Wee Beastie!

Sorry no post on Monday Illness is rife here. all OK and all recovering slowly. Thanks for any concerns

I shall do an AAR on Friday from a great game at the club.

Until then here is a wee beastie I have finished for Matt.

I am sorry I have no idea of the make or the scale so feel free to make them up to suit yourself. I did put flowers on the base as Matt does tend to prefer 28mm figures so that would be my best guess. But it could easily be of any scale including MUCH larger than real life. I just do not know. So your guess is as good as mine.

As for what Matt will use it for again I have no idea. I did ask what colour it should be and Matt said any colour I like! I have fond D&D memories and do indeed recall a purple worm so guess what colour I painted it. No not Brown, but purple!

The last Pic does show scale or more accurately size as I have included a coin of the realm . That should make everything clearer!

That's it for today, thanks for looking all the best Clint

And it is Blooming cold now!

More Aeronef.

Yes painted some more Aeronef models for Matts ever growing British fleet. I know there is more to come and I have no idea when or how many. But here today are another 8 vessels.

All the Models are by Brigade games, Click this link to visit the web store (LINK). As you can see most of the vessels are on the larger size.

there are 2 Torpedo boats
2 Albion class Aircraft carriers. (Seriously why would you need 2 in a fleet!
2 Audacious Class battle Cruisers
and
2  Britannia Class Battle cruisers

This fleet is now at least twice the size of mine. Probably 3 maybe 4 times the size. And I have NO aircraft carriers. Still it is his choice how he spends his money so why should I even comment. Well as I am most likely to be his opponent it does seem shall we say that the game is stacked against me. Still It is his money and his choice.

Any way whine over I hope you enjoy the fleet and only time will tell what else is included in the force. I do suspect bigger ships still to come though.

Thanks for Looking, More again planned for Monday. maybe an AAR of the club game on Sunday, and maybe another LotR figure. (As one is on the painting table as I type.

All the best Clint.
have a great weekend.

Very quickly

Yes this needs to be very quick. Several Items started but nothing finished. Such is my life. However back in the Back of Beyond work progresses.

1. I am seriously looking at the idea of getting some model train track and MAYBE a loco and carriages. Can you here me spinning wildly in my grave! (Ok it may be an open grave but the idea is still VALID.)
2. Before I get any trains (shudder) I would need to make some track boards (double shudder)
3. I started looking at Train layout stuff on eBay. The joy is I am using 20mm wargames figures so 1/72 (or 1/76 you choose I don't care). Which translates to HO/OO for train enthusiasts.

The up shot if I parted with some money. NO not on trains (baby steps). Now while I did not part buy any trains or tracks or well you know... rolling stock. I did buy some Telegraph poles. You already knew that from the pics.

These are perfect for "Back of Beyond" they are 3d Printed (Not an issue just mentioned out of interest). £2.50 for a pack of 10 and £1 postage. And as I will only need a few 10 will be MORE than enough (I hope). So maybe the scenario revolves around needing to send a message, or making sure no message is in fact sent. So this becomes so much more realistic if there are in fact some telegraph poles.  So a simple remedy for £3.50. Now I just have to paint them (browny-grey) and mount them on bases. 2mm MDF bases. How hard can that be

On a secondary note my first contingent of opponents has been ordered and I should START painting them next week.

That's it I did say a quick one today.


best Wishes Clint

Theoden LotR 28mm GW

Yes as promised I have finally painted King Théoden. He has waited patiently on the painting table, No doubt detained by Grima Wormtongue, who clearly has stopped me from painting him.  But now painted he is and ready to lead on the table top.

Unlike the film, I have mounted him on a dappled grey horse and not a pure white (yeah I know white horses are called grey!) horse as portrayed in the films. This is no issue for me as surely a King may have more than one horse.

It is funny now painted I see all the mistakes clearly, but NO I will not point them out to you on this blog. But I can see them Oh so very clearly. Still moving on!

the figure is by Games workshop in the Lord of the rings range. I am not sure if they are still in production but I will be getting them on eBay for about 1/3rd the shop price. So as  Far as I am concerned an absolute winner. Some things are still not cheap though so take that advice with a pinch of salt.

As many of you will know I am looking to play "Songs of Blades and Heroes!"  In a Lord of the Rings setting. And he will clearly bolster my Rohirim forces. (which are pitifully small).

