Regiment Wittgenstein

I have been painting, I promise, and along with a few vignette pieces, I have added this latest regiment to the 1704 Wars of the Vaubarian Succession (WVS) project.

These are the fictional Astrovian IR4 Wittgenstein... whose colonel is a beery swine who is just as sloshed as Schlegel (for the Monty Python fans - if you know, you know).

Anyway, here they are:

Figures are from Front Rank. Flags are hand painted on foil.

Other news:

I have been enjoying drawing inspiration from others' blogs, and one or two forums, plus engaging in email correspondence and the odd phone call with a few fellows. It all keeps us a little bit more sane than we otherwise might become... I think!

I came across a new blog that I recommend highly. It is worth taking the time to read - it's well written, witty, with some thought-provoking content. It's called My Year With Charles (by the Dog Who Drinks Paint), for reasons that become apparent. I suggest getting a cup of coffee, settling down, and going back to his starting post which makes some interesting points.

My Year With Charles

I have added the blog to my links on the right.

I have also enjoyed Der Alte Fritz's 54mm ancients project beginning to really take off, and Tidders' Sedan chair race was excellent. In addition, it was good to see that Graham C (Crann Tara/ Scotia Albion) will be exhibiting his Culloden game at Partizan. His reminiscences of the many years on the show circuit almost bought a tear to the eye. Well done Graham.

Cheers for now...

Looking ahead

I trust you had a good Christmas and New Year and are suitably rested and buoyed up for the months ahead with plenty of plans and ideas that make this hobby of ours so rich.

I see a lot of people posting their plans with tongue in cheek, or an air of defeatism, self-deprecation, or self-sabotage before the year starts... 

Come on chaps; stuff upper lip and all that. Defeatism and lack of belief did not defend Rourkes' drift, or charge the guns at Balaclava, or defend Hougoumont, or ... well, you get the idea.

So, for me, looking ahead:

I have decided to focus on getting one project 'finished' in 2022... namely the Wars of the Vaubarian campaign (WVS, c 1704).

My main focus will be the few remaining units, plus vignettes, and other supporting elements, wagons and so on. This amounts to around 180 'painting points' but of course could grow arms and legs!

The figure painting is only a part of what will constitute 'finished' and I plan to finally type up the tabletop rules for this project into a format where they may be made available, if anyone might be interested. Plus I would like to do some games to illustrate the rules.

So, that's my 2022. There is a clear goal for me, plus room for some flexibility to possibly go down some additional avenues as the opportunities arise... not least, maybe a WAB army, or whatever takes my fancy (fairly inevitable I think, and that's what the hobby is about for me).

So, whatever you have planned for the months ahead, I hope you have a prosperous year and enjoy your hobby. Because, in the end, that's all there is to it...

Best wishes for 2022.

Phil

Merry Christmas, one and all!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Reflecting on the past 12 months, it's been an interesting year from a wargaming point of view.

My output is quite low for the year (320 of my 'painting points' ... ie a point each for foot figure, horse gun, etc). Much of that was painted in the first part of the year. Something happened mid-year that threw me off balance a bit I reckon! 

But at least I managed to have a few games, and in particular it was good to get some WAB games in with new-found pals, The Old Berks (Andy, John, Steve), and also to have the odd game with John Boadle and Garry Broom (our most recent being a Napoleonic bash the other evening).

As every year, I am grateful to all the commenters and visitors to the blog. Thank you. 

I'll post more thoughts on planning for the coming year in due course.

For now, I wish you compliments of the season. May you and your families and loved ones enjoy peace and goodwill at a time when we could all do with a whole load of peace and goodwill.

Merry Christmas!

Table set-ups

This weekend, I promised myself I  would just lay out a few scenes on the tabletop; not a game, not a 'parade'  as such, but scenes that convey a narrative perhaps. They're not dioramas, they're more like 'set-pieces'. 

Anyway...

I chose to potter around with the Wars of the Vaubarian Succession (WVS, c 1704) collection...

