If anyone ever needed inspiration to game the Sudan, most especially with the Perry’s range of figures then this is it – Frank & Björn have absolutely set an amazing benchmark for figure painting & terrain – the image here is but a low resolution version of just one of the many images. Make sure you check out their stunning (and ongoing) thread at the Lead Adventure Forum – there are images on every page of the thread and new images periodically added… Continue reading “Some Exceptional Sudan Inspiration”
Charles Grant’s ‘Battle’ Meccano Magazine Series
Charles Grant’s “Battle – Practical Wargaming” is one of the classics of the old school who were the original ‘modern-era’ wargaming generation – but what a lot of people don’t realise is that it was actually first published as a serialised account in Meccano Magazine, in 32 parts over 3 years from Mid-1968 until December 1970, with the more well known book version being printed in late 1970 while the magazine series was still being published. The Magazine series offers a chance to get “Battle” with extras, as it featured several parts that aren’t featured in the book, the latter only cover Parts I-XXVI (the Magazine series culminates in Part XXXII, the finale of a 1/32nd scale Wargame in the backyard)! In fact it was these Meccano articles (in my Father’s magazines) that were how I first discovered Charles Grant’s “Battle” in the mid-1970’s, long before I even knew there was book version! This was one of my very first classic wargaming publications that hooked me on the hobby as an early-teen.
Just recently I discovered that Meccano Magazine has put virtually their entire catalogue (dating back to September 1916) on line and it is possible to download individual pages from every issue…
Continue reading “Charles Grant’s ‘Battle’ Meccano Magazine Series”A Warlord Games Windmill
When I recently ordered a reasonable order of Warlord Games ECW figures (See Return to the English Civil War) to maximise on the postage I couldn’t resist grabbing a unique little ready-made model of theirs – the very limited edition Warlord Games Windmill. It’s a great model because it’s a typical small basic type probably seen all though much of North-Western (& parts of Eastern?) Europe, rather than a more substantial structure. This is great because it makes it probably usable from the Middle Ages right through to the 1960’s or so. What’s more, although it’s nominally for 28mm figures it looks like it’ll likely sneak in with my 20mm World War II and Modern stuff, albeit slightly on the large side!
The model is a Pillar Windmill – (from eHow) “The pillar is the most ancient type of windmill, dating back to the 13th century…
Return to the English Civil War
There has been a fair bit of recent discussion on the Auckland Wargaming Club group about doing a Basic Baroque 15mm ECW (English Civil War) tournament or mini-campaign. Basic Baroque is a variant to Basic Impetus & Impetus. Now I’m not much taken by 15mm armies (I’ve sworn off these completely), however the Basic Baroque rules interest me as a possible simple set for doing some 28mm ECW in the short term – especially as I long since lost interest in DBR (De Bellis Renationis) as lacking flavour for the later renaissance period and most especially the mid to late Seventeenth Century ECW & TYW (Thirty Years War) and after.
I get myself a Dremel
Some recent discussion on the Auckland Wargaming Club group about dips and washes referenced the Tabletop Terrain blog (another New Zealand wargaming website), and while I’d past by occasionally, I hadn’t had a particularly thorough look around – when I did I came across an interesting reference to Dremel Tools being available locally here in Auckland, NZ, for a reasonable price. Previously I was unaware of them being available for reasonable money – I have seen them occassionally in the Hardware chain stores, but up to NZ$300-NZ$400 for a basic tool with no attacehmnts! So if you really wanted one it paid to import them from the US or Australia but still worked out fairly costly. Anyway needless to say I visited the Test ‘N’ Tools Website (they are located here in Auckland), and found them available (as Stu at Tabletop Terrain had said) for much more sensible prices, so I promptly ordered the Dremel 300 pack (essentially a starter pack with the Dremel Tool in a case and a small selection of attachments).
The 10 Commandments for A Wargames Club
Well the latest Classic Wargamer’s Journal is out – and in it is an article from Dan Grove of the HATSOFF (Heart of America Tactical and Strategic Order of the Followers of Featherstone) Wargaming Club. Dan points out that in addition to rules for playing wargames a club also needs rules for the club itself. The HATSOFF Club have their 10 ‘commandments’ which have been in play for 35 years and Dan assures readers their club has run to the spirit of their intent the entire time. In the unlikely event something crops up outside the particular rules of a specific game they also have a ‘Quadribium’, which consists of the 4 senior club members, or the 4 members hosting the game(s), who are called on to make a unanimous adjudication – the Quadribium has been convened once in 35 years!
