9 April 2024: From little things, big things grow...tv ad

World of Boreships

Been busy past few days playing the last few phases of the Dockyard Event now that the next phase missions have been released. Just grinding for Base XP to complete the required six missions to unlock the final reward, the US Tier X battleship Wisconsin. About 9,400+ Base XP left to earn from the original 25,000 needed. Once obtained, I am going to run her in Asymmetric to see how she handles the competition.

Should have run battleships as it would have been faster earning the required base XP running the Ohio in Asymmetric but opted for destroyers instead because they offered better options with tasks whereas battleships would have only two possible choices against the four or five options that destroyers are able to access. And they proved it the first day of the release when completed the first two tasks using just the destroyers Goningen and Okhotnik.

Anyway, going to run all my Tier V, VI, and VII DDs - all fifty-two of them - for this final task. Play them once. Both Tech Tree line and Premiums. Gives me the opportunity to familiarise myself (again) with the different play styles of many as I have not played many in months or over a year. The number of ships is a reasonable estimate of how much base XP I expect to earn playing just Co-Op. It would be lesser ships required for sure if I played either Random or Ranked. I am hoping I can close it out with just thirty-odd but that's expecting a lot. Why place unnecessary pressure when it's not needed.

I do have my favourites among the group. I tend to run my Upskill-21 skipper program on certain Premiums because you can do this without retraining. For instance, I like to take out the Tier V Russian destroyer Okhotnik (often referred to jokingly by some as a war canoe because of its gun line arrangment) and plonk my legendary commander Kuznetsov on her to improve his skill level which currently sits at 17. With four launchers, the Russian DD is quite effective up close against enemy battleships, and her guns means she can take on even light cruisers as well as other enemy destroyers.

Did the same with the Tier VII US cruiser Atlanta. Swapped the existing captain with my 20-pt captain (presently assigned to the Tier X tech tree line battleship Vermont) so that she could complete her specific task assigned to her specific ship type which was completed today. She too carries torps as well as having decent AA which pertained to the specific mission task which was down 90 aircraft. 

As I type this, the next naval battle involving the clan is now active. Again it's Base XP being sought after. Usually it's against clans from a different region's server when this is the case. Last one was against a clan on the European server. But sometimes there are no opponents and it was just a solo race to see how much we could earn to improve the clan's ranking regionally as well as globally. 

It's Clan battles season that really matters however, and the main event for all clans - apart from hosted events  and competitive tournaments. I actually took part in a clan battle awhile back. It was against a clan from the North American server. I didn't perform well. Nerves. 

I will help the clan though in Naval Battles when and where I can. Even if it means jumping into Random battles (and Ranked) because base XP earned there is much higher providing you perform well. As I did in the last Naval Battle. Played seven games. On the winning side in two of them. 

More importantly, I earned sufficient base XP to earn stars for the clan, and earned an extra two games bonus for everyone in the clan. This option is only allocated to specific ship classes and nations (it is different every round of Naval Battles engagements). Not all the nation's ships line are represented however. 

But it's not just base XP that seems the mainstay of missions in Naval Battles; occasionally it will be simply a race to earn the most number of ribbons. I have yet to see any other types of engagements. 

I also learned something about playing DDs during the latest Naval Battles set - in particular, their role and their limitations. Funny how things suddenly click after a while. Remember the same when I was in the Army; over time it all starts to make sense. Before that though, you rely on your training to keep you moving along until that sudden moment of illuminated clarity and understanding hits you.

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11 April 2024: Dockyard event - Big Whiskey

Played my DDs to finish off the last mission task. And got the Wisconsin.

Ran it in one game as soon as she appeared in my port. Scored several citadels on that old stalwart of the game, the USS Montana. Poor dispersion at longer ranges though dampened my excitement a little.  At mid- to close-in ranges, she's potent for sure. Got one of those funny buttons (F key) that does something but not sure what exactly as I was more concentrated shooting at long-range targets but was a bit too slow as my more swifter and accurate teammates. It figures... 

But am reasonably hopeful that it will earn its spurs in what remains of the highly popular Asymmetric battle mode which, incidentally, is being removed again at the next update in a few days. Seems the battle mode was only permanent for the entire current update despite clamours and player requests to make it permanent permanent.

By the way, I didn't need the full fifty-two: managed it with just twenty-five destroyers (in Co-Op mode mind you; if it had been Randoms or Ranked, it would have even been less).  

Tomorrow it's helping the clan out time. Noticed it's not doing well against an NA server clan who presently has the upper hand when I checked on our clan's progress. At least I have fourteen attempts to contribute. Not liking the options however as the bonuses (which are different every engagement) reside mainly with specific submarine and carrier classes of different nations. These are two classes I avoid preferring the more conventional surface ship classes. 

If they were to nerf subs and carriers closer to their actual historical stats instead of being the highly fantastical classes they currently are, then maybe I might be interested. But then the Soviet classes of surface ships that are just figments of the designers imaginations are in the game and on par and, in many cases, excel over that of their more famous and historical counterparts in this game. 

