Good Bye to 2020!!!

 Goodbye to 2020, a year I am supremely confident very few of us, if any, will be sorry to see the back of, given Covid19's malign influence on ourselves, our families and our friends, not to mention our hobby! I doubt I will be alone in this sentiment, nor in my earnest hope that 2021 will see us move back towards more normal times in all aspects of our lives at some stage. With all this disruption to our lives it's quite hard to summon up the necessary application to produce the usual annual review, but I will do my best in the circumstances.

Firstly games: you must remember them, I hope! Here in GHQ I have not hosted a game since Lockdown Mk2 was imposed. When I look back over the plans I'd formulated with Phil and Jon I'm mostly overcome by sadness at lost opportunities to game with my friends and share the pleasures that our wonderful hobby and friendships bring us. But, not withstanding all the coronavirus malarky, we did have some memorable games while we could. We played 24 games over those parts of the year when face to face games were possible. Of those I won 9, drew 2 and lost 13, clearly a below average performance on my part! A few pictures of more memorable games here in GHQ at least ~

With restrictions on meeting face to face for games here in GHQ or elsewhere for much of the year painting took on more significance for me, as I'm sure it did for others. My major effort since May will not have escaped even the most myopic visitor to Tales from GHQ, namely the building of two 28mm armies for the Punic Wars. I did paint other stuff or course and built some new terrain pieces along the way, but the Punic Wars project occupied the bulk of my effort ~

In all I painted 797 28mm figures over the year, surprisingly not a great increase over previous efforts.

I made a few purchases over the year, leaving aside the three phases of figure purchase for the Punic Wars project, starting with my most expensive acquisition from Germany, a prepainted Vauban fortress, delivered with stereotypical German efficiency I'm pleased to say ~

When I bought these two for £10 in a bookshop in Cornwall during our October holiday I thought they would be my bargain of the year...

I was wrong, as became obvious when I acquired a large box of over 100 Aventine Miniatures Republican Romans from fellow gamer David for what I freely admit was a bargain price! During the year I also contributed to Wargames Illustrated, either in it's hard copy format or in its ethereal Bite Size format; five pieces in all, with my War of 1812 - 15 piece appearing in both formats! 

As we Stand To, waiting with a mixture of hopes, aspirations and trepidation, to see what 2021 brings I am confident most, if not all, of us will be hoping to see the return of wargames shows. With many early ones already cancelled it seems the autumn Partizan 2 might be the first I would attend. Of course even that is contingent on developments outside of our control. I did though attend two Shows this year in early March: WMMS and Hammerhead. The first is already deferred now to 2022 while the second is provisionally relocated to September. Such is the life of a wargamer in the Times of Coronavirus! A happy, healthy and above all safe New Year to you all!

 

🎼 “It’s a long, long time...

 ...from May to December!” At least is has certainly  felt as if it was on several occasions. But, all the hours and minutes spent at the painting desk here in GHQ have now come to fruition with the completion of the three phases I envisaged when I first embarked on the Punic Wars project around my 70th Birthday in May and in the midst of all the Coronavirus malarky! Readers of my blog here will have followed my progress along the way, as might readers of Wargames Illustrated where the project featured over three issues in the latter part of the year, so don’t go expecting to see anything new today! What I do have to show is the whole collection laid out on the table here in GHQ. I hope it will give a sense of what I’ve managed and perhaps even inspire someone else to take up their own project as we head inevitably for a New Year Lockdown Mk3 ~

Now, I mentioned the fact that I’d envisioned this project evolving to completion in three phases, each tied to a purchase of figures for the phase. Those are now all completed of course, but along the way the project has acquired an added phase 4! That came in the decision to add some Spanish heavy cavalry to the Carthaginian army with figures from Wargames Foundry and with the wonderful offer of a bargain box of Aventine Miniatures Republican Romans from fellow wargamer David. His generosity has enabled the addition to the project of more cavalry, some command bases, some Levy and the Velites I was missing for the Allied Italian Legion. They should move across the painting desk in the coming weeks, all being well of course. In the meantime, a few pictures of the whole effort to date ~

The balance of this bargain buy has now gone into the  RUBs containing the Lead Pimple under my desk while I give serious thought as to whether I want to deploy more figures or whether I want to move the remainder on. There must be others who would appreciate a bargain addition to their Republican Roman collection. We shall have to see where that one goes...

Velites for the Allied Italian Legion

 The final three bases of figures complete the work on the figures for the Allied Italian Legion in my Republican Roman army. These twelve figures will represent the Velites of the Legion and were another part of my recent acquisition from fellow gamer David. There are no specific shield transfers from LBM for the Etruscan range from Aventine Miniatures, so I made do with spare Roman shield transfers bar one which I fudged up by cutting part from a hoplon shield transfer! 

