Mad March WIP

 The kit building commenced this week for my mad march entry on the Wargamers Forum. 

First up some 1/72 resin and plastic bits for my Egyptians and a Star Wars X wing Revell model. 

Resin Armo BTR 50 model

A had to add new plastic bits as the model I purchased second hand was knocked around not looking forward to the wire grips and fitting the resin tracks this weekend. 

ACE models BTR 50.

Like all ACE kits a bit of a challenge, single track links are driving me nuts, plus I need to add wire grab handles. 

ICM BTR60 

Lovely kit, lots of detail bits, careful when sanding as I broke sone of the fiber parts.

Revell X Wing 

lovely little kit went together in 20 mins. I did manage to break the laser sponson with a drop ….. :(

Hopefully complete this weekend for the entry 

Cheers

Matt

Birthday Haul

 Last week was my 55th birthday, as a treat we visited the champagne district of France, we stayed in Épernay then visited a number of champagne house (17), Reims cathedral and Museum and managed three 1814 Napoleonic battle locations. When I returned home I had a number of packages awaiting pick up.

The most exciting was the Old Guard band by Warlord Games, some books on Stalingrad, French Indian war bits, French Waterloo uniforms, American airborne medics in Normandy, six T54 for my ongoing Egyptian project for Yom Kippur war, a new gardening trowel and sone zinnias for my garden. 

Very blessed with great gifts from Vanessa, Allison, Mum, and my mates. 

Cheers

Matt

Egyptian BM-13NMM "Katiusha"

BM-13NMM "Katiusha"

Next unit for my Egyptian army is a multiple rocket launcher mounted on a ZIL 131 truck. I actually need to paint my BM21 Grad launchers too.

 I have only seen these in use for the 56 parades, they are listed in the 18th battalion but not used in combat use for 6 day war or Yom Kippur that I am aware of. I will use these in support of my infantry mechanised brigade.

The kit is from ICM models. The kit was missing the Armoured flash shield, I should actually build one! 

Cheers

Matt

Crusaders! Part one

 I know I promised myself, but off the rails already when I pulled these guys out of the drawer last week and painted them at the end of last week. The miniatures are from gripping beast and have painted up nicely, the lances are from Mirliton, shields hand painted. These chaps will join my new outremer army.

Cheers

Matt

Vendee / Chouannerie - French Revolution Project

 Vendee/Chouannerie Project 

This year as one of my major projects I want to complete my French Revolution Project and associated Royal Catholic Armee and French Revolution army. I have also been working on a ruleset at 1/10 figure scale over the last 5 years and hopefully will get it published later this year. 

I really want to fight five of  the battles from the great Galerne that are within 20 to 80klm of my house and involved a number of our neighbors families and the Hercé family that lived in our house. Both the French and the Royal Catholic armies are quite small so it suits to reduce the representation factor of units and makes leaders for troop inspiration more important. 

Eventually by the end of the year I want to have a big enough army to replay a few of the local smaller battles and within two years the larger ones like Le Mans, Entrammes, Chateau Gontier,  and Dole Bretagne.  

My first units will be a few Revolution French and some of the royalist additions to Chouan collection.

Cheers

Matt

Fallschirmjager two

  The remaining rifle platoon of warlord metal and plastic figures, overall quite happy with them, support crews to come.