have now made labels to put on bases. I need to colourise these and print on a colour printer but I'm happy with the formatting on them.

Prussian Infantry

Painting wise I have now done the following:

• 6 Infantry Regiments
• 2 Combined Grenadier Regiments (1 half needs brass fronts painting on helmets)
• 6 Kuirassier Regiments
• 1 Hussar Regiment

Still to paint for Prussians:

• 6 Infantry Regiments
• 2 Combined Grenadier Regiments
• 3 Dragoon Regiments
• 2 Hussar Regiments
• 6 Artillery Batteries (Undecided on basing)
• Command Stands

Still need but not got for Prussians:

• 3 Kuirassier Regiments

On top of that I've got my Austrians (and Hungarians) to paint.

I may well need more standard bases - I will need some skirmish bases for Austrian Grenzers as well as whatever I'm going to base commanders on.

Other things to do:

• 10 village bases (9 wood, 1 stone) - probably just bigger than 3"x3"
• 1 chapel sector (big enough to fit skirmish base)
• Roads (including sunken road section)
• 6 Single and 4 Double Vineyard Sections (probably just bigger than 3"x3")
• Major River (Elbe)
• Stream (and ponds)
• Colourised and Laminated Order of Battles
• Colourised and Laminated Maps (For deployment)
• Colourised and Laminated Quick Play Rules

Fallschirmjager Squad 1

So I've mostly finished painting a squad of my Fallschirmjagers for Bolt Action (minus a touch of luftwaffe blue for helmets and hats as well as metallic grey for weapons. I still need to apply decals to panzerfausts as well as texturing bases but I thought I'd post them anyhoo.

I think they've come out quite well - having said that I do feel the detail on the jacket fronts could be better. I also would have preferred a few more options for the panzerfausts (say a firing pose?).

Now I've done these - I'm going to work out a 500 point list and paint up the necessaries including the platoon commander.

The squad is made up of an NCO wielding an MP40, a second man armed with an MP40, a MG42 (with a second man as loader), 3 Riflemen and 3 Riflemen with Panzerfausts.

For my records (and if you want to know);

Part	Colour	Make
Skin	European Skin	Colours of War
Hat/Webbing	Mechanised Standard Grey	Citadel
Base Uniform	Worn Canvas	Colours of War
2nd Uniform Colour	Battlefield Brown	Colours of War
3rd Uniform Colour	G. I. Green	Colours of War
Uniform Lines	Army Green	Colours of War
Bag	Wool Brown	Colours of War
Rifle	Dryad Bark	Citadel
Leather	Dark Leather	Colours of War
Boots	Abaddon Black	Citadel
Trousers	Sicily Yellow	Colours of War
Uniform Wash	Athonian Camoshade	Citadel
Skin/Trouser Wash	Agrax Earthshade	Citadel

2016 in Review

So here we are, approaching the tale end of one of the more interesting years in recent history. Mass celebrity deaths at start if year, storm recovery, politicians playing to the rule to win (gamey), unlikely sporting events (including me playing American Football) and my youngest (and last) going through her first year.

Anyhoo, with all this going on, my actual gaming time has been sporadic, with most games I've played being noted on here! Because of this, my painting tends to have been more a case of what I fancy doing at the time rather than completing projects and because of that I have multiple projects on the go at once.

Having said that; I am moving forward with getting my bolt action Fallschirmjager force complete asap (getting 500 points done first so I can play some kind of game in January). I also am slowly getting Vietnam forces done and I have got my storyline sorted for when I get this going (currently based off a 4 man campaign).

Other forces are on more of a slow burn - my SYW Prussians have no opponents yet, my 10mm WW2 (and Falkland War) forces aren't really a priority and I have enough Frostgrave models for the moment (although I intend to get what I have finished so I can tick that off).

I also hope to buy a lot of plastic boxes to hold my forces (and bigger ones for boardgames) so I can be more organised and therefore more efficient with my time.

I'm also going to try and be more interactive and attempt to go for polls and things as well as hosting more games (a lot easier now the boy can be put up to bed earlier). Alongside this I really need to build up my fitness for the new season (my core effectively doesn't exist at the moment).

