Project Waterloo, French Under Review.

I've been concentrating on the Prussian side of the project but the French will need a fair bit of attention. Both Lee and myself will be supplying the troops for this but I believe I will have the lions share given I have  a heads start on Lee, though he will be doing all the Guard.  The French are a mammoth task all on their own and even sharing with Lee and the fact I already have quite a few units based up I am expecting to have to paint up more French than Prussian. I am thinking Peter at Baccus will be very happy he is releasing his new French next month. 

The photo above is of all the French and allies I have at the moment, problem is that a big chunk of the infantry are for Spain and not the 100 days campaign and so should not be used in the big game. I will plan the number of units to paint per month based on not using these bases in expectation of keeping up with the required output.

With the boost from my Secret Santa I have been able to make up a commanding artillery park. A total of twenty guns and eight limbers gives me a good start in this field and whilst I will need more these are not a worry. A total of four wagons is not exactly a lot and yes I will get more but they are not a priority. Just behind the guns are eight bases of Italian's great for Spain but sure to miss Waterloo if I have my way.

At the front we have the cavalry, most of these will be seen on the fields of Waterloo, probably being broken up on British squares. Again I will need more but a manageable amount given the time frame I am working too.

Command bases, under my rules we will need quite a few so these six will need a lot of help, and that goes beyond the one I have ready for basing. Again though I believe one a month would be more than enough and should help to break up the constant line after line of infantry.

Opps just nine bases of Line infantry, that's not big or clever. I had convinced myself I had a much bigger stock of these guys but so many of them had been painted up as foreign help instead. Taking these pictures was a real wake up call. I really need to get the basic line units up, way up and as such need to start on them very soon, but first I need to buy the figures but that task hopefully is just a few weeks away.

The Neapolitan infantry to the front and twelve Light Infantry to the rear. This has a lot to do with the five Light Battalions painted up for the painting Challenge when I thought I was far behind on the Lights. In fact this sparked a frenzied search of my boxes for more Line before I accepted the sad truth that I am somewhat lacking in infantry. Still it's only right and proper that projects like this supply many challengers.

Side aspect, I have to admit I thought it would look like a lot more, still it's rather bigger than a army pack, especially as the cavalry also includes a couple of boosters. Though come the time to lay out the troops for the big battle it will look a little more impressive. 

So not only will you see an endless line of Prussians coming off my table but also a lot of French. Still to be finalised is just how many and the breakdown of who will be doing what. Lee is fortunate that most of the Brits are already painted and based though the allies still need to be added. I suspect these will be done for Lee, rather than by Lee. The French he plans to paint himself but of course sometime in the distant future Lee will have to swap over to making the terrain boards though it may be me painting the buildings to slot into place. 

Whilst I am confident that the Prussians will be finished on time I am a little concerned about the French. I just can't do all the French and I know Lee has a lot of work on for the next six months. At least he is home most of the time during this period but as to painting as well who knows. After that he will be away a lot so fitting in painting is a big ask. I know he will get a lot done but will we be able to do them all? Well time will tell.

The Adler Prussians are coming along nice, may not get them all the way finished but will base them up early next month and move onto the first of the Reserve Regiments. I also have two bases of Cavalry primed ready for painting and these should be quite quick. So overall I am still fairly happy with where we are at this stage but need to sit down with Lee over a cuppa and thrash out what, when and how of the French and then see if it can be done.

Rosemary & Co Giveaway Draw (Again)

Well with one of the prizes still unclaimed I have redrawn from the original entries and got a replacement winner. So who you ask is the winner of the set of Rosemary & Co brushes? 

Ironically it's someone who from the very start had said that they would be winning a set of these brushes, maybe she somehow had foretold her destiny?

Yes it's that mad lass Anne O'Leary over at O'Leary Miniatures. Anne became an active painter only just over a year ago but with her natural artistic skills has applied her knowledge of blending colours and self discipline to create some truly excellent work. No one looking at Anne's work would guess she only started a year ago.

So hats off to Anne and if you can get in touch chuck I will get the brushes on the way to you as soon as.

Anne also had won the reserve prize in the £20 give away so has £10 credit with whichever supplier she wishes to buy from. This was to be funded from my first pay pack in two years! It sure felt good to get that paper slip ;-) This brings to a close the giveaways. Many Thanks to all the supporting suppliers and to all of you who joined in the fun.

Next BIG Project

When I say big I mean tall, or at least not small or tiny. Part of my weekend spend was on White Putty to fill in gaps so here are the gaps that need filling.

I have lots of them, most of the joints need some work. I bought the figures second hand for about £5 if I remember correctly knowing never to look a gift figure in the mould lines. These are not the only gaps and lines that need a bit of work but are a fair representation. Of course I will generate more as I add the other parts to the models as well. However I am really looking forward to doing this one and it's a side of the hobby I want to sink some time into between the real projects of making toys to play with.