You take the bad and awfully ridiculous on board because there are still good elements to playing this game, a game that I've been playing since 2019 and will do so because it's those good elements that still keep me interested. That, and the amount of money (gambling) I've invested into this game. Like the tv ad against gambling by the gambling organisations themselves keeps proclaiming: I don't have a problem. You do! Lol. 

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Postscript: In Naval Battles today, I was faced with running French cruisers if I wanted to earn the +2 attempt bonus for the clan. It was the only available option that was not submarines or carriers. Had 14 attempts. Did not succeed in my endeavour however. Started off well enough with first three attempts in the Emile Bertin seeing three victories for our side but I was not able to reach the bar set at 1700+ Base XP goal. Tried next with the Toulon. That started the run of defeats began. Finished the attempts running De Grasse. Even ran my French Legendary commander, Philippe Auboyneau on both Toulon and then De Grasse. No luck despite being on the winning side a couple more times. 

On reflection it might have been smarter to ignore the bonus attempt and simply reach the bars using the other ships. At least, I could run DDs and BBs, two classes I have good enough chances of success. I am not good in cruisers consistently enough. This round of Naval Battles only presented four options with the +2 bonus attached - two in subs, one in carrier, and one cruiser.

Winrate took a dive although I've been swimming in the 41% range for several months now. Not really concerned though. Today's Random games was also not so toxic although there were the occasional moments when players trolled their own teammates or generally exhibited negativity throughout the play. 

Highlight from these fourteen attempts was playing the Two Brothers map as I was nearing the end of my attempts in the De Grasse. Our trio consisted of one battleship, me in my cruiser, and a destroyer. We spawned on northern side of the map on the western flank; we were therefore heading south. It was an excellent game, I thought, as we successfully battled two enemy destroyers (Jervis and Cossack), two cruisers (Emerald and Nurnberg), and two battleships (Fuso and one other whose name I forget). We cleaned up our flank slowly driving forward and pushing the enemy back as we advanced. And managing to win the flank. Unfortunately, we were so engrossed in our mini-battle that we forgot about the rest of the match and the fact the enemy had managed to cap our base. Lost our destroyer but gained another friendly cruiser in our push. 

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12 April 2024: English Civic Disagreements

WIP photos of my latest painting endeavours....basecoating stage done on nearly all bar one unit from the selected collective. Not rushing the painting however. No need with this list.

Lord Fairfax (Head honcho). Not much to do regarding this Army commander which is probably a good thing by my reckoning. Not nearly as famous as his rival, the Lord Protector, but a battlefield commander of talent nonetheless. And I am liking the colour scheme for this figure - elegant, simple. Reminiscent of the plain understated yet classy uniforms of the Austrian Empire of the 18th and 19th centuries. 

Parliament general whom I am naming Sir Norris Chuck (incidentally a future descendant will become famous for something). A fictitious name to go with a fictitious hero. His fictitious heroic deeds may one day be made known to a wider audience maybe in film form. I hear Peter Jackson is available. No, wait...he's currently engaged in producing another two LOTR movies for Warner Bros. Really? Going one better than the LOTR trilogy? Hoping it bombs. 

"The Three Amigos" - Couriers Meenie, Mynee, Moe. Good things come in threes, so they say. And this trio are no exception to the rule. Bearers of important and often good news, they will spread far and wide over the battlefield preaching the gospel to the good Parliamentary folks everywhere. About to commence the detailing part.

Sidenote: Drafted up the other factions Order Cards. But I have opted not to print them out just yet as I need to check page alignments first before commencing a final print run.

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12 April 2024: Bellicose and Bothered

Working on a producing a laminated warband sheet as well as spell cards. It would be handy to have a set of cards readily available without having to constantly refer to the rulebook. Also looking at a suitable QRS (Quick Reference Sheet). There are plenty available online to download and print out for both warband sheet and QRS so may not devote as much time creating our own version.

Magic User Spell cards

My wish was to go with a larger card. Done enough small cards but thinking this game, skirmish though it might be, deserves something befitting its status as our new primary skirmish game. I keep seeing an image of those larger magic card types for some reason. Which will provide the necessary inspiration to make a start on these new cards. 

Did a simple draft design using the MTG (Magic The Gathering) size template of 2.5" by 3.5". Not completely convinced however as I still think a larger card size would be ideal as you get cramping as the test page shows below. 

Browser keeps referring back to MTG whenever I type in "magic card sizes". Anyway, wanted to test the colours chosen for each magic class. Card back is undecided at the moment although this test run has the title of the magic class - Natural Magic - with the conditions necessary to use the magic. It will be repeated for the other classes - Light, Dark, Wild, Unbound, and Noble.

