35+ years later!

That maybe a record for me. More of that later though.

While I have finished very little that is a long way from thinking I have not done a lot. Just most of it is not anywhere near finished! So let,s start with what I have done.

Here is a platoon of H+R infantry and transports. The transports are 6mm BMP 1's the infantry are equally small. Strickly speaking I need another BMP and a couple more stands of infantry for the HQ of the platoon. But this is a start.

OK so what has taken 35+ years. ? Yes I can hear you ask even from there so I will keep you in the dark no longer.  Yes my desert. This is how it was and as I have always been led to believe it might stay. BUT. And that is a big BUT with a capital B. I looked on line and found I can afford the nessercary materials. That being 10mm thick "Foam Board" so I ordered a pack. And Yes it arrived. So my 1/300th scale desert has taken a step forward.

As I only started with 2 A1 sheets buying 5 more sheets Should (I hope) be enough. Time will tell but I am hopeful. So expect desert to feature in upcoming weeks. (You are warned).


The spending continues ,while I work on some 28m figures, appearing soon on this blog. Firstly I squandered money for Pulp alley and bought a Clapper board. Traditionally in Pulp Alley the person with the initiative has a "Directors Megaphone" But at about £2.50 inc postage this was cheaper and will work just as well.

Finally I bought some MDF buildings for Pulp Alley wild west. Or Ghost town as I am currently calling it. The 2 Sarrissa buildings are exactly the same So I should be able to get them up and running in a week or three! The TTCombat "Grand Hotel" (on the left may take a bit longer! But at least I am on my way.

Until next time (and I hope) some 28mm figures take care good luck and remember everyones paint brush needs to taste paint one in a while.

All the best Clint

Pulp Alley started!

I have spent the last few days thinking (No jokes about "burning dust" please!).At the club we do have one player (Peter) who plays Pulp Alley at another club! So I know we are not totally adverse to the idea. (Some people will be no matter what  while others embrace the idea!) Anyway over the last few days I have been thinking we should play "Pulp Alley" at the club. But what kind of PULP I hear you scream in my head. Now there is the rub (misquote Shakespear). I want to do Dieselpunk. BUT I am away from doing this at present just because it will take some time.

So what about Western Pulp? Now I think it is a good idea. There is PLENTY of precedence for Western pulp. (Just do a very quick internet search if in doubt). And for this I am READY TO GO. I have about 75-100 painted figures and a model western town. So a standard western game is a possibility! A good and strong possibility.

BUT knowing that Peter (as mentioned above has a Vampire league (I know as I painted it for him) I was thinkin Wild West Horror!

So That is the plan now. Some of you I can tell are delighted.  This also allows other club members with amore historical bent to play  straight cowboys and Indians. (Should they choose, and some will). So I have now started to convert some of the wild west setting to more Horrific than normal.

Ghost town.

OK where to start.  I have started with  a derelict house. Yes this a pre-cut MDF building. (Sarrissa I think). I shall get some more and make them for my Ghost Town (in my head I am calling the town "Bitter-Creek!" but that is  subject to change. ) Anyway the Ghost town does not need many buildings. I think 5-6 is enough As "Pulp alley" is played o a 3' by 3' table and we are not looking for a metropolis!

 While I only have 1 building finished at this stage. I shall add more in the next few weeks.  I already have 2 more to add but at present they are still wrapped and pristine.

My "Pulp Alley rules!

Additionally I have 2 packs of Foundry cowboy Zombies (painted), so they are ready to go. Add the figures from "Draculas America!" and I have enough of a selection to get me going until a player wants something odd.... which is probably straight away!


Currently on the painting table

• 3 Wild west Mexicans in 28mm.
• 1 platoon of 6mm Middle-east Modern troops with transport. (BMP1s or BTR 70s not sure yet)
• 1 unit of 15mm Buffalo Soldiers (9th or 10 Cavalry) Then this force is finished.
• 1 squad of 15mm cold war Russians.  (Just starting these.
• Anything I get side-tracked onto!

Ok just a building finished for today. I am still struggling to get back into painting!

All the best Clint.

D Troop (15mm Pony wars/wild west!)

Here is my latest unit of VETERAN 9th/10th cavalry for Peter pigs "Western" rules.
Yes only 6 bases. (The maximum for a Veteran unit) so not a large unit by any stretch of the imagination.

The models are "Alternative Armies" 15mm figures. Old Table top Games. I used these not because they are the best but simple because they will fit in with the rest of the troops.

The unit consists of Leader (20 points) and 5 bases of Cavalry (Mounted, long shooter) Veteran figures. (12points  each base) for a total of 68 points for the unit!

