#30daykitchallenge part 4 & wrap up

 Wrap up

Well thirty days of putting 1/72 kits together, completely over it actually, still have ten kits to go that have been started up to three years ago, but very happy with my results. A total of 56 kits assembled ready for undercoat, I hit my goal of 50, but run out of steam in the last week. 

Ok so more resin and plastic plus a few metal guns 

Airfix scorpion, the tracks were a pain in the A

Wespe resin Dutch Paag trekkers, fiddly kits

Mirage 2000 a nice fitting Helier kit

Skyhawk starfix kit a very old kit 

T55 enigma a mixed resin and plastic kit

DD Sherman’s Britannia I think 

SHQ 15cm Howitzer 

T-62b Britannia for my Egyptians 

Para motorcycles 

PT76 plastic a very nice kit for my Egyptians 

Airfix bofors 40mm for my Dutch 

More T-62b these need the Syrian upgrades 

British airborne locust and 6pdr SHQ

Britannia Churchill funny, I want to scratch build the which and add cable after painting 

Airfix Buccaneer awaiting pilots 

Total 25 kits 

Cheers

Matt

#30daykitchallenge part 3

 

30 day kit challenge build part 3

 Simple resin ready to roll kits for my British army 7 kits. More resin and plastic coming up soon. 

Month Total 38 kits

Cheers

Matt

#30daykitchallenge progress part 2

 #30daykitchallenge part two

I been busy putting resin kits together over the last 10 days, plus some plastics. I have 9 more resin kits I should finish in the next few days, with lots of filling and hand rails and bits to be added.

Primarily British army kits this week.

Week two 17 completed

Armourfast Cromwell tanks, almost feels like cheating.....I am thinking about adding better lights, light guards and tow cables.....we shall see

Resin Traction avant....parts are missing, so a search is required for the bumpers and lights

RAF Forward observer  

SHQ Polson

Humber A/C

total completed kits   31

I have hit my goal of 30 kits, but will continue building for the whole month as I want to complete my British and Egyptian armour

 

cheers

Matt

#30daykitchallenge progress week 1

 Progress week 1 

So it begins I have been cleaning up resin and plastic this week with a lot on the table. I managed to hurt my back ago on Easter monday in the garden lifting out shrubs so have been watching movies rather than getting kits together. However I felt good this morning so sat down at my desk and banged these out quite quickly, ready for undercoat. 

Have started the plastic kits and the drilling work on the resin T62b tanks, adding details and filling the resin air holes which is a lot of work. I also pulled out some more plastic kits and have put them aside for later in the week as I am confident I will hit thirty kits easy for the month. 

14 completed

Diamler SOD command cars

AEC armoured car, metal barel

crusader AA mkIII

Soviet AA, resin prints, not a lot of clean up and assembly

one will join my rebels on a technical, one Egyptian, one Russian

Dingo scout car

M3 scout car

Diamler armoured car

cheers

Matt

#30DaykitChallenge - My Pledge

 30 day kit build challenge 

The idea of the build is to finish unbuilt kits and new kits in the next thirty days. As suspected France goes back into lockdown again on Easter Sunday for 4 weeks, so a timely challenge. 

So I have put together the pile of unbuilt and unfinished shame and new kits I intend to build this month. 51 kits in total my plan is to complete 30 kits at least, a mix of resin-metal kits and plastic kits. I will also add some details to a few, tow hooks, aerials, crew and stowage.

I do need to paint the interiors of a few aircraft, plus the pilots to have the aircraft ready for paint. 

My Pledge

20mm ww2  kits

ww2 Resin, metal and plastic kits total 39 kits

 

started 1/72 aircraft kits x 4 I want to complete these the most

dassault Mirage 2000N

Buccaneer s2b

Skyhawk A4

Gotha 242 ww2 glider

Resin Britannia T55 and a OT-62 resin kit from Armo for my Egyptians

ww2 Radar 3d print, needs a alcohol bath and clean up, plus assembly

Wish me luck, I wish to complete as much as possible during our lockdown to undercoat stage at least. The goal is Thirty kits, ready for undercoat, I think If I work hard I may complete the lot. 

Cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday - Stone Walls

 Stone walls 

I have a few meters of stone walls to complete for my table, some will be fixed to bases with the buildings others will be more adaptable pieces. 

These are the adaptable pieces, I have based them on mdf, then added flock and some flowers and some bushes from rubberized horse hair. Lots more to come, I will possibly also make some taller ones to portray some ten foot 20mm walls for Normandy. 