WIP photos of my Owl-Bear Fidgad. He is a pretty big thing deserving of a name. Fidgad, however, is not a common name which suits this uncommon creature. His identical twin, Fidgaf, is camera-shy but is just as fearsome. You would never tell who you are going to face when they're together prowling the landscape in hunt of food. To make it confusing, their sire is Foidgaf. Lucky their mother's name is easier to remember, Didgah.

Still in basecoating stage. Adding bits of colour here and there as the fancy takes it. No hurry. Slow and steady. PS: don't call Fidgad Fido; he doesn't like that. Cheers.

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Fidgad - Frankly I Don't Give A Damn
Fidgaf - Frankly I Don't Give A F**k
Foidgaf - F**k Off I Don't Give Any F**ks!
Didgah - Darling, I Don't Give A Hoot

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7 April 2024: On a roll...

Some more painting during the night owl session.

After some fiddling trying to work out how to assemble this two-part piece, I applied orange as my primer coat. Then successive washes using combinations of orange, white, and yellow as well as drybrushing using the same colours. No idea what the actual final colour scheme will look like but content for now to continue layering.

Lord Fairfax. As he's my army commander, mounting him on a white horse. He's suited up in armour too according to the model. No lifeguard unit as yet (part of the next order). He came as part of a group that look to be pre-New Model. Therefore wondering if this is Fairfax the Elder, not his more illustrious son. Never mind if it is; he's a Fairfax and it's all that matters to me right now. 

Part of Fairfax's retinue - a Parliament general. What you might call a floater or a troubleshooter, ready to help out wherever needed. Like Lord Fairfax, he too is armoured and is wearing an orange cape. No 'S' though. 

The "Three Amigos". Couriers all, part of the general's headquarters. Mounting them on 20mm x 60mm rectangular bases so that they can attach more easily to whatever unit they're reporting to. Gave each a distinctive coloured cape to distinguish from the brigade commanders. All are wearing newly issued red coats; two are also wearing the standard buff jacket as an overcoat.

Finally, another field gun crew but no field gun...yet. Cheers.

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Updated Post: 8 May 2024

My Victory Without Quarter Orders Cards for the New Model Army. Sixteen cards in total:

• Army Commander (1)
• Brigade Commander (5)
• Reload (2)
• Artillery (2)
• Courier (1)
• Reinforce(ment) (1)
• Blank (1)
• EVENT (1)
• TURN OVER (2)

Workable test run. Keen to do another set but with some revisions - do a run with heavier card stock and laminating pouch (above example is 80 for both paper and pouch). Used a 7mm corner cutter to make the cards look both acceptable to the eye as well as playable. Wouldn't want to bet with them however knowing my dice rolls of late.

Bought replacement toner ink as well as a cheap laminator (same brand that crapped out on me recently only this time with a 1 year warranty not that it matters as I don't laminate often) today in order to complete the unfinished print run. 

Now I can concentrate on finishing some minis. Basecoating part that is; the fine detailing and flocking will probably take another couple of months before I can confidently declare my New Model army ready for tabletop gaming. Cheers.

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6 April 2024: "Time is made up of zones..." Dave Allen

A WIP short report showing a typical hobby-filled day. Well sorta...Did little really during the night session other than focusing on faces, swords, and hats with some new acrylics acquired the other day. Still in the basecoating stage. 

Did a test display to see how they are looking. Units are Pickering's Foot and Butler's Horse, part of the New Model. They're looking good so far. Going to work on the pikes for the Foot unit next before attaching them. As for the Ironsides, I'm going to start gluing them to their base once I've finished the detailing stage.

The lone command figure of Earl of Manchester was added simply because I like looking at it. Will likely paint up Lord Fairfax next so will have a new model to adore. 

Mostly worked on my set of Orders Cards during the night owl session. Did a test print run and was pleased enough with the output apart from a few design and printing problems - low toner ink, page alignments, etc. Hoping to have the deck printed and laminated and ready to use by next weekend.

Cheers...

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After kipping a few hours I awoke and began to finish the design part of the Orders Card but then ran out of toner ink as I was attempting to output a test print of the second page. Initially it was aligning of the front and back pages that took up numerous test print runs. In the end, after several attempts, I believe I had got it right then printer said "Change my ink toner, sir". Dang!

To top off the long day, the cheap laminator I had would not heat up. Tried several times. So, a new set of laser printer ink toners and a new laminator are happening this week. Mind you, the last time I used the laminator was several months ago. And this brand has the habit of working fine for a while before going belly up, contrary to the glowing reports otherwise on the retailer's website for this laminator. 

Anyway, this is the final design I've come up with for my own personal card set. Using MS Paint for the designing part. Bare-basic but functional. 

Front of card shown above. Keeping it simple after receiving feedback and corrections from the gaming group. Banding is in the various faction colour, in this case Parliament. Easy enough to switch to different factions by changing the banding colour - Blue for Montrose, Light Blue for Covenanters, and Red for Royalists. 

Back of the card. Copying the style from another card set I own, the naval dreadnought set. Image is a snippet from a familiar ECW painting. Dispensed with the "Victory Without Quarter" wording as there is no need to overstate the obvious. Once I buy the new laminator, I will post images of the set of sixteen cards.

