The First Ansar

The Perry box of plastic Ansar has yielded the following two units for TSATF (The Sword and the Flame).
These are the first figures for my new Colonial project, and I'm working on the principle that I'll need quite a few of these chaps, so knocking them out at a speedy rate.

(Flags hand-painted).

I think there's a tendency (or is it just me?) to think that, because it's a skirmish project, the standard of painting has to creep up on the grounds that fewer figures are required. But I'm determined not to fall into that trap, particularly with the natives/ tribesmen (as you can clearly see from the photos shown - quick snaps as I finished up at the workbench today). The aim is to get a couple of small representative forces onto the tabletop as early as possible.
British are next...



More Austrians!

Have just completed Salm-Salm regiment.
Not my "best brush" by any stretch of the imagination, but averaging 23 minutes per figure using my production-line method is getting me through these units!

Simple Method:
Undercoat (spray white), then block in main colours, then dip, then anti-shine varnish whole unit. Then, in batches of 6 figures, add top highlights. And it's as simple as that.

I've been keeping track of time spent on these Austrians and this method seems to score well. Not only that, but the method is making the painting practically effortless.
From 3 feet away they look ok, and en-masse they will look fine once based. Most importantly I'm happy with them - minimum effort for maximum output.
Next up, for this army, Hungarians and then Grenadiers.
Tipsi Pipsi is enjoying seeing the ranks of her Astrovian army growing!!

Strategy for 2016

Now, it's time to look forward to the year ahead...
I like to make my plans specific and succinct.

"Man with no target, hit nothing" - Old Chinese Proverb.

So here goes:

1. The 18th Century Pils-Holstein collection.
At the moment, I'm right on track with this. So for 2016, I want to get the armies to the next stage:

• Pils-Holstein and Prussians - 10 Battalions of infantry. Therefore need to have a further 4 battalions completed in 2016.
• French - 8 Battalions of infantry. Need just 1 more in 2016.
• Astrovians - 5 Battalions of infantry. Need to finish basing the 2 I've painted, and add a further 3, all of which are in progress.

In addition, I will add more cavalry to all sides, a Grenzer unit to the Astrovians, and a field battery to each side.

2. Colonials
I'll create enough units to have some games. This is a more vague approach, as it's really just a "side-project".
Ideal for 2016 would be:

• Sudan - a company of Brits and a tribe of Dervish (mixed Hadendowah and others).
• NWF - a platoon of Brits and a clan of Pathans, plus some additional bits n bobs.

The fun of this project is that it is rather unbridled, and I don't feel the need to constrain with too much of a strict schedule, although having enough basic units to game with is priority.

3. Games
Really must do better this year.
Watch this space...

4. Shows

• February - Vapnartak, York. Hotel and trains are booked for a weekend in York with Dianne. On the Friday and Saturday we'll do York touristy stuff (I love the place). On the Sunday, the show is in the diary for me, while she gets to do more shopping/ relaxing at a spa or something! Looking forward to it.
• April - Salute, London. Yes! This will be my first ever Salute (bet that comes as a shock to many!) I've never been able to fit it into my schedule in the past, but I'm due to be in London that weekend anyway this year, so...
• May - Partizan I, Newark. Looking forward to the new venue.
• September - Partizan II.  ditto.
• A.N.Other show sometime in autumn. Warfare/ Crisis/ something like that.

I may do a Display Game at one of the Partizans.

5. The Blog
I'm not one to let the hobby be driven by the need to report everything on the blog, so I don't always post stuff as it happens. However, I will do more frequent posts this year. And I have a plan to add a different aspect to the blog ...

6. The Ghabazaar Gazette?
I'm mindful that I should not "contaminate" this blog (which is primarily devoted to the 18th century Pils-Holstein project) with a load of stuff on the development of my Colonial "side project" (Victorian sideshow?!).
BUT, I still want to share progress with those who are interested.
So, I may create "The Ghabazaar Gazette" as an irregular, infrequent, as-and-when, downloadable PDF, and include game reports, project progress, and other Colonial snippets from Sudan, NW Frontier, and other goings on in Victorian England. That way, that stuff stays "off blog"... I'll simply announce the latest issue as I complete it.

That looks like a decent approach to the year.
Of course, all things are subject to change, the value of investments can go up as well as down, and your home may be at risk if you do not keep up yadda yadda... and any number of other caveats.
But, I'm happy that I have a plan, at least...

Looking forward to having your company on the journey.

By the way, please do comment if you have a view on The Ghabazaar Gazette idea (see point 6 above)...