Which considering you are allowed 300points in your farce is quite a large proportion.  I just hope the veteran status is worth the points.

Elsewhere I continue to work on my airship/zeppelin. More of this when it has dried a bit.
 So with luck more soon.

Also had an email from Crooked Dice my Kickstarter is now ready for payment. I paied as fast as I could so with luck an UNBOXING next week. Unless I have seen far to many of them on blogs before I receive it!

Until then, take care, have fun and paint IF you get the chance. See you later Clint

Just a very brief post today, as most things are drying.

I have managed to finish 2 of these figures. They are 15mm Alternative armies and to make the unit complete and finish. Just 2 cavalry I am afraid. But they add to the unit command and as such round the whole unit out.

I am still a long way from finishing the army. well not such a long way really. That aside it does finish another unit. Strictly speaking it should have a letter A-I on the flag. (J was used for John troop which was usually a recruiting troop so the troops were not fully trained! Or so I am led to believe, but take that with a pinch of salt as it is only what I have been told so may not be true at all.

As yet I have not decided if they will be 10th or 9th cavalry. Both of which were (I believe) called "Buffalo soldiers" by the Indians and both (again so I am told) had white officers!

I do have another small unit started so they will be along soon.


Complete Unit

 ELSEWHERE:

Ok the airship/zeppelin is currently drying and with luck I shall get another coat on this afternoon and allow it to dry overnight. Expect me to be saying that a lot!

6mm Cold war. been buying but not painting but expect that to change very soon. Once post arrives.



The Hills are alive!

Firstly a repaint. If I knew  what I was doing a re-paint would not be nessercary as I would have bought the right thing to begin with!

Back in February I purchased these 2 hills from "the Scene" in a desert colour! Why desert well I was going to do western desert PBI (by Peter Pig). All that has gone out of the window so these have now been re-painted. They will still remain for PBI but now I am concentrating on the Pacific! (Both 14th (forgotten) army as well as Japanese and American.) As the Pacific islands tend to have "shallow" hills and not steep ones (yes I know there are exceptions) re-painting seemed to be an obvious step.

So now 2 re-purposed hills ready for action. Which is all good as far as I am concerned.




Ok now for the pre-salute orders.  Firstly the Crooked Dice kickstarter has finished. So with luck I shall have those before the end of the year. This is very likely and I can start the new year with some "!Pulp" shenanigans! At this stage I am most keen on the monkey idol scenery piece! I am already looking to use that 2 years hence so the chances are we will all have forgotten about it by then.

Elsewhere my Alternative armies Order has arrived so I can sort out my Peter Pig cavalry army for "Wild west!" As mentioned  previously I am doing 9th or 10th Cavalry AKA Buffalo Soldiers. I really think this would be a grand Ammerican TV series as they fought bravely and are often (at least in the UK) overlooked.

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

"Keep those cattle moving .Rawhide!"

Yes more 15mm western stuff. Firstly a big than you to Peter who gave me a LOAD of 15mm  Western stuff on Sunday. It is  Very much appreciated.

Secondly Here is my 2nd Cavalry unit. Again these are Table top Games figures now available from (LINK ) Alternative Armies. As there are only 11 figures this unit shall be expanded in the near future. Just have to get an order together soon.

While at present they do have a command officer they do not have a bugler or a flag and that is something I am Keen to rectify. They are the maximum size for a veteran unit so 2 additional stands wil be enough to make them the maximum size for an average unit.


Again I have gone for 10th Cavalry or if you prefer "Buffalo Soldiers!" this keeps them in continuity with other figures already painted.

 But it does not stop there. I have also painted up 6 stands of Texas Long Horn Cattle. I strongly believe these are Minifigs from back in the day, many centuries ago.

This should (fingers crossed) represent partial cover squares, or at least the indicators for those squares. . I have been mad aware that they are still in production. needless to say these will work better for "Cattlmen" than US army, but for now at least that is another thing crossed off the list

Thanks for looking today I shall try to post again tomorrow as I have a Burps AAR to report on.


Until  then all the best Cint

Don't put yuor daughter on the Stage!

Yet more 15mm Wild west. Yes it seems to be taking a while BUT I promise I am getting it done! While just 2 carts today little and often is my approach.

First up is a very old Stage-coach. If my memory serves  bought this about 35 years ago from "Minifigs" . I Grant you I may have that wrong as it is only a vague memory.

While it is of very limited use for the US Army for me it was important to get it re-based and painted. It is 15mm and can be used as a "liability". Liabilities in "Western! By "Peter Pig" are well just that. Target pieces the other team can pick on. While you do not need "Liabilities" they do a a certain wild west flavour as not everyone was a combatant.


