A Trick I Learned

Using a pencil to make gunmetal highlights

 Here's a trick I learned from the 1/35th scale modeling folks and it works pretty well on minis. A great way to simulate gunmetal is to use a graphite pencil and hit the high spots on a black undercoated weapon...or in this case some German equipment. The graphite sticks just fine and if the figure is clear-coated it becomes permanent.

 These are the 28mm Bolt Action plastics that were such a headache to assemble, but are really nice to paint up...(except for a broken rifle barrel during drybrushing)

(Note: the grey in the pics shows up lighter than actual)

The last pic is an SMG man still in progress just after a wash of the older GW "flesh shade" which is still better than their newer formula. The new version seems not "strong" enough. Too bad I'm on my last jar ("pot").
On the good side, the GW "Skavenblight Dinge" Layer color (available in my town at the local game shop) is an almost exact match for Vallejo "German Field Grey" #830 (that I have to order online). I try to support the local shop if can...and they are always good for a quick Warhammer fix if need arises.

Pencil trick on an 1/72 "Armorfast" Achilles (MGs and chipped turret edges)

Pencil trick on 15mm FOW US M4s ...esp the treads.

Where's That Beeswax in the Ears When You Need It!

Them si-reeens done loved him up and t-t-turned him into a toad!!!

 So I succumbed to the siren song from "Warlord" minis and started in on a set of 28mm WWII "Bolt Action" figures (sitting around here at Lead Gardens unpainted and more importantly un-assembled since last Christmas) on the strength of the "Bolt Action" rules I recently bought. The rules, on first read, seem like they will be fun and just the ticket for some quick casual solo play since the dice activation/order mechanic will serve nicely in taking some control of the game away from me.

BUT oh, the humanity!... those multipart figures are a pain to assemble! So after several sessions of trimming gluing and general cussing, I managed to finish a three squad platoon of Germans. Next up is the Russians and thank heaven for metal figures!  Now granted I do love the variations you get in the figures from all those loose little legs and arms and tiny weapons and heads when they finally come together. (...though I wish the rifles were a bit more robust even if it meant a bit overscaled) and at least the hard part is over.

The other mere "glint in daddy's eye" here these days is the new SAGA rules for dark age skirmish combined with the beautiful Sash and Saber 40mm dark age minis. Though I'll have to sell something...maybe a kidney...to afford the special dice. (Yes just kidding, I can make some homemade ones I suppose...)

The Armies March

The English defend.

 I set up a new battle on my newly upgraded table (feels like a glorious 8'x5' after a few months relegated to the 6x4 dining table). This is actually the second battle but who's counting...

The defenders hold the bridge perimeter.

 In this scenario, I used a variation of the "Raid on St. Michel" campaign book (teaser 5) assuming a larger force holding a bridgehead and needing to hold the bridge open to get all its baggage (and loot) across the river while being attacked by a strong pursuing force.

Irish Regiment Bulkeley (now with a full compliment of 2 "companies" of 16 men) ...all that is lacking to be cast up is a mounted colonel, a second flag bearer and an NCO.

A church and walled graveyard dominate the center of the field

The French...Infanterie Regiment Lyonnais and a battalion gun on the flank facing a long march across an open field under the guns of the Brits.

I'm hoping to get this battle underway towards the end of the week...until then it remains set up. It makes me happy and reduces the end of the day work stress just looking at it, even if I don't get to roll some dice immediately.

Artillery Stick for "2/3s scale Charge"

 Working as I do in a school of architecture here in Virginia has its perks especially at the end of the term when students pack up their studio stuff to head home. It's usually a good time to check the recycling bins for useable materials that can be re-purposed for gaming. This past summer term found me in the possession of several nice 48" wood strips leftover from a shop project. I made off with them and did a bit of painting and lettering on one of them to make a pretty serviceable artillery stick for "Charge" at 2/3s scale.

The large number is the to hit number and just to the right the casualty D6 to be rolled...on the upper right of the range band is the to hit for light battalion guns (a house rule of mine...lower to hit probability by one, but the same casualty D6)

The end of the artillery stick has the 45 degree field of fire marked and with a bit of graphic flame to enhance the "abstract" look of the thing...which to me is paramount in an old school game.

I had some stencil templates to do the lettering and a coat of white artist gesso did good service as a basecoat. I did two coats with a light sanding between coats to make a nice smooth surface, though if you were in a hurry, the gesso covers in one coat. (the stencils are a hard-to-get metal reproduction of the classic set used by the famed architect Le Corbusier back in the 1920s...so they look pretty good and have a "workmanlike" look... but I think one could get just as nice an effect with an inexpensive paper stencil of the right size). The artillery batten is about an inch and a half wide so it works great to also indicate roughly any blocking of the field of fire by intervening friendlies.