2015 Review

So, 2015 draws to a close:
overall mark for me on the wargaming front: Could do Better!
Mitigation: 2 house moves in 14 months, a very active and productive business period, and the growth of some other hobbies.

Wargaming-wise, here's what I'm currently working on:

1. Astrovians for 18th Century Pils-Holstein project:
I've completed the Deuchmeister Regt (IR4). Once all the Astrovian units are done they'll have their bases finished, and hopefully Mark Allen will have completed all the flags, ready for ceremonial presentation!.

2. The Ghabazaar Imperative: Colonial Project
I've assembled, undercoated and blocked in a box of Perry plastic Ansar. These are two units for TSATF rules.


Above and below: a unit of Hadendowah Fuzzy Wuzzies.



Above and Below: a unit of Sudanese tribesmen.


Next step is to dip them, anti-shine varnish them, and then do some minor finishing touches and base.

3. Thirty Years War
This Swedish Yellow Regt was painted by David Jarvis for me a few years ago. The figures are all Brian Rigelsford conversions. This year I based them, and am now working on the flags.
The awful photos (don't know what's wrong with me today!) do not do David's painting justice.





Parting Thoughts.
Amongst the year's highlights, I've got back some painting and hobby focus with the development of my new Colonial project, and the Pils-Holstein 18 Century project is moving along too.
Gaming-wise, it's been a poor year, but the highlight was the AMG forum game, organised by Graham Cummings, at Partizan.

And finally...
If any of you saw the excellent recent TV series The Detectorists (in fact there are two series, both now out on DVD), you will have enjoyed, I'm sure, the depiction of Lance (played by Toby Jones) and Andy (played by MeKenzie Crook) and their thoughts on what it is to be a male with hobbies. In fact, substitute "wargaming" for "Metal Detecting" and the script sums it up pretty well.
Men have hobbies, and women roll their eyes at them. Men need an escape.

As Harry Pearson observes in his marvellous book, Achtung Schweinehund ...
" 'There is no greater sport than the sport of escape', Major Pat Reid noted enthusiastically in the pamphlet that came with the Escape from Colditz board game. Every once in a while you need to go over the wall. And when Arthur and Tony needed to I had abetted them. And they had done the same for me...
... I thought about Arthur on his trudge into work, swept across London Bridge in the grey tide on a dreary winter's morning, his mind filled with the glossy, brightly coloured deeds of the little men. Every man needs a place to go, Montaigne had said, and, for better or worse, this was mine."

I hope in 2015, sharing my hobby via this blog has abetted you as well as it has me in making momentary sorties into our imaginary world.

Tomorrow, I'll share my plans for 2016.

In the meantime, I wish all readers a Happy New Year.

A Day at The Tower

Progress with the 18th century Austrians is going well, but on Tuesday I took a break as Dianne and I went to London for the day, primarily to visit The Tower of London, and to see the Agincourt diorama by Dave Marshall (of TM Terrain), and The Perries.
And all I can say is, if you get chance, go! It's a fantastic spectacle... wonderfully presented. As I posted on Facebook at the time, "Well done guys."
No pictures as photography is not allowed in that part of the Tower, but...
outside Di took a few snaps as we wandered round the site.

Afterwards, we paid a visit to Foyle's on Charing Cross Rd to treat ourselves to a few books... My haul is here, and the influence of the new project is clear!

And today, my fresh copy of TSATF rules arrived from USA. Just in time for Christmas! Now I know what I'll be reading as I preside over the cooking of tomorrow's turkey, with a glass in hand...

And I'll raise a glass to you, dear readers, whether you have simply popped by, lurked, or added comment over the past year. I wish you a peaceful, wargames-filled Christmas.

Phil

A White Christmas - Austrians!

Well, it's beginning to look a lot like a White Christmas with Austrians (aka Astrovians) dominating the workbench...

Progress is good so far. All battalions have been blocked in, and a couple have been "dipped", plus IR1 (in foreground) is complete, with just base painting still to do, and flags to be added.

More progress as it happens...

All of a Sudan...

Following on from my previous posts, (and thank you all who commented), you will have gathered I have decided what to do as a "side-project" in 2016.

The post title might give some clue! ...a clue as to The Ansar (see what I'm doing here?!)

... and yet it's not just Sudan. In fact, it's not really Sudan at all. But it is Colonial... or at least my take on Colonial.