Also as a Liability I have a US Army Wagon. While not quite as long as a settlers wagon it will still no doubt add something to the game being worth Victory points to whomever controls it at the end of the game.

Settlers wagons did tend to be longer than the one shown and were used by the army mostly in the civil war. A lot were then sold off and "settlers" used tem to haul their life across the plain along various trails until they reached some good farm land.

This one (with a change of drivers (And I have some) could also be used as a "Chuck Wagon" for cowboys on a cattle drive.

General Custer preferred pack mules on campaign to wagons so in the dim distant future you may see some..  First however I need to get some fighting troops done.

And that (I hope) will be the next phase for me.
Just give me a few days and a helpful postman. The post I can do nothing about so either they arrive of they don't. They have been ordered!

All the Best Clint

15mm Wild west.

Yes I have bitten the bullet. To the right is a pic of the wild west 15mmm stuff Ihave found going WAY back. It is so old that the company that sold it split in two and today neither of the companies exist,  Yet a successful search of the internet and most of the models are still available. Some I am still struggling to track down though.

So anyway I have started the re-paint. In doing so I am surprised on how well painted it was in the first place!

So anyway here are the first units. All the figures today were "Table-top Games" figures TTG which then split it 2 I have no idea why nor do I care much! And the figures became Table top Miniatures (TTM). Now some while later they are Part of the "Alternative Armies" Range. Who I must say had some excellent online service. All figures required were dispatched and arrived within 3 days. And being honest you can't say much better then that.

These are painted as part of the 10th Cavalry. The so called "Buffalo soldiers". Final markings have yet to go on the flag, but only a "10" in the Red and a single (Company) letter in the white. As I have yet to decide on a company it has not been done yet.

This shall not be the end of them as I have another company already in the pre-paint. In the rules I shall use6 bases is the maximum allowed for a "Veteran" unit so that isall I have shown here. 5 Bases of rank and file troops and one officer. Other units can have up to 10 bases for "Green" troops.

Also as part of the 10th Cavalry I have a single unit of artillery. (The most any force is allowed. As such I have it both limbered (for moving) and Un-limbered (for firing). I would be entitled to a MG IF I forgo the artillery. But in the rules you cannot mix and match, it's either one or the other. But just imagine the fun I shall have in the future and feel free to take a wild guess at what I shall be buying soon. (No more Hints!)

The final picture shows the goodies I have purchased this week towards the project!

I shall be honest I did want to build a wild west fort. Unfortunately they are not covered in the rules. You never know it might just float my boatr enough to do one anyway. It will mean making up my own rules for it. BUT WHO DOES not want a Wild WEST fort! (I do and I am sure I am not alone.!

General Custer did make use of a river paddle steamer (Far West by name). While there are no rules for paddle steamers you can bet your bottom dollar that I have also thought about making one! Bet I do not though. Far to much like hard work and far too seldome used I suspect!

Anyway that's it for today. Jon from my university days is building a Sioux Indian Force and that is the main reason I have started on the cavalry! It means we can do some real Wild West actions pretty cheap and easy.

More again soon as I am already itching to paint some more Cavalry as wel as a few "Liability" markers.

All the best Clint

Full Circle!

Well you know what they say. "What  comes around, goes around"! And so it appears with me. I have slipped back into wanting to do "wild west" wargames.  As such there are 3 routes to explore.  Firstly cowboy skirmish games. I already have enough figures (who am I trying to kid... there are never enough) figures for that. I just need a set of rules I really like.  Maybe a few more apaches.. would be nice, but who knows.

The second thread is 15mm mass battles. I  know we tend to think of small skirmishes with up to 1/2 a dozen figures on each side. But Bigger battles did take place. Think "Battle of Little Big Horn!" for example. Peter Pig *(http://www.peterpig.co.uk/) Have just re-released a set of rules for that and to be fair. I am interested. It should be better that the "Hey you in the Jail" set I have from them. So that is something I shall definitely be looking at.

The third option, is to go non-historical. Yes we have Dracula in America,( Best place for him I should imagine). But we also have Westworld. Before anyone asks NO I have not seen the TV series! And this is an old conversion (way back about 6 years ago!) but I could be very tempted to do more.

So if I do Westworld I shall use the 7TV 2e rules. And shall buy some more "Fembots" just for the heads better to make conversions.

So in the future expect me to re-make my wild west terrain in bother 15mm and 28mm.

That's iit for now back to the paint table and the miniatures mine!