Painting wise. Mostly painted in acrylics as you would expect but with gold highlights in POSTER paint. This is because I struggle to find a good gold acrylic paint. As a result only the VERY top layer is poster and then it is varnished with a spray varnish within 30 mins. If the poster is not applied at the very last stage it simply comes off. Also if any colours are painted after wards in adjacent areas it bleeds into them as it mixes with the water. As a consequence I rarely use it. So this single pot has lasted about 20 years. So if you so use any Poster paint on models use it with care.

That's it for today. Take care all and have as much fun as you can without upsetting any one else!

Still Bobing along.

Yes I know a change is due soon. In Fact I am working on it. Expect a LotR figure in the next post. No that is not a promise or a threat just a likelihood!

But for now some more 20mm Back of Beyond figures. Like the rest these are IT Miniatures (AVAILIABLE HERE). This time representing "Partisans". OK one figure is an SHQ French resistance miniature but I had him spare so I thought "Why not!"

So this will make up local untrained or Raw support. Not in any means the toughest troops or the best trained or disciplined but they should give another option for any BoB games.

That's it for today. Théoden is calling for attention and I must keep it brief.

All the best Clint. Have a good weekend and paint if you can or game or just read rules, but do something hobby related at least.

More BoB

Yes I know. I really do. Anyway here is a little more of the Back of Beyond force. This time it is a 76mm Artillery piece and crew. Now to me it does look larger than a 3" (76mm) cannon as the proportions seem wrong. However I assure you it is correct for the period. Larger pieces of artillery are not really suitable for a skirmish game. Yes they will work as objectives but are not suitable for use on the table IF you expect them to fire and hit anything on the table. As Such I am not expecting to buy any more, "ONE is enough!"

Needless to say it would take a lot of effort to drag this cannon up a slope so if/when it is used it will be towed by a lorry. (Lorries seen earlier posts).

It is another from IT Miniatures (LINK) and like my other BoB stuff all 20mm or 1/72scale. In the rules it has to ranges anything closer than 40 inches and anything beyond 40 inches. This is the kind of realistic thinking I like in games. The gun does come with a crew of 5 and five is a good number in games terms. Rate of fire decreases as crew are killed so best to keep it with as many crew as possible.

The gun shield is optional but I have included it to enhance the look only. In real life it did not offer much in the way of real protection more for crew morale than armour.

Well that is it for today. I did want to get more done (don't we all?) But alas real life got in the way. And rather than try to make excuses I am just happy that everything is OK now.

That's it. All the Best Clint

BoB(ing Along)

Yes more Back of Beyond (BoB) figures today.  Again they are 20mm IT Miniatures available from here. ( LINK). They are in fact White Russians BUT the Uniforms were almost identical to the Red army of the region or indeed the Chinese warlord armies of the same era. Yes there are differences but not huge ones and I for one am willing to forgive them on the wargames table.

Indeed IF I want to get more and more factions I will get the same figures and change a few areas like painting the uniforms grey for Chinese Warlord armies, or Making the top of the cap red just todesignate Red Russians. (Red peaked caps were used on some Red Russian units, but not all. )

As you can see I now have 3 squads of 8 figures each, including 2 armed with pistols to represent leaders (Rules suggest no more than 1 in 10). I also have 2 trucks painted for the force as well. Which given the era would make them VERY mobile. After-all motorised transport was not terribly common most defiantly not as common as today in  Western Europe.

I am not stopping with this force just yet either. I may have a better use for these lorries! Next up for the force may be an artillery piece OR some MGs, Not sure yet it all depends on the bases I have at hand. Anyway these are now boxed up and put away. Ready for a game in the next few months ONCE I have another force.

OTHER NEWS: I do have a choice of figures for the NEXT LotR figure. So if you have a STRONG choice Good or Bad foot or Mounted I can now do any of them. IF left to my own devices it will be King Théoden as he has waited patiently on the painting desk for over a year.

Finally I think the club has settled on a game for the next show. But this may well change as more people get back to me with ideas and suggestions. But more of this if/when it happens.

That's it for now, take care have fun and just do your best at what ever you are doing!
Kind Regards Clint

Dwarf Lord Balin

Yes as promised a Lord of the rings figure. This is the Dwarf Lord "Ballin". It is a Games workshop figure and part of the Lord of the rings range. I believe you are to get 2 figures in the pack but as this was via eBay I only bought 1 figure and a happy chap I am as well.