It's mainly North West Frontier, with a soupcon of Sudan, and a smattering of other adventures set in my own fictional colonial territories - more of which anon. Let's just call it "The Ghabazaar Imperative" for now (Ghabazaar being part of my fictional Colonial world - crikey, Phil, how much  useless baggage and stuff do you carry round in that fat head of yours?!)

These are pictures of my previous attempt at Colonial wargaming, back in 2005 ish.
I never felt I quite pursued it enough, so this time I'm hoping to do better. Stiff upper lip and all that!

Anyway, here we go...
When setting forth on a new project, there's so much to consider, and even when it's just a passing fancy, like this "side-distraction", I do like to have some sort of plan, so that the butterflies are at least "flying in formation!"

So, in no particular order, here are my notes on how I approach new projects, and some of the thinking behind this new adventure...

1. Rationale and project objectives: What are the drivers for doing it? Is it primarily for Gaming? Collecting? Modelling/ Painting? Display Games? Solo gaming? Casual home gaming? Multiplayer games? Club games? A campaign? 

For me, on this occasion, it will be mainly light-hearted solo games in a loose narrative campaign framework.

2. Scope and scale of project: This will be skirmish-sized games, initially with just a couple of dozen figures per side, but with scope to expand. Eventually, I also want to include a few steam contraptions, and other Imperial powers entering the fray - so Russian and French contingents may become involved, and possibly Prussians too.
And perhaps there's a role for the inclusion of a late 19th century Pils-Holstein (but I haven't fully decided that, yet).

3. Scale/size of figures: In this case, I'm going 28mm.

4. Figures (availability and compatibility of ranges). In this case it will be Perry, Copplestone, Artizan. ... By the way, I'm open to suggestions from those "in the know" on all things Colonial!

5. Rules: Commercial, or homespun? Or a mix? In fact, I rarely (if ever) just play "off the shelf" and find I am always adapting/ interpreting rules.

In this case, I did consider Carlo Pagano's excellent Sudan rules, but wanted a more skirmishy feel to this project, so opted for The Sword And The Flame (TSATF).  Long ago, I played a few small games with TSATF, and felt they had the right style about them for colonial games, so I've ordered a new set (my previous copy having been sold off in the great clear out of 2011!). I've also got GASLIGHT on order, and it may be that I'll do a hybrid TSATF with Gaslight elements for the more outlandish "steamy" stuff... We'll see.

6. Basing: Largely determined by the rules and style/ scope of games, this is still an element many wargamers wrestle with, and many interpretations can exist even amongst those gamers using the same rules, at the same club! Basing styles, sizes, and conventions are always a "biggie" for any wargames project. 
For this project, I'm basing singly... with multi-base options (so possibly using sabots or magnetic bases)

7. Reference material: As well as the usual sources for the Colonial period, this time, I will be following the inspiration of the likes of the old Major General website, and Bill Protz's Pettygree character adventures, along with many others. Further inspiration can be found on a number of Colonial bloggers sites... such as Maiwand Day (see links on right).

Interestingly, I've found that the centre of gravity for Colonial gaming seems to be very much in the USA, rather than in UK. This surprised me at first... but perhaps it's the existence of TSATF "over there" and other resources (such as The Virtual Armchair General, the annual Colonial Barracks convention, etc). Or perhaps it's something in the British psyche that is (possibly through some sort of guilt?) reluctant to engage with an Imperialistic past on the tabletop... But let's not over-analyse this.

8. Terrain,: I'm going to keep this as simple as possible, and may scratch-build a lot of it. Whilst it's tempting to aim at modular terrain boards, highly sculpted and beautifully presented, for this project (which is primarily about the fun gaming aspect), I'll be keeping it simple, functional, and practical for gaming purposes. And at first the tables will be small... I'm happy to be starting small and just seeing where it goes.

So, there you have it...
You might think I'm going totally Mahdi, or that it's all a tremendous red-herring, or that frankly I'm taking the pith.
But, it's my own barmy version of NW Frontier wargaming, all the way...
Well, NW Frontier ...with a little bit of Sudan, some Steam contraptions (but not too many!), a smattering of gunboats, and even an aerial element. Plus an imagiNations dimension aswell. Certainly the setting is fictitious (I'm sketching a map of the territory over Xmas). In short, this will owe more to Hollywood (or Olley-wood?) than reality. More to The Man Who Would Be King and The Four Feathers than the actual period history.
And, there's no doubt that the pages of The Ghabazaar Gazette will once again be overflowing with rumours of war, tales of derring-do, and whimsical despatches from the frontline!

But don't expect too much just yet. The 18 Century Austrians will continue to dominate the painting table for a little while ...