“In the autumn of 1914, just a month into the First World War, the Russian Army laid siege to the multi-ethnic fortress-city of Przemyśl, the Habsburg Empire’s main stronghold in the east. The Habsburg Field Army had been bloodied and routed in immense clashes on the borders, and Przemyśl, with its obsolete defences and garrison of 130,000 terrified middle-aged reservists, was in those critical weeks all that stood in the path of a Russian invasion of Central Europe.” Here’s some great videos on this (little known in the west) key fortress and the pair of sieges it underwent that singlehandedly probably prevented the complete destruction and collapse of Austro-Hungary within the first weeks (and later first few months) of World War I…
Continue reading “Galicia 1914-15: The Great Fortress of Przemyśl”Category: Buildings & Fortifications
Rorke’s Drift Ready To Go
It’s been a long process, working on my Anglo-Zulu War Armies, and although the figures are all painted (and have been for nearly 10 years) they still await their basing completed. Luckily the terrain is a happier story, thanks to my good friend Kieran (6mm Wargaming), who has now completed my Warlord Games Rorke’s Drift. As mentioned previously (Rorke’s Drift Update) I pre-ordered this on initial release and it arrived in 2013 – and now, no more than 4 years later, it’s ready for action! While there’s still some minor detailing to finish it off I couldn’t resist putting up some pictures to hopefully inspire myself (and anyone else out there) to get the project onto the table for a game! I hope Kieran’s terrain modelling kills inspire a few other Anglo-Zulu Wargamers as well as me. Continue reading “Rorke’s Drift Ready To Go”
Rorke’s Drift Update
Well it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything directly to do with my own wargaming, and an even longer time since I posted about my 28mm Anglo-Zulu War project! Way back in 2011 Warlord Game’s brought out their fantastic Rorke’s Drift building kitset and fantastic box sets featuring this and lots of accessories and figures from their Anglo-Zulu War figure range, and I quickly snapped up one of their initial special limited edition box sets (Rorke’s Drift Arrives), which I duly passed on to my good mate Kieran (6mm Wargaming) to build up and terrain sculpt for me – as described in Work Begins On Rorke’s Drift back in 2013! Well work has finally progressed and now in 2017 it’s nearing completion…
Valdemar Miniatures
I was recently contacted by Valdemar Miniatures – and looking at their website they look to have a pretty stunning series of products. Including 3D Printed ships suitable for Viking Longships and small Medieval Cogs. They describe their figures as 25mm (1/72nd) so they may or may not be a tad smaller than other 28mm manufacturers like the Perrys, Foundry, Artizan, etc. However they produce two ranges of medieval figures, one which is their premium range, what they call “Museum Quality”. Continue reading “Valdemar Miniatures”
Italeri Church
Following on from my last post (Italeri Country House With Porch) the other model I picked up from Kieran’s cancelled commission project was the Church (Italeri Kit 6129). This includes an attached (custom made) cemetery and is an outstanding model (if somewhat large). Ther design makes this primarily suited to Northern Mediterranean areas (and Southern Europe), such as Spain, Italy, and Southern France, as well as possibly Croatia, Northern Bosnia, etc, and possibly Southern Austria and the like… Continue reading “Italeri Church”
Italeri Country House With Porch
Back at the start of 2013 I posted about my gaming buddy Kieran building some Italeri Kitsets for his WW2 Normandy Games – and that as he did such a great job I might need to get him to build the kits I have in my stockpile for me as well! Well he ended up building some on commission for another AWC member, who then subsequently decided to discontinue WW2 gaming in 20mm scale – and so those completed custom models have ended up in my collection – alleviating the onerous need for me to assemble my existing kits of them! Brilliant outcome if you ask me! The first of them is the Country House with Porch (Italeri Kit 6075). Continue reading “Italeri Country House With Porch”
Warlord North American Buildings
To supplement my Perry Miniatures’ ACW Buildings I also have a couple of Warlord laser-cut MDF Settler’s Log Cabins – like the Perry buildings these are suitable for most North American eras from the French & Indian Wars & American Revolution through to the American Civil War and turn of the (20th) century – and at a stretch the 19th Century NZ Colonial Wars as well. Continue reading “Warlord North American Buildings”
Perry Miniatures ACW Buildings
These are some ‘in progress’ pictures of my 28mm Perry Miniatures’ North American Buildings – I’m hoping they will be useful for not just the ACW (American Civil War), but also for the American Old West & Indian Wars, some Colonial theatres, and even early 20th Century pulp periods. Included is a simple conversion of the Perry Store kit, into a small Blacksmith & Stables. The conversion and the kit assembly & painting/basing was done by my fellow gamer, Kieran Mahony (6mm Wargaming). I just need to now flock the bases and add all the micro detail… Continue reading “Perry Miniatures ACW Buildings”
Miniature Addiction!
Roundie, from my local gaming group (the Auckland Wargaming Club), has recently launched his own website & blog of his wargaming & modelling work – he’s one of our area’s most prolific modellers & painters and has built some amazing terrain boards and scratch-built buildings & terrain… He’s also running a local SDS (Song of Drums & Shakos) Napoleonic Skirmish Campaign at the AWC. Continue reading “Miniature Addiction!”
Work Begins On Rorke’s Drift
Well its been much longer than planned and to get things along I have enlisted my mate Kieran (6mm Wargaming) to build my Rorke’s Drift Models and Base Board for me. I have been inspired by the SSWG’s (Southend & Shoeburyness Wargames Group) wonderful demo game from several years ago (you can see a full set of photos here, it was at Salute 2006 in the UK and I believe has been at shows prior to that), and they still reuse it regularly today (see this blog post from 2011). So Kieran has completed assembly of the buildings and we’ve done two mock-ups of the layout…
Normandy Buildings
I recently caught up with my gaming buddy Kieran (6mm Wargaming), and he brought round his completed 1/72 scale Italeri European Building kitsets he has done for his 1944 Normandy terrain. Kieran’s been taking a break from Crossfire and playing a lot of Kampfgruppe Normandy and has been steadily working on his terrain and new 20mm (German & U.S.) armies for that theatre. The Italeri buildings are the Country House, House With Porch, and the Stone House; and Kieran has gone to reasonable efforts to detail them with window shutters, walls & gates (some scratch built, some commercial), and other features – I think you’ll agree they’ve come out looking very good! I’ll be looking to achieve similar with my kits when I get around to them, and may have to talk Kieran into doing them for me since he’s done such a good job of his own! Continue reading “Normandy Buildings”
Rorke’s Drift Arrives!
My Warlord Games “Rorke’s Drift” box set arrived today… It’s an impressive beast- it was part of their pre-order special on the new Anglo-Zulu War range that’s the premier of their new strategic partnership with Empress Miniatures. At the time I resisted the urge to get the full “Horns of the Buffalo – Rorke’s Drift Collectors Set” which is an absolutely huge collection of toys! This set is the first of their collaborations planned with Empress Miniatures – so you get a swag of Warlord Games plastic figures and terrain pieces, some Empress Miniatures speciality metal figs, and a pair of “4Ground” laser-cut plywood building kitsets of the storehouse and hospital. Continue reading “Rorke’s Drift Arrives!”