Partizan 2023

 We drove across to Newark on Trent this weekend to visit Partizan Wargames Show. I was like a ten year old in a sweet shop with cash burning a hole in his pocket. Partizan has been on my list of Wargame shows to attend since my early days of wargaming. Very spectacular looking games were on display and the show was well attended. I met up with a number of people who I had been Facebook or an online friend for the last 25 odd years in one case. A huge amount of traders were in attendance and I made sure I had a very good look around and purchased a lot of minis and books to take back home to France.  

Ray Rousell, great to finally meet after 14 or more years chatting online! 

Another long time online mate Paul Barnett, his Rapid Fire 15mm Carentan table,is very impressive

Alan Sherward’s superb Arnhem Tables, they were spectacular, I have known Alan for 20 odd years online, yesterday first time we have spoken face to face

To the Strongest mega game, thousands of beautiful figures 

Midgard, my wife loved the Viking mythology table 

Another of my favorites the ACW game 

A shot back up the hall hard to get a good photo 

Napoleonic lovely game this

The Entebbe 20mm RF game was superb, 

Newark Air Museum

  We are in Nottinghamshire for the weekend to attend Partizan, so visits to various museums in the area is always on the cards. First up was Newark Air Museum, what a great space and some excellent predominately modern aircraft display. The shop was also well stocked with kits at a very reasonable prices. 

Cheers 

Matt

Suebi Germanic tribesmen WIP 1

 Semnones Suebi

I have just received a commission off the back of the analogue painting challenge of two hundred ancient Germans by a good mate in Australia. I have commenced the gluing and assembly of the Warlord plastics, Warlord metals and some Foundry miniatures metals commands and cavalry. 

The Suebi tribe were the largest of the Semnones peoples in Northern Germany along the Rhine and were one of the Republics and later Imperial Roman most valiant enemies. The project will commence proper once I complete a small cavalry commission. 

Lots of bear and wolf pelts to be painted along with wooden clubs, the army will be based for Hail Caesar plus individual figures for Infamy Infamy. I also need to print a Germanic fortress for him too. 

Cheers

 Matt

Analogue Painting Challenge 2023 wrap up

 

Analogue Painting Challenge XIII it’s a wrap

A big hearty thank you to Curt, Sarah, the Minions and all of the participants for another great challenge. A wide range of inspiring, superb and cracking paint jobs were entered,  huge terrain projects, and massive miniature armies were built and hopefully lead mountains were diminished. 

I was really happy with my results this year, my first time I surpassed my challenge goal number and  completed the side challenge. I managed too complete every studio so that really boosted my points. My highlights for the studios were building the ww1 aircraft and the female miniatures painted for Lady Sarah’s limousine which turned out a treat, which too my surprise I won a prize for. 

Rabens Ravens

General Varus

The fruit picker 

Chieftain Marobodus

I had a lot of projects I wanted to get started on, my main focus though was my Roman’s and Germanics. Originally I planned only do 120 odd Roman’s but by challenge end it was close to 200 miniatures, and 140 Ancient Germans plus some nice commands. I did fail to complete the ten cohorts planned for my legion, due to a planning fail and the Royal Mail strike which left me short 4 foundry commands and 18 praetorian shields (which could be possibly in storage somewhere) and running low on enthusiasm for Roman’s and Germanics in the last ten days of the challenge. I plan to complete the last 4 units next month or so when I return from holidays in Australia.

Legio VI

Woden the all father

Seubi tribesmen

Looking forward to next years challenge, and plan too build another big army…..not sure what though. See you all next year.  

Cheers

Matt

Knights of Malta

 When we returned to Sydney this April I finally managed to catch up with an old friend John Aqulina who asked me to paint some large scale miniatures for his collection two years ago when they last visited us in France just before Covid. Of course I sat on the project until the last week of March before we departed and completed them this week before handing them over. The peacock feathers were interesting and I would like to try another set as I think I could improve on my technique. 

 I am really happy with the results on the large scale resin minatures and they were a nice change from 28mm work and were very crisp sculpts, both miniatures are still available here.

Knight of Rhodes, United Empire Miniatures bust

 The first bust is the Teutonic Grand Master, Konrad von Lichtenstein 1410, repainted as a Knight of Rhodes, (hospitaller)  the bust was from Under Empire Miniatures. 

Knight of Rhodes, United Empire Miniatures bust

The second bust is a 1/9th scale Teutonic Knight also from Under Empire Miniatures, also painted as a knight of Rhodes.

A fellow Knight of Malta, proudly holding his gifts! 

I do hope they travel well back to Chile to sit in John’s display cabinet. The only annoying thing is I failed to take nice photos of them until I handed them over at the lunch catch up! 

Cheers

Matt

Medieval Mad War Breton Gendarmes

Guerre Folle Breton Gendarmes.   

Some Perry miniatures cavalry additions to my Guerre Folle/Mad War collection. This was my final entry for the analogue painting challenge. I decided to add some coats of arms, livery and do a bit of scroll work on the armour, plus the normal spiral lances I like to do. More to come in the coming months as I have assembled another two boxes worth plus some metal commands for my Italian and French troops for the Mad War. 

Breton Gendarmes 1488 

Perry Gendarmes

Cheers

Matt