I'm also thinking of doing some tweaking of the melee rules to take into account some things like grenadiers, light cavalry and lancers...that would have some advantage in the melee rolls but not as dramatic as the doubling of the D6 in the cavalry versus infantry melee situation.

I'm enjoying the 2/3s scale version of the rules (many thanks to Ross for the suggestion) and it works with my table depth very well.

Battle of St. Michel: Second Attempt- The Report

British grenadiers and the 12th regiment of Foot begin their assault on St. Michel

The battle opens with the British advancing smartly in column of companies to cover the expanse of open ground as quickly as possible.

The 8th Regiment of Foot (King's) deployed in line covers the flank of the assaulting column.

Attentive readers will notice I've mislabeled the Colonel's stand (in this game hit early...) as the Lorraine Regiment...They are actually painted as the Regiment Lyonnais....I am getting old and confused..!

British battalion guns do some serious damage to an exposed company of the Lyonnais Regiment.

I simulated indecision on the part of the French of when to release their cavalry by rolling each turn for their Brigadier to convince the reluctant CinC to charge forward. About turn three they finally surge forward.

French Horse bear down on the British line.

The 12th Foot and converged grenadiers move to assault St. Michel

light cavalry clash on the flank

In the center the French cavalry charge the 8th regiment of foot...

The assault column closes in...

overview about halfway through the battle...the French regrouping their horse after an unsuccessful charge and the British assault column closes in on the outskirts of St. Michel

The defenders of St. Michel, Infantrie Regiment Lyonnais

French CinC

Col. Skelton of the 12th foot leads from the front but is one of the first to fall...

The objective...the pay waggons

Light infantry skirmish

The British column begins to break up.

The French Cuirassiers make another charge on the British left.

cavalry action

Concentrated musketry and cannon fire shatter the British in the final moments of the assault.

The final blow to the British is delivered by a successful charge of French heavy horse.

This battle was fun...but had to be taken down fast.... but my sights were set on getting a larger table set up and some more figures painted up...so in my next post, another CS Grant teaser from the "Raid on St. Michel" book

Return of "The Green Mile"!

It was bellwether day here at the Lead Gardens as I was granted an official letter of tolerance from the Grand Duchess to use our rarely used but much cluttered guest room as a place to set up a more permanent (...ok, "semi" permanent...) gaming table so I don't have to disrupt dining and homework operations on our family table any longer (and not have to travel to her store across town to use the back storage room). And to make it even sweeter, I now have a room with a door!...an all important feature now that we have a new and remarkably destructive rascal of a Siamese kitten in the household.

I have, in the past, been known to make a merry joke at my lovely wife's expense but this gift of space has made me a true believer in her ongoing benevolence.

So after a day of cleaning, I was able to set up the entire expanse of my "Green Mile" in all it's 8' x 5' of classic wargaming glory! This very hour I am setting up another scenario from C. Grant's "Raid on St. Michel (I do have the re-fight of the Battle of St. Michel promised last post already finished up too, but it will take a day or so to get it written up.)

Battle of St. Michel: Second Attempt

 The British, after a failed first attempt at capturing St. Michel, have, by some timely reinforcements (read frantic week of casting and painting...) returned to the attack and are making a second attempt to capture the all important pay wagons of the French forces in the area.

the much strengthened English advance to the attack

Newly arrived from Portsmouth, the 8th (Kings) Regiment of Foot

The newest addition to the British is the 8th regiment of Foot (Kings). I struggled to get the right shade of blue for the facing but I'm still not quite happy with how they turned out. Dark royal blue is a seemingly hard color to get right and I've not yet figured out the right solution (or brand of paint) to get it right...any suggestions are much appreciated!

The French still enjoy a superiority of horse

The Irish Regiment Bukeley in French service hold the right flank

The British attack columns crest a distant ridge

I'll be fighting this one out over the next couple of days...despite my occupation of the family dining table, I intend to finish this one and do a proper battle report.

I also spent the day cleaning a "spare" room in our house that, if plans go well, will become a new gaming space--though not quite entirely dedicated to gaming....at least a bit less disruptive to the household...and less accessible to the new kitten who has shown great and destructive interest in the goings on in the dining room! 

I think the British now have a fighting chance at taking the town...and I have new impetus in adding another two feet to the 6x5 table I'm currently limited to...but mum's the word... don't tell the Misses!

I'm also in heated anticipation of the new Prince August "Karoliner" molds coming out in a few weeks...they look really good and a nice addition for us PA fans who are using the figures for wargaming! If we could just convince them to make a grenadier in a bearskin hat....