All figures and flags painted by yours truly. Buildings constructed by several very good modelers, as noted.

First up: Astrovian Grenadiers defend a hilltop position against Vaubarian cuirassiers...

Next; Astrovian infantry and artillery on the march.
The building was made, and painted, by John Boadle.

Below: Vaubarians defend a village.
Buildings are by Brian Rigelsford, painted by me.

Finally; Vaubarian Hussars on patrol.
Building is my own simple scratch-built model. 

Is it just me, or does anyone else set up tabletop scenes too?

It allowed my mind to wander off a little. It also made me realise that I need a few more vignettes to add to further scenes. Better get back to the paint desk...

The Croats arrive - at last!

As part of my ongoing 'finishing spree' another unit which has been long in the pipeline is a bunch of Thirty Years War Croats.

Over a decade ago, I did a lot of TYW stuff (some may remember my Breitenfeld Blog which showcased that particular project back then).

Brian Rigelsford had a habit of sending me 'rudimentary sketches' (works of art to us mere mortals, but 'rudimentary sketches' to Brian). He would then describe over the phone how he would do the figure 'master conversions' and then ask if there were any that I didn't want!! A master salesman as well as a terrific artist (a rare combo). 

Of course, I could hardly resist, and lo and behold a few days later a parcel would arrive with the figures inside... a mass of miliput, a few bits of original metal showing, but mostly miliput. Even the horses for these Croats were 'cut and shut' jobs allowing for all sorts of active poses.

For most figures, I painted them myself, but some I sent away to get professionally painted. In the case of these Croats, I sent them to David Jarvis to get his masterful treatment.

They arrived back and I was delighted with them. To my eternal shame, they then sat in a box for a few years and I simply didn't get round to basing them and doing the flag...until last week.

So here they are at last, after about a decade! Good job it was the thirty years war, not the ten years war, or they might never have made it to the battlefield!

Here is the unit with Brian's original concept sketch.

Finally, in addition to the unit itself, as a 'bonus piece', Brian produced a lovely little vignette, hinting at the nature of the TYW where many innocents were caught up in "Europe's Tragedy".

That's all for now...

Until next time, I hope your "Black Friday" is going as well as can be expected.

Finishing Spree

I am currently on what I can only describe as a "Finishing Spree"... 

Before moving onto anything fresh, I am tidying up some loose ends... This may take several months. Who knows?

Anyway, I have started with a regiment which has been half finished for something like a decade!

The Classic Collection is really just a shelf-parade these days for me, although that may change soon.

But the Constantinov Regt needed to be finished, just to tick a box on my hobby project planner... So here are a couple of snaps as they rolled off the workbench (figuratively) at the weekend:

 

There are a few more images and further details on my other blog  - Classic Wargaming.

Other items in the finishing pile range from Ancients to TYW, to Marlburian (Wars of the Vaubartian Succession), to many more.

I'm not sure what precipitated the desire to tidy up such loose ends... maybe it was the fact that I have been in hospital for a small procedure relating to my Prostate Cancer. It's been almost 5 years since my first diagnosis, and I'm still here... a couple of things from most recent surveillance (blood tests and MRI scan) were causing the medics some concern, so more prodding and poking was needed (I think they just want an excuse!). Nothing to report back yet, but perhaps that is what has put me in the mood to finish up some things.

Who knows... but to the many who have enquired about my well-being, thank you. The big message for me, and from me, is to just enjoy your hobby - it is the most glorious escape, especially when you do it your way!

A New Blog on the Block...

Over the years, I have admired the modelling work of John Boadle.

Many readers will be familiar with the brilliant buildings John creates.

Well... I have some great news!
John asked me if I thought he should have a blog. And if so, would I be willing to help him get it set up.

You can imagine how keen I was to do so...

And so, a new blog is born.

John Boadle - Hand-Built History. (click link)

Pop over and have a look.

Expect John to be adding images from his extensive back-catalogue of models, and also some new stuff over the weeks and months ahead.