Not going to Salute

Yep that's right I am not going to "Salute" show this year. It is just TOO big and TOO expensive. As has become my practice I have made 2 (so far) "NOT GOING TO SALUTE!" orders over the weekend.


Order 1 :

Yes I caved! I caved in and succumbed! Yes I am weak and I have pledged to this Kickstarter. ( LINK ) I only went for the "Heroes" option. as I have more of a use for them. I did look at the Villains very closely but as there was only 3 I would (at this point) use I dismissed it. MAybe in the future I will get the 3 I want from these selection. maybe I will  not.

Most importantly I am also going to get the "stretch goals!"  So for the price of £22 (plus postage) I should get the Heroes and the stretch goals. And to be honest the stretch goals are more to my liking at present than the figures.

Yes I am an awkward cuss!" At present the Ark of the covenant is not in the stretch goals but maybe by the time it closes it will be. (Fingers Crossed).  We  all like a few stretch goals!



Order 2:
As "alternative Armies" was having a sale I splurged and ordered some figures.  ( LINK ) Not a huge order but (I hope) enough 15mm US cavalry to finish an army! We both know that I will still buy some more at a later date. But this should be enough for my 9th or 10th US CAVALRY "Buffalo soldiers!" yes I could have done 7th Cavalry as seen as famous in the films but these are more interesting.

END NOTE
Sorry it is only talking today. I have had a step back and rethink on a project. Enough of a re-think to make me start again but using some existing items.

Ad a special thanks to Ray for getting me back in touch with an old friend. Not that they are old but we had lost touch over the last 23 years. So thanks again Ray I appreciate it!

Still not got act together

Sorry NO aar today. I still have not found the time. (I hope in the next few days).

Until then I have finished another knight for Lion Rampant. As such it is one of my OLD Bretonian Knights from Games Workshop. Clearly part of the Black, white, Purple troop. So it will fit into my second unit. I did not know (Until I checked on the internet) that both Orange and Purple were legal heraldic colours.  Still live and learn. As soon as I found that out the colour choice was clear to me. And an Old Games workshop figure is given a new lease of life.  I am sure most of you will already have noted that and used Purple and Orange in your heraldry. Yeah I am a bit behind the times.

While this does not finish the second unit of knights it is now a step closer.

Talking of a step closer. here are the Wild west (western) 15mm figures I still have to re-base and touch the paint up. In some cases a total re-paint. The sand yellow bases are my 20-30 year old ones, (and they do need a re-paint)
While the ones on the green bases are a gift from Peter. (And guess what they also need a re-paint). Here is what there is in total. Left to right)

• 7 Mounted figures with Long arms.
• 8 Mounted figures with pistols.
• 12 Civilians un armed) for use as Liability bases.
• 16 +8 Rifle armed towns men
• 8pistol armed townsmen.
• 1 BUFFALO (back row)
• 1 Pack mule.
• 2 mounted Scouts. (I can use them as leaders)
• 1 Wagon with supplies,
• 1 broken and unarmed figure.

This is VERY nearly enough for a "Townsmen" group ready to play "Western Rules By Peter Pig. I shall of course need a few extra packs but only 2-3 packs. For example Townsmen are not allowed more than one unit mounted!
So that's it  for now more again soon.  And I have an AAR to do when I get the chance!

All the best Clint

Medics (VBCW and more!)

I finally painted these 3 figures. They are Foundry 28mm from the set "Dumping the body!". However I intend to use them as VBCW figures. In fact they are painted as normal VBCW figures (with no particular uniform with the intention that they can be used by any side.  I am not sure why I purchased them originally maybe I was thinking of a grave robbing game (I know that was a plan years ago).  But now they shall function as VBCW medics. No that is not the best way to move a wounded person, before anyone says, but at least it will get them out of the area of firing so they should not be hit AGAIN!

Additionally I found this dead body. so I thought it only right to paint it at the same time. While I do not at this moment have a use for the figure I am sure that in the goodness of time a reason of its painting  will some to mind. I thought it might be best floating in the water as being a little different to just lying on a grassy knoll not least because I had a bottle of unopened GLOSS varnish I was eager to try.
Now all I need is a water filled area, maybe a Victorian docks, in which to leave the stiff!


SECRET PROJECT no 2)

I also needed to make some flying bases. Mostly for Aeronef. Obviously the helicopter is NOT aeronef related so I shall talk more of that another time. To get the 6mm (1/300th scale )Helicopter "right" I shall need to finish the base. I will also need to cut the rotor disc more accurately. But the ideas work fine I just need to execute them better, so expect that to be done soon! When I say soon It all relates to a pre-order I have made with Brigade Models for pick up on Sunday at the Broadside show. I have some pre-orders already in place but most of my spendz will come down to what money I have once I sell a few things. But we can save that for a show report on Monday and a LOOT haul report on (I hope) Sunday night.

