Pontic sythed chariot

Latest off the table is my Pontic four horsed sythed chariot, I can see it running down Romans, Celts and Greeks causing mayhem amoung undrilled troops at least! Although a one hit wonder in WAB I still had to have one! This is a lovely First Corps model which came out last year, somewhere at the back of my table is the yoke, when I find it I will attach the reins at some stage to finish it off, I also did think about adding some victims but decided against it. Some pike and more light infantry to come, later this week.






cheers
Matt

Sugar and Spice and all things nice

Well Australia's largest wargames convention CANCON (Canberra Convention) has come and gone and its time to take stock of the purchases and sales.

I thought it was busier than most years on the numbers on Saturday and Sunday was quiter, however the buyers seemed to have stayed away or kept thier money in thier pockets, just looking at my turnover from previous years.

Since the advent of the Asian painting services it has become harder to move painted armies and I only successfully moved one army on out of five, lots of individual miniatures and vehicles went and I sold off a lots off terrain. FOW vehicles were still popular along with well painted warhammer, 40k and warzone.

I was acting as an agent for Wartime Miniatures and sold a bunch of modern Afgans, Taliban, Australians, SAS, and lots of ww2 support weapon packs. The Vietnamese and the Cold War amercians also had a few buyers.

I also had a restricted budget this year (less than a grand)as I had spent too much on Christmas!!! I still however manged to pick up a few bargains, on the bring and buy I picked up the score of the show IMO 120 Perry and Foundry AWI figures for $65 I am still amazed by this now! I also picked up some 28mm Gripping Beast cathaginians and some A & A Late Roman infantry. On the Retail front I bought a bunch of Crusader figs to flesh out some units I already have and add to some armies for variation, and some ECW buildings to add to my collection.

On the planning and painting front not much to report except some upcoming Pontic pike and a sythed chariot, some 7YW stuff and some Imperial Romans. Pictures to come this weekend.

cheers
Matt

2011 expectations

As usual I make a list of projects that I would like to complete at the beginning of the year, as always I shoot for the stars and use the club calendar to prioritize my list. My list always needs to pared back a little, so I list all of my periods, then look at what can be completed before certain events.

Ancients
Romans
My Roman armies include Republican, middle and late, all have units to complete. The republicans require 12 cavalry and four maniples of Hastati and some artillery to finish them off, I have also toyed with adding more allied contingents. My Imperials have almost a whole legion in chainmail (all foundry) for the invasion of Britain to be completed, I am thinking of selling my warlord plastics romans (in segemtata)even though I like them and they fit my foundry figures for size, artillery and more cavalry to be painted for these also. After selling my Late Romans last year I have decided to rebuild another this year with A and A miniatures.

Pontus
My latest project and I am enjoying it emmensly, three pike blocks and a tonne of irregulars and lights to be completed for our Clubs annual WAB tourney in March.

Successor
I have a number of pike blocks to do and I will be able to use my pontic cavalry and light infantry for support.

Sassanids
Another half finished Army all A and A cavalry to be done along with two units of spear and two elephants and it will be finished!

Celts
A large amount of warlord plastics to be done at some stage, no great rush this year.

Medievals
Baron Wars

Greg and I are doing a demo game next year at Cancon and Moab so a lot of painting and buying to be done this year I have 134 cavalry and around 480 infantry to paint in the next 12 months! Research done just need to get stuck in! A lot of these will be able to double up for a crusader army as a boonus.

WOTR
not High on the list still have a bunch of infantry to do though!

Samauri
not high on the list as they are such a pain to paint!

Rennasaince
Italian wars
A few of the lads are getting into this period I have purchased a lot of figs just need to get cracking

ECW
A bit of cavalry and some more scot Infantry will finish of this four year old project, not high on the list though

Horse and musket
Jacobites
A project close to my heart, but way down the priority list at the moment, maybe a late in the year project, this is a 1 figure represents 10 so a huge number of kilts to be done, not my favourite thing to paint.

WSS and WAS
Greg and I have also started at 1 fig represnts 20 scale, this is for another demo game in 2013.

7YW
Our clubs main focus this year so we can all use our half finished armies and complete new ones. Again at 1 to 20 scale so regt from 24 to 32 strong.
French
My French will be my main focus this year, followed by my English and
Hanoverians.