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While hunting down the laminator, which was in the same room all along, I came across my loot from both Briscon and the Dice Spot.

Owl-bear, 3D printed monster. Size comparison with my Oathmark B&B weasel crossbowman which incidentally came off its base when I attempted (stupidly) to bend the figure forward using brute strength: figure ripped from its base and now needs regluing. 

Anyone who really knows me knows that I exhibit obsessive compulsive behaviour traits. Such is my fascination - almost obsession - for dice explained. Long ago I had a very large dice collection; sadly I had to sell them off. Anyway, visiting Dice Spot on the hunt for some poly dice sets, I happened on these going cheaply (well, $8 is cheap compared to what they're selling for nowadays). Bought what remained and going at this fabulous bargain price. In the process I kept laughing to myself. Am I about to resume my dice collection anew, I wonder.

Spotted these first. It was the colour that caught my eye. Easily my favourite set even if they would roll awful during the first Rickyton B&B game.

 

Liking this set more and more each time I view them. But at first glance, I found the colour combination odd. But they performed well enough in the second Rickyton B&B game so they are worming their way into my affection.

Blue and white set. 

Purple and gold set.

I call these red even though they're more red-purple or red-violet. 

What is missing is a green set. But this was all that was left on the dice stand at the shop. Mate bought a similar set (blue and white) but they cost him over ten dollars! Definitely got the bargain but lost the game so it evens out.

However, today I discovered another set from Oathmark which was part of the first warband bundle I purchased some time back, buried and forgotten until now. 

All dice are Chessex brand. You can easily tell by their numbers and the slightly rounded edges and corners. Chessex is US. They do custom orders as when I had recourse to purchase a custom lot for my FoGN tournament many years back. And they formed a large part of my dice collection back in the day. Also got other brands but Chessex for the win for me. Just enjoyed their style without being too ostentatious or gaudy or weird. Just dice. Cheers....

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Thinking we need a dice tower...

4 May 2024: "What have the Romans ever done for us?!" Life of Brian

Briscon 2024

May the Fourth be with you.

Went to Briscon today with my gaming buddy. Ostensibly on the hunt for minis for our Brisket & Bratwurst skirmish game. And just enjoy the day out mingling with other gamers and hobbyists. Keen on sighting the massive large historical battle exhibition. Some photos from the day out.

Demo game. Maustrian Wars of Succheesion. Napoleonic in style. Attractive minis. 

Demo game. 6mm Team Yankee. Baltic port scenario circa 1985 (WW3)...I found the setup really appealing.

Historical demo game of the Battle of Wagram in 6mm. Guys travelled interstate to showcase their devotion with us. L-shape battleground. Highlight for me. Held in a small shed with Austrian and French empire flags signalling their presence to the visitors.

Bought an owl-bear, which should make a handy large beast addition to my growing B&B warband. 

Sighted several games like the usual - X Wing, Warhammer, Team Yankee, and so on. Not as many as previous Briscons. And fewer participants. They also mingled the Traders in with the tabletop games. First venue we entered was the Boardgame section. Quickly exited that place however. They had medieval combat display happening next to the Dagwood stand which was interesting - meals in a combat setting. The demo participation section was sparsely patronised which was a bit disappointing. And no historical gaming apart from Bolt Action which I don't recall seeing. 

The lengthy Bring & Buy queue put us off so we wandered about visiting the various games and trade stands before buying a Dagwood dog and departing. 

Popped into Dice Spot (Wavell Heights) on the way home to purchase some items. Gaming buddy bought some dastardly mices for our late arvo skirmish game. I ended up with some flocking and a bunch of poly dice sets - percentage, d20, d12, d10, d8, d6, d4 - selling cheaply ($8 each). 

Shout out to Rod Duke and Dave Cross, two gaming comrades whom we ran into at Briscon. Top blokes. Judging from our conversations, they're still involved with whatever is taking their fancy at the moment. Had to chuckle when Rod told us of his ongoing endeavours to rebase thousands of 15mm historicals he acquired some time ago. And I mean literally thousands!

Shout out also to a new trader - Nemesis 3D Studio - physical 3D prints. First time at Briscon. Always happy to support newcomers to the hobby. Here's hoping he establishes himself. And buy himself new pyjamas. Lol.

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Boogers & Blowhards

Finished off our day's outing with a couple of games of B&B. 

Both warbands face off. My gaming buddy's new warband are facing off against my selection (foreground) - from left to right (background) one samurai mice (leader), one cat ranger, two mice rangers, and one mice druid. It's a start and they performed very well for their first run. Played the treasure hunt scenario twice on an improvised terrain setting.

Plonked some terrain down to create Rickyton hamlet. As mentioned, skirmishes involved the familiar treasure scenario from previous efforts. Objective the same: search through the hamlet buildings. Roll 2d6 to determine if treasure found (needing 11 or 12), any doubles rewards with a treasure map. All other rolls means area is searched but no treasure or map, and area cannot be re-searched. All searchable areas are marked in yellow stars (as shown below). 