I an not a huge dwarf fan (pun not intended but I am more than happy to go with it!) However I have really enjoyed painting this character. I have not seen the film(s) of the Hobbit so if the colours are wrong kindly forgive me. But at least there is no Orange hair as GW tend to want on their dwarf slayers for some reason. (No I don't understand it either!).

In fact I have enjoyed painting this figure so much I have bid on some more on eBay. Let me know if you want me to paint them regularly, (maybe once a fort night), of not. And I will try to make it happen, or not happen if you only want it intermittently.

 Sorry the Flash has bleached out some of the colour, but such are the joys of photoing small models and having a flash!

But the 3 picks SHOULD give you an idea at the very least.

Mint Copy,
Bargain Price
smiling like a Cheshire Cat!

CHANGE OF SUBJECT
Yeah I have been feeling a bit down with my birthday approaching and no one ever knows what to get me. However, I scanned eBay (always amusing) and found a bargain. A terrific bargain I hope and definitely one I am excited about. I cannot/ will not/ shall not give very many more details other than to show the box and let you know it is now hidden away for my Birthday. Therefore in a few weeks there will be another post on here about this gift. Yes I had to buy it and have been given the money already.... but at least this way I get what I want.

Until next time take car, have fun and paint like crazy!

All the best Clint

BoB (ing)

Yes some more Back of Beyond figures. Well that is to say my first actual troops. I woke up this morning feeling as if the Back of beyond needed an armoured car. I am sure I will bet tanks eventually but for now this is my heavy armour.  So having woken up in the mood to do an armoured car for the back of beyond I grabbed my old (and trusty) Rolls Royce armoured car and gave it a new paint job. Which is why you are seeing this vehicle again, but this time with a BoB camo scheme. It has already been painted twice so let's hope this is the last time.

Personally if you are going to have an armoured car what could be better than a Rolls Royce.







Additionally here are the first actual troops. More will be along soon I am sure. In the back of Beyond these can either be Red Russians or White Russians as the uniforms were so similar that it really did just come down to insignia in the Russian Civil War.

Al the figures and the Armoured car are IT Miniatures ( LINK) or Frontline Wargaming (both are the same company in reality as about 2 years ago Tim bought all the IT miniatures molds). As I only need 1 platoon per person (MAX) more than 1 armoured car might seem a little unbalancing, so I shall stop at this for now. IT Miniatures sell these in packs of 24 so for me that is enough to get started. These are listed as White Russians, however in the BoB they can easily be either. And if you choose to paint the uniforms grey instead of green they make passing Chinese warlord troops. Anyway I have (due to pack size) settled on 8 men to a squad and 3 squads to a platoon. Thus 1 pack and a few extras will get me a force. Which means this is the 1st squad all finished and ready to go.

When the force is complete I will detail points etc. and then ask what the second force should be. All in all I am excited by this project so expect some more SOON>

Monday is next post and It will very likely be LotR.

Thanks for looking have a good weekend all the best Clint

Whatever next?

2 more figures done for Matt. No I do not know what they are or by whom they were produced. I am sure I could do an internet search and find they. But I am in a Lack-sid-asicle mood so I have not done so. Sorr just some days you just cannot be bothered. And Today is that day!

Again I think they are west wind 28mm figures but further details I have no idea. Maybe "Empire of the Dead" and then again maybe not.  Gee that was insightful.

Fun to paint for a change, but I will say no more about them.

Several things have been undercoated now.  As I ran out of spray undercoat yesterday and had to buy some first thing today. It has put me a little behind my own schedule but not drastically so.

No Idea what I will finish next. BUT if you have a strong preference I may work on that project a little swifter. here are the options:

• Lord of the rings (1 figure started)
• Aeronef (9 vessels now undercoated)
• Giant worm. (1 of emerging from the ground)
• BoB unit. A Squad of Russian Soldiers for the Back of Beyond game. * figures and started in haste last night as they had been undercoated in grey already.

Happy to listen to what you want next, but it will still be my choice as to what is finished first. Just depends on my mood and how much I am enjoying painting them.

Bye for now more again (assuming I have a speedy brush) on Saturday.

