Bonne Année & plans for 2019

A Merry Christmas and a Happy new years to all!

I hope you all had a great Christmas and a happy new year to all my followers. We had
our first Christmas and New years celebration at L'hotel de Hercé in France after moving to Mayenne last March. It was fantastic to spend it with family and friends staying with us for two weeks from Australia. A lot good wine, champagne and food for the holidays was consumed. I received a number of great gifts from the kids and from Nessa, mostly books and a few miniatures.

Plans for 2019

Big plans and lots of work for 2019, our first customers arrive in March for walking guided battlefield tours and then return to wargame the battle on the table at L'Hotel de Hercé. 

My Priority is concentrating on completing armies that relate to battles around our house (within 1 hour drive) so we could visit the battlefield in the morning and return and fight it in the afternoon.

1. Actually need to complete my terrain tiles, I have completed the teddy bear fur mats, I just need to attach to the tiles and complete the river sections and roads, my main Project for the year, 20ft of table!
2. More hedges and trees,; you can never have enough hedges, need to add some decent bocage and I really want to make larger trees that are closer to real heights for 28mm.
3. More terrain bits for 20mm ww2, power poles, war memorials, road side crosses, civilians and livestock.
4. Complete more 20mm ww2 buildings, mostly Normandy stuff that I have already purchased needs to be painted.
5. Complete my American 20mm battle group, three more battalions to build and paint plus more vehicles and a few support elements including aircraft.
6. Complete my British 20mm 1944 battle group, finish painting the three tank batns that I have started, plus paint the funnies, update my Paras with more support, add armoured infantry and complete the gliders and aircraft for Arnhem.
7. Start my Polish ww2 1944 battle group, armour and infantry.
8. Complete my French 1944 battle group, need to paint the armour and infantry.
9. Add more elements to my 1944 Canadian battle group.
10. Add some more 20mm 1944 Germans particularly Fallschirmjager, and add some SS elements.
11. Add more figures to my Celtic army, I need to add about 60 figures ideally.
12. Add more figures to my late medieval army, buildings more Bretons for the Mad War, plus German mercenaries for the same period.
13. Start my 100 years war French, for the late period Perry miniatures.
14. Start my 100 years war English, for the late period Perry miniatures.
15. Add more figs to my early 100 years war French
16. Add more figures to my early 100 years war Scots (almost complete!)
17. Start my early 100 years war British army.
18. Add more figs to my dark age Franks.
19. Add more figures to my Vikings
20. Add more figs to my Dark age Normans, Bretons and Anjou-Maine army.
21. Update my medieval buildings, touch ups mostly.
22. Build a dark age castle representing St Suzanne
23. Complete my northern Vendee/Chouan army, lots to do waiting for some more figures
24. Complete my Baden 1809-12 Napoleonic army, currently on the bench!
25. Add to my French Napoleonic Army, particulary units useful for my Vendee project, some units on the bench at the moment.
26. Add to my Austrian 1805-09 Napoleonic Army.
27. Add to my Russian 1809-12 Napoleonic Army.
28. complete my Saxon 1809-12 Napoleonic army
29. Add to my French 1/1200th naval 
30. Add to my British 1/1200th naval
31. Gaslands, latest fad at the club, need to add at least five matchbox cars!

So quite a bit of work to do, having clean out of some old projects and non starters too in the coming weeks, all the best with your projects this year.

2018 painted totals

Sort of happy with my totals, a lot of interruption due to the move to France and the 

28mm Miniatures

136 ancient Greeks
30 Celts
15 Imperial Romans
24 Vikings
85 Byzantine infantry
60 Byzantine Cavalry
12 Feudal English
2 siege engines
28mm scatter terrain
3 wagons
16 Renaissance French infantry
24 FIW Indians
18 FIW French
24 French Napoleonic Cuirassiers
4 French Napoleonic cannon
Napoleonic Saxon Ducal Hussars
Napoleonic Frankfurt Hussars
3 Napoleonic French Generals
Baden artillery Battery
24 Modern Russian Infantry

20mm Miniatures

24 British Para
6 dutch vehicles
3 Belgian vehicles
1 civilian bus
1 wagon
1 aircraft
45 Bundeswehr Infantry
2 Bundeswehr APCs
1 soviet arty battery
1 soviet missile battery
8 Gaslands cars
3 bunkers
1 modern building
1 ww2 building
Gaslands terrain

cheers

Matt

2016 a year of renewal- 2017 back with vigour!