In the background you can see the picture that I have to try and follow to bring this set to life. Whilst I doubt I will make this diorama really swing I feel I can do a job I will enjoy and be happy with. Lots more bits to cut off spews and clean up but I am sure I will get further than just cleaning up bits, spraying some of these and gluing odd bits together badly as the previous owner did. Time as we say will tell.

As you can see from the picture above I have a little conflict of scales, with my 6mm looking up to my 54mm  I know which will get the most time on the table and it's not the big men. I have though already decided where this is going to sit as I don't plan to give it away.

Talking of 6mm though, I have been looking at my Prussians as Triples is just round the corner. To add all the Prussian infantry I need for Project Waterloo I need to pass over more than £150 more, with yet more cavalry and command still needed. I think I will have enough guns and limbers all told but will check as I get them all painted up. I yet still have the French to consider and expect the same again and rather more. Baccus will see a nice investment at Triples if my luck holds true, if not I will still pick up more come the next show I turn up at or order through the mail. Even after all that we still need plenty of buildings and other terrain bits so all in all lots more to spend. Good job I have a nice hobby fund saved up to square much of this away. I have at least started this months Prussians though I have plenty of distance to go and will just roll straight on into May's allocation before picking any other figures up, good job then I have finished off the ECW figures that were mostly done. More updates to follow.

The Inevitable Finally Happened

Well I think it had to happen but in the continued vein of misinformation and out right lies that have really summed up whatever you want to call these guys we have yet another U-turn. Just days ago they were posting about how they were selling up as a going concern if possible and no way would they close before July and how those who had bought event tickets would still get to use the location etc etc etc and bullshit .....

What gets me is they have gone out of their way to lie so many times, it's as if who ever is responsible actually thinks they are clever or will get something out of it. I am fairly sure the way Maunsfeld Games was brought into being (through another companies stock and assets) was illegal. I suspect that someone who thought they were oh so clever are now finding out they are oh so in the shit. If it was a sole trader or partnership they would be looking at the loss of such things as their car, house, and so on. However both companies were Limited, so these things are safe. How ever if they have managed to do a really bad job of it they are on their way to jail, they won't pass go and I advise them NOT to pick up the soap! Actually please do pick up the soap, then you may get a feeling not dissimilar to the one you have been dishing out. Now I think it's very likely they have also done a number on the good old VAT man. Well if so I would recommend a nice big jar of Vaseline as it's going to do more than sting. 

What is clear is that they have gone into administration. What is not clear is when. If it has been whilst they were trading they and the administrators are guilty of failing to put up notices of this fact, also the act of selling items as different to what they were is non the surface a bit immoral but not illegal. Well that would be true until you consider that they were selling VAT rated items (20%) as food stuff (0%) and so again defrauding the Revenue if they had the till set up to record the VAT content which in my mind is very likely.

Not paying the VAT man is quite likely to end ugly for the one doing it, if it can't be proved this was unavoidable a prison sentence can occur. Add intentional failure to pay VAT via deception (the Nescafe scam) and you can expect some serious time. It's not about how much you scammed in this situation it's the fact you were stupid enough to try it. Advice to anyone thinking of scamming the Inland Revenue, make sure it's for a hell of a lot of money and make sure the money is way untouchable. It's advisable not to get caught as well but if I knew that.............

So back to the shop. I popped over Sunday, half expecting what I saw to be honest. The shop still has some stock on the walls, the till etc. but the tables have gone, go figure? As for all the tables terrain etc. I have no idea but if it's still upstairs their is a hell of a lot of moneys worth of terrain and buildings etc that should be dumped hopefully on the open market and not in a skip (unless I know in time to hire a van LOL).

It is a shame and I would like to add here the official website statement in full.

Maunsfeld Gaming, as well as this website, is now closed for the foreseeable future. PLEASE DO NOT ATTEND ON TUESDAY OR THURSDAY NIGHTS.

Any attendee who has outstanding pre-paid tickets for the gaming nights will be refunded in due course.

The wargaming venue at Matlock Mill, as well as its assets, are up for sale and we are hopeful in finding someone to take over the Mill as a wargaming venue and therefore be able to honour all outstanding events.

An official statement will be put forward by Maunsfeld Gaming's liquidators over the next few days.

I used red as I thought it fitting. So pre-paid tickets in one breath will be refunded and in the next will be honoured. I doubt the owner even has any idea what that word means. I think they will be honoured to the same extent as the Flames of War orders were honoured. Or like when I went in for Scott and was told with all sincerity that the very next shipment they were sending out would be the New Zealand orders as they were now honouring the outstanding orders. 

