Reviewing the Lead Pimple

I’ve been mulling over a new project for 2019, having raised funds by selling off my 20mm Vietnam Wars collection recently. In the light of that thought I took a few moments to review the contents of the Lead Pimple here in GHQ. Here's what I found in stock in the three Really Useful boxes which I use to store the units in various stages of preparation to join the painting queue ~

Box 1 contains the Foundry/Casting Room Miniatures SYW figures I bought earlier in the year, along with a Cran Tara Ecossaise regiment to expand that game. Two new cavalry units, one French, one British; two new infantry regiments, Clare and the 23rd Foot{besides Ecossaise}; four new Command stands - three French and one British.

Box 2 contains my recent Foundry AWI purchase - 2nd Maryland, Loyalist Militia and Continental Dragoons; three Dixon Miniatures ACW regiments I bought last year; a Tsuba Miniatures band, Footsore medics for the VBCW and 1st Corps Vet and Farmer.

Box 3 contains the remnants of my FRW project: a regiment of Trent Miniatures British Light Dragoons and some Scots Greys, still waiting for a Command set!!!!! There's also a tent I picked up and a spare French cannon. 

In all that's about six months worth of painting I'd guess, making a new project seem a bit superfluous at least for now. Perhaps I shall wait and see how the year runs out before I decide what to do? Thoughts are always welcome. In the meantime, some Italian Wars Command stands to finish off first.

“Stand fast, boys, stand fast!”

For our regular monthly game on the first Wednesday of the month Jon and I decided on an ACW game, giving Black Powder 2 another run out and incorporating some rule suggestions from the Glory Hallelujah supplement. The Rebels were commanded by Jubal E Whyte and the Union were lead by that military incompetent Useless S Bykleigh. As usual, a photomontage of the game to give a flavour of how things panned out ~

The Union artillery on the right flank opens fire to signal the

start of the action. The target is the Rebel Brigade closing on 

the farmstead in the distance.

The Brigade on the Union left marches out of camp to secure

the left of the line around the Brecher House.

The Rebels mass for an assault on the Union left while their

centre shows less of the aggressive spirit. Jubal E Whyte was

not pleased!

On the Union right flank the 5th New York steels itself for

the Rebel onslaught!

A fierce fire fight erupts all around the Brecher House, but the

boys hold fast and trade lead with the Rebels!

On the Union's right flank determined resistance holds up the 

Rebel attack amongst continuing Disorder!

Around the Brecher House the Rebels are taking casualties in

number. The boys are warming to their task it seems at this

stage in the battle.

By Turn 10 the fortunes of war had turned first one way and

then the other. It was too close to call now as both armies had

Broken and Shaken units across the whole field.

In Turn 11 it is the Union army which finally cannot absorb

its losses any more and streams to the rear. The exhausted

Rebs have won the day, but at what a price? All along the 

Rebel front men reflect n a victory hard one and count the loss

of friends so dear.

As ever Black Powder delivered an excellent game, with fortunes constantly turning first one way and then the other. In the final analysis the Union only succumbed in the penultimate turn, so close was the contest. Its not over until the fat wargamer sings it seems!

AWI Additions

Following on from my 'Billy No Mates' post, see previous Blog entry, I've been plodding on painting six Perry Miniatures figures to represent the 16th Light Dragoons for my AWI British collection. I find their figures very hard on my brushes, having so many sharp edges, in comparison to those they made back in the day for Wargames Foundry. But, things move on, so there is little point in whinging overmuch about it. I'll just add some extra brushes to my shopping list for Warfare the weekend after next.

While I'm on the subject of a good moan: I've recently had not one but two hobby mail order purchases fail to arrive. Firstly from Foundry, which they replaced without too much fuss I might add, and secondly from Flags of War, also promptly replaced. Now, one loss I might accept as MIA, but not two so close together. With an ever changing postman/woman on our walk it does make you wonder...

Returning to the replaced Foundry order, I've acquired more of their Perry sculpted AWI figures: six Continental Dragoons; another unit of Continental Infantry; and finally, a unit of uniformed Loyalist Militia ~ hence the Flags of War order, taking advantage of their 'Make a Flag' range. I hope at Warfare to acquire some Volunteers of Ireland from Dave Thomas's Perry stock, if he manages to restock after Crisis that is! In the meantime I'm painting TAG Italian Wars figures to make three more Command bases for a go at Pike and Shotte. Two figures are finished, two more are ready to start, leaving three for the third base. I hope to get these done by the weekend, but I'm very busy in the real world right now...

