I've just realised this rather haphazard blog which has seen little activity for a couple of years or so has racked up over 100,000 views. Amazing considering I've let it lie dormant for so long.
This has given me a real spur to make mire of an effort. I've also racked up 200 posts (only 178 published though). Anyway I'm still amazed that after 10 years people still come here so thank you. I can't promise to keep this current run of posts going but I'm going to give it a damn good try.
More soon....
Tuesday, 25 September 2018
Monday, 24 September 2018
I'm very tempted to copy my mate Ades efforts at scratch building one or two pieces but think as I have so many of these same SHQ ones that Martin has, I'll use them. I think I have around 12 or 13 so only need 7 or 8 more for a good game.
Saturday, 22 September 2018
Mediterranean Buildings for the Spanish Civil War
I've been looking for suitable buildings for a while for my SCW project. I do have some resin cast ones from SHQ I think, but they are pricey and for the new version of Bayonets and Ideology you need ideally around 20. So I'm going to experiment with these rather nice card buildings I have found on eBay. They are marketed as Mediterranean, but one pan tiles roof looks much like any other in my eyes! I shall report back on the results.
I give up...
....accounting for why I am so sporadic on updating this blog. But i can say I am glad that I have resisted the temptation to delete it.
It's now 10 years ago that I started this blog and looking back over posts from back then, I had a huge smile on my face remembering games, shows and friends.
I may or may not continue with content but suffice to say I am still painting Peter Pig figures, planning future purchases and looking forward to more games. Next weekend sees me back in Weymouth for Miles' annual PBI day. I may not be able to make the Weymouth weekend this year due to work but if there is anyway of getting there I will do.
Current priorities are buildings for the SCW, finishing off my AWI, getting the new Montagnards, and knocking out the Western figures for my first faction for the new rules.
I doubt there will be anymore shows this year. Warfare and Wargamer are the two remaining that I consider. Not sure I'll get to either of these due to work. I really would like to get to SELWG one year but travel time and cost make it a no go really. It would necessitate an overnight stay and cost around £120 which would buy me quite a few new figures. So not just yet...one day though!
Having said that Salute is still on the agenda having missed this year. It is a great day out with the lads from the club and a show unlike any other so plans are in place to make the 2019 version.
Ok hopefully more soon....or maybe not!
It's now 10 years ago that I started this blog and looking back over posts from back then, I had a huge smile on my face remembering games, shows and friends.
I may or may not continue with content but suffice to say I am still painting Peter Pig figures, planning future purchases and looking forward to more games. Next weekend sees me back in Weymouth for Miles' annual PBI day. I may not be able to make the Weymouth weekend this year due to work but if there is anyway of getting there I will do.
Current priorities are buildings for the SCW, finishing off my AWI, getting the new Montagnards, and knocking out the Western figures for my first faction for the new rules.
I doubt there will be anymore shows this year. Warfare and Wargamer are the two remaining that I consider. Not sure I'll get to either of these due to work. I really would like to get to SELWG one year but travel time and cost make it a no go really. It would necessitate an overnight stay and cost around £120 which would buy me quite a few new figures. So not just yet...one day though!
Having said that Salute is still on the agenda having missed this year. It is a great day out with the lads from the club and a show unlike any other so plans are in place to make the 2019 version.
Ok hopefully more soon....or maybe not!
Wednesday, 29 November 2017
Well well well!
Yes, once again, I have resurrected this blog from the dead. And it has been dead for some time now. My gaming has continued though and I have been frequenting the RFCM forum here (link over to the side too...)
Once again I find myself up to my neck in Peter Pig figures so not much has changed over the life of this blog which next year hits 10 years of age. Crikey. It is a fact that time does tick along at an ever increasing pace the older you get.
I'll add more later but for now I'll put up a few pictures of my recent gaming.
A Square Bashing game recreating part of Messines Ridge played last week at the Stoke club.
My Viking ships now with added sails downloaded from the Peter Pig website here
An image from a playtest session for the new version of Hey You in the Jail, Peter Pig's Western rules.
My latest Vietnam set up for the new version of Men of company B.
Lots going on. More to report on but for now, suffice to say, I am enjoying my gaming more than ever and am on a roll painting stuff up on a far more regular basis than I have for some time.
