It's Been a While

Yes, it has been a while since I blogged. Any number of things have been going on and I've been distracted. I'd like to say "busy", but "distracted" would be more honest. Changes in household, changes in work and ministry, and changes in the other things I do are all there.

For instance, in my reenacting, I've been made "Battalion Adjutant." Sounds like a promotion, and I suppose it is. It has a lot to do with where to place people for parade and keeping some records. The Colonel asked me to do this partially because I don't move so well with the arthritis in my knees and this would keep me in the hobby. I kiddingly tell people that I was made an officer in my unit because I can cause less damage that way. Who knows?

My dear wife cracked a rib at a reenactment a few weeks ago. I was not present because I was officiating at a wedding. She's doing better, but is still sore at times.

My ministry continues and some changes might be in the offing. I cannot be sure and I'll keep all that to myself for the time being.

Painting? Yes, I have been painting and I enjoy it! Here are some selections.

Based on the videos from "Black Magic Craft", I did a spike trap
for possible use in D&D games.
I recommend you look up and watch BMC's videos on YouTube.

An odd-looking altar set for the Service.
I'll add it to a ruined church Andy gifted me with.

Barrels of stuff - Silver Bayonet table clutter

Adding some colour to my French troop for Silver Bayonet -
men of two of the Swiss Regiments in the Grand Armee.

Nosferatu-style vampires for Silver Bayonet.
I suppose these are vampires whose investment never paid out.

From a Silver Bayonet game with my friend, Mark - 
the leader and the supernatural investigator from my Irish rebel warband,
based on the '98 rebellion. 

The Table for Silver Bayonet
My Irish vs. Mark's Scottish warband

Some of the Irish
The Mayo-man (using Highlander stats), the leader, a deserter
from the Crown infantry, and the friar/investigator

The Mayo-man with his two-handed axe faces off the Scots leader.

The rest of the Irish - 
Insurgent rifleman, Junior officer, and rebel infantryman

I'd been wanting to do a naval warband for a while.
My local store just started to carry "Blood & Plunder" from
Firelock Games. I bought a box of the ship's crew which
included 16 multi-pose figures. Just the thing for Silver Bayonet!

A few more naval types including a junior officer in a bicorne head
that was left over from some British infantry officer in the bits-box.

From a recent game at the Hamilton Road Games Group in London
A game using A Fistful of Lead rules for the Wild West.
Beth ran an all-female gunslinger gang, but ended up losing to two other gangs.
A great set of rules that I'd recommend to anyone!

Things can get busy around the corral.

Some T'au "Pathfinders" with plasma carbines
A while back, my son and I played a game using the FFoL Sci-fi rules
for the 'Grimdark' setting. I wanted to make up my own SF warband and
since I like the T'au, there you have it. More on this later.

Andy and I continue our foray into the Seven Years War using Osprey's Honours of War rules.
We're still learning and it gives me a chance to unlimber my Russian army for the period.

A brigade of Cossacks
WARNING: Don't EVER do this! Cossacks are too brittle to stand alone as a brigade.
Individual regiments dancing around, messing with people's heads is great...
But a brigade of them is not a good idea!

More of the Same

 

I finally got some photos of my Russian SYW troops. They were taken at a game, true, but they're here. (I took most and Andy took a few of the photos.) We played a game at the Hamilton Road Games Group, using the Honours of War rules from Osprey. As I've said before, this is a rule set I like and as we play it we're getting better at finding things in the book.

From Andy's Prussian point-of-view.
The large dice show the enthusiasm of the generals on a scale shown in the game.
A poor result with a poor general means you don't move at all.
A good result with great general could actually make you advance.

The Prussians moved in road column toward the town while the Russians advanced in line. 

Arial view of some open fields.
Those are my lonely Jagers ("Igerski") advancing to their doom all alone.

The Russian grenadier brigade advances slowly.

Russian cavalry - cuirassiers, horse grenadiers, and dragoons ride across the fields.
The red jacketed troops are Russian infantry in summer uniform.
They would leave their green uniform coat in baggage and serve in a sleeved waistcoat.

Prussian dragoons and hussars begin to threaten my grenadiers.

On the other flank, Prussian cuirassiers and dragoons come 'round the town.

Facing that cavalry onslaught is a brigade of Cossacks.
Irregular cavalry of "inferior" status with a "dithering" general led to two turns of ...
... vodka and perogi all around!! 

"More vodka, tovarichi?"

In the centre, my cuirassiers and horse guards attacked some infantry.

"A stupid and futile gesture"
Jagers die gloriously in the woods.

The Cossacks finally woke up and countercharged the cuirassiers.

In retrospect, that decision did not turn out well. I have since learned how to evade.

Horse grenadiers and dragoons charge more Prussian infantry.

More Prussians!