Given the fact that The game store and playing space was only able to function through the profits the online store generated I doubt we will see anyone offering to buy Maunsfeld Games, after all someone had already tried that when they were a functioning - if heavily in debt company -  but the owner decided to transfer assets and ignore the offer. Unbelievably if you do a internet search the owner has sent out a statement that he was forced to close due to staff leaving, terrain being stolen and the negative press on the internet and all this despite having the assets to be a profit making company.  REALLY? The guys either living in cloud cooko land or well I leave that to you. So to all you out there who have told the truth about the money/items you are owed but not received and anyone else who thinks closing one day owing best part of £100K and opening the next and saying you owe nothing is neither smart and nice, shame on you/me.

Another gripe was that suppliers (he names GW) would not supply him. Hello you owe £100K do you want another £100K from them? No one is going to supply you stock, no one is going to buy off you if you kept their money after taking it KNOWING you did not have the stock and at some point knowing you would not get it! He was also surprised that no one is rushing forward to buy the business, really? Even a fresh company coming in would have trouble getting stock or customers if word gets out that it was THAT location. It's a wash out now. Only an already well known and recognised retailer (online or bricks and mortar) could rescue anything from it, this I very much doubt would happen even without the question of how the whole mess would play out in court regarding the last six months or so trading.

The Loot not from SaLute.

Nice to see all the posts from you lucky buggers back from Salute. I myself managed to score a little none show purchase action when I was at Nottingham shopping for footwear for the kids. 

I popped into Model Zone (not the best place given the eye watering costs) just for a quick nosy. I had hoped to get some Matt Varnish but they only had a half can of Humbrol and I was not tempted. But fear not I found a bag of bushes darker than the ones I am using at the moment. I don't plan to swap them out, rather add these to the mix. I picked up a Vallejo off white as I have been meaning to get some of this for awhile and at shows it always seems to be out of stock. Next up was a bottle of brush cleaner but maybe this is the wrong one. Advice is sought from experienced brush cleaners, especially as I have a bunch of new brushes on the way from Rosemary & Co. I am trying the triangular ones and the other Red Sable brushes rather than the Series 33 (well actually as well as if I'm honest. Last up is a tube of White Putty I will be using to fill gaps in a new project I am finally starting, more on this in a coming post as I show you how it looks at the moment.

I also decided to fund the Arena Rex that was part of the giveaway. I had meant to do so but was not sure I could really stretch to the level I wanted to go for but had a moment of weakness and well my credit card was in reach  ;-)

So December will hopefully see me get about twelve of the figures from the range. Meantime I must get the one I already own prepped and on the table but here and now it's got to be all about the 6mm boys, especially as I want to reinforce them in less than a month. I think I will blitz what I have in an attempt to show I can shift a fair few. It will also be good for my health.

You think I am kidding? Friday was a real trial, found it hard to keep up my speed at work and focus was starting to slip. But Saturday at Nottingham really sucked monkey balls. By the time we came home I was in fairly high levels of pain and really fatigued. Finally forced myself to do an hour or so of painting late on as I was feeling just gash. About half an hour in I was feeling so much better again. Tonight I finished off Matt's foote regiment as well as mine and I feel so much better. I need to make sure I do some more during the week as well as I think it will help the last part of the week. It will be good for productivity as well.

Photo Taking Upgrade

Work has a few advantages, money for figures for one ;-) But a nice little bonus is the Photo Table I use at work. Looks perfect for taking shots of whatever has come off the painting desk that is when I have the energy to actually paint something. Oh for an idea of scale, those lamps are over one square foot rims, I am looking forward to seeing what I can do with them.

Talking of painting, it's been fairly dry here but I have been doing some. I should have the ECW figures all finished before the end of the week and I have a Regiment of Prussians ready to go which will be started straight after the ECW boys are done. I am going to change things about a bit as I have struggled some just recently. The Project Waterloo will be done in the first part of the month and once the minimum has been painted up I will move onto the other items on my list. I still have two more 15mm ECW infantry regiments to do for Matt and all his Zulu's, these will take priority most of the time but I also have a lot of Leven buildings I really want to get sorted, especially the Timber Framed houses. But I also want more of those so need to put in an order soon. I have a few other things I want from Leven so I don't see that pile shrinking any time soon. I also have a lot of Spanish houses in 6mm that need to be painted up, though I have started these already. 

Due to the BIG ask for Project Waterloo expect 6mm to take up the lions share of the painting time, though I have plenty of 15mm for my own pleasure. I still have a lot of 28mm figures I need to get moving onto my desk as well. If that was not enough, I also have started a set of three 54mm figures but more on that in a future post as I will be needing a little advice.

Triples is not that far away now and I believe the new Baccus French will be available by then. I will be throwing some money their way if they are, that's for sure. I also plan to get more Adler as well so my 6mm pile will again be well topped up. As for 15mm I noticed that Essex will be at Triples, that means I need to see what I have to get to turn the Roman Principle army into a reality under FoG:R. Also a visit to Magister Militum for more of their excellent figures, one can see that I will have plenty to keep me busy.