Until then take care have fun and paint and game  as much as you are able.

AND THEN THERE WERE 3

Yes let me take you back a few weeks when I finished these  (( http://clint-anythingbutaone.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/ltv4s.html ))

I said at the time that one was in worse condition and I may or may not get around to painting it. Well the Joy is that I have finished it! One of the reasons was that I got them all cheap and they were badly cast. So badly cast that there was a whole on the back (tail) entrance ramp about as large as the nail on my little finger. As well as chips air bubbles and dust particles and bobbling. (I am sure there is a technical term but you know what I mean.)

 Since then I have repaired the hole, being honest it did not take long and I probably could have done a better job. but as I considered the vehicle a "Throw-away" I was not in the mood to spend too much time on it. BUT as you can see I am glad I did repair it. As I now have 3. OKAY they are not perfect, but they are good enough.

If you look at the bottom of the ramp inside you can see the repair. Not brilliant, but good enough for me and any games I put on. As it was painted at a different time it is a different shade of green, it also has a different style of base. Oh well my mistake  and at least I have another vehicle ready for the table top.

So job's a good 'Un! as far as I am concerned. I have shown all 3 together just to kind of prove this is a new vehicle and not one of the others re-photographed. And at the very end is a Youtube video of one being put through its paces by some vehicle restorers.

I do have 3 more Amtracks (Amphibious-tractors) to do, but they are more fighting vehicles than troop transports. Therefore I have left those for another post while I think about what kind of turrets (yes turrets) I put on them/

Until next time take care, have fun and paint something.

All the best Clint

LVT4's

NO not the bath-tub of doom! These re 2 Landing vehicle Tracked (Mk4) Know as LVT 4's, if you are American and the "Buffalo" if you are British. Either name is fine by me.

They are 15mm vehicles for my US forces, while they were also used a little by the British (and Commonwealth) they were not heavily used in Europe . But they did see action in the Pacific.

 These have been VERY badly cast with bits missing and air bubbles and mold slips and just about everything wrong you can imagine. But they were cheap on eBay I think someone tried to start casting from another make and just did not know what they were doing.  Ok Moan over, as I said they were cheap and for that I can forgive a lot. I will not use the seller again though. Americans being well American did give them between 2 and 4 machine guns which are not included. Also the MGs could be either .50 cal or .30 cal depending I think on the stock and how many were to be used. That does not matter.

In real life they could transport up to 28 men or a jeep or artillery piece or supplies or well just about anything from ship to shore. In PBI "Carriers" no matter how large can carry 4 infantry stands, so a squad, not a platoon. So an agreement needs to be made (which I have made) with normal players on using them. For me they will mostly be acting as troop deployment markers and not actual fighting vehicles. As PBI works in squares thy will (Temporarily) make the beach square Partial cover and allow troops to deploy in their square and the 1 on either side (Which will NOT get the cover bonus.)

Being just green with tracks and weathering they were an easy paint and both done and based and put away in an evening with no issues, complaints or squabbles. While not super useful they do round out the US amphibious capability in some WW2 games.

below is a Youtube clip of the LVT4 in action (from a film/TV series) just for those NOT familiar with the vehicle. And if anyone wants to know what to get me as a gift a real one would be most welcome. Colours and MG configuration could and were changed to suit the need

 Or here is a real life on in a separate clip

Scott M8 HMC 15mm

One of the wonderful things about the wargames club is that if any of us find something that we cannot use but we know another can we are happy to donate for the cause. In September Graham picked up a Battlefront M8 Scott HMC. He was hoping to use it for the British but the more he looked into it the more he realised that the British never used them. (The Canadians did). So knowing I have an American force he very kindly donated it to me. If you do not know the M8 (Scott) here is a link to the Wiki. (LINK)

A reasonably quick repaint later (with his permission|) here is my M8 Scott. I imagine it seeing service with my US troops mostly against the Japanese in the Pacific but also possibly against the Germans in North West Europe.

In Europe the Howitzer Motor Carriage (HMC) would not be a very potent threat as the German tanks would be able to chew through the armour with most of their guns. In the Pacific However I do see it being Far more powerful. As the Japanese tended to have smaller guns on their tanks penetrating the (wafer thin) armour would be more of an issue. In addition the howitzer would be a very potent gun for bunker busting or even tank hunting. Ok the gun is a 75mm Howitzer so not all that large but able to fire High explosive AND smoke (white Phosphorous) .  The Phosphorous rounds were for making smoke and not the same as used in Vietnam before anyone gets ideas above their station. While they may kill an individual it would need to be a direct hit or if they had a breathing difficulty, not a jungle clearing weapon of mass destruction.

That is it for this sunny Sunday. more again soon.
All the best Clint

And once again Thanks Graham.