Looking back to 2016, a huge year for me personally, a new job, moved house, renovated, engaged  and then married, a new BMW, then a month in Bavaria Germany for our honeymoon, so wargaming has taken a back seat really, maybe 20 games for the year and very low production off the table.

So far this year, I headed off to Cancon for a bit of a spending spree, first time in three years, planning on attending the Company of dice club on the first Sunday of the month and Cumberland on the second, then possibly Goulburn on the fourth when I can.

However lots planned this year on the painting desk, a simpler list and possibly more realistic, returning to my first passion Napoleonics as my main focus.

1. Dutch 20mm army (started blogging on my ww2 blog for this already)
2. Lewes knights and seargeants 100 of the buggers and more infantry
3. 28mm French Napoleonics several batns of infantry and regiments of cavalry 150 figures
4. Russian Napoleonics brand new army infantry to start with, planned two regiments plus oddments 240 odd figures.
5. 20mm modern, mix of west Germans, Iraqis and Russians.
6. 28mm 5th BC Greeks
7. 20mm waffen SS and Fallschirmjager
8. Saxon Napoleonics using Calpe miniatures
9. Napoleonic Naval 1/1200th
10. 1/1200th Spanish American war fleets ( no idea why, I just like them)
11 28mm Renaissance Italio-French
12. 28mm WOTR

Some commissions being done also
1. Spartans
2. Byzantine
3. Romans
4. Moderns

But try not to do much more than that

Plus other bits and bobs as I travel along.happy gaming and modelling

Cheers
Matt

New painting station

I have recently moved from a four bedroom home on the outskirts of Sydney into the inner west into a two bedroom flat with my lovely lady. I am closer to the new job, saving almost 2.5 hours of travel each day. The only downside is that I do not have a dedicated painting room, so I purchased a roll top desk (credenza) to be my painting station in the lounge room. So far very happy how it is working. A few pics

Cheers

Matt

Knocking stuff around and fixing things!

Back in Janurary I made a list with things to do this year very happy to say two of the tasks are now complete.

Three weeks ago I finally picked up my cabinet that I built from Gregs in Canberra and put it in the shed for repair, having white ant damage to some time ago of the backing boards, it was only a small job but did take a little organising to get done. On the first,  I needed to remove the boards from the rear of the cabinet and checked the shelves for damage, it seems that the white ants  were caught early enough, so only a small amount of damage was done. I then went down to my local hardware and purchased enough boards to do the job, and had them cut to correct length along with the stain I thought match my sample. I then returned home and stained the timber with three coats ( waiting a day between coats) the assembled the cabinet. I let it dry out for a week before moving it into the house and placing figures into it, beside my other cabinet, so now all of my 28mm painted armies are on display.

You can see the white ant damage on the shelf, amazing that they did not eat into this also

Matched the others spot on

 Job two was last Saturday, my sons and I cleaned the garden shed and the two car garage, moved the work benches around and set up the timber working, tool shelves and leather work table, added brackets to walls and the ceiling for the fishing rods, and finally curtains on the Windows along with security mesh. I was very happy with the end result nothing like a clean organised workshop to work in!

This weekend I have continued to compete my Pontics and Romans, lots pics to follow tomorrow.

Cheers

Shooting for the Stars!

Well a happy New year to all of my fellow gamers and bloggers' out there, I have been thinking about what I would like to achieve this year with my gaming and modelling today, so I have decided to commit something to paper.

My primarily goal this year is that I would like to improve my airbrushing skills and use it a lot more, buy some video tutorials and even going for a lesson or two are high on my list. I currently have a Aztek 430 with a number of nozzles, I am sort of happy with it, but may fork out some more cash and move to a Iwata after using one on a friends model car, I found the control and clean up much easier.

Post more posts on my blogs, it helps with motivation I think!

I will not be competing in any major two day tournaments or competitions throughout the year and I am only committing to weekend friendly matches and club games with mates, the odd game at my place or theirs, rather than the hustle and bustle of a tournament at a convention. I do plan on travelling to the USA to visit Historicon this year for a look though.

I am planning on not buying to much of the latest ooohhh shiny offering and offloading a few armies this year, most are complete, some I am just bored with or are just part complete and I have lost interest. This will free up space and reduce my collection size plus adding some cash to the pocket. On the hit list, 28mm BC Persians, Celts, Middle republicans,  Imperial Romans, ECW and 30YW,  French WSS, ACW, Clan War and some 40k, along with some 20mm ww2 and moderns excess to my needs, 20mm Vietnam, and finally 28mm moderns.

