David Bickley's Wargames Blog

The occasional ramblings of an average gamer, journeyman painter, indifferent modeller, games designer, sometime writer for Wargames Illustrated and host of games in GHQ.



Saturday 24 September 2016

Stretching a Point?

I had a bad fall on Tuesday while I was out with Sue and suffered some soft tissue damage to both wrists; the consequences of two arthritic hips I'm sorry to say! One obvious side effect has been the diminution of painting here in GHQ. So, I only have one thing to show for a whole week's painting time!
The latest addition to the VBCW in Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire comes in the shape of a Leach catapult, crew and bomb making vignette. As its range was about 200 yards at best in reality. I see it as a short range defensive weapon, deployed in someone's back garden or factory yard to deter attackers. I'll have to work out something to fit with Bolt Action before it debuts on the table though.





























The catapult itself is from Great War Miniatures; the three crew serving it from Reiver Castings, although I added a stick to one of rage figures, for striking the locking mechanism on firing, with a short piece of brass rod; and lastly the bomb makers are from Woodbine Designs. The Reiver figures are really quite small, but I wanted civilian looking crew for this part of the project and I think they work quite well in isolation from their larger brethren in the collection.

Next up, now I'm restored to what passes for normal, for the 1914 game are some figures for the start of a casualty clearing station and for the VBCW game an 18lb quick firing gun and civilian crew. I hope to finish both before Derby Worlds to keep some balance in the Lead Pimple under my painting desk! I have preordered the figures I need to finish the British skirmishing Light Companies for the Wars of the French Revolution project and I hope to also collect some other bits and pieces, including some Warlord Games Gurkhas for the Burma games. I hope these, together with the French I ordered from Brigade Games, will see me safely through the winter months and onto a new project for 2017!

20 comments:

  1. Nice finish on the Leach DB, those civilian crew are just the ticket.

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  2. Glad your feeling better.

    Well done with the Leach catapult - looks great. It also looks like it might be as dangerous or more so the the crew than to the enemy.

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    1. Thanks for your good wishes William! I tend to agree with you about its inherent risk.

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  3. Hi David I admire starting a new project at your age my missus thinks I have too many at my age 60

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    1. "...at your age." Wash out your mouth now! ;~) 'Too many projects'? Your wife obviously needs to seek urgent help...

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  4. Glad you are back to 'normal'. Falling over is a hazard of getting more mature I fear though not in my case. Crack on with the FRW stuff now your results have kindled my revolutionary fervour . I must thank you for the fun this new period has brought me.

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    1. Normal is as normal does hereabouts! I'm glad you are enjoying the FRW project, I am seriously impressed by your productivity! It is fun though isn't it, especially researching all the unusual stuff?

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  5. Looks smashing, very VBCW.
    Steady on there, and look after yourself. Hope your wrists heal soon.

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    1. Thanks for your kind wishes! I shall hope to bounce more if there is a next time.

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  6. Great job. I assume the leech will play effectively as a light mortar ? As for the civilian crew, I have also looked at the Reiver figures but they are small but when you put them collected on a little base they look fine I might buy some 😀

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    1. Thanks for the idea Matt. Your mounted chaps look good so far too! I'd not considered BTD myself, so I shall follow their progress with interest. The Reiver stuff is cheap and cheerful in the absence of decent alternatives.

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  7. Nice work as always! Sorry to hear about your fall glad your OK

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  8. Looks great David and hope your wrists heal!

    Christopher

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    1. Thanks very much Christopher! I am well on the mend now.

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  9. What a great job! These civilians are nice, very nice!

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  10. I saw one of those for the first time in the IWM last week, very surprised by it. Nice models.

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