2013 Lead Mountain Plan

Collections I Own That Require Finishing

Like all fellow wargamers I have a relatively large collection of projects at various stages of completeness.

Following a very targeted and productive year in 2012 where I tackled the big jobs, finished off lots of loose ends and then cut my losses on other projects and evil-bayed a significant chunk of my collection, my 2013 LMP sees most of the outstanding projects at the starting stage.

Unless noted (*), the forces and projects listed are prepped, undercoated and ready to paint.

 
10mm

·       ‘Generic Medieval’ lead mountain

·       Vikings

·       Napoleonic French

·       Napoleonic Austrian (* still in bags…)

·       Parliamentarian and Royalist forces  

·       Byzantine Army (* still in bags)

·       SCW (* still in bags)

·       Post Romano British force

 

 SAGA (28mm)

·       Gall Gaedhil mercenaries

·       6 point Scots’ Warband

·       4 point Irish Warband (and reinforcements)

·       Baggage wagon and farmers

 

 6mm

·       Matching ACW forces

·       WW2 Landing Craft

·       Matching Colonial British and Zulu Armies

·       Future War Commander ‘Not Squat’ army

·       Future War Commander Andrayan army ­

·       WW2 Early War German for BKC.

 

 15mm

·       Finish AWI collection for Maurice

 

28mm Bolt Action/Rules of Engagement

·       Late War German Grenadiers

·       Late War German tanks and Vehicles

·       Late war British tanks and vehicles

 

 
Purchases I need to make to round off collections
With the threat of redundancy hanging over me this year, I fully expect my spending on the hobby to be hit and to be hit hard.

The following lists includes odds and ends I am hoping to purchase in 2013 to round off existing projects before embarking on any new follies.

Last year I planned to hold out until March and managed February – this year I am hoping to hold out until March before making a ‘new project purchases’.

·       SAGA Irish reinforcements to bring the force up to 6 points

·       SAGA Javelins

·       LBMS Shield transfers for SAGA Scots

·       Panzer IV for Bolt Action

·       Regular British/Commonwealth Platoon for Bolt Action

·       Napoleonic Austrian (to fill gaps in FOG Army)

·       28mm Hedgrows/fields

 

 

New projects I am keen to look at in 2013

Depending upon the job situation I would like to look at the following wargames in 2013. I already own the rules sets marked (**)

• Muskets & Tomahawks (**) Starter Armies in 28mm
• Dux Britannarium (**) in 28mm
• Algeron Pulls It Off – TFL WW1 Aerial Combat Rules

More Kraut reinforcements

A Pak40 and late war SS crew and a Hetzer in ambush camouflage scheme.

Of all the warlord models I have the PAK40 crew are really dissappointing. I am not sure what it is but the observer clearly plays in the front ro for his local rugby team and seems to have no neck, whereas the crew members 'urban surfing' on the gun trail just looks odd.

 

Bolt Action in action.

After a fair few months painting I finally managed to get two 1000 point armies on the table for a Bolt Action Bash - Krauts v Commando's somewhere in Holland late 1944.

The above pic shows the table set up. A village, dominated by a Walled Manor house and surrounding farming community.

The British won the initiative and chose the table edge closest to the church which would provide an ideal spotting location for the allied FO.

The krauts depoloyed primarily within the cornfields heading directly for the Manor House but wer caught in a frighteningly effective artillery barrage which KO'd a half-track and left its passengers with a game-telling 6 pin markers.

The British supported by a solitary Churchill chose a left flanking manouvre, whilst a blocking force scaled the maor walls to secrete themselves in the courtyard. The right-flank was secured by a MMG deployed in the woods.

View from the hidden Commando MMG position

Flanking manouvre by the Commando's and their supporting armour

The Krauts struggle to recover from the initial barrage laid on by a female FAO - the wife... whilst the Commando flanking manouvre draws fire from the fields

Commando sqauds press home their flanking manouvre supported by the Churchill

The Churchill exchanges blows with the Kraut Hetzer 

The commando MMG is assaulted by Kraut infantry

Commando's close assault the Hetzer knocking it out whilst fire from the manor house decimates the kraut infantry despite some hroic interventions from their medical officer!

Outflanked, outnumbered and down to only four action dice the krauts call it a day 

Progress Review 2012

2012 Review

 
Interesting year 2012… on the whole I think creating my project list for the year was a good thing as I can’t remember such a productive year in terms of getting things done, however it also went to prove that I am indeed a Wargames Whore that flits from project to project as the latest new shiny things hits the market.

 
So what have I managed to get done in 2012?

