Normal Service is Resumed

It's been while since I posted. The IX Analogue Hobbies Challenge has now ended and I generally don't like to post stuff twice so posting has been reduced. Overall I came 3rd in the challenge with just under 4500 points, my highest points tally ever, and top amongst the participants with a full time job - bloody retirees and the semi retired.That being said the quality of my work wasn't the best, just wasn't feeling the artist mojo so got my mass production head on. I painted the equivalent of 900 x 28mm infantry although the majority were 15mm so loads of figures. I painted an entire Classical Indian Army, obviously I've since bought a few more to act as generals. i also painted a WW2 commando company as a tribute to my Grandad who was a Commando in WW2.
Overall I'm 3rd in the total painting list, averaging over 3600 per challenge for my 5 challenges and only 39 points behind Dave who has done 8 challenges
I also finished my ACW collection and then unfinished it. I have a new goal which is to have 2 full divisions, 1 per side. I've picked Early's division and Birney's division - 1st Division III Corps as they were at Gettysburg. There s a little tweak as I have an extra Union Zouave regiment but that's a minor and colourful tweak.
I'm putting on a full ACW battle at the end of April and therefore need to finish the missing units so here is the 1st lot

Couple of Union Limbers. These a basically scratch built with the horses being some terrible ones I had from Irregular miniatures. I had to add harnesses out of milliput. The limbers are either from the Victrix British Napoleonic artillery box or made with some metal wheels I had. The outriders I made from a mix of Nap British Hussar legs, cast bodies and heads and arms from the bits box. They look OK, not great, but seeing as they will only get brief time on some battle fields they will do

Union 6lb cannon, Victrix cannon and figures i bought from Hammerhead bring and buy

5th Michigan

Union camp fire. This will make a useful objective in the upcoming battle

Confederate General - this is Jeb Stuart and was a Salute figure that I picked up from ebay

Finally at Hammerhead I bought a couple of vehicles from Urban Construct. They are not great quality but one of them had lots of potential. It is an armoured tractor for VBCW. I armed it wil at Boyes ATR to make it the equivalent of a deadly "tank hunter"

The paint job is bloody terrible and hasn't worked at all. Will paint it again. It was a undercoat issue - used shiny green paint and it just hasn't worked.

Off to paint 2 more union regiments and 1.5 Confederate regiments - I am obviously 8 figures short. Also need to paint 2 more limbers and some confederat horse holders and I'm done - again.

Nice t be back

Hammerhead 2019

Today we went down to Hammerhead at Newark (me, Dave and James went down last night had a curry and too much beer, John and Pete came down this morning - John arrived pre-hungover)
We were running a participation game, Hammerhead is all about participation games.
Our game was a reboot of the "classic" (Ok dodgy) 1980's TV show "Tales of the Gold Monkey"

The plot was simple, rescue the girl from atop the pyramid and get back to the plane. The pyramid was from Amera and received much praise during the day. I'd tarted it up wit some plaster skulls I'd cast. There were 3 ways you could go, each with specific horrors

The damsel was guarded by 3 huge, armed gorrilas (Mr Lees)

The rules were very quick and dirty (they are 6 lines long and that is because there are 5 types of gun) The rescue party has 4 wounds each (the tower of skulls). 

I know what you are all thinking "white men rescuing a white woman, a barely dressed white woman from foreign savages". We are better than this and also had an all female crew rescuing a captive man. Still white but didn't have suitable figures of other nationalities.

Going the left hand way triggered a lot of massive spiders

Once you had got past these you had to face the gorillas

And then the villagers

Even Kreigsmarine would get in the way. There were also dinosaurs but no photo

We played 7 games, with all our gamers being under the age of 10 and both boys and girls. All loved it and all on. 

We had a fab day and the buzz in the room was great all day.

It being a show I also spent a load of money, my lead mountain is severely depleted

Foundry were having a 1/2 price sale so a Nubian archer unit

Crossley truck and an up-armoured tractor (Urban Construct I think)

We have a hankering to play Arab - Israeli 6 day war in 3 mm on a 12ft table - I know mental. This is the Israeli airforce and some Shermans and Priests from Tumbling Dice - my 1st purchase from them and the guy was really nice if a bit amazed at the prospect of 3mm battle on a 12ft table

The Bring and Buy was pretty good, often they are too expensive and a haunt of traders who can't afford and stand. This one was better. I picked up this barn

I have finished my 28mm ACW forces - I have a division of each side. So obviously I bought a load more. 100ish infantry for £25

30 cavalry for £10

Since I now had a load more cavalry I needed dismounted cav and horse holders - Col Bill to the rescue

finally a pressie from Dave - A Russian General

Great day and back for Partizan in May but not putting a game on. Putting a game on is good but everything is a bit of a rush when shopping and looking round.