Beware of Gifts...

 Last Christmas Museum Miniatures offered an .obj or .stl file of the Trojan horse as part of their annual good cheer. not having a 3D printer, I forwarded the file to a friend, who I knew had purchased one for his son. Both are gamers, and eventually I received a figure in the  mail.

I kept the paint job basic. Natural wood for the main body. Tail and hooves are black. Gold for the helmet with some red trim, and a headdress/mane of purple and white. 

I sent the photos off to my friend and he asked if I could send something showing figures for scale to show his son.  I took a picture of the horse with a DBA Seleucid (166 to 83 BC) Greek army.  It is  DBA II/19D and the figures are by Essex Miniatures. The period is wrong, but they are the only 15mm Greeks I have.

New Lease on Life - Part IV The End

 The final six stands are finished. I have added what pike that I could. These figures are what I believed to be original Hinchiffe Models from the early 1970s. I am sure there were 25mm figures of the day, but IMO are 20mm. I hope that converting them to L'Art de la Guerre rules will allow them to once again see the light of day.

Now For Something Completely Different

 Last month when I was on vacation in Nova Scotia I ended up at Lantzalot Game Store  in Blockhouse, NS. I was completely blown away by the width and breathe of what was available. If you find yourself on the south shore I'd advise making a side trip to this shop.

Upper Floor Gaming Room. Lance of Lantzalot Games on the left.

I picked up a Victrix War Elephant, as everyone needs war elephants and a selection of  buildings from TT Combat Tabletop Scenics Eastern Empire range. Last night I built  the Machiya Shop (TTSCW-EES-016)

After visiting the store, we went for lunch, at the Seaside Shanty not far from the Oak Island money pit. The fish and chips were fantastic, as was the view.

New Lease on Life - Part III

 Being of an age where it is not uncommon to be up at 3:00 AM for a call on nature, this morning I used the time to finish another block of pike. Flocking and tuffs were added last night before dinner. Since I was awake anyway, might just as well use 30 minutes to advance a project with the addition of the pike. Six more stands to go. Back to bed.

New Lease on Life - Part II

Work continues on this project. The generals and four phalanx stands are complete. Pike added and basing and flocking complete. Ten more stands to go.

Yesterday while waiting for the glue to harden I opened a box of  Victrix Dark Age figures I acquired locally. Bonus!! At the bottom lay 10 metal cavalry  figures, although with just five mounts. Years ago I purchased 36 plastic generic horses from Wargames Factory (now part of Warlord Games) for such occasions and still had about a dozen prepped for use. 

 It also included an additional 5 metal foot figures, who stand upon the box in which they came. 

Most of the work on these figures yesterday was drilling through the hands so I could add their spears. Since they lacked weapons I trimmed some of the extra plastic spare parts that came with the Victrix purchase. I have a pill bottle filled with bits and pieces that were strewn about the bottom of the box. 

The really great thing about this Dark Age purchase was the figures were pre assembled and already mounted. They also came a pile of Little Big Man transfers so I am really happy with this score. 

Roman Army - More Busy Work

While working on the Greeks, I pulled a few of my Romans that I felt could do with a refresh of their bases. IMO they looked pretty hideous before hand.

As well a gift arrived in the mail to join my Greeks. Beware of gifts bearing Greeks.

New Lease on Life

These figures were part of a collection gifted to me by the widow of Jef Lauzon, who passed away in 2004. He was a master of the WRG 6th edition ancients rules and when I received them they were individually mounted. Fourteen elements of pike mounted for ADLG rules.  These were the armed might of his Successor Armies.

I spent the last few evening rebasing the figures. I need to do some sprucing up of the figures and of the bases upon which they are attached.

Nine bases of 50 year old plus pikemen (Minifigs or Hinchiffe Models I am not certain which)  and another 5 consisting of 1977 Ral Partha figures. 

I even had sufficient loose figures to create some command figures on foot. Now to attach 120 plus pike.

What do you know. I found a couple of hundred fresh pike stored away in a parts box. First 24 pike are attached. They look far better armed.

High Flight

Another Remembrance Day has passed. I always find it a somber and sad day. One of my earliest childhood memories would be of a Remembrance Day service at Camp Chilliwack. I was three or fours years old. 

This is a photo of the war memorial to Royal Air Force squadrons based at RAF Wickenby during the Second World War. 

Sculpture of Icarus by Margarita Wood ARCA, lettering by Ralph Beyer. Unveiled 1981. 

My father served with 626 Squadron during the winter of 1944. The squadron lost 49 planes in operations leading to the liberation of Europe. Bless all who served. 

High Flight 

by John Gillespie Magee, Jr

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds, --and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of --Wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there

I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air...

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue

I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace

Where never lark or even eagle flew --

And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

Lightning Strikes - Roman Carroballista

Christmas 2000, Joseph my good friend and gaming buddy, and I met for our annual Roman Civil War. We were playing WRG 7th edition rules. Suddenly I found myself on the receiving end of massed fire of a unit of carroballista. Joseph and his wife, had spent the evening before my arrival, converting some Airfix Ancient Britain chariots, mated with Airfix Roman scorpio bolt throwers. It was a nasty surprise and the speed of the unit on the battlefield was inspiring.  

Three of Joseph's carroballista run circles around his Legion

Warlord Games used to offer a scorpion mounted on a mule cart. From the time I first saw the image until recently it was always out of stock. This afternoon I couldn't even find it listed on their site. Meanwhile I squandered my hard earned sestertius on other frivolous figures and projects. 

While combing my mountain of lead, I uncovered some ancient (30+ year old) Ral Parta/RAFM scorpions. The Early Imperial Roman Cart is nearly always available  for purchase. So I ordered three. This project has been sitting on my painting table for the last 6 months and I finally found time to complete it,

Image of a carroballista on Trajan's Column

I am now seeking some 25mm artillery crewmen. I have some Foundry figures, but the 28mm heroic scale of the crewmen seem rather out of scale to the bolt throwers themselves. However when compared to the carvings on Trajan's Column, maybe I shouldn't worry. If I am unable to find what I am searching for, I will paint the figures up.

A Merry Christmas - Better late then never

 I purchased the Alternative Armies HOTT Xmas Army with the intention of painting it as part of the 2019-2020 Analogue Hobby Painting Challenge. Last year I was terribly ill with the flu (???) for almost seven weeks starting the week before Christmas. Needless to say, not a lot got done, and then tax season arrived.

HOTT1023 Xmas Army

Fast forward to this year. I got the army out and started work the week before the big event. (Christmas not the Analogue Hobby Painting Challenge). This year I choose to stand down.

Then on Christmas Day, I received the perfect gift. A set of painting brushes.

Suddenly inspired, by new brushes, new glasses and a sunny day, The army was completed.