Crusader II Update - Models Constructed

The recent Crusader II 20mm WWII tanks move from recent acquisitions to recently built over the weekend (see below, nice little kits that went together without too much fuss at all):

No turret machine gun provided, I will improvise something later. However I must confess not to miss the fiddle it would have entailed (it would have been tiny) in the build. The only confusion was exactly where to fit the raised rear decking as not to obstruct the pipes leading to the exhaust unit. A dry assembly would (should) have helped (when will I ever learn I kinda ploughed on and hoped for the best - but it all came out OK in the end).

Which means if I follow the principle of building and trying to complete what you last bought (a dangerous thing for a wargamer to try and do) - I must explain to myself what [or rather why?] I bought the Warlord Games Classical Greek Phalanx for (Answer: "Mortal Gods m'Lord!" and that seems to be a very good buy) and also the Perry's 28mm WWII American GI Infantry (Answer: Guilty as charged - insanity - scale creep up to 28mm in a period I had already both covered in 20mm and 15mm, due to some very bad influences from Hartlepool and great cover art). I know in fact I will also but the US Infantry from Warlord Games [and perhaps a Sherman Tank!] as I am getting addicted to Warlord Games 28mm plastics. My excuse is that I am using them as a catalyst to jump start many other stalled projects - they simply get the juices flowing. There are some very talented sculptors out there! 

WWII 20mm British Crusader II Cruiser Tank ArmourFast

While picking up the M18 Hellcat I decided that the early 8th Army needed some beefing up, well I say beefing up (see below, either the Command Squadron or the start of a third Medium Company - he said talking in Command Decision OoB terms):

Again as there are two in the packet it is a bargain IMHO and so "two by two" I should finish off that early 1941 7th Armoured Division Tank Battalion!

Easter Adventure with Soldiers in Silloth - Museum of 54 mm Magic

Easter holiday fun! The good people of Silloth obviously have some RAF (or Coastal Command) as shown by this Lockheed Hudson ornamented flower bed (see below): 

They also had an interesting museum, whose opening times posed a little bit of a challenge but I managed to get in to see their wears on Good Friday (see below):

Waterloo in 54mm looked spectacular - although I am currently assembling some 28mm Perry's and Victrix chaps whom I consider big (see below, I have to say it "worked" for me, maybe Sharp Practice 2 beckons):

The ACW was more the toy soldiers I remembered as a kid, but not this many (see below, not too sure what the Union gunners are doing at the bottom of the photograph):

These Franco=Prussian "Flats" were the closest is cam to seeing 'wargamers scale' (unless you have become infected by Tim Gow's dangerous past-tines - and don't tell him I have a couple of 54mm Tamiya WWI Tommies partly painted). You have to 'look twice' before you see they are not 3D - or catch them from the side (see below):

The Western Desert looked potentially doable for Chain of Command - but you would need a very large table (see below, I love the Matilda II and Grant - though off camera to the left is a **mm Flak Gun which may well spoil their day): 

To my delight (not so the wife) they had a "rake-out" selling odds and sods. So I picked myself up some very old Practical Wargamer magazines (see below, I was more RPG'ing as an undergrad in those days so missed this magazine the first time round):

I have to say they were all crammed (literally tightly packed type-face) full of interesting stuff. Perhaps my tastes are now wiser or the content in the modern mags is more focused on plenty of photogenic materials and historical detail light (or am I being cynical?). Nice catch methinks.