Carry on Covid!

 Staring Sid James as Boris 'BoJo' Johnson, Bernard Breslaw as Dominic Cummings, Charles Hawtry as Rishi Sunak, Hattie Jacques as Pritti Patel and so on... Well, at least judging from the outside the current bunch of clowns supposedly in charge might as well be replaced by a bunch of comedians!

Now Wolverhampton has joined much of the Midlands and the North in more restrictions on our freedoms. From Tuesday no mixing with other households in your home or garden! But, you can go to the pub with 100 or so strangers, shops stay open, as do schools, and you must go to work if you can! Frankly I don't think you could make this up if you tried!

Of course all this puts the mockers on gaming face to face again with Phil and Jon. My thoughts on solo games I've shared with you before, so that looks like it in GHQ for a while at least. Meanwhile I'll plod on as and when with painting figures for my Punic Wars project. At present I'm tackling 20 Spanish Scutari by Crusader Miniatures. Not the most inspiring sculpts I have to confess, though more interesting than the 24 Celtiberian figures looming in the painting queue.

For those interested in such things my Punic Wars project gets an airing in the new issue of Wargames Illustrated I believe in the 'What gamers are working on' style pieces started in the Bitesize editions during 'Lockdown Mk1'! If nothing else it may serve to show what even an average painter like my good self can aspire too given the right figures to suit your painting style and the lovely shield transfers from LBM. 

Dan? And Doris? Showing my age...

 A command base for my Punic Wars archers. I had originally intended to make these archers serve for both the Carthaginian army and the Republican Romans, but I bought some Cretan archers for the Roman army giving me the opportunity to add a command base to the original two bases for the Carthaginian army.

Aventine Miniatures are proving an excellent choice for the spine of this project. Not only are the figures full of life and detail, as well as being very paint friendly when wielding the brushes, but the firm itself in the person of Keith is a joy to deal with. If you've not considered Aventine before then you are missing something.

Appeasing the 'dice gods'?

 As a break from painting fighting figures for my Carthaginian army in the Punic Wars project I've completed a Republican Roman vignette base using the Agema Miniatures sacrificial bull and associated figures and altar. Think of it as a light hearted attempt at appeasing those pesky 'dice gods' who seem to have deserted me big time in our post lockdown games!

I recently received two tents from Magister Militum for my planned marching camp bases, a Legionary tent and an officer's tent, and I'll add this vignette to those camp ones in due course. I'd like to add the off duty Republican Roman figures from Foundry in due course, but finances took a sizeable hit recently care of the Vauban Fort purchase! Next month perhaps?

A second unit of Hanibal's Veterans

 As it says, a second unit of Hanibal's Veterans again from Aventine Miniatures with the exception of a Crusader Miniatures Hanibal masquerading as an officer and a second officer figure from A&A, all have shield transfers from LBM where appropriate and bases are from Warbases as ever! Not much more to say about them really, so best just post some pictures ~

There's a third unit of Veterans in the painting queue, again from Aventine Miniatures, but made up from a mix of Imitation legionaries figures in mail and linothorax. Next in the painting queue now though are a unit of Spanish Scutari using Crusader Miniatures figures. 

New toys!

 I received a parcel this morning. I'd placed my order on Sunday. It was despatched Monday and delivered Thursday. From More Terrain in Germany. 

I had intended to make my own version from the Amera Plastics star fort, but it proved a project too far, mainly all the cutting being beyond the strength of my hands sadly.

The Vauban Fort I first saw on Kevin Calder's Iron Brigade display game in photos on the web. There's also one on Simon's Big Red Bat blog too. It's mainly available in grey, as you'd see on Simon's blog, but you can get it in beige. I see it being deployed in the F&IW, SYW, Wars of the French Revolution, War of 1812,Indian Mutiny, and even the ACW. Versatility justified the price to me - €195 including delivery. I feel a SYW game coming on next week!

'Hanibal Bicca'

 An alternate Command base for my Carthaginian army comprising the Crusader Miniatures mounted Hanibal figure and two Carthaginian Veteran officers from the Aventine Miniatures range, which Keith very generously provided for me recently ~

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With these completed its back to the second base of Veteran Infantry. The figures are not difficult to paint I've found, but I have had issues with the two available sheets of LBM shield transfers. They are each a mix of six designs for hoplons and six for Scuta, where I would have preferred 12 designs for one shield type and perhaps two sheets of each type to give more variety. Perhaps I'm being too picky, but it's what I'd like to see.

When I manage to complete the second unit of Hanibal's Veterans I plan to paint up a base of archers to bring that arm up to three bases. I've cleaned up and spray undercoated the unit of Crusader Miniatures Spanish Scutari to work on after those are done. I still hope to complete the project before the end of the year, but looking at my productivity over past weeks it will be a close call.

Carthaginian Army?

 It seems I have a Carthaginian army. It came as a bit of a surprise I have to admit when I laid out everything I had painted for that side of the project ~

Unlike the Republican Romans, which bar one Agema Miniatures Tribune sculpted by Matt, are all by Aventine Miniatures the Carthaginians are sourced from several manufacturers as befits their historical predecessors. Figures are from A&A Miniatures, Wargames Foundry, Crusader, as well as Aventine Miniatures. 

This is not the end though, but it is certainly the beginning of the end for this side of the project. I'm currently working on the second unit of Hanibal's Veterans and the third arrived from Aventine Miniatures on Tuesday. Besides those I have a unit of Spanish Scutari and two warbands of Celtiberians, oh and another base of archers. After these there is the Allied legion and cavalry for the Republican Romans!

If I'm honest it's a bit daunting when you see it like that in black and white, but, "Onward!" I started, so I will finish, to coin a phrase...