So hoping I will manage a better rate of posts again but for a short period it will remain a little up and down, but things will settle into a better post rate.

Baccus New French GIVEAWAY Winners!

My French Army to date, awaiting new recruits to expand.

Another Giveaway bites the dust. This one sponsored  by Baccus. So three lucky winners will get 25% off an order for the New French Napoleonic forces available soon. These new figures are expected to be available sometime in May so not that far away. Not all of the range will be available straight away, such is the revamp that the process will go deep into 2013 and I suspect possibly into 2014 given the size of the project. That is to say, this is not a straight swap out of codes but is in fact a mass expansion of the available troops types starting with the infantry. We will see a lot more choices as is fitting the most dominant of armies of the period. I for one am very excited as I will be expanding my currant army ten fold at least over the next two years. It's fair to say that Peter will be absorbing a great deal of my hobby funds between now and Waterloo. Oh hum, maybe he will name his second Ferrari after me (an in joke, after all he already has three whilst poor Igor has a tandem). 

OK the draw, in order of the draw,

Dartfrog who run's the excellent blog Dartfrog's Adventures in 6mm, who quipped that his whole blog is a pimping of Baccus, lets see if it's him or me who get the first of the New Baccus on our blogs.

Dux Homunculorum painted his first 6mm figures for Phil Broeders as a prize from a Giveaway on his own blog which you really should follow. Well Dux has managed to get the 6mm bug. How bad? Well lets see what he paints up after getting his first order into Peter.

So after Random Number . Org had given me the first and last numbers on my list I was interested in what came next. Groan it was someone I knew in real life . com rather than just blog world. I had agonised over getting Peter to do the draw given the fairly high chance this would happen but with Salute around the corner I knew he needed that almost as much as he needs another high performance car so I did the honours.

So third winner is my very own Lee Sharpe, who could get a serious case of lead poisoning just entering his hobby room! Oh well I know he will bankrupt poor Peter with his 25% discount! Sorry Peter, I did think for a moment about redoing the draw but that would be really unfair so weldone mate.

So if all three winners could get in touch with your real names and address I will send on to Peter to file for when you place your orders.

Please remember it's 25% off the new Napoleonic French (though I am sure you can order other figures at the same time) and only covers the cost of the figures, you pay full postage as per normal value of your order. Please let me know what you get, if only to make me green with envy.

Last of all many thanks to Peter at Baccus for supporting this giveaway and apologies to Igor who will no doubt suffer chronic back pain from carrying at least one order to the post office.

FoG Ancients Battle Report Photo Heavy ;-)

Matt and I got in another game a few weeks back but the blog giveaway kind of got in the way. But better late than sorry here we go.

The compact force in the distance is the ever ready Macedonian army commanded by Matt whilst the stretched force is mine. The dark green hills are steep whilst the one the colour of the table is gentle. Brush is in front of the gentle hill and broken ground is just beyond the two steep hills on the left. 

I wanted to try a Hoplite heavy force to see if smaller units of Hoplites could somehow run rings around the pike blocks rather than trying to overwhelm his cavalry with greater numbers. What follows is the result of such a plan, enjoy.

As you can see Matt goes for a solid mass of troops. Under this formation I have a good chance of swinging into both his flanks, I hope this will be the case.

Matt ends up splintering out from this formation and as such the first moves are one of move and counter move. I get a few infantry units moved to support my cavalry as they are really out classed by Matt's Lance armed Superior Companions. I have reduced the size of my cavalry units so I can have the same number of units but this leaves me vulnerable to his cavalry so I will need to use my infantry to throw Matt off when it looks like he will get the better of my boys.

I kept the scythed chariots and sent these against his bow armed cavalry just like last time. Unlike last time his bow armed cavalry did not drop my cohesion on my way in. Could I get a win against these this time? Notice the cavalry to the right of the chariots? They had the same target but were intercepted on route, bit of a bother.

My light javelin armed horse had kept chasing the Macedonian light infantry back towards the board edge. The infantry did a fairly good job of retreating but sooner or later I would catch up or they would run out of table. In the mean time as I had a General in contact I was moving the flank Hoplites and crescent shields up at a fair gait. The Macedonian camp was looking likely for a visit.

But back in the centre things had started to look a bit worry some. The scythed chariots did pick up a cohesion drop as did my supporting cavalry. The chariots going to die as they won't break through. I'm starting to wonder if they are worth sticking with. Well they will get another one or two runs out before I go so far as to stop using them.

I do rout the bow cavalry by attacking them with Persian Crescent Shields mostly down to the flank charge which also cost them a base. Now I need to extract the unit from the claws of the pike. Both of us were starting to have a very messy force with units pointing is all sorts of directions.