All the best Clint

Edawrd th Dancing Chimp. (28mm)

Ok the title is wrong. His name is not Edward, Nor is he dancing and more so he is not a chimp! But the "Scale is correct!" But as we all know 28mm is not a scale either. maybe I should start again!

The miniature s by West Wind (I know as It had that cast on the tab!) it is also part of the 28mm range.  More than this I cannot tell. Except to say that it is painted for Matt and he got it on eBay along with two others.

The figure is about twice as large as a normal 28mm figure and stands about 40mm. But being hunched if he were ever to stand up straight he would be twice the size. he is definitely more than 2 times the weight.

 Overall the figure was a pleasure to paint but I have no idea what Matts purpose is in getting him. Seriously no idea, but I am sure all will be revealed in weeks to come.

That's it for today. Hope you are well and happy. all the best Clint

Stargrunt 15mm (Again) GZG

I know it has been a while. But sometimes the mood just takes you. The figures are of course Ground Zero Games in 15mm and yes they are even part of their 15mm Stragrunt range.

 Yes it is my fault! I bought the wrong pack of figures at a show LAST YEAR. So having no use for the figure I was eager to do something else. So I have for a year. Then the idea came to me. While I cannot fit them into my existing Stargrunt forces I can still use them. So the infantry are now vehicle crews IF/when they have to dismount. Maybe the vehicle blows up and they need to get out, or maybe the vehicle starts the scenario un manned. Either way works for me.

The vehicle is also freshly painted as well. I had a spare vehicle so in my head it was not a massive leap to do it at the same time as I did the crew.

So we have a vehicle and enough crew for several vehicles all added to the Stargrunt collection.

That is it for today. Thanks for looking and more again soon. Although I am not sure what exactly. It will have to be a surprise.

Have a good weekend, all the best Clint.

Post script: I need to be more active on the Stargrunt front! get some more games in.

A couple of days longer than I hoped.

Firstly sorry about the delay. But I am fine and in good/robust health . So is everyone here. Just not felt like blogging recently. I have 2 Game AAR's I could put on the blog but for one reason or another I just don't feel like it. here are some more Victorian Sci Fi. (Sorry Ray I did ask but Matt said NO! so there will be no Pink and Purple VSF tanks for a good LONG while from me. But I did ask.)

Most of what follows are Black Pyramid miniatures. As always happens EXCEPT the first 2. They are "Pinnacle!" miniatures or Pinnacle games. or something similar. They were bought on eBay by Matt so I just do not know. In other words don't ask!

If you Do know, Brilliant. As it stands I do not need to know. The figures were all right to paint nothing special just a lot of metallic and a black ink wash to finish off.  I could go into more detail but seriously I doubt I need to.

 The rest are , I believe, Black Pyramid Miniatures. We have Mycroft and a steam powered bicycle The St Georges flag is completely free hand painted on Mycroft's torso. I was not sure what to put there but it seemed very empty without something. If I had not put it there there just would in my opinion have been just too much naked metal to look good. Likewise if I had kept it all one colour metal it would look very uninspiring indeed. So steel and copper were used. (Or as it says on the paint pots.... Gunmetal and silver (highlight coat and Brass and gold (highlight ) . This should make the metals slightly more interesting.

The gent on the steam powered bicycle did create more problems but in the end I do think he came out quite well. If I do say so myself. I did try a white scarf first off but that looked wrong to my eyes so light blue was my next choice. I could easily have selected any colour but this at least compliments the bicycle frame which is dark blue.

 The last 2 figures are also Black Pyramid miniatures and are a hunter and his gun dog! The dog has a dead rabbit on his back and is painted with brass and gold as was Mycroft above. I went for a single red "eye" as I had in the Pinnacle Robots just to be consistent. Obviously it could have been any colour and how another paints their robots is an individual choice.

I tried and struggled to paint hunting tweed on the mad as much as I dared and finally came to the conclusion that this was as good as I was likely to get. Clearly he carries 2 shotguns and a walking stick so he is out for the day on the moors and in the heathers.

The last pic shows them all together. So you can judge the relative sizes. This allows you to see that the robots are clearly bigger than a man but are not giantish.

All the figures could easily be 28mm but all the robots could be bigger or smaller if desired.  Once again sorry Ray no Pink and Purple this time, but at least I did ask.

All the best Clint