More soon...
Once again I find myself up to my neck in Peter Pig figures so not much has changed over the life of this blog which next year hits 10 years of age. Crikey. It is a fact that time does tick along at an ever increasing pace the older you get.
I'll add more later but for now I'll put up a few pictures of my recent gaming.
A Square Bashing game recreating part of Messines Ridge played last week at the Stoke club.
My Viking ships now with added sails downloaded from the Peter Pig website here
An image from a playtest session for the new version of Hey You in the Jail, Peter Pig's Western rules.
My latest Vietnam set up for the new version of Men of company B.
Lots going on. More to report on but for now, suffice to say, I am enjoying my gaming more than ever and am on a roll painting stuff up on a far more regular basis than I have for some time.
More soon...
Thursday, 1 June 2017
Friday, 2 December 2016
The Somme in Weymouth.
Last weekend I made my now annual trip down to Weymouth for the Peter Pig Weekend put on by Stewart M. Over the cause of the weekend I played 3 games of the new version of Men of Company B, 1 game of AK47, 1 game of Civil War Battles, 1 game of PBI, 2 games of Pieces of Eight and then put on my 1st Day of the Somme game.
Literally everything on the table had been bought and painted for this one game. A bit mad but I thoroughly enjoyed my time.
The trenches and some of the shellholes were all from the excellent Ironclad Miniatures. The cloth and other shellholes were from Magnetic Displays. I painted the cloth in various craft acrylics to resemble the battlefield on the first day. From relatively untouched at the British lines to greatly disturbed ground after the 7 days of bombardment around the German lines and the three villages. The trees were from Tablescape. The Hawthorne mine crater was an old GW crater with added bits of rubbish. The towns were a mix of some MDF ruins from an ebay seller. Other bits were from Ironclad. There is a ruined Peter Pig house just the other side of Thiepval wood.
Of course, all figures are from Peter Pig painted by myself. Most of the paint work was done in the last 4 weeks. Some of the Germans has been started over a year ago but never finished.
As I have said previously the game is heavily influenced by the scenario found at the excellent Storm of Steel blog . I extended it out to a 6' wide table and increased the sizes of the forces by roughly 50% of those used on the Storm of Steel blog. Mike H, Mike C and Mark took on the unenviable role of the British whilst Rob and Paul sat pretty in their trenches as the Germans. The forces were divided up amongst the players and before you knew it, it was 7.30am on that bright sunny morning on 1st July 1916.
The British were given the freedom to play the game out however they wanted. Their objectives were the 3 fortified villages of Serre, Beaumont Hamel and Thiepval as well as the Hawthorne mine crater. After an initial advance all along the line and suffering not inconsiderable losses from German guns and machine guns, the british line began to constrict on itself and probes continued on a narrower front. Beaumont Hamel and the Hawthorne crater became the focus of attention.
This shows the view from behind the British lines as an assault heads towards the Hawthorne crater.
Here is a view down the German frontline trenches from Serre. As can be seen, the German wire was intact. The first British troops have reached the wire but are subjected to artillery barrages and suffer heavy casualties.
A photograph from Serre across to the British lines. The devastation on the village is evident.
An aerial view of a British bombardment off the Hawthorne ridge. Although it looks impressive, few casualties were caused once the smoke had cleared. The Germans were clearly safe in their bunkers 40' underground!
A view back down the line from in front of Thiepval.
Another view from Thiepval towards the main area of fighting.
Several assaults had been beaten back by the Germans, but here we can see one of the few times the German trenches were overrun.
Although not really clear, the British attack has reached Beaumont Hamel. This was the high tide of the British advance. Bapaume was some way off.
Beaumont Hamel is at the centre of the picture and British units can be seen in front of it. Unfortunately the British just couldn't consolidate their gains and had the game continued they would have been froced back towards their starting positions.
The players.
It was a great game and well worth the effort. Les made the comment that the table demonstrated that you could make a good looking game that used squares for movement. I never doubted it to be honest. I do think its a bit of smoke and mirrors. Using the same paint to paint the trenches and the cloth helped to blend the trench pieces in. The same paint was used to base the figures. I did agonise for a day or so over whether to add flock to the figures bases and gave in in the end. The green certainly brightens up the base.
