Vive le Roi! (and some less salubrious persons)

The flats insanity continues; I have painted up figures for a stand to represent Louis XII.

In addition, I found some rather ropey "knight" figures with poorly defined heads. Looking at them, I was struck by the thought of converting them to Stradiots......some Green stuff later and we have enough for a couple of stands.

I'm working on the artillery currently but need to clean up some more figures. I have dug out some more potential Picard pike so will probably replace 3 of the figures done previously. There are also some more Gascon crossbow to do and then it will be Swiss and the dreaded Landesknechts....

More French Nobility and lesser "gentlemen"

The Zinnfiguren Italian Wars continues with more French; they have a lot of choice in the various army lists, so even for rules which use a reduced number of "elements" still need multiple figures.

More Gensdarmes

"Archers" - part of the "Lance" originally were mounted longbowmen and in the early Italian Wars may have fought as such; later were less armoured lancers

Finally some mounted Crossbowmen

I have tried to keep to a restricted colour palette throughout to tie the army together, basically blue, red, white and yellow.

The figures mostly come from a large lot; I selected the figures charging (as oppose to stationary with lance upright) to represent the French Gensdarmes, noted for their aggressive charges. As such, they are a mixed bag.

I have a few "front view" Knights cleaned up and primed; these I'm going to pair on circular bases as general figures for those rules that use separate generals which attach to an element - I can see this as necessary for larger games or historical refights. I also have an element which will become the general element, in this case an approximation of Louis XII; I'm toying with variants for Charles and Francis. There are also two large cannon and crew and some converted Stradiots.

Waiting in the wings for cleaning up and priming are Swiss, Landesknechts, more Gascons and possibly more French infantry.

Secret project revealed!

So initial experiments have worked out quite well, so I can reveal what I have been up to the last few weeks......

Italian Wars using 30mm Zinnfiguren flats.......WTF!

Completely left field distraction; so how did I get here.....

I have been interested in the Italian Wars for years; memories of Peter Gilder's armies in early MW magazine, playing Machiavelli, etc all contributed. Many years ago, my mate Pete Foggin gave me some 15mm he had designed and cast - not sure if they were ever available commercially. I started adding and adding, made a start on DBA sized armies French and Milanese which I never quite finished and then changed focus to Impetus sized bases and Maximillian rules which are a DBA derivative but use armies of 23-30 elements, so double initial plans....

I have toyed with restarting, even trying to prune the unpainted horde to use the better figures such as Vexillia, but it has been a long time since I painted 15mm or worse, cleaned them up...

Then, bad week at work, needed some cheering up. Saw some cheap lots of flats on eBay. I had resisted previously, although very tempted by the SYW Zinnfiguren available; always drawn to them, the elegant look......several bloggers have indulged. Manfully I had not let myself be swayed. Looking at the flats, they had lots of knights / Gensdarmes which looked lovely with the plumes.....but could I paint them? Then....click! Oh WTF have I done!

So, there I was having bought lots of medieval / renaissance Zinnfiguren wondering not only whether I could paint them, but what I was going to do with them! I happened to glance at the bookshelves where a copy of DBA 3 sat. Hmm, it now goes up to the Italian Wars.....hmm.....Machiavelli campaign using DBA sized armies....hmm....this way it could be manageable and not grow like the 15mm version has. What about the painting? Would Contrast paints work?

So sorting through the figures, I worked out there was enough for Imperial German, some Spaniards, these could be French and these Italians....oh there's a Burgundian army....this could work!

So I started wit the French; there were a lot of "active" knights which would be just right for Gensdarmes d'Ordinance.....lets start humbler......Gascon crossbows:

The above are pure Contrast paints and Speed Paints metallics. Then it was Army Painter ink wash as a pin-wash, followed by selective highlighting with acyllics:

Looking good, lets add some more crossbow and Gensdarmes:

Went to town on the Gensdarmes, oil wipe (although water based oil paint!) followed by ink wash, pin-wash of AP ink, highlighting and tidy up, So far we have:

9x Gascon crossbow

7x Picard pike (Horde)

3x 3 Gensdarmes

To finish have another couple of elements of Gensdarmes, various general figures (for DBA RRR), 2x artillery, an element of mounted crossbow. All undercoated and ready to paint. To finish the French I have some cavalry (archers), Swiss, Landesknechts some converted Stradiots and probably need to add more |Picards. All but the Swiss and Germans are cleaned up awaiting primer.