Slightly further down the line and I have a cavalry unit ready to rout but have foot getting in position to cause a headache for Matt's cavalry in turn. Matt is trying not to charge almost as much as he is charging. It's lots of fun but quite head scratching trying to work out the best moves. The game could be decided here so lots hanging on the choices we make.

My cavalry rout causing another cavalry regiment to loose a level of cohesion. Things starting to unravel, I need a few things to go right to correct the slide.

A down the table shot showing all units, Matt still has most of his forces in roughly the same area. I on the other hand have failed to make use of my numbers (made worse by the fact that at this point we realised Matt had failed to put one of his pike blocks on the table!!!)

Finally get so close that Matt will not risk another evade, there Matt has three units of light infantry, if I break them all and sack his camp I have the game, I just need to hold things together in the middle.

I charge home after suffering no casualties in Matt's turn and straight away make my mark sending the Cretan archers to fragmented and the slingers down one cohesion level. The javelin armed lights in the middle hold firm. The camp is so close now, just one more push and I can get through to it.

Auto break for another of my cavalry, at least these went down through troops loss but lesson learned, must use six base units for average quality.

By this point the centre was in real trouble. One block of Hoplites had to about face and stand ready for a charge from the cavalry whilst I was hoping the leader would rally one of my routing cavalry. Meanwhile the pike blocks would keep marching towards my hapless infantry.

I start to push past the lights, one of which has routed off. I continue to keep winning the rounds of combat but just can't force casualties of drop their cohesion. These lights are putting up a great scrap.

Finally the pike blocks start to split up into single blocks so they can hunt down more of my infantry. Not quite the roll I wanted them to be forced into!

The Hoplites manage to face the Companion cavalry but are already disrupted, I needed to win this one before the Phalanx's get in close, this looks unlikely. 

It's my turn to be caught in the middle. One unit of horse facing the rust rallied bow cavalry but supported by a phalanx whilst alongside them is another companion cavalry regiment attacking crescent shields whilst on the other side the Hoplites try and hold on. 

Matt continued to press on all sides and I had the last two required units break causing an army break. For the first time we had played a game to the end rather than a count up. Lots more learned and I know the better troop selection for my Later Achaemenid Persians, though my play was not up to scratch I know I need to play a better tactical game.

And those lights? Yep they were still fighting it out. It was reasonably close though. If I could have got something heavier into that melee than light horse I would have got the three units routed and nothing between me and the camp would have given me a great chance of the win. 

well played to Matt and we had a great battle. Next up will be Matt's recently rebased Parthian's who have a long history of doing me harm. I just hope I get a few early wins before Matt gets used to usig them under the new rules.

Calling All Winners

Just a quick update post for the giveaways that have already finished. I have not been great at getting prizes out but the ones left that I still need to post go either today or Monday

Leven Miniatures. Both winners have been linked to Leven and last I heard was busy picking their swag.

3D Snipers, one set claimed and will be packed up straight after posting this. The others I still need Curtis to contact me, just left a message on his blog.

£20 giveaway. This has been claimed and sent, so that means the second named winner will get £10 next month.

Rosemary & Co. one set claimed but still waiting for Michael to claim his set. As he does not have a blog I have to hope he see's this. If still no joy I will pick a second winner.

Sniper Reminders. I need to get these figures out. This means the wife has to do her stuff with the packaging.

Red Republic Games, Arena Rex figure. Details passed on to RRG's earlier today so will be on the way soon.

Of course that still leaves the Baccus giveaway ongoing so still time to get your name in the draw.

Sorry for the delays but will get them on the way soon.

Another Great Giveaway but this time it's not Mine!

Andrew Saunders at Lokis Great Hall is having a giveaway to celebrate two years of great bloging. I am not sure how I had missed his blog but rest assured I am now a follower. So follow my example, nip over and join the fun.

Baccus ECW Guns

I am really getting back into the English Civil War, not just the wargame side but the social history and beyond. I'm not exactly short of material to read, given the size of my 17th Century collection. So the fact that Peter at Baccus is a ECW buff is more than just a bonus. He bravely insisted that the infantry were not sculptured wearing soft brimmed hats as the felt hat as we know it did not make it into England in any kind of numbers till after the Civil wars and whose that were in the country were expensive and just worn by the rich. So all ranges are at fault. I do believe some sort of brimmed hat was available due to the evidence of wood cuts and the like but felt hats they were not. Most troops would have worn what these days are called benny hats or some form of the Spanish peaked mountain cap or Monterio as it was known at the time. Personally I think the benny hat would have massively outnumbered the Monterio due to the  amount of work that would go into the production of a Monterio and as such the greater cost.

Anyway I digress, here we have two field pieces for my 6mm ECW Oxford army. The crew for the most part are dressed in civilian clothing as all but the master gunner would be only one stage removed from drovers and camp attendants. 

