Expanding the blog

I have decided that I am going to expand this blog into the other games I play and paint. Careful use of labels should keep it all fairly in order and aid navigation.

After thoughts (and brief effort) on starting a new general blog and keeping this running too, the ease of just having the one site makes so much more sense.

So the main things to expect in addition to the M&T are -

Saga - lots of it, for as you may know I have a very minor role within the Saga system and it is something I just love.

Wargods of Aegyptus - A system and figures I particularly enjoy. Mr Fitzpatrick really does some wonderful sculpts and the painting style of these in the age it is set is really cool to.

15mm - I am slowly working out some Gruntz pieces and Critical Mass games bits. My little jaunt into sci fi.

Roleplaying odds and ends - I love adding odd figures to my collection of stuff for use when we are doing D&D and Dark Heresy. A great excuse for those weird and wonderful one off figures you just can't resist on occassion.

Those cover the main things that take up my time, but occasionally other systems pop up too for a little reworking or additions etc. It will be nice to have somewhere to mention them.

Can't stop without adding a couple of old pictures, so here we are -

Firstly the last group shot of all my painted saga figures at the time -

A couple of 15mm walkers from Critical Mass

An Osiris unit from wargods of aegyptus converted to use javelins.

Cheers, John.

Painted Miniatures Massive Update

Time for a massive update with some glorious (for me taking them) pictures.

As I stated previously I have made some good inroads into my M&T figure pile. About time to show some of the goodness off.

Firstly, we have the progress that has been made on some of my British. Namely, a regular officer and a couple of his men. I have one more done now and another of the ten started. Slow progress on these, but they don't encourage my usual style of painting. I like how they are turning out though. I think they will look very impressive as a unit on the table.

Next we have some French stuff. Here is an Officer, and then him and 6 Chasseurs.

Here are the first three of my converted Cois de Bois/Canadian types. Still a little work to be done, but overall I am pleased with these and how they turned out. (the one in the flat cap will be the unit commander)

Lastly I have left my Indian Units. These are for my French forces. The first unit is painted by me, The second unit (with the white jackets) are painted by my friend Stu, (who will be the one mostly using them) and what a cracking job he has done for sure. They actually stand/blend together as units on the table quite well.

Comments and criticisms are most welcome, Cheers, John.

45th Regiment of Foot

Borrowed off the web for my sins, this is a brief about a unit I am basing my Regulars around.

45th Regiment of Foot

History

The 45th Regiment was raised in 1741 as Houghton's Regiment, for service during the War of the Austrian Succession. It was first posted to Gibraltar in 1745, before moving to Nova Scotia in 1747 for garrison duty. In 1758 the regiment fought in the Siege of Louisburg. which became the regiments first battle honor.

From 1774 the regiment was in action in North America during the American War of Independence, fighting in the battles of Long Island, Philadelphia, Brandywine Creek and Germantown. In 1783 they returned home to Nottingham, where the citizens petitioned for the regiment to be named "the Nottinghamshire regiment". This was granted the same year, becoming the 45th (1st Nottinghamshire) Regiment.
The regiment returned to the Americas in 1786, spending the next 16 years, with one break, in the West Indies. During this time they saw action against the French as part of the French Revolutionary Wars, at Martinique, Dominica and Les Saintes.

After an expedition to South America in 1807, fighting at Buenos Aires, the 45th returned to Britain, to take part in Wellington's Peninsular campaign. In this they fought in every major action, winning the nickname "Old Stubborns" at Talavera, and being commended at Busaco and Badajoz.

Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars the Nottinghamshires served in a series of colonial campaigns. In 1819 they were in Ceylon, and in 1824 in the First Burma War. In 1843 they were in South Africa for the First Kaffir War, and in 1851 for the Second. In 1867, now called the 45th Nottinghamshire Regiment (Sherwood Foresters), they took part in the Abyssinian campaign.
In 1881, as part of the Childers Reforms, the 45th was amalgamated with the 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment to form the Sherwood Foresters.

5 months and Trappers.

Well I see lots of 1/2 year reports on some of the blogs I visit. Perhaps I will jump on the band wagon a little here, and also show something I have been working on.

It is actually 5 months since I started this blog, and my attention has been a little diverted from time to time I will confess. From health issues with the wife, and other various home things, and my Saga duties and enjoyment, my M&T experiance has been very slow in coming to fruition. But slow is not always a bad thing.