The plan is to do Imperial, Spanish and Italians - a mix of Venetian, Papal and generic Italian troop types. Reinforcements have been sourced from the UK and Germany, and have just bought some Turkish looking cavalry.......

There is certainly a Burgundian army in there and possibly Swiss, Peasant Revolt plus more Landesknechts.....

So far, they have turned out quite nice and are quick to paint with the Contrast / Speed paints doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Washes and highlights lift them into the next league IMHO.

Of course, I have found buying flats is as addictive as normal figures.......if not more so!

New (old) *secret* project...

To elaborate on the somewhat confusing title......I have been busy with a *new* project; that is an *old* project but with a new twist........confused? Let me explain.....

There are many projects that I wish "to do", sadly ambition outstrips time. I'm hoping if I make retirement I will have time for them all....

This project is a long standing "to do"; indeed hesitant steps were made in 15mm but it stalled and grew and grew....

I'm approaching it from a completely left field angle to try again; I'm hoping, no trying to keep it manageable this time.

So why the *secret*? Well I'm not sure if it will work out as it in theory requires different techniques and I don't know if my skills are good enough! 

So, it's currently "in development" which doesn't mean just buying stuff, but actually requires preparation and work which I've completed this weekend, or rather made a significant start on. This time, I'm keeping it small - max 6 armies with a lot of generic components. Already have a game on which to base a campaign, have various rules I can use and plenty of source material.......

Intrigued? More next time.......hopefully........☺

"I looked over Jordan and what did I see.......Sweet Chariot."

As related in previous blog posts I have slowly been working on the Jordanian army of 1967. This post is by way of a progress report as to where I'm up to.

M48

The M48s had the jetisonable fuel tanks tweaked so they no longer pointed downwards. Here's the real thing:

I was helped by some modelling sites which helpfully show details the above site didn't. Alas the folding "shield" has a couple of different patterns; I chose one from a blueprint. Unfortunately the pictures of Jordanian M48s are unclear, however I suspect they were solid rather than with a "V" cut out. Anyway, here' my M48s showing various stages and just awaiting final stowage.

I then turned to the M47s

Getting the turret brackets to stick involved lots of super glue and swearing - as Eric suggested on the VWC a better name for a blog! Once fixed everything got some liquid Green Stuff, including the M48s.

Then I turned to the last tank used by Jordan; the Centurion. Jordan used Mk3 and Mk5 with the original British gun. In an attempt to differentiate from the IDF Sho't I made them all Mk3 with 20pdr . Progress from disassembly to finish.

 Finally, thwarted in attempts to purchase resin Trident M52 SPH, I have added bits to my bodge jobs.

 Most of above just need a bit of extra stowage (covers a multitude of sins!) and in some cases MGs (M47 and Centurion have cradle / bracket M48s are fitted.

To do - M113s, M42 Dusters, Long Toms and tractors, 25 pdrs and infantry. I also have a \Hunter and a "what-if" Widow Maker in 1:100

Hammerhead 2024

Yesterday I went along to Hammerhead - first show of 2024. I think my last visit had been pre-pandemic when they made use of two halls on the site. They now hold it in the same venue as Partizan which is a sort of large shed.

TBH I only went to meet up with a friend of mine from up north, Shaun Condren; had it been just me I expect I wouldn't have bothered. I was a bit drained from work and had nothing I particularly wanted to buy or see. This may have influenced my experience somewhat.

I got there about 10:45 and it was heaving! I'm not a fan of crowds.....

I had just met up with Shaun when I bumped into Martin Rapier briefly (https://tgamesweplay.blogspot.com)

Later I (almost literally) bumped into Colin Ashton (https://www.carryingsonupthedale.com/) from the VWC. Other VWC notary Phil Olley (https://philswarcabinet.blogspot.com/) was about, but like Aly Morrison (https://alystoysoldiers.blogspot.com/) was always deep in conversation when I spotted them, so I failed to say hello.

Shaun's friend Graham and his son Jake joined us and we split up for a look around.

Hammerhead is billed as a "participation" show with all the games available for punters to join in. Sadly I'm not a natural joiner-in, but none of the games seemed to be "touting" for business; they were either fully occupied and engaged or empty with perhaps one or two people standing around chatting. 