Billy No Mates

I've been passing the time since finishing my Palazzo project for the Italian Wars project painting various outstanding pieces from the Lead Pimple. With Phil away for a few days and Jon not due for a week for our regular monthly game I’ve been free to dabble unencumbered by the need to prep a game. The result has been pleasing progress on odd figures or bases of figures for various projects. Basing up the Warlord BEF infantry Ian painted for me provided a background task when I didn’t feel like picking up a brush. (You can see the result if you missed them two blogs previous to this.)

Keeping with the Italian Wars theme, I’ve painted another base of TAG Mounted crossbowmen, this time choosing the ‘At Rest’ pose; you may recall that I didn’t much care for the firing ones! TAG figures seem to love the paint, although I might wish the horses were sculpted in a bit more relief to help the old eyes! Here they are anyway ~

I also managed a piece of TAG Medium Ordnance and a crew of four figures, not the most interesting poses though! Unlike the Light Ordnance I’d painted earlier my gun came with no extras, leaving the base a bit sparse for me. I shall have to rectify that on another occasion if opportunity presents itself ~

Continuing the Italian Wars theme I’ve painted the Foundry Collectable Mounted Knight Jon so kindly gave me and base’s him to be a General in any future Pike & Shotte Games in the Italian Wars genre. I’ve also bought figures from TAG to make up three more Command bases with the same thought in mind ~

Leaving those to one side for now I had the Perry Miniatures AWI 16th Light Dragoons skirmishing languishing in the Pimple. They are an example of something I bought on a whim as I liked the figures without any idea of how I was going to utilise them in my games! Fired up by painting several Foundry units, featured in earlier blog posts, I decided they would make a Small Unit base of cavalry in Black Powder terms. Following on from Giles’ lead (See his wonderful Tarleton’s Quarter Blog) I’ve created a suitable Loyalist unit, the Woodbridge Light Dragoons commanded by Major Moore of Irish descent. I’ve also got six figures of the 16th in the more usual poses and indeed they are next up for painting ~

As a terrain interest filler I also completed a Romany fortune teller vignette I bought back in June at Barrage in Stafford. It was sold as a Reaper figure, but if it is its a fairly crude one. I added an Irregular cauldron and tripod owner a fire I already had and a fairly crude cat sculpt Phil managed to source at Colours ~

Finally, a Warbases Dovecote, a piece of terrain of so many period applications I felt it was silly not to have one ~

Now, two games to look forward to next week! WWI at Phil’s on Monday and ACW here in GHQ on Wednesday with Jon. Meanwhile, back to the Lead Pimple Reduction project! 

Palazzo Project Completed

It seems to me like eons since I foolishly embarked on this project to build a Palazzo as a centrepiece for our Italian Wars games. But here it is completed and well before the end of the year, which was my target you may recall. As Grand Designs go it is '...on time and under budget...', a very rare creature indeed! Of course, I had some help with the final dry brushing of the buildings' walls, but the rest is as they say, all down to me. Here is a final photo report on the processes and the more of the finished article. I hope that it meets with some degree of approval after all the hours spent on it~

Aerial view to show the planned layout of the Palazzo.

Front view ~ from left to right ~ three Warbases Modular

buildings {Tower, Tall Modular, Small Modular} with

Supreme Littleness Designs Ornate Window added; Warbases

Villa Gateway {front} and Charlie Foxtrot Spanish Tower

{rear}; Sally Forth Tower and Italianate fortifications added;

hidden are the Warbases Modular Low Building and the

Gateway. The Statue is a Foundry Roman Officer on a

Sarissa Precision Plinth.

The whole textured with Fine Polyfilla. Messy and fiddly!

The basecoat of Golden Brown by Crafters' Acrylics.

After successive dry brushing of Fawn and Light Antique

White, a wash of GW diluted Seraphim Brown, and a final

dry brush with Crown Emulsion Lime Wash.

The Wills Flagstones have had similar treatment to maintain

the sense of colour for the piece.

A view from the side rear. The Foundry Madder Red Shade on

the pantiles has been dry brushed with the same firm's Orange

Midtone and Light.

View from the right rear aspect showing the side gate.

View from the left rear aspect to show the small Warbases

Shed filling in a corner.