As you can see the only splash of colour is the gun crews officer. I painted them up in blue or red as this is for my Oxford army. I do have another six guns which is probably as many as I will ever need as I don't want to have a grand battery or such. In fact under the rules I am toying with these things will never be ones for killing men as much as effecting morale. The quality of gunpowder and understanding of ballistics at this time was much removed from that of the Napoleonic period though growth in understanding was rapid post the civil war period. 

It's a good job I have the bug mind as I have a few regiments to paint and in a few scales. First the 6mm stuff to the tune of two army packs which I am working my way through. I am also going to be doing Lee's 6mm, that's another two Baccus army packs, of yes seriously. It makes the three regiments of 15mm for Matt look a drop in the ocean, which it is, especially as I am half way through the first regiment but then again I still have one of my own to paint and will buy more 15mm of my own to grow and replace some of my 15mm I already have. Not satisfied? how about another scale then. I have agreed to also paint up some 10mm ECW which I am sure Lee will be happy to hear (NOT) given I said I wanted to go down the 6mm route as 10mm would be as much bother as 15mm. Seems like I will find out if I am right.

So can my poor followers just expect a long series of posts on ECW and 6mm Napoleonic's? Er no don't worry, all other projects will continue to be brought before you. I really want to get some of the other 15mm Ancients finished and those Romans won't paint themselves and I have a three figure diorama I am itching to get to grips with. Unfortunately painting time is now reduced but what you will get is diversity.

One last point, the giveaway for the new Baccus French Napoleonic figures has another five days to go so if you want a chance to get a whopping 25% off you better get to the previous post and get your name down.

Baccus French Giveaway, Yes ANOTHER Giveaway

Greens in 6mm

That nice gent over at Baccus has offered three, yes three lucky followers a rather splendid 25% discount on the new French Napoleonic figures that look to be released in May and continue through 2013 till the range is both replaced and much expanded. This is great news for anyone into 6mm Napoleonic French. So adding that three peeps will get their hands on a massive 25% discount is fantastic news (I only wish I could join in). So if you are looking at getting into a French Napoleonic army or expanding the one you have with brand new shiny shiny then this giveaway is for you. You do not have to order straight away but you would have to get in touch with Peter (I would notify Peter with winners details) so that you can work out how best to proceed with your order. You have a week to get your name down for a chance to win. If you run a blog please pimp this giveaway as like the Leven Buildings, The Rosemary & Co and last but not least the Red Republic giveaway it's rather special.

I will stress that you should only go in for this giveaway if you plan to buy some of these new figures as winning and not using the discount (it's only available for the French) would be taking the opportunity from someone who would want to take advantage of this offer. But please all who are interested please leave a comment below and good luck to you all. The link above takes you to the French Napoleonic page whilst this link takes you to the news page for more information of other new releases. Baccus also has a bustling forum for all things 6mm, go check them out. Though of course as I type this it's down for maintenance but check back again soon as it's well worth a visit.

Winners of other giveaways I had hoped to get these out over the weekend, this has not happened due to various levels of laziness but will be done sometime during this week. I will keep you posted. 

French Reinforcements, Project Waterloo and Beyond

My French army got a nice boost with these six bases of infantry. Five of the bases are Legere and the other a standard Ligne  base. This is because overall I don't have a good balance between line and light so needed more lights to strike a better balance. 

In the background you can just make out the line regiment by it's white trousers. These are the last of the old style French infantry that will be painted up as such. The other five I have prepped are going to be painted up as the allies. Once the new Baccus infantry are in production I will buy a good reinforcement and continue to build up my force. Most likely that transaction will be conducted at Triples but I will be sure to have ordered them prior to avoid disappointment. 

I still need a lot more French infantry before I can do justice to Project Waterloo but I am getting there on the Spanish front. Only the large battles would I struggle for the French though I have just a few more allied regiments to paint up still. Cavalry is a different matter, I will still need plenty more of these.

Having set myself targets for the Prussians seems to have been a great move as it's now one week into month two and I am getting kind of edgy as I have yet to paint up any of this months allocation. Right now I have a regiment of ECW infantry on the go (in 15mm and 6mm) so I don't think I can get at them this coming week but they are primed and ready for starting.

Red Republic Games Giveaway Winner

Last of the original giveaways but no means least was for a unpainted copy of the figure shown from Red Republic Games.  Arena Rex will be a gladiatorial combat game that has one foot in history with the other leaning on fantasy and allows far more scope than keeping it factual. So far (I am glad to say) no sign of magic has been raised so I do not expect it to become a factor of the game.

So who has won the figure, well that would be Derek who runs the blog Lead and Paint. Looking at some of his work I can't wait to see what he does with this figure. Well done Derek and I hope you love the figure as much as I do.

So all the current giveaways have ended and a 24 hour break is now in place. Again many thanks to all the companies that have supported me in this venture and I hope that I have helped bring to attention of other gamers companies and a fruitful relationship for all will develop.