Currently under the brush are four more figures from the same source to bring the Velites of Legio VI up to strength. When they are done it will likely be "down brushes" then until after the festivities.  Having said that, it just remains for me to wish you  Happy Christmas (Boris et al permitting of course) and a Happy and Safe New Year!

Generally Speaking

 I've made several references recently to my bargain buy from a fellow wargamer of over 100 Aventine Miniatures Republican Romans. One bonus quickly realised was the addition of figures to make up two new command bases. The first features one mounted and two foot figures to depict the overall General for the Allied Italian elements in the Republic's army ~

The second base features a single mounted figure. In this case now, having reviewed the organisation on the tabletop battlefield here in GHQ, the base will take on the role of the commander of the Roman wing of the army ~

I'm quietly pleased with the look of these two bases and they round off the Republican Roman army nicely for now. There will be a few additions in the new year, but they will have to wait for now at least. In the meantime a final picture showing the whole Allied Italian contribution to the Republican Roman army ~

Nearly there now

 The Allied Italian Legion's Triari join their fellows and move the Punic Wars project ever closer to closure and perhaps even a debut on the table in GHQ, if we ever leave this malarchy behind that is. As ever the figures are from Aventine Miniatures, though there may be an odd stray commander on the right flank as he was in my recent bargain purchase. I found that I'd not quite got the range of LBM shield transfers that I wanted for this final element, but rather than order up another sheet I made do with what was left over. You probably would never notice, but I know and it's a low level irritant in the whole scheme of the project. I'll cope I'm sure...

At the same time I also finished are the figures for the Legion's Command element, leaving them just to have the Velites added from the aforementioned bargain buy, so they can be rated more or less done for now. 

I've finished the figures for the overall command base for all the Allied Italian elements now as well, but I'll blog those later on along with the single mounted General also from the recent bargain buy. It will still leave me some Roman and Allied cavalry to paint and the recently ordered Foundry Spanish cavalry also to add. Better progress this month than I had forecast!

"Sequi Me!"

 While I've been working my way through the 20 figures which will represent the Triari element of my Allied Italian Legion in the Republican Roman army I've been splashing the paint on a number of other figures from the recent bargain acquisition of Aventine Miniatures figures. Of these the first to reach completion is a mounted General ~

I liked the combination of the rearing horse and the raised, swirling sword arm of the figure, which immediately suggested to me a dashing commander of the mounted Allied Italian cavalry. I added a hoplon to the figure with a rather nice LBM shield transfer featuring a stylised horse's head. Here he is leading the cavalry forward in a recless charge ~

While the Triari are nearing completion I've got three other command figures underway, another single based mounted commander and a base featuring a mounted commander and an officer on foot. The latter base will be as a sub general for the whole Allied Italian element of the Republican Roman army, while the single based mounted commander will see service in either army.

Once these are finished I've a base of 4 figures to represent the Allied Italian Legion's command element. After them there are three bases of Velites and they will be done! I think I will have earned a break from bronze then...

Principes for the Allied Italian Legion

 As November drew it's it's inevitable and all too dreary close and December hove into view I was close to finishing the Principes element of my Allied Italian Legion. As ever, and it really does feel like ever, the figures were by Aventine Miniatures from their Late Etruscans range. The shield transfers are from LBM of course - where would folk like me be without them? While the bases are from my old dependable source at Warbases. Just think of the hours of struggle those two firms have saved folk like me! 

With the completion of this element the Punic Wars project should be heading towards its completion.  I say should, because at the very end of November a veritable avalanche of new figures tumbled into GHQ to swell the Lead Pimple! Firstly, I finally bit the bullet and ordered the Spanish cavalry for the Carthaginian army from Wargames Foundry. I needed some paints renewed anyway and the Christmas Sale discount off set the P&P charges nicely. What I'd failed to notice was the price per pack hike from £12 to £14! If I'd chosen the Casting Rooms Miniatures option I'd have saved myself £8! Doh!

Mind you, it wasn't really all doom and gloom on the Exchequer front here in GHQ as I concluded a deal with another gamer for a job lot of over 100 Aventine Miniatures figures for a really good price. After the parcel arrived and the contents were sorted I've immediately been able to add to the Republican Roman forces. The Romans will get another base of 4 cavalry, while the Allied element will add two bases of 3 cavalry. The Allied Legion will get three bases of Velites to more closely shadow the Republican Romans. Thirdly I've been able to add some Levy to the mix to give the army a further option in action. Finally, fourthly, I've enough command figures to furnish a Command base for the Allied elements in the Republican Roman army together with two single mounted commander bases which can do service in either army.

I'm more than pleased though to report that sufficient figures from the deal remain to form the basis of further Roman and Allied infantry additions in either the form of second Legions for each or expansion in the size of the present elements. God willing, next year will see where this will go.