Cheers

Matt

Longbow vs Armour 1418 English Longbow Myth

 English longbow myth busted

As I have long suspected from my reading that the myth of the high poundage longbow piercing quality armour covered with a quilted gambeson has been busted........ 

Reading the historical documents from the late Hundred Years’ War it was not the piercing but the kinetic energy and the morale that done the damage to any charge, multiple hits like hail stones would of been most disconcerting to advancing French, English or Scots, Italians et al under the hail of the longbow fire. Yes exposed parts would of been pierced, but in the majority a well armoured knight needed to put up with the hail of shots that would of caused blunt force trauma rather than actual piercing of the armour. Morale was the big factor and effected the charge more than I think we can possibly imagine. 

I was surprised that Toby Capewell had not done this type of experiment before, especially when it came to the quilted gambesons effectiveness in reducing kinetic energy. I have used one over my armour for 10 years or more, the reduction of a blow from a two handed weapon is worth the extra heat.

Enjoy the video amd let me know what you think 

Video presented by Todds Workshop 

Can arrows defeat armour?

Cheers

Matt

#30daykitchallenge

 

April 30 day Kit build challenge!

So what is the 30 day kit challenge? Well, something I shamelessly copied from Gunbird and his blog "20mm and then some" back in 2017 when we chatted about doing something about our piles of shame.

When I moved to France I found I had a lot of unbuilt kits, particularly modern and ww2, plus some ww1 aircraft make up the majority plus all of the Perry and Warlord figures. I also suffer from half built kit syndrome, as I like to paint the interiors, the pilot then assemble the kit. So during the current lockdown looming in April in France due to rising cases of Covid in our region I have decided to have a kit build challenge to fix my problem in some way.  So with that in mind I'm starting the 30 day kit build, if you like join me and blog about it, steal the picture below if you like...........I have started the Prep sorting the kits that need finishing and then some new builds, building kits trying to stay within current build restrictions for my yearly goals but wherever the wind may blow of course!

Join me if you wish

Facebook, Blog and Instagram using the tag 

#30daykitchallenge 

RULES

Goals are simple, you will build your part built and new kits during the 30 day challenge:

• Any material (plastic, resin, metal, wood).
• New in the box or partially built, it matters not.
• Gun, tank, truck, aircraft, ship, figure animal? Your call.
• Kit must be basically finished, based if you prefer that, to qualify as a build.
• The completed kit must be ready for primer.
• Resin and metal upgradesets can be applied after the build.....the goal is to get kits built and ready for primer, not to finish them with paint and varnish etc.
• You decide how many kits/models you want to build in the 30 day period.
• You set the penalty for not meeting your goal (and after that it is the honor system)

Anything beyond that is up to you

My goal is the period from 1/4/2021 up to 30/4/21, each day I plan to work on a kit until I have completed my goal.  My goal is grand total of 30 kits, If I can build more kits n the month, then bonus.

My penalty is that if I don't make my target, is not to buy another kit for the rest of the year :(.

So, starting with Day #1 (1st April 2021), I'm starting with some 1/72 armourfast kits to kit off then onto some more tanks and aircraft.

Cheers
Matt

One Hundred Years War Chevaliers et Écuyers du Maine VIII

 Knights and Squires of Maine

Another completed base of French for my post Agincourt French HYW army, these men are from the baronies of Chateau-Gontier and Châteaubriant, again Perry Plastics

"Wargaming History”

cheers

Matt

Gaulois Aulerci Cénomani tribesmen VII

 Gauls Aulerci Cénomani Tribesmen

Another unit completed, a rest now from plaid I think....still 60 plus to go as I was gifted some more for my birthday ....

Again Victrix and LBM transfers

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

Matt

Gaulois Aulerci Cénomani VI

 

Gauls Aulerci Cénomani Tribesmen 

Some more Gallic tribesmen for my second gallic tribe I am building, really happy with them although I have noticed I am getting lazy on the plaid so I may need a rest and switch to some ww2 or something to get my spirits back.

Again Victrix figures, with LBM transfers based for Impetus

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

Matt

One Hundred Years War Chevaliers et Écuyers du Maine VII

 Chevaliers et écuyers du Maine

Based a number of figures in this last week or so as my basing material has arrived, a lot more coming as I have completed all of the English foot and some more French foot for my armies. 

I think I need another three or four boxes to complete the army completely, two cavalry, one french foot plus some metals to flesh out some commands etc.