Areas affecting movement are marked in red crosses (roll die pertaining to movement attribute for each particular creature). Deployment zones indicated by blue arrows. The village of Rickyton, was the scene for both skirmish games. First game was quickly done when the various sites were all searched yielding only one treasure map. Gaming buddy victor.

For the second game we modified the objectives. Deployment was the same as Game 1. But this time only one objective, located on the side of your opponent (image above). So my warband had to make for the old stonehenge on the hill while my opponent had to search the manor house. First to reach their objective and search won. 

My warband was hindered by the magic wielded by the opposing druid using the Dampener spell which, if successfully cast, would last for d4 turns. In the game, the first time it was cast, I could not cast any spells for four turns without a -3 penalty for casting. Second time it was used lasted for two turns. By that time, the samurai mouse leader had quietly entered and searched the building while my trio stationed there were busily occupied fighting off the other enemy. Gaming buddy victor twice. 

Next meetup in a month or so will see us playtest the game using one of the scenarios. We are hoping to fulfil the requirements for fielding a warband from costing to equipment and spells. 

And I am hoping to learn to cope better with the magic casting. Gaming buddy adapting faster to the game than I by the way. 

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PS: We have since corrected our understanding (or interpretation) of the spell casting, such as the Transpose Spell. It IS the difference between roll-offs with the difference deciding the number of casualties inflicted. Apologies to anyone reading our Toad Hall adventures. 

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World of Warships - review of the week of daily gaming

Only three more phases to go in the latest Dockyard Event before receiving Wisconsin (Big Whiskey). That should happen next week when they release the next mission series. 

Next Naval Battles (a weekend event) is the never-ending hunt for BASE XP, an item that is hard to obtain unless one plays certain battle modes like Randoms (which I am not a fan) and Ranked (which I avoid although haven't played in a long long while). Wondering if I can complete this playing Asymmetric although I believe it doesn't count. It doesn't count in Operations while Co-Op has a very low cap, good enough for the first level of achievement but that's all; the higher levels you have to find other Battles modes such as Randoms or Ranked. Not sure about Brawls as I haven't played it in a long while. May suss that out this long weekend.

Rest of the time I just log in to collect the daily reward, read what's happening, maybe play a couple of games (like I did with my blue-camo'd Tier VII British battleship King George V the other day). Or play for Divisional stars with other clan members when invited.

KGV is its distinctive blue-black camo scheme.

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English Civil War - WIP

Slow progress. Very s-l-o-w... (some ongoing WIP pics below). Last night, I could not be bothered so just basecoated the various bases using burnt umber. In future endeavours I will apply sand, dry brush a lighter tone, and then spend time being "artistic" with the static grass and floral arrangements to make these figures eye-appealing. 

Okey's dragoons in dismounted mode. Liking the arrangement I've come up with.

Vermuyden's Horse. Used the Burnt Umber to also paint the horses. For variety, I used burnt sienna for the lighter-coloured mounts. The other two will either be greys, blacks or whites.

Pickering's Foot command stand - officer, drummer, two standard bearers (ensigns). 

Commanders and artillery crews on their basecoated bases. 

Going to check out the situation of dissent amongst the Parliamentary forces over differences within the same religion (courtesy of the reading I am doing). Something about Levellers has been mentioned several times. And mutinies were common enough. Sounds interesting as a potential small game scenario. Will see where it leads.

Currently drafting up Orders Cards although I no longer require the full Show set so will be doing a small set for my own use. Will post image of the finished output soon. Cheers.  

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2 May 2024: For my boy Oliver

Preamble

Still got the lingering lurgy. Did not take my flu shots this year and probably paying for it. But I reckon it's more to do with being physical exhausted, old age, and the cold weather, all combining to bring me low. That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it. 

I am making slow and messy but continued progress through my ECW minis. Current problem: how to prevent them from coming apart due to rough and constant manhandling. Know about pinning but the simple question of how to align the pins is a constant worry to my unaccomplished engineering brain. Been uppermost ever since I cast a painting eye in their direction. Using gorilla glue to affix to their bases because it's been recommended and does work as its name implies. But for those figures that come in parts, how to secure them is a problem worth solving. On my own. 

Excuse the various states and stages of unfinished-ness(?) in these next photos but these are WIP shots. Before-and-After shots are fine enough but I like to post a little different - warts and all. 

Oliver

But before that happens, this is my boy Oliver. 

