It's funny where wargames lead you......

So I spent an interesting evening yesterday scrolling through posts on MSFoy's always entertaining Prometheus in Aspic blog when I found myself on eBay looking at pottery houses (which may or may not have been for sale by ladies called Sue....).

What had brought me hither so my recently viewed page on eBay is full of Anne Hathaway's house and similar porcelain monstrosities.....err masterpieces?

It started with a boardgame: The King's War by Charles Vasey. It's a game around the English Civil War by someone who knows their history. "That would make an excellent basis for a campaign" I thought.......

All the signs had been there for a while and manfully resisted; that overwhelming butterfly urge to start yet another period.....

Reading Stuart Reid's The King's War pushed the urges further....

I had been looking at fastplay rules (Tilly's Very Bad Day and In Deo Veritas) and debating figure ranges (10mm or 15mm?). I had even bought a sample pack of Steelfist figures. I had even given thought to what sort of look I wanted - single based units on a nice thick base - fill with the number of figures that will fit, depending on size....

"What about the Germans" (says my internal Gene Hackman alternating with "do you pick your feet before kipsy...").....err I mean what about the painting....concentrate. Well if I can somehow combine black washes with Contrast paints it shouldn't take as long as working up from black undercoat.....

I was unable to decide between the Blue Moon 15/18mm and 10mm; each had their strengths. A successful bid on an eBay lot of Blue Moon with some 100x50mm 3mm MDF bases settled that. Some others have joined them and I took the plunge after working out what forces to build and bought a lot more (still to arrive). Given the financial climate in the UK at present, I didn't want to suddenly find the prices increasing when only part way through the armies....

To be truthful, the ECW and I have a long history. I first dabbled using 15mm over 40 years ago; Peter Laing Irish Confederates and various manufacturers for Royalists. Sold as they did not inspire. Switched to 25mm Hinchliffe and Minifigs as pictured in Stuart Asquith's games in Battle and Wargamer's Newsletter fighting over Britain's hedges....

It was the first army I attempted to paint really well in a pseudo-Gilder style using enamels, following his painting guide from Military Modelling and slavishly copying the pictures just appearing in Miniature Wargames of the King's Lifeguards, Rupert's regiment (both foot and horse). Bases had Miliput cannonballs and were textured with ruts showing where they plowed into the ground. Played and built up units painting as I went. Notable for switching to acrylics and keeping the same painting style, obviously in a darkened room to judge by the ill-advised choice of a yellow coated foot regiment which positively glowed as if radioactive when first fielded at the local club......

After some use, continually searching for a decent ruleset (eventually used Terry Wise's ECW and TYW set) which didn't upset some opponents, moved to other periods. With an impending career move to the other end of the country and a need for cash, they ended up being sold at Northern Militare. I regret it now and wonder what their fate was

I did keep some of my ECW books and all the articles from Military Modelling (now of course I'm assured by ECW "experts" that they are hopelessly out of date....). So buy some more books to find the most current research says "well they may have worn red/blue/green/sky blue pink or it could just refer to their flags..."

Not much help in ideas for painting an army is it? Although despite the experts sneering, it's difficult to say you are wrong with such minimal sources .......despite the purists I'll stick with Haythornewaite and Scollins for inspiration however innaccurate they apparently are! I've always thought the best response to such picky "experts" is "Oh, so were you there then?"

I digress. So what of the pottery houses? Well finding yet another set of rules ( Peter Pig's Regiment of Foote) I realised I probably needed some dedicated scenery. So buildings. I plumped for 10mm as having a better footprint. Bought some lovely Battlescale half-timbered houses, nice but small and no church (got to have a Norman church). Eventually found one at Lancer Miniatures. Very nice but looks huge! Maybe I should look at 15mm buildings on the smaller side.......hence the visit to:

http://prometheusinaspic.blogspot.com

The Tey Pottery ornaments look much better on the blog (matt varnish?) than they do on eBay, despite being painted after a fashion. I think I may stick to the wargames models so alas will not being enriching any of the "Sues" (visit the blog for an explanation).