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

Matt

100 Years War English archers IV

 

 English Longbow IV

Another two units of Perry HYW Archers, this time plastic, one unit are English the other possibly mercenary! More coming as I crack on through the basing process this week. These chaps are skirmishers retiring before the French and Scottish MAA!

"Wargaming History "™ 

From Caesar to the coldwar

cheers

Matt

French Bandes d'Infanterie Pike Guerre Folle 1488

 

 French Bandes d'Infanterie Pikemen

As I am basing and completing miniatures this week, I have some more foot this week for my own project for the Guerre Folle, the 1488 campaign in Bretagne. 

The French Bandes d'Infanterie pikemen performed well in the campaign with a number of veterans from the Burgundian wars.  The Bandes d'Infanterie (old Arrière-ban) were to be formed along the Swiss model, but were in some documents were still referred to as Ordonnance still. The units if formed along the old ordonnance structure of one mounted MAA, 3 archers (mounted for transport) and one polearm foot, this gets confusing trying to make the numbers match up for the units, for the battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier. 6000 odd of the Normandy Arrière-ban were raised for the invasion (only 3000 were present at the battle though)

These chaps will be one of 8 French pike double base units (representing 1000 men) for the French army, plus attached crossbow, archers and flanks of halberds, I hope to have them all finished by April this year.  Figures from the Perry plastic mercenaries box, which I think is the best box available.

Normandy Bandes d'Infanterie

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

Matt

100 Years War English Archers III

 

English HYW Longbowmen III

My basing material has arrived so more Perry HYW metal archers, then onto some more English plastic lowbow, then English foot tomorrow.

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

Matt

100 Years War French Longbow II

French HYW Longbowmen

French longbowmen in skirmish order, the 60 x 60 base fits into the castle towers I am building for my big terrain project this year. lots more on the way for the next week or so before my birthday parade! 

French Perry Archers, Agincourt plastics range

"Wargaming History"™ 

From Caesar to the Cold War

cheers

Matt

100 Years War English Longbow II

 English Longbow II

Finally onto some infantry types, I have a few bases of these on the way this week, around 30 completed on the table along with more cavalry as my basing materials have arrived lots of figures coming in the next ten days or so

Perry Metal  English archers suitable for the mid to late 100 years war

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

Matt

100 years war French Chevaliers and écuyers du Maine VI

French Chevaliers and Écuyers du Maine   

Finally completed some stuff of my own this week some Perry 28mm chevaliers for my French Armagnac western HYW post Agincourt army based on the armies in Maine and Anjou.  The first of the 20 odd figures coming. All Perry plastics as always lovely to paint.

Jean de Boissière, seigneur de la Boissière, Maine
In the company Guy de Laval, at La Brossinere, Le Mans, Fresnay, Baugé, and Verneuil, owed thirty days service La Gravel chateau.

Jean de Quatrebarbes 1407 Motte of Ampoigné , Motte-Sorchin, Genest , others still in Cosmes , Cossé , Astillé (fealty to Baron of Chateau Gontier-Sceau 1441). His father Pierre armorial seal 1372 seal is mentioned as "où étoit empreinte la figure d'une tête d'homme portant une grande moustache fourchue".
Pierre , his son, Jean, Gilles and his grandson Jean, all died at the battle of Verneuil 

Fought at Baugé, La Brossinière, Sainte-Suzanne, Verneuil where he died, in the company of Guy de Laval.

Guy d’Orenges,Seigneur de la Feuillée, la motte d’Orenges, Saint Jean Mayenne.
At Baugé, La Brossinière, Sainte-Suzanne, Verneuil, Vassal de Guy Laval

 

Bertrand de Parthenay, Seigneur de Soubise
At La Brossinière, Sainte-Suzanne, Verneuil, Vassal de Guy Laval

Lancelot de Rouvray, écuyer, seigneur de Fournes
At La Brossinière, Sainte-Suzanne, killed at Verneuil, Vassal de Guy Laval

Guillaume de Sacé, écuyer, sire de Brain-sur-Allonnes, château Sacé (destroyed 1361)
At La Brossinière, Sainte-Suzanne, killed at Verneuil, Vassal de Guy Laval

Jean L'enfant, écuyer seigneur de the Patrière and Cimbré,
At La Brossinière, Sainte-Suzanne, killed at Verneuil, Vassal de Guy Laval

Jean de Foucault, écuyer, seigneur du Cerisier, Maine
At La Brossinière, Sainte-Suzanne, Saint James, Le Mans, Orleans, Vassal de Guy Laval

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

Cheers 

Matt

Republican Roman command II

 

 Republican Roman Command

Earlier last week I was getting a little jack of Medievals, tree renovation and Napoleonics, so I switched and opened up my project drawers and looked at my early republicans and decided to complete some more of my commands as I like to have spares in case of civil war etc for my early republican four urban legions. All figures are First corps figures except the dog who is warlord I think, decals VVV on the Roman shields, Impetus markers are Gallic pieces hand painted.

