And so they were done...

 ...and packed safely away in GHQ awaiting their game debut! Sometime, but when is anyone's guess I have to point out. Anyway, no doom and gloom, here they are at last, a 20 figure unit of Allied Italian heavy infantry for my Carthaginian army ~

These are yet more figures from my much appreciated bargain buy from fellow gamer David. Aventine Miniatures of course with Etruscan shield transfers from LBM and bases from Warbases as ever. They took me rather longer than I'd hoped, the muse was not really on the ball at the end of the project I'd guess. 

The remaining surplus figures have been sold on to a gamer in the Stafford area, so now it's forward to Pendawar and the triumphs - or otherwise - of Tippoo Bykha, the Tygre of Pendawar! My first order of E.I.C. types from Perry Miniatures arrived and are cleaned up and spray undercoated ready to start - goodness me though, I hate the bloody vent runs on the figures! My Foundry order also arrived the next day with crews for the guns from AWM, Matchlock infantry and some Bengal Horse Artillery and 2 guns for the E.I.C. All of the first tranche of figures I ordered are ready to go under the brush, starting with a 24 figure Sepoy infantry battalion. There's also a mounted General who will be the brigade commander.

Sue is kindly going to treat me to some further figures in due course, I think she's feeling sorry for me! I'll probably order some cavalry from the Sikh Wars and Indian Mutiny ranges at Foundry next month along with a further unit of Matchlock armed warriors. There are already more figures already enroute from Perry Miniatures, more Sepoys, Bombay Grenadiers, and two guns and crew for the E.I.C. army. They will need some cavalry in due course, when funds permit..

Tales from Pendawar

 As I'm steadily working through the last 20 figures for my Punic Wars project, in the shape of a unit of Allied Italian infantry for the Carthaginian army, my mind has been focusing on what I should paint next. With that in view I sorted out the RUBs under my desk containing the Lead Pimple. There are enough units there to keep me entertained amidst all this ongoing pandemic malarky but I also fancied something new. Well, I'd guess as fellow wargamers you'd all understand that.

I must say at the outset though that I didn't really fancy two whole new armies, so I looked rather at what I might add to existing collections to give a different game. I looked at expanding the F&IW or adding a British Intervention Force to my ACW set up but in the end neither really gripped me. Now, as it happened I'd received a copy of The White Mughals by Dalrymple as part of a Christmas gift and that started me thinking about games set in India around 1800. It's immediately clear that numbers of irregulars and my Raja's Guard can be pressed into service from my Indian Mutiny collection, while some Canadian Militias from my War of 1812-15 collection can proxy for British and E.I.C. European battalions. 

While I was thinking on all of this I ordered up a couple of books from Caliver Books ~

The Wargaming Wellington in India is an obvious beginner's choice and at first read through seems really useful in planning the additions I'll need. The Wargamers' Annual I always enjoy and this one has the added advantage of numerous pictures of a display game of the period!

So, having decided what I would work on during the coming months I also decided on a semi-imaginations approach. The games will be set in the fictional Indian state of Pendawar, which for the geographically challenged neighbours Rhanzlistan. I took the plunge then and ordered up some figures: guns for the army of Tippoo Bykha from AWM; Matchlock men, camel gunners and artillery crew for the guns, together with Bengal Horse Artillery and 9lb guns from Foundry; and lastly,  Bombay Sepoys and British infantry in round hats from Perry Miniatures. Together with the figures I've identified as already available in GHQ these will form the basis of the game. (The guns from AWM arrived yesterday! I call that exceptional service in the circumstances.)

Now I'll obviously have to add cavalry to both sides and some foot artillery for the E.I.C. army, but that must await funds later in the year. We'll see how it goes, shall we?

It's not Bronze, honest!

 When I finished the unit of Levy (see previous post) the only remaining unit for the Punic Wars project, the Allied Italians for the Carthaginian army, were not cleaned up and spray undercoated. In fact the only figures ready to paint were these Foundry War of 1812-15 oddments: an American general and four figures in summer kit - 2 officers, a sergeant and a junior NCO. I've opted for a two figure base to add to the skirmisher elements and another command base, after all you can never have too many generals, can you...?

I've now cleaned up the Italians ready to get them spray undercoated and onto the painting desk! The 20 figures will take me over a week I expect, I've noticeably slowed down with regard to painting of late. I've also been reorganizing the RUBs which hold the Lead Pimple. There are three Dixon Miniatures ACW 20 figure infantry units, one 20 figure Crusader Miniatures ACW unit, a 24 figure Eureka French infantry unit for the FRW, and 6 Trent Miniatures Scots Grey's STILL awaiting command figures after years of harassing Duncan to get them done! I've ordered a couple of books too from Caliver, one with a view to a new period/location but utilizing numbers of existing units from three other periods we play here in GHQ. More as and when on that...but in the meantime here's a clue.

The Last Levy...

 ...and the last of the Republican Roman army at last! These are more Aventine Miniatures from the bargain purchase from fellow gamer David. I had no suitable shield transfers from LBM in stock and frankly couldn't be bothered to order one set and pay £1 postage, so I just opted to paint the shields this one time. {No doubt in games to come that different look will infuriate me, but it will have to do!} I found a spare vexillum transfer though in the right colour so I did use that at least. Anyway, here they are, The Last Levy ~

I'm just left now with a 20 figure Allied Italian infantry group equipped with long spears and Hoplons, for which latter item I have enough LBM shield transfers in hand. These will complete the Carthaginian army and with that the project. 

Iberian Light Cavalry

 Well, if not exactly hot on the heels, at least in an acceptable time frame for a geriatric in waiting, here are the other six Iberian cavalry figures from Wargames Foundry's Caesarian Roman range ~

Five of the six figures are sculpted without any body armour, so I felt they could represent Light Cavalry, making the Carthaginian army in Neil Thomas's Ancient and Medieval Wargames rules more flexible. Almost by accident it seems I've hit on two cavalry bases to represent a unit in games, but, as I provide both armies in GHQ, I can be flexible if we want bigger games, perhaps using Hail Caesar. 

As with their sister figures, which I've labelled as Heavy Cavalry due to their mail or bronze body armour, the sculpts lack the movement and variety which typify some other ranges or sculptors but I'm content that they will do the required job in games ~ whenever we can resume those of course. In the meantime, stay safe and well amongst all this malarchy.

Iberian Heavy Cavalry

 I know, I know; I said I'd take a break from bronze! And I did, honest! I completed the 28mm cabin I'd made from Warbases' bits and bobs. Truth is it's rather uninteresting to look at, just a cabin really, hence no dedicated post about it. See ~

 So, these 28mm Iberian heavy cavalry from Wargames Foundry figures were sitting on the painting desk, minding their own business, and I just thought they'd look better painted, so, here they are ~

The sculpting is clear and easy to paint, an important issue for we aging wargamers I've found. The poses of horses and riders are not as lively as they could be perhaps, and a little more variety might have been preferred, but they do the job I think! No doubt you will have your opinion on these matters too!

I've a further six figures to paint as Light Cavalry, the sculpts lacking in mail or bronze body armour. That leaves two Aventine units to paint at some stage: the unit of Levy and a unit of Italian Allied infantry for the Carthaginian army. I need shield transfers from LBM for the former, but the latter have hoplon shields and I've enough LBM shield transfers in stock for those.