Continue reading “The 10 Commandments for A Wargames Club”Classic Wargamer’s Journal: Vol. I Issue 2
It arrived here in the Antipodes just 4 days after posting in the UK, and once again the Classic Wargamer’s Journal is a refreshing read, bringing back memories of those glorious days in the 60’s & 70’s when names like Don Featherstone, Charles Grant, Brig. Peter Young, Terry Wise, Paddy Griffiths, and others inspired the masses of Baby Boomer & Generation X budding wargamers! I find I particularly enjoy CWJ simply for its style and format, which brings back many memories of my wargaming childhood, and also many of the articles which relate or allude to those classic publications by the personages above during that time.
Issue 2 of Volume 1 includes a brief letter from Don Featherstone, still getting along at 93, albeit sans all his wargaming armies that have long since gone to new homes. He’s certainly been an inspirational chap and as I commented on Phil Olley’s Blog, must surely just about be the last of those assorted venerable gentlemen I alluded to above that is still with us…
Continue reading “Classic Wargamer’s Journal: Vol. I Issue 2”
Straw Doormat Wheat & Barley Fields
One of the terrain features both Kieran Mahony (6mm Wargaming) and I have in our collections are assorted fields, and one type is made from a straw mat. The following are some photos of the straw fields I have, these are part of a large batch Kieran made for he and I and a couple of other AWC Members. I’ve been asked a couple of times now about them in some of the photos so I thought I’d provide some clear photos of them and a basic outline of how Kieran constructed them. These are simple static fields and not the type designed to have sections removed to allow troops to be placed in them. Kieran designed them as partially harvested to leave enough room in most cases for troops to be placed in them without needing to bother with removable sections.
Don’t Let Them Get The Commissariat’s Train!
Somewhere in Galicia in sight of the Carpathians, 1916 – the Brusilov offensive is in full swing and the Austro-Hungarian front line has temporarily collapsed – The Russian forces are pouring into and across Galicia rapidly and in huge numbers… Brusilov has achieved a stunning success (advancing up to 40 miles on a wide front in just a few weeks)… The Austro-Hungarians are in turmoil, and Archduke Josef Ferdinand has only just escaped Lutsk by the skin of his teeth as the speed of the Austro-Hungarian line’s disintegration meant Cossacks had already entered the city before the Austro-Hungarian Army Command realised the extent of the breakthrough!
Continue reading “Don’t Let Them Get The Commissariat’s Train!”Ryan’s Basing & Painting Techniques
Ryan Davies is a member of the Crossfire Yahoo Group, and he recently put together a document detailing his techniques for painting and basing his 1/72nd scale figures – as a way to give something back to the wargaming internet community which he believes has helped him a lot over the years with his wargaming efforts. Ryan details how to cut bases from brass with a jewellers saw, his technique for labelling & indentifying his bases, and storing them.
Ryan then moves onto painting, especially soft plastic figures, covering how to paint, shade and seal them. He covers the merits of just brands of commonly available model paint, and the moves on to the actual techniques for basing the figures.
Arrr! A Buxom Beauty: A Pirate Ship in 28mm [Part 2]
![Arrr! A Buxom Beauty: A Pirate Ship in 28mm [Part 2]](https://wargaming.info/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/pirate_ship022.jpg)
Avast! Get ye grog and hornpipe smartly, lubbers, for a beauty she will be and we must Jolly the Roger! Aye!
Kieran Mahony continues his account of building a Pirate Ship to the plans by Gary Chalk (of Wargames Illustrated Magazine) from Avast! Ye Lubbers: A Pirate Ship in 28mm [Part 1].
Details Around The Deck
I added some balsa strips around the door and also made it look like there are steps between the different deck levels. I extended some of the strips up to the main deck to make a handrail…
Continue reading “Arrr! A Buxom Beauty: A Pirate Ship in 28mm [Part 2]”
Avast! Ye Lubbers: A Pirate Ship in 28mm [Part 1]
![Avast! Ye Lubbers: A Pirate Ship in 28mm [Part 1]](https://wargaming.info/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/pirate_ship007.jpg)
Avast! Ye Lubbers and Bilge Rats! Be here the means and way to use the contents of ye bung hole to build ye very owne brigantine pirate ship! Arrr!
A while ago one of my main gaming opponents, and Auckland Wargaming Club member, Kieran Mahony built himself a Pirate Ship for use with 28mm Pirate Figures playing GW’s “Legends Of The High Seas” (LOTHS) rules. Kieran originally published this article on his 6mm Wargaming website in 2008, but as that website is not necessarily the best place for an article about 28mm figures and scratch building a 28mm scale Pirate Ship I’ve decided to host Kieran’s article here to hopefully give it a wider audience!
Continue reading “Avast! Ye Lubbers: A Pirate Ship in 28mm [Part 1]”