My Project gets impetus.

As Ive stated previously,in an effort to complete!,[well at least accelerate the process] my SYW project,I have been buying up pre painted Hinchliffe figures from old collections.Basically the type of figures you see at a bring and buy,which are in need of some tender love and attention,the ones that dont often sell.Well I must admit I have been a bit inspired because there are some decent bargains out there if you're prepared to see past the bent swords,wonky legs and heavily chipped paint.

I bought over 100 hundred of these chaps.Now to be fair the paint job is very acceptable to start with,and someone clearly made a great effort to get them to look right.So the unit below is one of the regiments that I have hopefully brought back to life.I deliberately gloss varnish,because I wanted to capture a bit of my wargaming youth, and personally I think they are the dogs bollocks. 

I was lucky enough to buy some Prussian dragoons as well,although I wont be classing them as such,again, before;...

and then after;....

The best bit is the amount of time it takes to re paint the unit, well worth the scrounge about at shows.

Aut Caesar, Aut Nihil

Well I'm branching out,and have started a new blog.This time it will be about my new project, building the army of Cesare Borgia. The blog is titled Aut Caesar, Aut Nihil, which was the motto of Cesare.
Ive already drawn up a list of wants etc,Where would we be without lists.
Hopefully it will be of interest to other gamers. I will still be carrying on with this blog,especially as Ive got some ideas for games that would be nice to record. Also I still have a mini metal mountain to demolish.

Anyway,please link up to my new blog,and hopefully learn something new, dont forget,Aut Caesar, Aut Nihil.  The site is listed as dukeofvalentinois.blogspot.com 

A Bit of a Do Using Blackpowder

I must admit when Blackpowder first came out,I wasn't overly enamoured of the rules,but like a lot of things first impressions can be wrong.
 Since those early encounters I have really got to like them,although the command dice can really bugger you up.
 Anyway John and I used some of my Seven Years war Hessians and Hanoverians for a thrash against my French and Austrians.
 Although my generals,being French were the usual bunch of clueless twerps,I did manage to give the Hessians a bit of a kicking.
My award for the best performing newly painted unit went to my Saxon light lancers, who not only chased the Hessian light lancers from the board, but also overcame the Hanoverian guard cavalry, by some quirk of generalship. [actually some great dice throwing]
Now from experience,the newer the painted unit,the more chance of them running away at the first instance. Strangely this was borne out by my latest Austrian dragoon unit totally under performing,taking the French C in C with them!

 My gallant French Dragoons,followed by their Austrian allies, advance against the Hessian cavalry.Jackdaw French Dragoons, heavy brutes,but full of life.

 These units have just been completed,and were part of an army that I bought second hand,and repainted [read touched up] its a great way to get troops on the table, usually at modest prices. If effort is taken with the bases and flags,old figures can look really good. Hinchliffe figures designed by the great Peter Gilder.

 My favourite Hessian unit,the converged grenadiers. Again from my repainting project.

 My Saxon lancers[ yellow pulk] showing the Hanoverian guard where to go. The red counter behind them shows they are actually spent. They still won! [ Sorry John]

For the SYW purists out there, the Hessian light lancers are from my imaginary ducal contingent,painted to fight at the Battle games fight in North Yorks,sadly I never got,so I like to bring them out from time to time.

My mystery figures.

As I previously stated I bought some painted figures,with the intention of re painting them. Amongst the figures,were a unit painted as French SYW.
These really are good quality figures,with expressive faces,and good realistic proportions. Not to bang on too much,I like them.But I just dont recognise the figure maker.
Anyway,I have now re done one unit,bar the basing.Please ignore the officer,as he is RSM, but if  anyone can identify the figures,I will give them a prize of either some unpainted SYW figures,or a painted Foundry Malburian mounted officer.
The figures are stamped on the bottom, MF1,MF2,MF3,MF4. As I have said previously they are made of soft lead,not the more modern alloy.Anyway best of luck.

1913 A significant year for wargaming.

 1913 was the year H.G.WELLS first  had published LITTLE WARS,which certainly in the USA, and by me is seen as the start of modern wargaming.
I know the Prussian's had their wargame, but Wells, book was more about fun,and the emphasis was on gaming.
 Donald Featherstone carried the book right through the war. As a consequence Donald Featherstone and the small band of toy soldier misfits began creating the hobby we have now.
I call them misfits,because lets be right,playing with toy soldiers hardly ranks as 'normal behaviour' and certainly some of the group were a little bit eccentric.
Still it got me into a hobby which if I hadn't discovered would have made my life pretty empty.I would have probably taken up golf or something similar, God forbid.
 Personally I think the centenary should be marked in a lot of ways, a special edition from some of the wargaming magazines, although I cant see Wargames Illustrated latching onto the concept, but I might be wrong. Certainly Battlegames with its vintage ethic,should take up the mantle of celebration.
I do hope Miniature Wargames does something to mark the 100 years.
 I think,once I've spoken to John that is, that we should put on some sort of display just to give people an idea of were wargaming evolved from.
I dont think I can stretch to some Britains,and a couple of naval guns, but perhaps,some sort of visual display might be in the offing.
Anyway,just to make wargamers aware,and something to think about.

 

Return of an Old Friend

In the early 1980's through to the mid 2000's John and I would put on a game at Stockton on Tees,run by David Clemmett and his friend Tom. The proceeds went to help the disabled in the area,and it was a really well run show. The show grew from a pretty small affair,to a really decent size,but unfortunately ill health and the local council put the kibosh on the show.
Amazingly I received an e mail from David the other night announcing that they intended to plunge back into holding a wargames show.
The event is intended to slot into a quiet period for wargamers,and the proceeds this time are for the British Legion.John and I will be putting a game on.The location is the same as Smoggycon,which has itself grown into a good show. Put this in your wargames diary,and support a good cause.
The details are..............................
A Call To Muster 2013

Saturday 23rd March 2013
Southlands Leisure Centre, Ormesby Road, Middlesbrough, TS3 0HG

Mystery Figure?

In an effort to complete this project, I have taken to the resort of buying up painted second hand figures and then re painting or simply touching them up. I decided to use mainly Hinchliffe figures for the allied army. I have always liked these ranges. For some reason, a lot of people don't seem to want them,so I've been lucky in the prices they go for.
However I bought a couple of French units,which when they came,weren't Hinchliffe,but a figure range I didn't know. The officers are particularly French like,all slack wrists and lace [sorry all French people] They stand 32mm tall and are made of lead,there are no marks on the base.
Does anyone know who made them?

Sorry about the brevity,but Blogger seems to be playing up.Any suggestions re maker please.