He and I bonded ever since I spotted him at the pet shop, looking alone and abandoned, the runt amongst a group of kittens. He is so reminiscent of my first-ever cat, my beautiful Burmese boy Pippin, who passed away two years ago. Oliver loves to talks to me...always, sits right in front of my face when he wants attention, and follows me around like my shadow. Love the little guy so much. He has a knack for calming me down whenever I get testy at something outside of my world that irritates me. He has a personality. He is placid though and sometimes bullied by his brother, Albert, who is a real alley cat. He can be skittish around people but once he is comfortable or familiar with their presence he comes out of his shell and socialises. His favourite perch, as with most cats, is on high; being on my shoulders satisfies that requirement and more - my shoulder is high enough and he really enjoys being close to me. While perched he likes being rubbed and drools indiscriminately. He and Sally, our cavoodle, are like brother and sister. Along with Albert, they are my hobby companions. Sam, our other dog, is old - going deaf and with limited vision - and more attached to my wife. More so as he hobbles painfully towards seventeen years old. 

Oliver got his name because he kept wanting more as a tiny baby kitten whenever we fed him. 

English Civil War painting project

Below are WIP shots only. What's been painted so far - where shown - is either in various states of completion in the BASECOAT stage or else in the PRIMER undercoat stage. Using a combination of modelling and hobby acrylics to fulfil the basecoating part. The final detailing, repeated washes, and basing and flocking parts will follow ONCE the basecoating phase is FULLY finished.

Using several sources (mentioned in an earlier post) to copy from so nothing of original or imagined design. All arbitrary on the actual day of painting.

 

Above shows Butler's Horse. This will be one of two Ironsides unit. These dudes are Basecoated and awaiting the next stage - detailing and basing. Looking decent at first glance.

Above shows the first figures attempted. Earls Manchester (foreground) and Essex. Glued on to old but now reused 3D printed 60mm round bases originally intended for the Borodino Project until rediscovered hidden and forgotten. Again, as stated at the beginning, once fully attached (pinned) I will complete the detailing and washes and then seal with acrylic coating or varnish. Not sure which method of sealing to use but leaning towards the former because I am rough with manhandling minis. 

 

Artillery crews for my guns. Suspecting the Falcons (regimental guns) I ordered are actually Sakers (medium artillery). The gun carriages and cannon are much too long for regimental pieces which are more shorter and compact. And the images I've consulted regarding types of cannons used during the period seem to confirm that doubt. Anyway, painted the figures off an online image reference. As they're New Model, a bit more uniformity would be acceptable. In their basecoated state but needing a touchup. Won't do any more painting though until I've finished assembling the cannons themselves and adding to the stand. Would three stands qualify as a large artillery battery then given in the house rules state that two such cannon constitute a battery?

 

Okey's dragoons. The MDF dragoon base is sized to accommodate five figures (including a mounted dragoon) from what I've seen of the other armies within the garage gaming group. But I don't see that happening with my lot without it becoming very crowded (big 25s remember!) so I have instead begun working out an arrangement to allow for a continuous line of muskets staring at the enemy's face as they stumble upon them hiding in the hedges. This arrangement - diamond for 4 figures and occupied square for 5 - is what I've come up with. The adjacent grouping show this arrangement when combined to give a continuous line of staggered dismounted dragoons. Pretty flexible looking arrangement by my reckoning. Here's hoping they'll be just as effective on the gaming table.

Went with sky blue coats as a contrast to reflect the regiment's origin resulting from an amalgamation of numerous various other Parliamentarian dragoon units drawn from throughout the country and as such many would have retained their original uniforms while awaiting the arrival of their new uniforms. A bit of leeway and variety applied in contrast to the official requirement upon the New Model creation. 

This is my first Foot unit. Did not name them at first but saw that by coincidence the facing colour (or lining of the inside of their red coats) was blue. And that matched what I learned about Pickering's Foot, one of my listed Foot regiments. Basecoated the body and leggings of the figures so far. Going slow with this lot as my interest waned a little with all these minis in one sitting. Determined not to rush it nevertheless. Still a long way to go before even considering washing and detailing.

Pikes are cut from tie wire. Others use florist wire but I've always used tie wire because it's what I know and am familiar with from my construction surveying days. Actual pikes ranged from 16 foot to 18 foot. I just took the middle (average) of the two lengths and converted it to scale and my tie wire pikes are uniformly 70 mm long. Just need to style them through shaped tips (is it worth it?) and then paint them ash wood colour. 

As yet unnamed galloper unit PRIMED and glued to their bases. Included them because they are the next cavalry unit off the painting rack. But because the garage group house rules state that mounted dragoons are excluded, these mounted are now a unit of harquebusiers instead. But naming them is the problem. Chose Vermuyden's Horse from my listing because the Dutch name appealed to me for some reason. May still stay with that. 

They're called gallopers because there are two figures per base. Trotters - usually heavy cavalry such as Cromwell's Ironsides - are three to a base. Incidentally, I've since learned that Vermuyden resigned his commission shortly after the New Model army was formed and Cromwell stepped in to take over command. 

This, folks, is where I am currently am with my ECW list painting. It's messy because I'm doing this in no particular order, as and when it suits me, and with no timetable set. Just have to curb my enthusiasm a lot by pacing myself. It can be tricky because at times it's almost like painting on a rolling stone racing down a hill! Cheers.

