Fallschirmjager

Don't think the photograph shows the splinter camouflage. Followed the guidelines in the Flames of War Market Garden supplement then gave them a brown wash and highlights. Just equipment to finish off and they'll be ready to take on the French resistance I've been painting up.

 

These are Bolt Action figures from Warlord. Aim is to finish them off by the time the holiday season is over. Probably the first resolution of the year busted!

Playing at Home

Of course the main purpose of the move was so that our twin daughters (19 months at time of writing) would have a more rational house to live in. 2 stories instead of 3, bedrooms all on the same level and so on. Alas, one of the unfortunate side effects of finding such a property was that we acquired a largish garage.

Ok, to be honest I acquired it and got agreement to a permanent table set up before my better half had had too much time to think about the consequences (like where the lawnmower would live).

So, much of Christmas has been spent rationalising which has led me to several conclusions.

1. I have more wargaming stuff than I can possible paint/play or open over the next twenty years. I could start a shop if I could only bear to part with any of it!

 

 

2.       I should have enough room for a 12 by 8 board which could lead me to actually play with some of the stuff mentioned in 1

 

3.       I really need to find some time…

 

 

Nostalgia

In the recent house move I came across an old Citadel box from the mid 80s.

 

Originally the box contained these not so fine fellows:

 

I’m sure the figures are now residing in my parent’s loft (the term loft hardly does that room justice, it has windows, radiators, carpet etc. My Dad practises his 9 iron up there – I’m not joking)

But they had been superseded by my infamous Blood Bowl team the WCC (Wee Caledonian Crushers nothing to do with cricket or cream teas, sun lit lawns or fair play).

The figures themselves are from the Blood Bowl expansion pack Dungeon Bowl which also came with an Elf team (which my friend Richard kept), pit traps, exploding chests, spiked balls (catch that) and all sorts of hysterical nastiness. Have fond memories of these chaps and still have the team roster, not to mention a whole background story scribbled somewhere. They played in several competitions and even got a run out at Games Day in 1989 which led to me getting a summer job in GW in Glasgow.

Nice to see the little fellas! Wonder if my parents’ cavernous loft is hiding some Astro-granite?

The Saxon King

October saw the latest weekender hosted by the League of Augsburg n Derby. One of the regulars, a resident of Vienna, Gunter has been in the habit of bringing across his large collection of late 17^th early 18^th century Saxons to fight Beneath the Lily Banners engagements. This collection represents every single unit in the Saxon King’s army and this time they refought the battle of Fraustadt battling the rather frightening Swedes.

Gunter also treated us to a display of his Napoleonic army. Again, this is Saxon and represents every unit 1810-1813.

 

Finally the man himself...

 

Further information on Gunter’s colections can be found on the following threads over at the Fighting Talk forum on the League of Augsburg site.

Napoleonics:

http://www.leagueofaugsburg.com/fightingtalk/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=2402

BLB:

http://www.leagueofaugsburg.com/fightingtalk/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=3628

And his growing 1871 collection:

http://www.leagueofaugsburg.com/fightingtalk/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=5281

Intermission

It’s been quiet here for a while and that’s entirely down to normal life cutting into well everything including that precious time spent mucking about with toy soldiers.

Busy at work and then a house move and then having to deal with the muddled, mangled bureaucracy at British Telecom meant having no internet access at home. I’m uploading this at my in-laws who are gradually becoming suspicious of the increased frequency of my wife and I’s visits. Yes, we’re masking under a façade of completing useful chores for them but it can’t be long before thy twig what’s really going down and cut off the supply of broadband, tea and Jaffa cakes.

Anyway, all this is to explain my absence from this blog and hopefully normal (or as near normal as I can manage) service will soon be resumed.

Derby Roadtrip

The Huguenots are all packed away ready for another trip to Derby and a weekend of campaigning courtesy of the League of Augsburg. A very small contribution to the fray given the vast battalions deployed by the League and their associates but its always nice to see my figures out on a table somewhere.

Even if sometimes they don't stay on the table long. Still it's not the winning that counts at these events it's definitely the banter and beer!

Sergeant Telion

This is one of my favourite GW miniatures mainly as it is one of the few that show a bit of age. I guess in the Dark Millennium few have the opportunity to become veterans.