Sunday, May 31, 2009

Quick update!


On a whim (yes I know, but a leopard can't change its spots!) I decided to get hold of a few of the Perry's 40mm Peninsular War figures, they just looked so damnably good! Needless to say they are even better in the flesh than on the website where they looked fantastic anyway. I just had to paint one straight away, and after painting well over a hundred ACW 28s in the last month it was a pleasant and well deserved break. Click pictures to enlarge!


I have often fancied a bit of heroic skirmishing and my copy of the Sharp Practice rules are as yet unused so I will probably aim to build up a couple of small forces as and when time allows. I now have 3 active projects which is just madness really, still I can see games of Sharp Practice happening quite happily with just 30 or so figures a side, that isn't really a lot of painting!


Just to show I really have been painting other stuff here is a shot of the 20th Massachusetts (red blanket rolls but original white regimental not the post Ball's Bluff red one. That may be wrong but I like it!).


Will try to get some more ACW photos up soon, but I have a big job interview on Wednesday, busy busy busy!

Monday, May 25, 2009

What am I up to?


Busy month, and I mean seriously busy! I have spent most of my time in the last 3 weeks split between finishing the final chapter of my PhD (which is tantalisingly close!), arranging things for my wedding in September and applying for jobs and attending interviews. As you can imagine little in the way of wargaming time has been available! Even so I have managed to paint a surprisingly decent number of figures, mainly while watching television with my fiancée in the evenings. The secret has been the Army Painter system, which I am totally sold on. It really lets you paint very casually and yet gives very acceptable results. Now I certainly wouldn't use it for some projects, my imagi-nations figures for example, but for the ACW that worn and ragged look that results is just perfect.

Speaking of imagi-nations I have made the decision to rebase my 2 completed regiments. This was not an easy decision, I love the Grant style big battalions and they look wonderful on the shelf with their individual bases, but one go at moving them round the table in their current organisations immediately sold me on the multi-figure base route. Picking up a row of figures after they have collapsed domino style the first time may be amusing, it is certainly not so on the tenth occasion. I am also driven towards a different ruleset, Die Kriegskunst. The Grant rules are fantastic but unpracticable for my current setup of a 6 x 5 foot table. I want the big battalions, but my tablespace says otherwise. I have also become very keen on the General de Brigade system (upon which Die Kriegskunst and Guns at Gettysburg are based) and it makes sense to stick to one rules family, especially as they are so good!

Anyhow I hope to get some more free time soon to take and post some pictures of my ACW units (especially as I am expecting the arrival of some more Flag Dude flags this week). Toodle pip!