MountainMan and shinies.

Well I am still painting. But I seem to have stalled for a few days and not gotten much finished at all.

One figure I have finished was a Foundry 28mm "Mountain Man". Before anyone asks I am not totally sure what I will use him for. He will go in my Wild West collection but he is totally suitable for "Muskets and Tomahawks" or even "In Her Majesty's Name." So while I do not know what I will use him for I do know that he will get a use.

The figure is wargames foundry and I do have a few more to paint as well. So they may get done reasonably soon. They would get done faster IF I actually did know what I wanted them for.  Oh well such is life.

The way I look a it though is if nothing else it is another one done.


The Reason for my recent lack of painting is that I was waiting for an order to arrive. And guess what it has now arrived. It is one (maybe only I will have to see how I feel) "Not going to Salute Orders. " As I have mentioned before It costs me about £40 BEFORE I go through the door of Salute and that to me is a lot of money.  As such I will go every 4-5 years or so, but going more frequently is not my thing. To me it is a show that is a victim of it's own success.

Anyway enough waffle here is a pic of the order.

 The first Pic is the actual order. many will know it is from Peter Pig and as such is 15mm figures. Trust me if it were a rule set it would be a bigger box. Everything is range 8. For those not familiar with Peter Pig Ranges that means it is all 15mm WW2.

As such it is the things I need to take my Infantry company from Flames of War (Battlefront) to a workable force in PBI. I will not go into the individual pack as I hope to get them all painted pretty soon. By that I do mean this year.


One Pack is worth a special mention though. You can see by the last picture it is a Japanese destroyed Tankette! It will be used as an objective Marker. And is quite small. You will see exactly how small when it gets painted and I put it next to a Panther or Sherman or something similar.

Anyway thanks for looking today. More again in a few days.
Hope it is sunny where you are and I hope you are well and happy.

Best wishes Clint

Challenge Fee

 As I do not think I will get a chance to blog tomorrow, I thought  I would add this in today. So I will hope to do the next one on Saturday.

I thought I should show you the figure I have already posted to Curt as part of the Wild Bunch Painting Challenge. This is a single heroic 28mm Reaper Chronoscape figure. It was given to me (unpainted) by Anne O'Leary when I won a prize on her blog. And as it makes a suitable "Wild Bunch" figure it was painted and dispatched to the wilds of Canada.

Obviously armed with two hefty revolvers the figure is quite intimidating. He has a confident no nonsense stance and a bit of a Tom Selleck Moustache. His Grey trousers have a yellow stripe up each leg and with the two large revolvers he gives the appearance (I hope) od an ex Confederate Cavalry officer. Curt will no doubt make up his own back story should he ever use the figure in anger. And I hope he does.

I chose a simple undecorated brown coat for the chap, maybe it is leather or suede but defiantly something hard wearing. With his gun-belt and holster fastened over the top to allow fast draws should he need. There are cartridges in the gun belt so he can reload if in a long gunbattle or at the end when all his enemies are dead. (Or maybe he is and then no need to reload at all, leave that to someone else, I know I would).

I went very simple on the base just 2 dry grass tufts and a flatish stone. Actually it's not a stone at all it is part of a broken plant pot repainted. Broken plant pots make great base ornaments as they are far easier to break to the correct size than actual stones and they have a strata across them much finer than normal rocks. The base was textured with building sand and painted the same colours and tones at the rock. All in all very quick and simple to do and yet not overdone I hope as I do want to keep the focus on the figure.


Today has been a much better painting day. I have submitted the 10mm Samurai to Curt already so I hope to be able to show them soon.

I have resprayed the 10mm Sudan figures. And Be based my few stands of British to marry up size wise.

15mm Half tracks nope not touched them today.....

20mm I have re-painted my vehicle and attached it to a base and started painting a foot command figure for it.

20mm Arab Revolt. I have finished the two very minor conversions . Just an arm swap and a hand swap, but they are now primed and ready to start paining. One will eventually become Larry of the Sands, or Laurence of Arabia if you prefer a more formal title.

So all in all far more productive then yesterday and I hope to get Larry of the Sands ready and submitted over the weekend as well. I make no Guarantees at this stage as tomorrow is pretty much written of with Counselling and Doctors and the like. But all in one day so I can get it out of the way all in one go. I should get a few hours on Friday and with that be able to get the vehicle the vehicle commander and Laurence all finished.

Thank you for looking today and I hope you get a chance to pop by again soon. I might do the AAR of the game I played at the club next time, but it is fading into my memory as I type this so I will just have to wait and see.

All the best folks Cheers Clint