First up is a mounted Equites with his faithful dog, as a commander of my foreign and mercenary cavalry

A Simple legion commander base 

A foreign legion commander

Impetus disorder markers (as I like to do some every time I paint Ancient figures......)

and a supply train, more medieval than roman, a mix of brands and scratch built pack saddles

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

Matt

Morvan Lez-Breizh The first King of Brittany

  

Morvan Lez-Breizh

Morvan (Murman or Morman) Lez-Breizh (literally "the hip of Bretagne")750-818

Thought to be the first King of a unified Brittany in the Middle Ages, his rule last a short four years after the death of Charlemagne. The Bretons were always in Revolt against the Franks. The Breton lords particularly active along marcher borders raiding but were never really united. Morvan controlled an area in the north called Poher part of the Kingdom of Cornouaille close to the border of Domnonée, Bretagne. He had a fortified Castra/Palace it is thought at modern Carhaix-Plouguer, capital of old Poher.

In 753 Pepin the Short ordered Frankish troops into the Armorican peninsula to subdue the kingdoms and ask for tribute, the Breton kings would remain semi independent but still owe fealty to the Franks. In 776 and 777 Charlemagne ordered armies into the Armorican peninsula again to create the Breton Marches, marching from Le Mans, Roland (Hruotland) (song of Roland Fame) obtaining tribute and land from the three petty kingdoms and moved the border marcher between Neustria and Brittany to to a line from St Malo to Nantes and set up Carolingian Castra in Rennes, port city of Nantes and the port city of Saint Malo (when the border marcher moved from the Mayenne-Maine and Loire river to the west to the la Vilaine river, also the first wood and stone castra/palace was also built at this time in Ville Mayenne by the Bishop of Le Mans in the same location as the current chateau).

After a refusal to pay tributes by some of the great Breton nobles, in 786 the Frank General Audulf, departed Nantes and campaigned between March and August 786, laying waste to the Breton cities and destroying its defendable castras (leaving the coast vulnerable to saxon pirates). The chronicle of Sigebert de Gembloux noting that several castra were captured and nobles and hostages were bought before Charlemagne at Worms in 787. In 799 Guy de Widonides a Frankish noble was appointed as the marquis of the Breton Marchers and Comte de Nantes. Guy then also campaigned in 799 and had the Breton petty kings bend the knee in person at Tours in 800. Guy again campaigned in 811 breaking a alliance of the northern Domnonée nobles who had threatened Rennes.

When Charlemagne died in 814, Morvan lez-Breizh gathered together the nobles from the Kingdoms of Cornouaille, Domnonée and Bro-Gwened and rebelled successfully, while the Frank armies were busy in Spain and Italy.

In 818 Emperor Louis the Pious along with his marquis Lambert de Nantes (Widonides) lead a large army (10000) to clear the country of fortified castras, take hostages and fealty. They met the army of Morvan somewhere between Priziac and Carhaix, it is said the battle was on a fortified ford of the Ellé river near Langonnet. A ridge nearby is called Minez-Morvan and he is said to be buried nearby in the Tumulus de Kermain a bronze age tomb.

“He [Louis] marched in person in Brittany with a considerable army, and held the general assembly of the nation at Vannes. Then entering the province of which we have just spoken, he took all the strongholds of the rebels, and soon made himself master without much fatigue of the whole country. In fact, after Morman, who had arrogated to it the royal authority in defiance of the constant use of the Bretons, had been killed by the emperor's troops, there was no longer a single Breton who resisted, or who refused either. to obey the orders he received, or to provide the hostages that were required of him "

- Annales d ' Éginhard , (Year 818)

The king figure is Morvan lez Breizh from Footsore, unsure of the priest but I did add the cross from a plastic set. 

For those interested jaunty marching tunes, as I do a nice Breton pipes tune Lez Breizh was written some time after, as a Scottish bagpiper the higher pitch can be a little hard on the ears after a while but worth a listen all the same. I will use it to rouse the troops on the table to fight the perfidious foe the Franks! 

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

Cheers

Matt