 

1.    From the lead backlog

·       I finished my Franco Prussian War Collection in 6mm

·       I made up several ‘vignette’ style stands using 6mm Timecast Buildings and accessories I had knocking around

·       Made a significant dent in my ongoing 10mm ‘Generic Medieval’ lead mountain and added to the mountain by including some generic spear armed units

·       Finished a 10mm Polish/Commonwealth Army for FoG Renaissance

·       Finished a 10mm Ayubbid Egyptian Force for FoG Ancients

·       Started my 10mm Viking army

·       Finished off the last few remnants of the Secrets of the Third Reich US and German forces as well as a couple of additions for Incursion 

 

2.   Progress on things I ‘Originally’ planned to do in 2012

·       Purchased a French and Austrian army in 10mm for FoG Napoleonic. The French are based and the Austrians are rather shamefully still in their bags. However (and in my very weak defence) I put this project on hold waiting for the last few bits from Pendraken’s range to be completed. Which was completed in October but I didn’t get around to because I had been distracted by…

·       I had hoped to have collected and made a start on a Falklands Project in 10mm but again put this on hold as the range was incomplete. This has since been rectified but I didn’t get around to fulfilling this dream because… OK, so there is a theme emerging here, but I have already admitted I am a Wargames Slut.

·       I planned to do some matching forces for Maurice using Pendraken’s League of Augsburg range but again this project is on hold pending release of the LOA cavalry and artillery

 

All in all my lack of progress is clearly down to those pesky Pendraken Kids.

 


3.   Things I didn’t plan to do but got distracted into in 2012

I did make a few 10mm purchases this year (Spanish Civil War for A World Aflame and Post Romano-British) however 2012 has been the year of the skirmish game and for me a distraction into the 28mm Market.

 

Whilst there has been no progress on the SCW and Arthurians, I did pick up several really cool rules sets which appeared in 2012 – SAGA, Muskets and Tomahawks, Dux Brittainarium and Bolt Action to name a few.

 

These have all led me down the path that is 28mm – something I genuinely believed I would never have as much time for, but a scale I am definitely warming to.

 

SAGA

·       I have completed two matching 6 point warbands - Anglo-Danes and Vikings

·       Completed a Jomsviking mercenary force

·       Bought and based a Gall Gaedhil mercenary force

·       Bought and Based a 6 point Scots’ Warband

·       Bought and Based a wagon and farmers set

·       Bought a couple of MDF laser cut buildings from 4Ground which are beautiful!!!

 

My Saga collection inspired me to purchase Dux Bellorum and Dux Brittanarium rule sets and I am looking at buying a Romano-British force in 2013 to go head to head with my Saxons.

 

Muskets and Tomahawks

No purchases other than the rules set at this point but with the new ‘Frontiers’ building range from 4Ground hitting the market and Artizan Designs bringing out more and more French Indian Wars figures I think this will be high on my agenda in 2013.

 

Bolt Action/Rules of Engagement

This range has probably had the best of my attention since the summer and so far I have collected 1500 points or so of Krauts and Commando’s which I am making astonishing progress with.

 

I also invested heavily in 28mm terrain and went the route of buying pre-painted, pre-built stuff purely because my own modelling skills are appalling. To fund most of this I sold off a number of projects I was never going to get around to.

 

4.  Funding the habit…

I sold off the following projects in 2012:

 

·       10mm Armies for Warmaster/FoG Ancients -  Carolingian, Rus, Samurai and Welsh Medieval

 

5.  Things I didn’t quite get around to in 2012

Due to a whole host of reasons I didn’t make any progress at all on a few of the smaller odds and ends I need to get around to doing including:

 

·       Matching ACW forces in 6mm – really not sure what to do with these as 1) its not my period and 2) I can’t find a set of rules I like. If I thought I might recover what I paid for these via Evil Bay they would go that route, but judging by recent sales on the site I am highly sceptical.

 

·       WW2 Landing Craft in 6mm – these would take seconds to do but just keep slipping under my radar

 

·       Matching Colonial British and Zulu Armies in 6mm – I reckon if I put my mind to these they could be done in a weekend. It’s just finding a clear weekend in my hectic social calendar…

 

·       Parliament and Royalist Forces in 10mm – I am already considering doing these as generic Renaissance Forces to pad out my Swedes and Catholic Germans for Pike and Shotte. It is the volume of cavalry that is in each force that is putting me off (which anyone who followed my threads on painting cavalry will be able to appreciate)

 

·       10mm Byzantine Army for Warmaster – I couldn’t bear to part with these in my last purge, but if they are still around this time next year I think they will have to be found a new home.

 

6.  Things I stumbled across in 2012 that I forgot I had

Storage of my wargames goodies is a massive issue given my burgeoning family and invariably things have found themselves being relegated to the attic. Amongst the wargaming paraphernalia I rediscovered was the following:

 

·       A 6mm Future War Commander ‘Not Squat’ army - undercoated and based

·       A 6mm Future War Commander Andrayan army ­- undercoated and based

 

I quite like FWC and haven’t played for sometime so these babies really do need to be got on with.