My only interaction was when I bent to look at some figures to identify them, but the person concerned didn't try to get me to play (he was the only one there and the games seemed unplayed). There was one empty table - presumably unbooked or a no-show. 

Several of the games were to the same standards as "demonstration" games seen at other shows. Only one was in full swing, but I suspect it featured the same people as at other shows where similar games are always fully occupied. They cynic in me did wonder if some "demo" games had snuck in as participation - although in theory available for play, didn't seem to have crowds of people - it's easy to deter would be punters or if I'm more charitable, is it because these games were "traditional" wargames as oppose to the often small and unique participation games? As a general rule, with a few exceptions, the smaller games seemed busier.

As it was very busy and some of the games were too crowded to get close to, I was limited in the pictures I took. Being brutally honest, my mood was such after a while I got bored and I concentrated on those that stood out - this isn't always apparent in the photos. There was a lack of signage so I had to try and match the games to the handout - I apologise to anyone I have miscredited.

Peter Dennis Paperboys "a walk in the woods" - looked to be F&I War - very effective paper trees

A Conquistador game - Blessed by the Gods (?) very nice pyramid and ships

Cloudships of Mars reloaded - a development of Frank Chadwick's 1889 ideas

A pirate (?) v natives(?) game - possibly Dutch Courage - Teddy bear fur terrain? and nice ships (no I don't know why one had sunk or what the giant hamster wheel was about)

Just follow the Rhynes BCW - could have passed for a Sealion game until you spot the BUF symbols - very big table couldn't get it all in due to players being fully engaged

Manouvre Group? 1/144 Soviet tanks - it looked better in the flesh than the pictures

Mighty Empires ??? Ancients with what appeared to be 3d printed samples at side of table - no idea if the miniatures were 3d printed looked like Macedonians, Indians and Persian /Assyrians? It stood out due to the very simple terrain cloth and miniatures - again looked better in the flesh

Pegasus Bridge - demo game in disguise? At least it had a sign!

A very intriguing Tin-Tin style game Blue Island Broken Unicorn's Treasure - the table had two sides with one divided into two, each with a little tableau - I assume they were linked as part of one adventure but as it was very busy it was difficult to ascertain more. I had to take a picture of the clever torpedo bomber (in SCW markings) and submarine with a glass shelf separating above and below surface- very ingenious! The hand belongs to a well know wargames magazine editor who was taking pictures. Just prior to this photo, the submarine had become detached and was lying on the seabed. As I got close to take a pic, the said editor turned to me and said "I've broken it!" It was suspended from the glass by ?magnets and in trying to turn it around for a better pic it seems to have fallen off.....

What I took to be a Kelly's Heroes game turned out to be Aly's favourite - Toonkrieg WW2 - weird distorted cartoon tanks and people - it was the building drew me in...

What a Dinosaur! Cowboys and dinosaurs - a palaeontology anorak would have a field day I'm told pointing out the inaccuracies of wildlife - as if the concept isn't fantastic in itself. Me I was drawn by the train and then saw the flying reptiles - WTF! Nice train....

 Finally Wars of the Roses Test of Resolve one of at least two WotR games. Having bought the rules, I wish I'd had more time to at least speak to the person running the game as it was an idea to restart a very old WotR project. Some people pointed out the jarring mix of Kallistra hexes and green cloth - I think it was tilted to show a hill....

There were many more games, but most were so busy or small it was impossible to get close.

Shopping doesn't even merit a photo! 4 pots of Coat d'armes paint (yellows and a green) to ensure I can finish or expand the SK armies (mostly painted in old GW paints) - one of my yellows finally expired and Banst  in green are unfinished and also a nice Italian Red Earth / Terracotta tile colour. A couple of 25pdrs (Arab-Israeli), a magazine and some odd one-man tanks and a motorcycle rider from EWM for 20mm BCW.

Shaun was equally restrained while Graham picked up some bargains from the bring and buy tables - I only had a quick peruse as it was knee-deep in bargain hunters...

Apart from the social side, there was little attraction. Cost of entry and food / drink probably cancelled any postage savings and for others travel costs. It's nice to see stuff, but TBH the meeting friends is a better attraction.