North West Frontier, Brits with Grit!

These images, originally from my Shooting Leave Blog, but too evocative not to publish here again. So, a few snaps of the Renadra Mud Hut and my Artizan 66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot.

Constructing the building was a simple process though there were quite a few gaps that needed filling. For some reason I chose to fill them with Milliput, which came away in places due to the tool I was using having to be dipped in water rather a lot. I wouldn't let this put you off putting the model as it is really nice and the very subtle detail really doesn't come across viewing it on the net. It beats getting out the filler and mixing it with sand which always produces a rather unrealistic effect IMHO.

Setting the East Ablaze

I've just taken delivery of a set of rules that I bought off a very kind chap from Cheltenham, Setting the East Ablaze. I was advised by North Star Nick that they would be very good for the North West Frontier and having given them the once over I have to agree. They are quite slick but subtle enough to allow for any tweaking that may of may not need to be done.

I'm just finishing off the first five chaps from the Artizan Brits NWF range from the following packs:

They're soon to be followed by a five more (all done in my spare time- which is proving to be harder to attain these days).

Pics of the painted version very soon!

Bye for now.

General Roberts, Second Afghan War

I was recently sent a conversion of General Roberts to paint up who led the British army the Second Afghan War. The mini is a Perry Miniatures figure form their British High Command on English Mounts pack (The Graham figure at the right) with a poshteen added and a suitably whiskery Victorian beard! I have to admit that the NWF is one of the (semi-new) areas of modelling/wargaming that I was looking at the mini wish some relish when at the prospect of painting it up. I even had a go at converting a Third Afghan War mini from Studio miniatures but with less than satisfactory results! (you can see my in an earlier post HERE).

Genaeral Roberts met with great success during his efforts in the Second Afghan War which was to include his famous forced March to Kandahar following on from the British disaster at the Battle of Maiwand where he decisively defeated the army of Ayub Khanon September 1st at the Battle of Kandahar which pretty much brought to a close the Second Afghan War which was concluded at the Treaty of Gandamak.

Well, the mini is now done and here are the pics- hope you like them(?):

Bye for now.

At Last! A new Post!!

Hi all,

I was contemplating whether to just say that I've been away from the hobby for four months due to personal reasons (which is certainly true!). Read on if you want to hear the 'blues jam'- if not just scroll down to the pics below;

Basically I've been away from wargaming and painting for about four months due to a relationship breakdown with the love of my life. I was with her for fourteen years when one day she asked me to leave, which is what I did. This was obviously devastating news as although we weren't married the relationship, which was very loving, was the basis of my life and it has taken me four months to come to terms with it being over! I doubt that I'll ever be really 'over it' but at least i now feel strong enough to start blogging, painting and being creative again. I guess that the fact that we had not had any children in this case is a blessing as they would have almost certainly have suffered psychological trauma through the breakdown of what was once a very strong relationship. My partner was always supportive of the hobby and was often to be seen at shows with me around the country. I don't bear her any animosity and in fact I am very thankful for our time together.

So, I hear you say, what have you in the pipeline?

Currently I'm working, or rather about to embark upon a couple of projects. The first being two demo games that will be at Salute in 2016 and Vapnartak in the same year; the games being The Battle of Hastings and Battle of Fulford Gate.

The second project is going to be another demo game, possibly at Partizan next year that will feature the Second Afghan War and Mike Owen's brilliant range of North West Frontier mini's combined with Studio Miniatures North West Frontier range and of course, it would be almost sacrilegious not to include some of the Perry Miniatures sculpts that they did for Wargames Foundry back in the day as well as some of their suitable Indian Mutiny/Indian Rebellion of 1857 mini's.

That's all for now really except to say that bearing my obsession with Late 14th Century Warfare I have of course asked Santa to "please bring me three boxes of the new Perry Miniatures HYW English!

Pics below, I'm sure that you've all seen them before but what would a post on a wargaming blog be without any pics, eh?

Thanks for reading and thanks for your patience for my lack of posts.

Darrell.