On my list of things to do this year in some sort of order :-

1. Pick up my display cabinet from Gregs and repair it. 
2. 28mm Mediaevals finish the 60 odd cavalry and 40 odd infantry for Lewes. (plus take photos of completed units and post it!)
3. French 1809 Napoleonics adding a few more batns and sqns, high on the list this year.
4. 28mm Renaissance  Polish complete the 20 odd cav and 20 odd infantry, then possibly sell....
5. 28mm Early Republican Romans and Celts complete the re-basing.
6. 54mm to 100mm Large scale figures and busts plan to do a number, around 6 at least.
7. Napoleonic naval 1/ 1200th ships, lots to do
8. WW1 1/72nd aircraft ( some currently on the desk) finish off some Jasta's and some Brits to fight them!
9. 28mm Mithradatic Pontics/successors complete the heavy infantry and Thracian light infantry.
10. 28mm AWI finish purchasing a few bits and I really need to start this project, perhaps this could be the year!
11. 28mm 7YW intend to do more Russians, French and British.
12. 28mm Samurai complete the ashigaru and samurai cavalry. (not that high on the list)

My 20mm WW2 and modern collection resides on my other blog  but I have made a list for them too

1. 20mm Complete German battle groups for Arnhem 9th and 10th SS finish these guys will be my main focus.
2. Fallschirmjager and Luftwaffe field division next main focus.
3. 20mm British Para refit and build my gliders for Arnhem. 
4. 20mm WW2 French vehicles and infantry  some part painted already.
5. 20mm Belgian WW2 guns, trucks and an Hurricane (currently on the painting table)
6. 20mm Modern Russians vehicles, build and paint, a lot were part painted while on my holidays.
7. 20mm Modern Americans Cold war, lots of vehicles and some aircraft to do.
8. 20mm Polish WW2 infantry and vehicles, refit mostly.
9. 20mm Dutch WW2 infantry and vehicles, a new army!
10. Fix up the workshop so I can make another display cabinet and do some terrain work in the shed.
11. 20mm Buildings.....lots of buildings....did I mention lots and lots of buildings....
12. 20mm terrain revamp of hedges, roads, buildings and possibly a rebuild of a certain large table..........with sculpted terrain and teddy bear fur!

All the best with your endeavours this year

cheers

Matt

Seasons Greetings and Cunning Plans

Wishing all of you a belated Merry Christmas and I am hoping you are planning a big New Year of gaming!

What a year of gaming it has been, the Goulburn Valiant Stormer's Club has grown and regularly has two or three game tables going at any one time, Highlights of the year included;

• Rhino rejoined the club after a 8 year Hiatus with a bang, building multiple armies and having a blast gaming with us again, it has been a real pleasure.
• Tarty and Ralph for reintroducing ancients to the club with the most excellent Ancient rules "Impteus" and my first taste of it in our Argentoratum refight.
•  The Late Roman Campaign.....finally someone has some armies so I had an excuse to paint my Late Romans, Germanics and Sassanids.
• a few fun Pulp games always a laugh and a great way to get the creative juices flowing, I must say that "Carry on up the waazoo" was the funniest thing I have played in wargaming for a very long time........accents were compulsory......
• And Finally the loss of a fellow Club Member and gamer Ross Skimmer, came as a great shock to us all, we played several memorial Rapid Fire Games in his memory. He will be greatly missed by all.

A big thanks to the boys for a most enjoyable year of gaming, laughs, cunning plans and coffee at the GG!

I went back and looked at my goals and aspirations at the beginning of 2012, I didn't even come close to achieving what I set out to do, mainly sidetracked by the clubs Fall of the West Project and campaign and other shiny new releases by figure manufacturers!!!! 