 

·       A significant quantity of 6mm WW2 Early War German kit – for BKC. They were bought specifically to do an Operation Seelowe game which never happened.

 

Clearly 2013 is going to be another busy year!

 

 

 

Bolt Action Commando's

Quite enjoying doing something different and Bolt Action in 28mm has certainly given me the oomphh i needed to get back into skirmish gaming in a big way.

My latest efforts are some British/Canadian Commando's and there's the bulk of the force - 30 riflemen, nco's and Bren/Vickers gunners.

 

 

Bolt Action Krauts

Finally finished the core elements of this army - only the vehicles to go (2x 251/1, 1x Hetzer and a Pak40 and crew)

Not great photos - one because I'm shite at photography and two because its indoors in very poor daylight due to the weather.

 

Productive month!!

I've had quite an inspired month since getting back from holiday, no doubt helped by my good lady wife going away for a week with mates for a well deserved break.

 

I always find that come March I have five or six days of leave that I cant squeeze in which invariably I end up losing. This year I thought I'd change that by taking the week off and in between school runs, housework and feeding the household menagerie of cat, guinea pigs and chickens, I would crack on with several projects all at the same time - after all variety is the spice of life!

 

 

10mm Polish/Lithuanian Commonwealth forces for FoG Rennaisance

 

 

 

28mm Late War Krauts for Bolt Action

 

 

 

28mm Vikings for SAGA

 



 

10mm Sea Raider (Viking) Army for Dux Bellorum

 



 

10mm Wars of the Roses/Burgundian/Generic Medieval

 



Alongside this little lot (and not yet photographed) I also managed to complete some 28mm Wattle and Daub fencing for SAGA and some pin markers for Bolt Action.

On the workbench, (which I have based up and undercoated ready to paint) is an Arthurian British Army for Dux Brittanarium/Bellorum, a 1000 point Bolt Action British Commando force and the remaining 800 points of Krauts to take on the Commando's.

All quiet on the wargaming front

My last post was back in June when I finally put to bed the Ayuubid Egyptian FoG Ancients army. Normally at this time of year the quietness is down to the summer break, family holiday time, hazy days drinking too much and burning perfectly good food to a crisp on the BBQ, however the quietness this year was down to having too much work going on and the shit weather early in the cricket season leaving an ungodly number of fixtures to be squeezed into a six week window.

I love my cricket, but even I will be glad to see the final over of the season this season.

Anyway, in between work I have been prepping a few armies to keep me going over the dreary days of winter. I have also been spending far too much on 'just another' rule set (six new sets to be exact).

Since June I have picked up:

• DBM V2.0 and the early/late medieval army lists
• Warlord's Pike and Shotte
• Ospreys Dux Bellorum
• TFL's Dux Brittanarium
• Ospreys A World Aflame
• and Warlords Bolt Action

I have read all the rules cover to cover.

I have bought and have even planned for games.

Somewhere along the line though I simply haven't had the time (with the exception of Dux Bellorum and Bolt Action) to make too much gaming progress. 3 games in 3 months - appalling, but not too dis-similar to my batting average this season.

For DBM and Pike and Shotte I have plenty of 10mm stuff to put on a game so no new investment there (other than time!) needed to get a game on.

Similarly I have played one solo game of Dux Bellorum using my 10mm Saxons and Vikings and whilst the Leadership Point system looks to be interesting the game felt quite like DBA. i think it will work better with an opponent.

I'm loving the look of TFL's Dux Brittanarium - so much so that an order went into Pendraken this Monday and was received on Friday. I'm hoping to find the time to base this lot up and get a motor on to see if i can get a game in before Christmas.

Within the recent Pendraken Order were two SCW starter Armies for A World Aflame which looks quite interesting. I have a bit of a dilemna with the basing system as the rules stipulate singular basing which will be a bit of a pig if I try to use the same figures for BKC...

Bolt Action  is seeing a lot of action at the club (pardon the pun) - even the GW fanboys have had a go which is encouraging. The slight worry is that all this 28mm stuff is making an even bigger dent in my bank balance. I am now the proud owner of two starter forces - British Commando's and Late War Germans. I have even managed to paint six of the Krauts!!!

Painting wise

• I have managed to finish my second SAGA Warband - the Vikings. The Scots are still in their box awaiting inspiration.
• I have just started my FoG Rennaisance Polish/Lithuianian Commonwealth army with all those Pancerni and Winged Hussars
• I have painted a solitary stand of six figures (only about 700 to go!) of my foray into FoG Napoleonic French and Austrians
• I made a start (two years after buying them) on my FoG Ancients Vikings in 10mm and have just enough elements painted up to play any or all of the options open to a Sea Raiding Dux Bellorum force. Sadly the game didn't exactly fill me with enthusiasm to paint the remainder but a start is still a start!