The game play itself was pretty smooth and I have to thank Rob Roriston for keeping things moving down his end of the table. Rob had a stinking cold but soldiered on regardless. Thanks Rob! All the players entered into the spirit of the game and there was no moaning at poor dice or bad luck. The British were always in for a tough game. Abwehrslacht, who runs the Storm of Steel blog, had a similar experience. And lets face it, it wouldn't have been much of a recreation if the British just steamrollered across the German lines.
I'll no doubt trot the game out down at the Stoke club in due course and maybe take it to a show. Here is a quick little video of some the gameplay towards the end of the game.
More soon...
Literally everything on the table had been bought and painted for this one game. A bit mad but I thoroughly enjoyed my time.
The trenches and some of the shellholes were all from the excellent Ironclad Miniatures. The cloth and other shellholes were from Magnetic Displays. I painted the cloth in various craft acrylics to resemble the battlefield on the first day. From relatively untouched at the British lines to greatly disturbed ground after the 7 days of bombardment around the German lines and the three villages. The trees were from Tablescape. The Hawthorne mine crater was an old GW crater with added bits of rubbish. The towns were a mix of some MDF ruins from an ebay seller. Other bits were from Ironclad. There is a ruined Peter Pig house just the other side of Thiepval wood.
Of course, all figures are from Peter Pig painted by myself. Most of the paint work was done in the last 4 weeks. Some of the Germans has been started over a year ago but never finished.
As I have said previously the game is heavily influenced by the scenario found at the excellent Storm of Steel blog . I extended it out to a 6' wide table and increased the sizes of the forces by roughly 50% of those used on the Storm of Steel blog. Mike H, Mike C and Mark took on the unenviable role of the British whilst Rob and Paul sat pretty in their trenches as the Germans. The forces were divided up amongst the players and before you knew it, it was 7.30am on that bright sunny morning on 1st July 1916.
The British were given the freedom to play the game out however they wanted. Their objectives were the 3 fortified villages of Serre, Beaumont Hamel and Thiepval as well as the Hawthorne mine crater. After an initial advance all along the line and suffering not inconsiderable losses from German guns and machine guns, the british line began to constrict on itself and probes continued on a narrower front. Beaumont Hamel and the Hawthorne crater became the focus of attention.
This shows the view from behind the British lines as an assault heads towards the Hawthorne crater.
Here is a view down the German frontline trenches from Serre. As can be seen, the German wire was intact. The first British troops have reached the wire but are subjected to artillery barrages and suffer heavy casualties.
A photograph from Serre across to the British lines. The devastation on the village is evident.
An aerial view of a British bombardment off the Hawthorne ridge. Although it looks impressive, few casualties were caused once the smoke had cleared. The Germans were clearly safe in their bunkers 40' underground!
A view back down the line from in front of Thiepval.
Another view from Thiepval towards the main area of fighting.
Several assaults had been beaten back by the Germans, but here we can see one of the few times the German trenches were overrun.
Although not really clear, the British attack has reached Beaumont Hamel. This was the high tide of the British advance. Bapaume was some way off.
Beaumont Hamel is at the centre of the picture and British units can be seen in front of it. Unfortunately the British just couldn't consolidate their gains and had the game continued they would have been froced back towards their starting positions.
The players.
It was a great game and well worth the effort. Les made the comment that the table demonstrated that you could make a good looking game that used squares for movement. I never doubted it to be honest. I do think its a bit of smoke and mirrors. Using the same paint to paint the trenches and the cloth helped to blend the trench pieces in. The same paint was used to base the figures. I did agonise for a day or so over whether to add flock to the figures bases and gave in in the end. The green certainly brightens up the base.
The game play itself was pretty smooth and I have to thank Rob Roriston for keeping things moving down his end of the table. Rob had a stinking cold but soldiered on regardless. Thanks Rob! All the players entered into the spirit of the game and there was no moaning at poor dice or bad luck. The British were always in for a tough game. Abwehrslacht, who runs the Storm of Steel blog, had a similar experience. And lets face it, it wouldn't have been much of a recreation if the British just steamrollered across the German lines.
I'll no doubt trot the game out down at the Stoke club in due course and maybe take it to a show. Here is a quick little video of some the gameplay towards the end of the game.
More soon...
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