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30 April 2024: Big 25s

English Civil War

My 25mm ECW New Model minis are the big version, i.e., measured from the soles of the feet to eye level. The other form of measuring 25mm is from sole to top of head which can be confusing because it's very close to 20mm which is sometimes referred to as being 1/72 although it's more accurate to call it 1/76. Confused? Don't worry, so am I.  

First New Model Horse unit is almost done. Miscalculated with the standard bearer so will likely send through another order for some more suitable cavalry types for conversion soon. A work-in-progress (WIP) photo of my first Ironsides unit, based off the ECW Cavalry header image on Lancashire Games website. Basecoated only. Done mock-up to see the overall impact they will generate. Happy with what's done.

I will most likely send through another order to Lancashire Games in the next month or two partly for the standard bearer conversions and to complete my Naseby list (missing the right cavalry wing plus some more artillery). Going with the standard cavalry to foot ratio of 1:2 for the times. Eventually, if conditions improve financially, I will create a suitable Royalist opponent from the same time. King Charles I and Prince Rupert will ride again along with Aspley and Goring. And others. 

I am not expecting this ECW army list to see much game time any time apart from the odd garage game. Just a vibe I get. Sometimes strong. Sometimes wrong. But whatever the future holds, I will continue to concentrate on painting the list up to tabletop display standard using whatever source or reference tickles the fancy. 

Using multiple existing painting examples as sources of inspiration. In most cases, I will simply copy as (a) I don't suitable uniform text for reference, and (b) I've decided to take my sweet time with this painting project. No real rush. One or two units a month is a reasonable goal set. As I have eleven or thirteen units (headquarters and artillery included), that is a good solid six months work ahead of me providing I can stay healthy. 

Reading several reference texts to further familiarise myself with the period, in particular the New Model period and onwards. But knowing the history that led up to the formation of the New Model is also useful. So I've been consulting Sir Charles Firth's The Regimental History of Cromwell's Army (1940) - 2 vols for details regarding individual units. Started reading a copy of Malcolm Wanklyn and Frank Jones' A Military History of the English Civil War, 1642-1646, (2005).

There are other texts I can readily access such works such as Clarendon's The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England (1826 reprint) as well as Evelyn's work (title eludes me at the moment as I only know it exists from other sources). 

Keen to get access to Sprigg's Anglia Rediviva because it's a primary source, as well as John Okey's memoirs. Know nothing other than it's mentioned by many other contemporary and earlier historians of the period so its' definitely worth a look-see providing I can access a copy. Not sure if it will provide vital uniform and flag details - given I'm resisting the temptation to go out and buy the damn books!

Made start on first Foot unit as well. Using Osprey's Warrior 43: Matchlock Musketeer 1588-1688 (2002) by Keith Roberts (illustrator Stephen Walsh) as my current go-to for a suitable foot unit look. To date, however, my online research hasn't been all that successful, especially regarding cavalry flags and uniforms generally. Maybe it's time to purchase suitable uniform books. But there is still one avenue left to me still so will venture there first.

Foot unit (above) unnamed as yet but a start made tonight. Red coats basecoated scarlet; will lighten close to the Venice Red in progressive layering and washes. Sky blue or white stockings. Jacket lining (their facings) deep blue. Chose to paint the drummer in reverse coloured jacket. Will elaborate eventually befitting its status. Officers/standard bearers will wear civilian clothing with symbols of their rank and authority accordingly (not started yet however). 

Notice how cramped the centre portion of the Pike and Shot unit looks. Had to position the four figures make them fit the 60mm wide. Considered and experimented with reducing the number to three figures like the musketeers stands but for now I will stay with the suggested four figures per base. 

Big 25s is the reason for the tight fitting. Hinchliffe are a name brand from my past which I always wanted to own. Despite some shortcomings - some of the figures malformed or misshapen but nothing overly obvious - I am content to make-do. And I reckon these will come up nicely and make an attractive addition to my gaming cabinet if I paint them well enough. My wife is my test evaluator and she thought the cavalry unit looked great, as did my gaming buddy. Good enough by me.

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Bandidos & Burritos

Going to revisit the Oathsworn site to see if they've updated their minis page. Last time I was there it was slim pickings especially in regards to the figures wanted. 

Awaiting on my gaming buddy to get back to me on a possible joint order from Critter Kingdoms. Reviewed their extensive range of figures and spotted a few that looked interesting. Even saw the Frog series and wondering if my mate will go for those. Overall though, they look like the display models that a collector might enjoy. 

Briscon 2024 is on this weekend so am hoping to scout out some minis to add to my warband. Then it's back home for a game or two. 

I am wondering if they might sell suitable minis when Supernova visits town in November.

