Saturday, April 2, 2022

30 day Kit build challenge -2022

   

April 30 day Kit 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. I also suffer from half built kit syndrome, as I like to paint the interiors, the pilots or drivers then assemble the kit. 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

Join me if you wish on Facebook, Blog and Instagram using the tag 

#30daykitchallenge 

Or join the fun on the 

The Wargamers Forum

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 1/4/2022 up to 30/4/22, 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 in 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 2022), I'm starting with some Allied /72 PST kits first then onto some more tanks and aircraft.

Cheers
Matt

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

King of Kings, Shapur II

 King Of Kings 

I have been on holiday for three months in Australia, the weather was fabulous and it was great to catch up with friends. I had great intentions of painting some figures whilst I was there, however I really did not devote any time really in between family commitments. This is one of the few I actually had time to complete.

King Shapur II, possibly the greatest and longest serving king of the Sassanid empire and a pain in the side to Rome and her allies in the east. The miniature is from the aventine range along with the two retainers and standard, the horse however id from the A&A range and fits in nicely. This vignette almost completes my Sassanid army for Impetus, I would like to buy some more foot, heavy infantry and archers and I will be done. 


King of Kings Shapur II


Cheers
Matt




Thursday, March 17, 2022

Grand Duchy of Baden Army 1809 Part 1

 The Grand Duchy of Baden

As I have decided to add more Napoleonics to my collection this year, one of the armies you may of noticed last year was my Grand Duchy of Baden. The miniatures I will be using for the army are from the Murawski miniatures range. 


A ideal army for wargaming at 1/20, as it is a nice small Division sized army with supporting cavalry, artillery and light infantry. As with most of my armies I like to research and pick a year or battle to focus on. As 1809 is a great campaign period for Baden I will build the army for this period so they can fight against my Austrians.  


I will also plan to add a train, Gendarmes and possibly some militia types too which will require some green stuff to complete! 


My plan is to build this year

  • General staff (mostly completed in 2021)
  • Baden garde du corps 4 figs
  • Guard Infantry 
  • 3 Line Infantry regiments 
  • 1 Jager battalion
  • Garde du Corps
  • Dragoon Regiment (completed 2021)
  • Hussar Regiment (using plastic Perry hussars)
  • 1 foot Artillery battery (completed 2021)
  • 1 horse artillery battery
  • Train
  • Gendarmes (completed in 2021)
  • Militia Infantry and artillery. (possible Jager company, artillery company and veteran battalion inclusion)

Historical Organisation 1809-10
Baden elevated to an electorate in 1803, then a Grand Duchy in 1806, with the population with the additional lands acquired reaching one million people by 1810. The extra territory allowed the state to raise 10,000 men for the army of Baden. It served in the Grande Armee in the 1805, 1806, 1807 1809, 1812 and 1813 campaigns. 

Ministers of War
7 March 1808 to 17 September 1808 Karl von Geusau
1808–1814 Karl Friedrich von Fischer
16 August 1814 to 4 Dezember 1833 Konrad von Schäffer


Music 


Some regimental music I have found


Parademarsch der königlich Bayrischen Grenadier Garde




March of the Swabian County Regiment, Durlach-Baden (c. 1700, oíd version)




Pas de redouble



hope you enjoy that


cheers

Matt  

 


Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Wrap up 2021

 Wrap up 2021




2021 is done and dusted, and with the pandemic continuing a very strange year. and tough for our inbound tourist model at French Wargame Holidays.

We completed the year fulfilling 12% of our normal budget with Wargame Holidays and regular B & B, thankfully the Macron Government helped keep us afloat again............we are still here, and looking forward and currently planning for a prosperous 2022 fingers crossed. 

A big thank you to our customers that did manage to attend and play a wargame this year. A big thank you for  your continued support here on my blog, on Facebook, Instagram and the various Forums I haunt. A major change as we have started to attract european guests, French, German and Dutch who managed to travel during Summer.

We are taking Bookings for holidays from now, commencing in late March please contact us via the website to discuss your needs for a tailor made holiday for you and your partner or with your friends here at French Wargame Holidays and L'hotel de Hercé for a relaxing stay in the Loire.

     ______________________________________________________________________________

Totals

Summing up my Wargame painting and terrain progress this year on my goals I achieved about 75% with a few minimal diversions. I may of completed more looking back, but motivation was up and down depending upon the external stresses of this strange year. On the positive side a lot of my stash completed with very few purchases of new lead or plastic. Medievals were again my main focus as I added to my collections to fill them out to match our "Walk the Battlefield in the morning, Wargame in the afternoon" tour and wargames.

2021 Goals achieved

Salon de Guerre redecoration
100% complete, curtains completed and artwork, swords and lances hung, a new Louis XIV cabinet for display for large models and three new chairs.


28mm miniatures painting 
Completed 28mm Infantry 216
Completed 28mm Cavalry 144
Completed Artillery 1
Baggage Animals 9

WW2 and Modern 20mm  

20mm Infantry 99
72 x 20mm vehicles
6 Aircraft
artillery x 9

WW1 Miniatures
4 WW1 1/72 aircraft

Other Science Fiction
1 Imperial Space ship 
12 Space marines ......for my Sons birthday present

Miniatures rebased and touched up

Large scale Figures
1 x 54mm figure

Total Terrain System For Now (TTSFN) Goals achieved
Château board (1500x1200), includes Gaulois fort, dark ages Motte and bailey, and 100 YW castle under construction ATM 40% complete
Standard boards x 6
Roman Fort 
Ploughed fields 
Maize /corn Crop fields 
Harvested crop fields 
20mm buildings x 8 
Dark Age Buildings x 6 
Medieval buildings x 10
20mm ww2 buildings x 6
Bocage mark V 12m
Stone walls 3m
27 pine trees
6 garden trees
8 dead trees
27 palm trees
8 28mm trees

Board game played
19 games, mostly online.

Wargames played
Ancient games x 7
Medieval games x 8
Renaissance Wargames 0
Napoleonic games x 4
Ww1 games x 4
WW2 games x 16
Modern games x 5
Naval games x 4
Fantasy 0
Science fiction x 2


Completing bits from my project drawers was the focus on terrain has helped me a lot this year, as now I have space to plan 2022 which is well underway. I will continue to try to post every week or two as it helps me keep track of what has been completed. 

I will be on holidays in Australia from January to mid March, but I have taken some toys with me to complete!

Let us all hope this pandemic can be over finally so we can socialise and share all of our new painted goodies, and watch our recently painted units flee off the table once again!

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

From Caesar to World War Two


cheers
Matt

Medieval Myth Busting Agincourt

 Agincourt, Medieval myth busting


Tobias Capwell bust some more myths about Agincourt, interesting discussion about stakes also! Set aside 30 odd minutes of good stuff!



cheers
Matt


Sunday, January 23, 2022

13th century Mangonel

 Manganeau-Mangonel 


Thought to be designed by the chinese and moved west by the 6th century the Mangonel was used widely as a siege engine across europe and asia. The engine was simple to build leverage system and used pulleys and ropes to launch the rocks or rock at the enemy walls, some drawings exist of a torsion type rope system with a pin which would create more energy to release stones further. The Mangonel was replaced by the trebuchet by the middle of the 13th century when stone tower and wall fortifications became the norm for fortifications in the middle east and europe.





I am not certain where the Mangonel comes from but the crew are Mirliton 13th century figures with with new arms. I am intending adding twisted wire or cord at some stage when I get back into 13th century medieval later in the year.


cheers
Matt