Sniper Reminders Giveaway WINNER

OK another day another winner, this time it's for a pair of my painted Sniper Reminders. The pair do not have to be the ones pictured above as I will send a series of pictures of painted figures and one lucky lad will get to pick which ones he wants.

He you ask? Yep, he as only boys went for this one and that lucky boy is Styz who has a shed load of blogs but I will highlight Dice of Legends but take a lot at all of them as the man has skills.

So again, thanks for joining in to all that gave it a go. Were running to the end of the giveaway with only one more prize to be awarded this week but by no means least as the Red Republic Games resin figure is excellent. With just over two weeks to go and the next stretch goal less than $3k away it's looking good. Having breached the $75K mark all backers of the $85 Ludas Magnus level and above will get a free figure. So taking the $85 level you get as standard five figures so you get six figures as it stands which is enough to fight the three per side battles recommended in the video. Of course you can add yet more to the mix if you want. Time though is running out, sure you have 16 days to get into the kickstarter but less than 24 for the giveaway. So get in quick if you want to win.

Sunday will see the Baccus giveaway started and this will run for 7 days so it's still all happening. I also have passed 100K on this blog at some point today so maybe I need to do a giveaway? Er maybe not  ;-)

Rosemary & Co Giveaway Winners

It's another day so it must be another give away, today it's the very well thought of Rosemary & Co brushes. This giveaway attracted just one less entrants than the £20 giveaway which proves just how well thought of these brushes are. Again I bring your attention to the Series 33 Kolinsky Sable brushes, these are far superior for figure painting than any other brush of all their ranges. The sable is able to handle the rough surfaces of our figures (consider brushes are made for use on paper!) and these are the real deal. That is pure Kolinsky sable, many a brush that says they are Kolinsky are in fact just sable. Some that state they are sable end up being a blended brush. How can you tell? Well for a start Kolinsky is a red brown colour when you buy it. When you throw it away totally worn out, the bristles are still red/brown. Those that are a lighter brown, well they simply aren't. They are at best sable dyed the required colour. Kolinsky comes in grades so you can be buying Kolinsky but end up with a poor quality brush either because of low grade hair or poor finish but most often a mix of the two. Rosemary & Co.'s reputation rests on maintaining high standards of bristle, product and service. As such we as users get a brush that has many man hours of life in the brush. Sure if you misuse it your brush will have a limited life but I am glad to say that whilst I am no brush slayer I am not the kindest sole when it comes to brushes but I am getting hundreds of hours per brush.

So after all that, who has won? First up is Michael. Unfortunately Michael does not have a blog and just goes by this name as a follower. I have left a comment in response to his so hopefully will get a response soon. The second winner was Tim who does have a blog called Fidus et Audax and has won a giveaway once before when I painted up some 20mm Naps for him. Well Tim, it's your turn to do the painting hope you don't mind.

If both of you can get in touch at ian   _  willey       at   ignore this bit  hotmail   ignore this bit    dot    com


Fell free to leave the gaps in, though it won't get to me. Drop me a line not forgetting it's underscore and not a tired dash having a rest, give me your address and I can get these on the way soon.

After this giveaway it's the 3D sniper reminders followed by the Arena Rex model and then after a days break I will start up the Baccus French Napoleonic giveaway.

On the subject of the Arena Rex figure I have received one as a Birthday Present from them and I have to say it's so very excellent. If you are not in for this one yet then get your skates on, the detail is increasable and just shows what can be achieved with great sculpting and excellent casting. The flash is next to nothing and I have yet to see any mould lines. Top marks indeed.

£20 Giveaway The Winner, can there only be one?

Anyone remember this colourful chap? Oh those were the days, well today I can give someone a bit of what he has, except this will not be BBC funny money (get it? Comedy Character? Funny Money? grief  not sure why I bother lol)

Anyway, by the far the most popular give away as it seems we all can spot a bargin, I will present you with the winner, this is none other than M R Lee from Mr Lee's Painting Emporium. Well done Sir, check the previous post for my e-mail address. All you need to do is get in touch, tell me the company you want me to throw a bit of money at (well worth checking if they are willing to take money off dodgy geezers) and I will sort it out. Normally I would suggest a merchant in your own country but the choice is yours.

I Have selected a second name so if I don't get a response within a week I will offer the prize to the second placed person. However if it is taken up I will give a second place prize of £10 to that person but will not be able to sort that prize out till the end of the month.

So we do have the chance of two winners after all  ;-)

BUT it does not stop there, Peter from Baccus the kind man that he is has offered three lucky winners 25% off their purchase of the soon to be released French Napoleonic revised and new lines. Anyone who knows Baccus will be aware that not only have they been working on all new figures for new periods but whole ranges are getting a complete overall. The most recent has been the Austrian Napoleonic range and now it's the French who are getting the treatment. The first releases to the range will hopefully be at Salute and it is advisable if you want any of the new castings to order before the day. That or take a sleeping bag as I suspect these will be the first items Baccus will run out of on the day. I can't make Salute but plan to be ordering plenty of the French as soon as I have the full details.

