Happy New Year

Wishing you all health, wealth and happiness in 2014

Christmas Haul ;)

Well the scale is large to fit in with the rich history associated with the legendary aircraft. An "Airfix 1/24 Scale Supermarine Spitfire Vb Starter Kit". Time to use the bigger size brushes for this one (see below:)

The other 'name' was a big one too, none other than the mighty "KM Bismarck, 1/600 Scale" again from Airfix (a handy manufacturer to find in the shops at this time of year). I will have a bit of work with this one as I want to create a 'waterline version', so it will be out with the hacksaw in the New Year, sanding and gluing a plasti-card bottom to her (see below):

Yes both kits are totally impractical for the "wargame table", but I suppose the KM Bismarck could make it as far as the "wargaming lawn" (one day), however that's not really the point of the gifts, as it is more for pure modelling pleasure and fun in traversing "memory lane"

;)

Hope 2014 is a good year for everyone!

Merry Xmas

Festive Greeting to One and All

:)

Thirty Day Challenge Complete: "The Big T" Done

A sad tale of woe (see below):

Certainly a good source of small hoplite battles, as well as Delium (424 BC) and First Mantinea (418 BC). Well worth the effort reading (even though the book ends prematurely before the conclusion of the overall war, but you could see the way it was going) and I can now make more sense of Kagan's and Hanson's conclusions.

I also plan to return and skim the Landmark edition for some geographical pin-pointing and wargame inspirations ;)

Note: 
I have to say the free digital version kept me on track by being able to read at 'odd times'.  

Wild (Armoured) Horses Running Across my Desk (Perry Miniatures) Part 1

In a valiant effort (inspired by some brilliant paint jobs on other blogs I may add) I started assembling the Perry mounted MAA. Not as easy as you may first think as there are many pieces to fiddle together (see below):

The 'intelligent half' of the rider-horse combination done I can now move onto assembling the two legged participants. The Perry's models are beautiful and definitely worth the effort in assembling :)

The acquisition of the above is my attempt to balance out my Impetus Renaissance army with two wings of horse comprising of a Knight Unit, A "deep" mounted MAA formation and a Light Skirmish unit (mounted crossbows and mounted harquebusier). If truth be told I may need another unit of Light Horse for each wing.

But that is a far away 2014 purchase ;)

Hetzer Progress II

The assembled 'raw' plastic model (see below):

Lots of little "fiddly track pieces and stuff that stuck out of the superstructure" but nothing too conspicuous as to attract any attention, but I got there in the end (see below):

"We three Hetzers" ... all from the Esci/Italeri mould, what I want now though is a common paint scheme for my 'company' (see below):

Just think these three versus masses of JSII and T34/85's tanks in Hungary and East Prussia in 1945? Really? Yes really!

Gulp!!!!

Expanding Science Fiction Fleet (Star Trek IV)

Star Ships of Star Trek IV: The Undiscovered Country

The "Good Guys", the Federation Excelsior (Sulu) and Enterprise (Kirk) need to avert another Klingon v Federation war (see above). The wannabe "Good Guys", Klingon's in a rather scary Battle-Cruiser (see below):

Meanwhile the real "Bad Guys" (including a Vulcan) are using a Klingon 'Bird of Prey' to try and start another war between the Klingons and Federation (see below):

All courtesy of the current Star Trek magazine series running fortnightly in the Newsagents (it is so great feeling like a kid again).

All I need now is a simple set of "space star ship battle rules" ;)