Friday, 4 March 2016

Latest Cold War Progress

Since the Autumn, i've pretty much been concentrating on the Cold War. The UK screening of Deutschland 83 helped maintain this into the new year, and so far I'm still "in the zone" with it. I've been working on both sides simultaneously; for the BAOR, I've been working on a Battlegroup Command base, for higher level games. The figures are from the ever dependable hand of Matt at Elhiem, with some subtle tweeking by yours truly (since my fictional Cold War is viewed by the rose-tinted goggles of the ARRSE forum...)

The Base consists of the CO, in obligatory Barbour jacket. No one tells the CO he's improperly dressed, though the RSM may gently hint at it... he's acompanied by the Ops Officer; no idea if this is the correct 1980s terminology, but he's represented here in all his Silvermans Trolley Dash glory- SAS Smock, Tropical Comabat Trousers and DILAC hat. Well ally. Also present is the Adjutant, wielding a map and compass (the most terrifying sight in NATO), an officer from the RAC element of the Battlegroup and the RSM, pointing out to the ruperts that Ivan is in fact that way, oh yes, and Pvt MacAuslan is on jankers again, for pissing in the stew.

The plan is to have them clustered around a table strewn with maps, Thermos flasks and fags...

Left to right- Ops Officer, RAC Officer, CO, Adjutant, RSM.







On the other side of the IGB, I finally managed to get the four remaining figures in the first Russian platoon finished. I never intended to do two platoons, but Elhiem released a flurry of new Soviet Riflemen poses, and I simply must posess all the pretty things...





Hope to get the BAOR base finished for the end of the month...

Cheers
Iain

Thursday, 3 March 2016

Playing Catch Up! More Napoleonics...

Over the Summer, I ended up in something of a Napoleonics kick, following the BBC adaptation of Johnathan Strange and Mr Norrell. This saw me achieve the unprecedented completion of a whole two figures (which is really going some for me with Napoleonics...). I was really quite pleased with how they came out, and even ended up getting some opposition for them to face in games of Sharpe Practice (steady now, let's not get carried away...) but these haven't progressed beyond the glueing stage.

So, without further ado, the latest members of Iain's 28mm rendering of HM's 44th Foot-

First up was another private. I was keen to portray an "on campaign" look for these guys, so wanted a nice, faded hue for this soldier's jacket. I think it turned out quite well...




Follow me, lads, for I cannot die! The Sergeant-
For a bit of a change, I decided to do the Sergeant with his 9ft pike next. Bags of swank in this figure, you can just feel the confidence.... "Sign up lads, sign up! You'll get a shilling a day and a spanking red coat. The girls'll love it!"





As you've doubtless realised, this burst of 19th century productivity didn't last long, and thereafter slid into the painting of mediaevals (as yer do...) Howver, it was a fun interlude, and one I hope to revisit some time...

Cheers
Iain

Saturday, 24 October 2015

STARLIGHT! BAOR Medical Elements

Finally got the medical elements for my BAOR force finished, ready for the deadline of The Guild's "Ambulance" Group build.

Both are old JB Models pieces, with the Saracen being converted from the APC version. I'm quite pleased with how these have come out, though I am now more convinced than ever that decals are the work of the Devil...







I should be getting on with S&S Models lovely re-mastered CET, but after last weeks Lion Rampant game (snaps of which can be seen here), I can feel myself getting drawn back towards mediaevals again...

Cheers
Iain

Tuesday, 22 September 2015

Lion Rampant- The Otterburn Campaign in 28mm

The greater part of the start of the year was taken up by the painting of my Claymore Castings mediaevals for the Otterburn War period, spurred on largely by my belated purchase of the Lion Rampant rules (after avidly awaiting them for about a year and then getting sidetracked by the Cold War at the time of release…).
 


I’d been making slow progress with these over the previous few years, mainly as I wasn’t quite sure what rules I’d be using them for, so they were just getting painted pretty much ‘cos they looked pretty! However, with the incentive of a fun-looking, skirmish-level ruleset now in my possession, and the sound of The Corries ringing in my ears,  it was time to get cracking. Here are the results so far…

Sir John Montgomery’s Schiltrom











This is composed of the bulk of the figures I already had painted, with the addition of some newbies. Sir John Edmonstone and Sir David Graham are making up numbers in the front rank (they will be replaced by more spearmen in due course, and go on to form the nucleus of a second unit of men-at-arms). Sir John Montgomery was a natural starting point for my force; I live a short walk from his castle (or at least what’s left of it…) and I’m a sucker for a local link.

Sir John de Haga’s Schiltrom









Mainly comprising the later figures. The Saltire is borne by Sir Robert Hert of Lanark, in conjectural arms. Given his adherence to the Douglases, I plumped for the heraldry I found to be most likely related to his, given its similarity to the layout of the Douglas arms. He is named in some sources as carrying Douglas’ banner, along with one of the Colvilles named in other sources; so I decided to use both, and have Colville carrying Douglas own banner, with Hert bearing the saltire (and of course Douglas of Cavers carrying the Cavers Ensign…)

Banners are all by Flags of War, who have well and truly converted me to pre-printed paper banners...

Knights of High Renown
These chaps will form a six-man unit of men-at-arms.

Sir George Dunbar, Earl of March


He’ll be leading the pack

Sir George Dunbar The Younger




Son of the above, carrying his father’s banner. His arms are conjectural, based on “best guess” of his father’s arms, differenced with a label azure.

Sir William Dalziel of Lanarkshire
 

Picked largely because I was looking for a knight with heraldry that would be unlikely to have been done by anyone else (and I thought I’d make a better job of it than I did), and I currently work in Motherwell, and as I say- I’m a sucker for a local link… God, how I regret that now.

Explanation of the proto-Billy Connolly on his shield here.

Peasants.


Foundry sculpts, picked up at Albanich years ago, as they seemed the closest in terms of scale and sculpting style to the Claymore offerings. Two down, dozens to go. They will inhabit a village composed largely of pre-cut MDF buildings…

Progress ground to a halt at the end of the spring as I came over all Peninsular for some reason (probably largely related to the screening of the BBC adaptation of Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell), but that’s another story…
Cheers
Iain