A regiment turns to face the threat on the right.
I tend* to hand-paint my flags and I'm pleased with that one.
(* not always)

Flushed with victory over irregular Cossacks, the cuirassiers prepare to continue to move.

My grenadiers appear to have been flanked, but game troupers that they are, they press on!

Russians in coats.
In a mass, SYW figures with their flags are impressive.

"You're right, Ivan. The view is better from back here."
The Cossack brigade was shattered. From now on, I'd best use them as an independent force.

Technically I lost the game, but it was actually an exercise in getting to know the rules on a table that was somewhat too small for the number of figures we fielded.

On to other things!

An altar table for The Silver Bayonet
I added the small corporal (altar cloth) and the Sacramentary (book)
The chalice and the other unidentifiable thing came with the altar.

Barrels and boxes.... 'cause you never know.

Some Chaos Marines of an unknown chapter

Napoleonic French Imperial Guard horse artillery for Shako II

A Landsknechts-ish figure put together from part lying around.

More barrels

At the War of 1812 reenactment at Fort George, Ontario, I served as brigade adjutant.
I'm in my summer uniform behand Colonel Land.

The US troops at morning parade - Regulars, Volunteers, and Militia with a dragoon!

Beth and I found this at our local games store - a doggo pirate!
I had to paint her up as our dog, Sadie, although if that pup shows up with two pistols,
I'll find myself elsewhere!

Sadie without her pirate gear,

Finally... the Minstrel Boy rides again!

 

It has been a while since I've "blogged." Let's blame life and laziness for that. In the meantime, I've been painting and assembling various projects that interest me. Let me bore you... I mean, SHOW you.

First off, NOT MY MODELS!
Some wonderful 3D printed Age of Sail ship done by my friend,
Glenn. There's a "Loonie" (Canadian $1 coin for those not in the know)
placed there for reference. 
These are CHOICE!

Another "Glenn ship"

More of the fleet

Andy and I have dredged up an interest in Wooden Ships & Iron Men,
the old SPI classic. Martin contributed some 3D printed ships before he
left for the North and his North-enomics.

 

For the ancient Epic 40K, some Ork-y weirdness
I see that GW is "reintroducing" Epic for 30K.
That doesn't interest me... especially since I have a container ship-load
of original Epic unpainted!

A company of an as-yet unnamed Space Marine Chapter.
"Swamp Angels?" "The Emperor's Butter Knives?"
Just don't know yet.

On The Silver Bayonet front...

Nosferatu vampires from D&D Nolzur’s Marvelous Miniatures
Icky! 

Bob Murch's Pulp Miniatures Dominatrix
from one of the villain packs
I don't know how I'll use this figure but I found it in the "Figure Mine."

Wargames Atlantic Digital Armed female
A really nice Napoleonic figure - lots of 
character and animation...
and two pistols!

A "Black Brunswicker" for the British list.
I'd say to "add colour." Black is a colour, isn't it?

Varied dungeon clutter
Hot coals (Pulp), an owl (GW), and a torch (Pulp)

Another Wargames Atlantic Digital Napoleonic woman.
She's frying eggs... and there are two eggs in the pan!
I really like these figs and I'd recommend them for Napoleonic
gamers in 25mm or any Silver Bayonet player

For the SB French list, a fusilier of the Legion Irelandaise.
This "boyo" should know all about "ghosties and ghoulies 
and long-legged beasties, and things that go bump in the night."

Also for the French, some Swiss regiment troops.
The Swiss regiments were known as solid troops,
competent and well-disciplined.

Meanwhile, "In space, no one can hear you whine."

I journeyed into vast wild place of 3D printed things on the internet and found,
among other things, this robot. There were two in the group... with belly guns!

Look familiar? I should hope so!
Remarkably like the Sardaukar from the 1984 version of Dune. 
I prefer the new version of the movie, but these figs were just too nice.

Some sort of Sci-Fi Military/Security trooper from the 3D printed universe.
I liked this one and his eight or so comrades as well as the robots. 

Now it gets weirder...

From Skull & Crown Miniatures,
the miniature I call the "abbot rabbit",
vested with thruible (incense burner)

A rabbit processional
So much fun!

And more...

A selection of Bob Murch's deadly woman for Pulp (or Sci-fi) gaming

Late Roman Auxilia Palatina command stand
from Newline Design in 20mm.
{For a personal project}

Federal Command Stand for my Shako ACW project.
Figures from Essex and Freikorps. 

Lastly, Andy and I have hit upon Osprey's Honours of War rules for the Seven Years War. We found them quite playable, rather realistic in feel, and able to finish a game in a decent amount of time... by which I mean, playable in less than a long weekend and still not done in 20 minutes. I'd recommend you look into them if Tricorn battles interest you.

Prussians vs. French somewhere in the Rhineland

More Prussian/French dust-up
The game has a good feel and I -for one- like it.

Next installment: my SYW Russian army takes on a new shape.

Thanks for looking in!