Thanks for reading and I hope to share more with you in the new year.

Warlord Games StuG III

28mm has taken over my painting table. I have 10m and 6mm armies I want to paint but take a lot of effort to get everything out (paints, models, light, correct colour guide for my 7YW Prussians) and at the moment my paint times tend to be an hour here or an hour there at the end of the day.

On the other hand with a lot of 28mm figures, once they are put together and sprayed, I can just work on a figure in front of the tv and get it done in a night (minus basing). As such at the moment on the go I have:

28mm

• Frostgrave Barbarians
• Vietnam (US, NVA and VC)
• Fallschirmjager Starter Army

10mm

• Fallschirmjager
• Canadians
• British Paras
• Russian Infantry

6mm

• Prussian Seven Years War

Last night I sat down and glued together the StuG III from the Fallschirmjager boxset. I've decided not to attach the side skirts as I want to use this for mid-war and I'm thinking of painting the force up as part of 1st Fallschirmjager in Italy. I also didn't want too many pieces which could be broken so didn't attach the top machine gun and shut the secondary hatch up.

The model went together fairly easily (although I don't personally like the two part tracks. The details seem decent enough for a wargaming model especially the grenade launchers.

I need to decide on the paint scheme now, obviously dunkelgelb underneath but then . . . ?

I think I'm going to get the whole force put together before I paint it, whilst I keep up painting habit on my other bits. Having said that if I get a decent spell to myself I might try and get 500 points done so I can play a game in January (fingers crossed). Any volunteers?

On the Football side of life - we find out in less than a week if we're accepted into the league. All fingers crossed. I've been unable to do much fitness myself with family commitments and surgery but give me a week and I'll be back on my bike and attempting to bulk up.

Frostgrave Scenery Update

Months ago when I ordered my bases for my Seven Years War and WW2 things I also ordered some larger bases to make scenery for 28mm (ruins), mostly for Frostgrave. I'm experimenting with these at moment but I've already decided that I definitely want to make a few more. This is where I'm up to so far:

This one will have a reasonably significant bit of flooring in the far taller corner.

The black painted one in the background is the one shown previously but painted with its undercoat.

Part Painted Thug for scale

The walls are stuck with lots and lots of PVA - I'm not bothered about drips as I'm going to texture the bases anyway.

Pringles!

This one will have to be well painted to cover the bright colours - but then it isn't as thick anyway so probably needs it anyway for some rigidity. This one is going to have 2 partial floors (just enough to stand on) and some remnants of stairs (using lollipop sticks).

This final one is at a slightly later stage with filler added to texture and represent rubble. It also has a partial floor (with a small window to shoot from).

I want to make a few more unique buildings: religious building, fountains, pillars,

I also have played a couple of games of X-Wing with the missus. Was enjoyed; quick start game was stupidly quick and the second with full rules (and boosting up to 32 points) was really long with Luke combined with R2-D2 being seemingly impossible to shoot down. Going to buy another ship each: probably a Y-Wing and a TIE Interceptor to add to the fun - unless others have better suggestions?

Prussian Army Update and Soviet Anti Tank Guns

So last night I got a little bit of texturing done and thought I'd recap as to where I am with my Prussians - was a pleasant surprise.

Current Prussian Force

Considering that I'm just getting bits of time here and there - I think its starting to take shape.

Infantry Regiments

The infantry bases look awesome, especially when I've completed all 16 I currently have!

Close Up of 9th and 5th Infantry Regiments

And the heavy cavalry are done (for now) - just some more Hussars and the Dragoons to come.

Cuirassiers

1st Hussars

More Cuirassiers

On another note - I need to decide how I am going to base my Grenadiers - these are supposed to be shock troops so I've been thinking about basing them in a bit more dense formation. So if anyone has an opinion on which way to go between the two below it would be appreciated:

Line

Column

I have also got painted and based (not flocked) my anti-tank guns for my Soviet Regiment - so much to fear for my Panzers (this is early war remember!)