All in all although I appear to have had an "all quiet on the front" look, I think I have made some significant dents in the never diminishing pile of lead.

Crusader and Ayubbid Pics

Not a great set of photos sadly as I was far more concerned with getting in a game after several false starts and 18 months of waiting to get these two armies done.

Used FoG Ancients for the game and the Crusaders were soundly beaten. Every death roll I rolled low even when I could only lose a stand on a roll of 1. When it came to combat and to CMTs' I consistently rolled high so it was a pretty bloody affair but well worth the wait.

Rather frustratingly (and increasingly annoyingly) I simply cannot seem to upload half of the photos I had taken for this game...



Ayubbid Egyptians and Crusader rrmies finally finished

18 months after they hit my doormat both armies are finally completed and will get a run out at the weekend using FoG Ancients.

In my defence I did purchase these on a whim and slap bang at the same time when I was on an extended sick leave period awaiting major spinal surgery.

Along the way I also got distracted by other shiny, shinys too.....

Pics and batrep to follow

6mm Villages

This is one of the projects that i have been putting off for what seems like ages primarily because of a distinct lack of confidence in my very limited modelling skills.

The buildings I have had for a couple of years and whilst I'm not happy with the roof tiles I had been using them 'stand alone' in most of my games.

Buildings are all Timecast as are the small resin hedges. Fences are plasticard, trees are the great range from Pendraken.

Ayubbid Update (again)

FINALLY FINISHED PAINTING.... dusted off the remaining 8 stands of Javelin/spear and 12 of skirmish archers - only basing left to do now! That new deadline might just be met...





Ayubbid Progress

Command finished - 8 stands of spears and 12 of archers to do plus the bases. Completion date looking a little like it could be missed - the weather is causing havoc with the cricket season and a backlog of fixtures means I have games tonight, tommorow and Friday, coaching Saturday and Sunday and games next week on four out of 5 week nights...

Ayubbid Update

With my birthday tommorow and a deadline set for these of the 13th thought I'd update on progress.

the 8 stands of Turcoman Bow are done as are 6 stands of bedouin LH. I have started on the four command stands.

Only 8 stands of spear and 12 of Light/ skirmisher bow to go.

Then all I have to do is tart up the bases of two 800 point matching armies to get a FoG Ancients game in - Later Crusades.

New deadline - (Game with no unfinished miniatures) to be held BEFORE The end of May!

Maurice - AWI Playtest

Some pics of my playtest of the new Maurice rules this evening. Batrep and rules synopsis to follow

Initial set up - British attacking

Maurice is a card driven system - true to type British underhandedness strikes the American's morale right from the off with an even die roll reducing their morale by -2.

Hurriedly rebased Hessians advance to pin down the American left flank - out of picture and to the right, two unit of Tories support the Hessian Advance

The Delaware Continentals and French receive welcome re-inforcement from two Militia Units

Whilst out on the opposite flank the American Rangers size up the British Dragoons

The British Dragoons come off worse - however this minor skirmish to's and fro's with no real outcome being achieved

Further foul play by the British drags the Delwares into the firing zone of the British Grenadiers and a flanking support battalion.

Crafty play (this time by the Americans) plants a previously un-mapped cornfield directky in the path of the Hessian/Tories advance. A smart move by the American CO as it prevents a much smaller force being overwhelmed.

The Britsh Grenadiers supported by a line battalion make numbers count. Boosted firepower through a national advantage card play a major role. Shortly after this pic the Delaware Continentals (only elite unit in the American Force) buckle and break bringing the american player very close to a humiliating defeat.

Despite the loss of the delawares, the American CinC is on hand to deploy the French and supporting Militia units in defence of the British Objective. If the American commander can bring his national advantage card A La Bayonette into play maybe history can be reversed and the British might be put to flight at the sight of cold steel?

A blistering round of British Musketry fells a Bavarian Notablein the pay of the American's

The remaining Continentals find themselves exposed and vulnerable despote the cornfield being unmapped. This shor shows tha calm before the storm. Will conscript units have the final hurrah?

Over on the British right the Grenadiers buckle under intense pressure whilst over on the right the Tories despatch a trained unit of Continentals!

Another Notable bites the dust - this time an Eastern European in the pay of the German Mercenaries

The British pull off a win, their superior firepower winning the day over a determined opponent. As a regular British Line unit breaks so too does an American Militia unit tipping the balance in favour of the British as American morale falters.