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PC Gaming

For the past month I have chosen to take a break from the endless daily grind that is World of Warships because it was depressing me. Only showing up for the Dockyard event's new mission release (weekly). Completing the required six missions in one session, maximising specific ships that will earn the rewards faster. Such as my favourite gunboat DD, Groningen. Easily earns over one hundred ribbons with her rapid fire. Even takes down battleships and battlecruisers! No torps but smoke and hydro.

Also playing Asymmetric battle mode in my current favourite US battleship, Ohio. Strong guns and excellent heal, Ohio is one premium I'm glad I obtained when I did. Asymmetric is where you and four other players take on BOTS who are two tiers lower. There are twelve of them. And they will focus on you if they catch you alone or unprepared. It's fun because you get action (especially if in a slow battleship) so you're not wasting time and getting frustrated because you're missing out on zapping enemy ships. Plus, you also learn to work as a team to defeat the greater odds. There is no room for BOT playing (sailing to a corner and doing nothing). Everyone contributes. Remember one game where a player simply crossed to the other side, loitered a bit, then returned when all the hard work had been done. So, yeah, it does happen but not as often as in Randoms.

And occasionally I will join in with the rest of my clan to conduct Divisional Star missions when invited. 

Hoping they bring back Convoy battle mode. It's against other players and is always fun and interesting. Randoms and Ranked these days are to be avoided if you can. Many complain it's toxic most times and the playing talent these days is not as good as in the past. And tactics tend to be predictable and frustrating (sniping long range from back of the map, for instance or ignoring mission objectives such as capping when the opportunity presents itself). 

Played out also with Stardew Valley. The latest update, 1.65 (or 1.6.5) was interesting for a while. But now it's getting boring because it's repetitive. Objectives are the same. New festivals soon become old familiar ones. Already waiting on Update 1.7 though when that's likely to debut may mean waiting until 2030!

Looking elsewhere therefore for new games to play. Looking especially hard at Pacific Drive. Again. And I know Helldiver 2 is popular with a couple of YT streamers I follow. But it looks very familiar to a lot of other FPS games; I haven't even played Starship Troopers Extermination for that same reason.

Watched Trenlass play Helldiver 2 earlier tonight (29 April) and he seemed very casual playing it while chatting with his teammates as if they were sitting on a park bench casually watching the lunch crowd and cooing pigeons.  Dude is one of my favourite WOWS streamers. He has a very positive and calm demeanour in his play style and speech. He doesn't get emotionally charged like Flambass (but then Flambass is known as one of the best DD players in the game from way back and has seen it all so knows what he's talking about) or Flamu who is so smart he should be running his own gaming company, not playing other people's games for a living; but then he's so critical of the WOWS developers and organisation he's always going to be antagonistic toward their product and their policies. A sort of Devil's Advocate voice for the rest of us other "dumb" gamers. Lol. 

Of my limited library of other Steam games, I haven't really bothered to review and re-engage. Nearly all have been played at least once. The exceptions are games acquired on a whim and which don't interest me at the moment for whatever reason. Games like Project Zomboid, Rainbow Six:Siege, Homeworld: Remastered Collection to name a few.

Take care...

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21 April 2024: English Civil War - the journey begins...!

Today, in order to stop myself from just lazing about playing computer games, I went into the studio and forced myself to start painting (finally) my English Civil War New Model Army list.

Filing and Basecoating Stage (no detailing at all)

Had already started filing but still missed a couple of mounts. Only picked it up upon inspecting after applying the priming coat. Using a light grey instead of the usual black primer. 

My plan was to use a black wash to help pick out the details after priming. 

Most of the filing was done with the mounts because there were a few poorly or incomplete casting. After fixing the worst mistakes, I began painting. First unit is an Ironsides unit. Originally listed as Butler's Horse but now also known as Fairfax's Horse. Either way, they're Ironsides.

Colouring two different tones. One uses Vellajo Plague Brown for the lighter tan-colouring and for the darker mounts I had to use equal mix of Vallejo Beastly Brown and Scarlet admixed with a droplet or two of Black because the original colour selected dropper was empty. Left the bugler's mount in its light grey primer coat and just a dull Black on its mane, tail, and legs (photo above). 

The Hinchliffe lot does not come with cavalry standard bearers but as I am in a bit of a rush, I'm foregoing the cornet until my next order when I will have more time and can carefully select my figure for conversion. 

Applied rough coat of paint on the riders. The Ironsides buff coat basecoat is a lighter tan Vallejo colour (name escapes me at the moment). Using blue sashes and dark brown pistol holders and boots for the other items. Saddle cloth will be red or scarlet with blue trim. But all that will be covered in the detailing section. In between the washes.

Next unit for the painting table - a unit of Gallopers. Pye's Horse. Assembled after filing done. Ready for priming. 

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Personalities

Fun part. Two earlier period commanders were also basecoated. Detailing to follow. 

Above is Earl of Manchester

Above is Earl of Essex

The two will be used in the next get-together game later on in the week. Hence their inclusion as part of the paint rush. Cheers....

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23 April

Coming down with the lurgy so won't be posting for a while. Cheers.

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