I have been working away painting the odd figure and getting up to my target of two 300pt armys finished. Still not there yet but it is one of those things that is destined to be a wonderful diversion for me from the masses of Saga and other things I am working on.

The way things are so far =

British -

7 Rangers Finished.
6 Indians Finished.
10 Regulars - 2 done, 8 to go.
Officer - Unpainted
8 Light infantry - Unpainted
10 Light infantry - Unpainted

French -

Indian Officer Finished
6 Indians Finished
6 Indians Finished (painted by my friend Stu)
6 Chasseurs Finished
Officer Finished
10 Regulars - Unpainted

So, they are getting there.

 Something I am working on, for my French, is some figures I can use as Coureurs des Bois/Canadian locally raised militia.

To make these, a brief bit of explaining. Early in the year I got very lucky on ebay and won a dirt cheap bid on 24 Front Rank British Light infantry. (actually they are called Battalion Company, but they will do as Light Infantry for me) (basically the guys are on pictures 1,2 and 8 here - Link to Pictures

Sorting through them, I have organised two units, one of 8, and one of 10. This left me 6 spares....

Now my poor French are lacking in figures compared to the British, and as I was looking at the 6 figures I decided I would adapt them for my French forces. Chopping the hats a little, and some green stuff work presented me with some home made Canadians. Hope you enjoy, I mostly finished the first one today. Just a little touching up of the leggings and some basing and we are good to go.

I think he has turned out quite well, and certainly has a bit of a trapper look about him. Just leaves 5 to go..

Cheers, John.

Long Overdue

Very long overdue for a post on my blog.

Life has been going along reasonably well. I have been up to my neck in lots and lots of Saga related stuff though, so my M&T has taken a bit of a back burner for the moment.

I have slowly been adding painted figures to the mix though in preparation.

Here is a shot of the Indians I have for my British Forces. I got these via a trade on the Lead Adventures forum. Very nice figures that were enjoyable to paint. They fit in well scale wise with the Front Rank stuff, just being a little leaner in appearance.

I also have the first two of my British Regulars painted. One of the guys (the one in the back of this picture) decided to jump off the table, which broke off his bayonet. Rather than try fix it, I decided to file the end down more and utilise him as my leader figure for the unit. (he now stands out as the only one with no bayonet)

I also have two French officers painted, two of my French marines, and 13 Indians (all front Rank) for my French forces done. (7 Indians done by me, the other 6 done by my friend Stu exceedingly well). Sadly my camera eats batteries so these were all the shots I could get at the moment.

In other developments, another friend of mine has nearly completed his AWI American force, so a game should be in the offing very soon.

More to come soon, when my Saga works and life allows,

Cheers, John.

Some New Painting

I have finally managed to get into the garage and do a little painting. The paint has thawed out, the stereo is working and my feet don't lose all feeling after one minute. Spring must be here hurrah.

First up an apology, as my camera skills clearly have not improved any....

A shot of the rangers first, I know I have shown these before, but hopefully a shot showing them off not too badly and without photo shop brightening and other japes.

Next we have some of the new stuff. Four of my Indians. One of the others just needs varnish, and the sixth is under way. These are for use with my French list. As an interesting note, I have another six Indians for my French too. My friend is painting those for me as he is the one primarily playing with them. A cunning plan indeed, especially as he is a rather cracking painter. From what I have seen though so far, they are going to blend in rather well with mine too.

We then have my first efforts at painting my French Marines - A little artistic licence I suspect on historical colour schemes, but I am working with what I have for these (and they are supposed to look a little less standard uniform I believe from the historical side of things too)

Officer first -

 Followed by the sergeant of the first unit -

They have actually turned out not too bad in the flesh. One day I will take the time to get some much better photos. I think I will make sure the bases are all finished first though.

Lifes Little Delays

As the post title says, Life has a way of delaying the gaming experience every now and again.

At the end of January, my wife went in for a minor operation.

Unfortunately some complications from the surgery have made it a very long recovery period.

She is getting better, but it is a long, slow (and very painful for her) process.

Hence no real time for me to hit the Blog or do a lot of my gaming related things at present.

I have managed to base a few British Light Infantry (24 erm yes I am sure I need that many....) I picked up off Ebay (Front Rank again).

I also did a trade for some of the Warlord Games Indians (6 in total I kept, 1 I gave to a friend to use as a Sachem with his Crusader Indian deal he picked up) which I have based.

Warm weather (well warmer) helps promote my chances to get out to the garage and begin a little painting soon.

Still more will come, as things start to slowly ease back to more normal routines.

Cheers, John.