AWI
Not high on the list but another 1 to 20 scale 28mm< i have always loved this period, some years ago I painted a yankee army and sold them this time I am doing
British and Germans!

Napoleonic
A main focus also for this year as our clubs Bi annual event the Australian Napoleonic Congress will be on again. My French need a serious boost and I will continue my german states with a two battalion strong Nassau contingent.

ACW
My Confederates are almost complete, another regiment of cavalry along with a dismounted contingent ,some guns, command figures and some wagons etc is all that remains to be painted.

WW1
I bought a lot of aircraft last year to play blue Max all assembled but yet to be painted.

Pulp
My Pulp adventiure this year will be a Snow adventure, so terrain and figures to be done, also maybe a aircraft of some sort.

WW2
A lot of work needed here including a tonne of vehicles and a lot of German 1944 infantry, a lot of Brits and american airbourne and complete some 1940 French and buildings.

Modern
A new project that is not very high on my list at the moment my Americans are awaiting Wartime minis new figs and someone to do a decent M60!

Fantasy
My two sons play warhammer and 40k so I have a Empire army to paint along with Elves, they paint thier own 40k figs. I also have two Bloodbowl teams to do, so we can play a leauge at home during winter.


Terrain
28mm ACW/AWI/FIW fences and buildings
28mm Napoleonic buildings and hedges
20mm buildings and pieces
28mm Pulp as required
28mm ancients buildings

Well quite a list, and it may need some paring down and to add to the list I have not mentioned my sculpting and commercial projects at all!

cheers
Matt



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GW Galloper Gun

Although Games Workshop comes in for a lot of bashing amoung historical gamers it does make some very fine models, every now and then I splash cash on some of thier kit, although these days mostly second hand items at bring and buys or on fleabay. Back in the late eighties and nineties I regulary played competition Warhammer on the Sydney circuit, before GW even had a shopfront in the country. I regulary placed in the top five with my Empire army, and played just about every month at my local club (Western Wargamers). I have had several armies during the years, Empire (some of the older metals are still in my Renn collection), Bretonian (some of the older metal commands are in my norman army and baron wars armies), Undead, and wood elves.
My painting style really developed during this time and still in some ways reflects the early GW style or base, wash, highlight. Late last year I purchased from a bring and buy, an Empire army and more recently High Elves which my two sons play with .....honestly :). I plan to paint both of these armies for them during the year fro them, so every now and then I will post them up here.

cheers
matt

Mithridatic Cataphracts

Pontus, my continued obsession with the east for the 2011 build list. Mithradates IV Eupator was Rome's biggest threat in the east from 120BC to 63BC. Mithridates is remembered as one of Roman Republic’s most formidable and successful enemies, who engaged three of the prominent generals from the late Roman Republic in the Mithridatic Wars: Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Lucullus and Pompey.




My Pontic army has now been completly purchased lead wise and all I need to do is put some paint on the figures, three pike blocks of 24 (two in trousers and armour, one in no armour (ex slaves), two units heavy cavalry both Cataphract, one Pontic and Cappadocian, two units of light cavalry, one Scythian and one Armenian, one four horse sythed chariot probably for the king himself!, Bosporan hill tribesmen warband, thracian mercenary light infantry, mercenary missile troops including cretan archers, Bactrian sligers, and finaly a Galatian warband (gaulish dressed types apparently!). I may add to the army some imitation legionarys (probaly cathaginian heavy inf figures)so the army can cover the whole period.



These figures are from the 28mm successor First corps range.

I have decided to use Greek mythology beasts for all of my unit standards for my pontic army, it is a chellenge freehand but I am happy so far at my first attempt, anybody guess what it is!!!!!

cheers
matt

Celt Flasher Fanatics

Some Black Tree Design Celts I bought at our clubs great marulan car boot sale last month, I needed to paint them as they wouldn't fit in the fully packed to the top celt box with 400 odd figures! I enjoyed painting these guys and tried using some old GW inks (from the 80s), I like the blue the best, the green is OK and a little disatified with the red, I have started like everybody else to use silfor tufts which add a wild grass look to bases and will continue the theme with the rest of my romans and celts, I guess I will also revisit my painted ancients also.
















cheers
matt

More Pulp

The latest addition to my snow based pulp games a 28mm Mammoth taxi!







cheers
Matt