We could not offer this giveaway before (The give away was planned to be seven days) as it was not clear that all parts would be ready in time and Salute is a major undertaking and so Peter finding time to help me out is very nice indeed. So the plan is to run the rest of the giveaways through to Saturday and Sunday will see this giveaway launched with seven days to put your name down.

Don't forget the last three current giveaways are still live so you can still enter any or all of them. Thanks again for all who have entered in these giveaways and of course to all the companies that have backed my two blogs.

3D Sniper Giveaway the WINNERS.

OK we have two winners as promised, and they have interesting comparisons. Both are bloggers and whilst I combined the list of entrants I have a winner from each of my blogs even though statistically Wall Advantage had the best chance of supplying the winners with more entrants. So who are the lucky two?

First name rolled was Ray Rousell owner of Don't Throw a 1 and part of the Battleaxe Painting Service. For some reason the lucky barstool has a reputation for winning and winning and winning just about everything (if one discounts games) so get in touch mate and I will get a set on the way.

Second person out could not be more different, for a start he has a reputation for being a nice guy, yes I am talking about the one and only Curtis Brooks who runs the rather excellent and very regular ASL blog Whine and Cheese ASL in Wisconson. 

So if both are still talking to me could you please send me an e-mail (or Gamesquad PM) with your address I will get these sorted out and in the post to you as soon as possible (possibly will be the weekend). To get in touch please send to

ian underscore (that's shift and the dash) willey hat without the H hotmail dot com

I am sure you know how to break that out of code into a real e-mail, if not then just leave a comment and I will get back to you in a better way.

Thanks to all who took part and remember you still have time to join in with any of the other giveaways.

Leven Miniatures Fachwerkhaus (German Half Timbered House)

I received these recently from Levin as part of an order I placed and wanted to get them painted up as quickly as possible. Well I managed to get two of the six I had ordered painted up so I thought I would share the results with you.

Two different buildings make up the range so far, but I hope that a few more will be released. The castings were typically crisp with only a few resin beads needing to be poked with a scalpel (they ping off), clean up time per model was about five to ten minutes tops. Then they got the soapy water and toothbrush (wife's) workout. The models start out shiny but after a good cleaning they are dull, then a quick spray of white primer and on with the show.

In the e-mail to tell me the buildings had been dispatched Mike mentioned he hoped I had some small brushes. He was not kidding, I was using the 10/0 most of the time but as the detail was so sharp it was easy to see, less easy to do well. But I found that less care doing the timber and then more care with the plaster was the way to get the best results. I dry brushed the stone parts with three different shades of grey. The roof tiles I started with German Orange and added a bit of flat red and once dry washed in some Games Workshop Agrax Earthshade, heavier on the smaller house, though I had a little more flat red in the mix for the large house.

Then it was just tidy up work, Goblin Green for the shutters as I wanted a dull colour and Black Grey for the windows with a lighter grey mostly dry brushed to try for the "it's a window honest" vibe. The small house was given a ivory wall coat and then highlighted in white whilst the larger building just was left with the ivory. The second big house will have the same treatment as the small one and the three other small ones will get something along the same kind of approach.

I had already decided I wanted to base the Leven buildings (past painted and future) but these I wanted to do so that I could use them all as a town or city dependant on what would be required. So with this in mind I mapped out bases for all six of these buildings whilst also working on ideas for the other buildings so that some of them can be included in with these. So I have glued the buildings down to the bases and will add little extras such as the home made tree on the small house base.

Each building base has one or two outer edges painted up as a road half the width of a gun or limber. So when two are placed side by side such a unit can be placed on the road, even if they have to bring a field with them.

I think these guys are looking for the best billets, through good planning I should be able to make up a fair selection of roads through the town and also make the town look different in each battle they are used in. 

The houses are placed as they will be on the bases, note that two share the same base. I wanted to be able to generate a close packed town or city look which I think I have managed to achieve though it's obvious I need to use more buildings. I have some, both painted and unpainted but I can see another order going into Leven once I have exhausted my stock. at least given the Leven prices it won't cost an arm and a leg to generate a thriving town to burn to the ground.

Not sure what would go on the blank tile, I will be adding some buildings at angles as well, I really want a random feel to come into play as well.

The base size I am using is the same size as a infantry base so a simple token can be placed to represent the unit and I know exactly what ground it will cover. 

I am looking forward on painting up the other four and the other items I received with the order but plan to finish off the 15mm ECW gun crews I have part painted and move on to some of the ECW foote I have sitting on my table. These should be off my table before the end of next week as the latest, such is the plan.