View from the front left aspect to highlight the Supreme

Littleness Designs Ornate Window added to the Warbases 

Tall Modular Building.

Final view from the front right aspect to show the courtyard

interior, minus the statue which is being Satin varnished by

Phil for me.

To recap if you've just arrived at this final stage, the buildings are all MDF shells: from Warbases; Sarissa Precision; Charlie Foxtrot Models; and, Sally Forth. I can't praise all of them enough for the advice and help offered in the planning and purchase phase of the project, but particular thanks must go to Martin and Dianne at Warbases who cut the base to my specifications and made a number of parts from whole kits available to me. They are the stars of the MDF firmament for me!

BEF Infantry

A good while ago I bought the Warlord BEF deal from their web store. I painted up some of the Support and Command elements but left the poor bl**dy infantry. In truth they would probably have lingered in the Lead Pimple forever if my long time friend and military modeller Ian Bottrill hadn't volunteered to paint them, as light relief from his more usual Soviets I expect! I've done the basing to fit in with my existing VBCW/1940's collections Here they are for your viewing pleasure ~

One of the great things about our hobby I've found is the spirit of mutual help and support, an ethos which far outweighs the moaning minnies thank goodness! In the aforementioned Lead Pimple for this period/Collection/Game I've got three Footsore VBCW Standard Bearers and the Tsuba 'Russian Band' set for paint conversion to the VBCW. I doubt they will be done any time soon though!

A Baptism of Fire!

For our regular Monday morning game it was my turn to host in GHQ and I unsurprisingly chose an AWI game for this week, with a view to 'blooding' my new units on both sides {See earlier Blog posts for details.} Lord Rawnsley, aka Phil, commanded the British and Loyalist forces, Old 'Independence or Death' Bykleigh, my good self of course, the Patriots. We decided on a 12 turn game to give the new Black Powder 2 rules a good run out and fielded almost all of my collection bar the Hessian Brigade. We decided the Crown's forces would attack the Loyalists, so set up accordingly with the Loyalists in three lines south of the road and the Crown's forces entering from the northern table edge, when Lord Rawnsley's orders were, eventually, relayed successfully to his Brigade commanders that is! Three turns of mostly failed Command Rolls is quite amusing when its not you I found! As is my wont, a photomontage to tell the unfolding tale of the action ~

The Loyalists/Rebels took up a defensive posture. It’s much
easier to be amused by failed Command Rolls when you are
not having to make your own!

King George would not be impressed with Lord Rawnsley’s
hesitant start. Only three units have managed to move in
three turns!

Loyalist Militia in the First Line, supported by artillery. They
felt nervous as the lobsters advanced on them! The artillery
duel down the road lasted all twelve moves ~ some indication
of  how deadly our shooting was,

Making the most of the Crown’s tardiness, Continentals
occupy the Farm buildings and line surrounding fences.
They proved impossible to drive out!

The Foot Guards’ fire discipline Disorders the Militia but
they remain unshaken. They are not cowed by tea drinkers!

The British Legion Infantry's advance falters under fire.

The Loyalist/Rebel position holds firm despite action all along

the front.

New unit syndrome strikes the 43rd! To their rear the 23rd

reform after faltering.

Pressure mounts on the Loyalist left centred on the farm

complex. The 42nd and the 64th advance to support the Guards

detachment who are Shaken and Disordered by Loyalist fire.

The Guards morale crumbles! "Cheer, Boys, Cheer!"

As the Crown's advance falters the Virginians advance to

relieve the battle weary Militia.

The 64th break under sustained fire from the advancing

Pennsylvania Continental troops.

The fighting around the farm is fierce, but the Loyalists hold

their ground despite losses.

Despite losses, the Loyalists go forward and overrun the

enemy's artillery.

The Crown's forces just cannot break the Loyalist's resolve!

A draw after 12 Turns, although Phil conceded the field and ordered a withdrawal. The Militia performed like heroes to a figure! The Guards did not enhance their standing sadly! Too many Command Roll failures in the firth three turns hampered the Crown's forces later in the game, allowing the Loyalists to occupy the farm in numbers.
A decent work out for Black Powder 2, though we realised we had forgotten one rule completely in the post battle chat! Only one though! No games now until November 7th, when Jon and I will lock horns in a Black Powder2 ACW game fought over a modification of the terrain for this battle.