2012 Goals and Aspirations
1. AWI 8 batns British and Germans based for British Grenadier (Perry and foundry)(24 fig batn) (NIL)
2. 7YW buildings ready for casting in resin (Done two of five planned)
3. FIW British 5 batns to complete (front rank)(32 fig btn) (Part done one)
4. French 7YW 8 btns to complete, French 7YW 5 regts of cavalry, French Guns (Front Rank, crusader)(32 fig btns, 24 cavalry, guns) Part done 3 btns, two cav regts and guns
5. finish Pontic Army, imitation legionary's, two pike blocks some light Infantry (foundry and gripping beast) Completed, but not all photographed, must do this after I rebase in Feb.... 
6. Sassanid heavy cavalry and horse archers (A and A minis) (30 cav) Part done, horse harnes are completed just ding the individual jammies, horse archers basing now and should be up by Friday, next week as i have run out of tufts.......
7 French 1805 Napoleonic (continue the refit and rebasing, finish the heavy cavalry division and another Infantry Division Elite minis)(72 cav, 270 inf) NIL done, on the backburner till at least July 2013
8. 1809 Austrian napoleonic (a divison perhaps maybe plastic)(240 inf) Nil done
9 1812 Russian napoleonic (plastic perhaps!)(240 inf) Sold unpainted to Rhino at the club.
10 Russian 7YW (Sash and sabre) inf brigade, Gren brigade, arty and light cavalry (32 fig btns, cav 24) Completed 2 batns of 42, part done the light cavalry and arty.
11. 20mm modern germans (60 inf, six buildings) Completed, and done 10 veh also for them.
12. 28mm Baron Wars (60 odd cav and 180 infantry) started the first units
13 Hanoverain 7YW (Wartime)(140 inf) Part completed two btns, this needs attention!
14 20mm ww2 Germans (continue my refit) still going, did build 21 plastic kits though and resorted them a few times, completed some artillery and pak guns, completed 3 vehicles also.
15 continue refit Napoleonics and 7yw still happening, re-basing and touch ups as the need arises.

But I did go through my three period blogs and ended up with a reasonable effort, and I know I don't photograph everything so I will only list what I counted that was blogged at least......

So final numbers that were blogged

218 ...........28mm Infantry figures painted 

45 .............28mm Cavalry

162............20mm Infantry

15 vehicles

1 aircraft

So this year I have many plans.........

2013 plans not necessarily in order

1. Sassanids  finish the beggars, been putting them off as the jammies are tough to do and I want to do a top notch job.

2. Late Romans only a few more units to go, two units of cav and three units of Inf, this army has ended up twice as large as I intended, but that is what happens when you have club campaigns.....and finally someone has a army to play against!

3. Large scale 54mm and 75mm medieval, Greek and Roman figures (just for the cabinet....and maybe a painting comp.....) been dying to get to these for some time and this year I plan to finish a bunch of them.

4. Lewes Royalists, Greg (unlucky general) and I are building towards the goal of doing this at 1 to 15 in 28mm.....as a participation game in 2014 .........crazy but true. Been going overboard on the research which will be posted on Project Lewes next year as I progress.

5. Rebase my Republicans, Imperials, Pontics, and Celts to Impetus, a large job, a possible easter project.

6. Paint the rest of my WOTR army, more cav and billmen, and possibly rebase to impetus!

7. AWI British, close to my heart, I know I promised to do these last year on my 18th century blog "Fine and Dandy" but as no opponents have popped up yet ( I suspect they are awaiting the Perry plastics......) they have taken a back seat.....

8. Continue my 7YW French, British, Russians and Hanoverian's, lots of painting and lead in the cuboard for these too.

9. Continue the refit of my 20mm Germans, lots of vehicles to paint 30 plus, my 9th SS (for Arnhem) Lufwaffe fld div, and fallshirmjager need lots of work to bring them up to speed.

10. Start my Greek wars army. I have a large unpainted Immortal army to do, and I want to really go to town on the conversions, based for impetus also.
11. Napoleonic French refit and paint more for the Australian Napoleonic Congress!
12. Continue making masters for my 7YW building range, have a thing for Dovecotes at the moment......
13. Napoleonic and Dutch wars ship completion. I have a bunch of these to complete, damn rigging is painful for me.
14. WW1 1/72nd aircraft, I still have a number of these to complete.
15. French 20mm ww2, I have a number of figures and some tanks to paint and refit, trucks and guns to paint to complete this 1940 army.
16. Spanish and American Dreadnoughts, something I have had laying around for some time.
17. ECW complete the final three units and two guns... A project that has been on the go for 4 years, I doubt 10% of it has been officially photographed and blogged(some has been in battle reports) ....the display cabinet shelf is full so no new purchases required...unless someone brings out something that takes my fancy.....a great spectacle army for my Birthday parade in March I think!

So all I can suggest to myself is to ...............get cracking!!!!

cheers

Matt