Parthian Bedouin Camel Achers

Morning all, hope you are well. So I have just completed my 1st week in self-isolation. I have an underlying medical condition, nothing serious or debilitating but I am diabetic and controlling with diet and pills.
Work effectively closed down 7 days ago and we moved online, I work at a University. The nove to online was an epic demonstration of people pulling together and working together. Like work is supposed to be.
So working from home is weird and it is taking me a while to get used to it. I am incredibly busy and I need to organise it better but I have enough toilet roll to last at least 9 more weeks (6 rolls - I've done the maths). After that we can move to an egg based diet.
I knew that the actions imposed were coming so I have restocked with lead pile before all companies shut down, Colonel Bill is still working as he works from home although not sure how long his stocks will last, and I an order has been despatchd by Bad Squiddo. That coupled with the bumper stock bought 2 weeks ago should tide me over.
So enough rambling onto the painting.
I'v edecided to build up as many armies from about 80bc as possible in the area around modern day Turkey. I already have a large Pontic army and it contains a wide variety of troops that I can mix into other forces. So I've loads of Romans, Thracians and generic pike blocks to paint to add to my Indian army to make it more chronologically relevant.
First up some Bedouin camel archers that were part of the Parthian army.

These are Xystoin miniatures, bought from ColBill, and are very nice figures to paint. There are 16 of them and the fun go to rules are Kings of War, so will be 4 troops or 2 regiments.

Really enjoyed painting them over the last 4 days, no rush at the moment. I really like painting 15mm, they fit nicely with my painting ability.

Next up I will start some Thracians.

I hope all of you stay safe, I think it will be August before we start to get back to normal and longer before this was a memory.

To end on a cheery note 

Martin 

The Austrian Army at the Battle of Lobositz

Dear all I hope you are keeping well and are in good health, I'm on 12 week lockdown (this day 5) due to underlying diabetes and am well. I work at Newcastle University and on Monday evening we began to close down and move online. It was an epic task made harder because we had to do it from home. We did it in 36 hours and proves that if the will is there then the amazing things can be done. So having spent 15 hours a day since typing and having online meetings I'm knackered. The schools are doing it now and I feel their pain, theirs is worse as they have to stay open and look after the children of key workers.
At the same time the Analogue Hobbies painting Challenge X has been drawing to a close and I painted the 2nd most amount of figures (AGAIN). It's been a good challenge and has got me through a tough winter. I'm not going to go through all the figures I painted, if you want you have enough clues to look for yourselves, but I painted the equivalent of 3700 10mm foot figures. I know it's a weird measure to use but I've painted a lot of 10mm this winter.  I did finsih a  Viking army I bought in1986. I've also mined out my lead mountain and only have a very few figures left to paint - some 15mm WW2 germans and some 28m samurai. The rest I've had for years and will have for years more.
I have helped James with his For Joshua project. Gamers from all around the world have contributed their time and treasure to paint and donate 10mm armies to James charity project. Please go and look.
And then there are my Austrians. About 15 onths ago Matt and I saw a game in 10mm at the Battleground show (think it was there). It looked brilliant and Matt started to collect and paint 10mm 7YW figures. Always being a butterfly I joined in and after a false start, I painted Brunswickers and they fought on the opposite front (a cautinary tale on a little knowledge), I decided to paint the whole Austrian Army for the 1st major battle of the war, Lobositz. Well yesterday morning between meetings I finished it

These were the last 2 units and formed part of the reserve. They are the Browne(front) and Alt-Colloredo regiments

This is the whole army, 19 infantry regiments, 14 cavalry regiments, 17 battalion guns, 8 heavy artillery pieces, 4 supply wagons and loads of officers

The left wing. Vanguard to the front (obviously), 1st line cavalry, 2nd line cavalry and the corps reserve of grenzers to the rear

The centre and the artillery

The right wing, 1st line cavalry, 2nd line cav and a reserve detachment stationed away from the main army.

Overall I'm pleased with them and plan to tinker with the Black powder rules. I have 4 regiments of Prussian infantry, 1 cav and loads of heavy artillery to paint and will make a start on these at some point during the lock down.

Speaking of which I've had a 15mm restock and plan to build the armies of the near east around about 80BC to fight my Pontic and Indian armies. They we tide me through the lockdown.

Keep safe one and all and I'll see you all once life starts to get back to normal.

Cuppa at Colonel Bills

Can't believe it's been more than a month since I last posted. The challenge is hoovering up my life and I find it odd to post the same stuff twice. Work and life have also hoover up my time - Covid 19 planning is exhaustive and exhausting.
So the plan was to take today off and travel down with the guys to Hammerhead where we are putting on a "For Joshua" game.
However because of perfectly sensible reasons relating to work and C-19 responses we couldn't go. Annoying and 100% the correct decision.
Therefore I have a free day off work and a free weekend. The downside is that I had placed a collect at show order with Colonel Bills, and collect at show orders come with 10% discount and no postage. I mailed him last night and we agreed that I could go down to his home this morning and collect my purchases. Which is fine as it's only an hour away and the nearest town, Barnard Castle, is a nice spot to walk around.
So off I set this morning and picked up my purchase.

These are all Forged in Battle and were a bargain at £60 for all 8 packs, one of which is a double sized pike block

Stu, Colonel Bill is his nomme de guerre, was a great host and we chatted over a cuppa. We got to talking about his business and the lines he is starting and those he is discontinuing. Xyston are one of the brands he stocks and I've bought them before. They are excellent figures, I prefer Forged in Battle but these are almost as good. So He made me an offer and I picked up these

Gallic infantry and cavalry

Successor pikes and cavalry and some Arab camels, £65 or all 8 packs (4x£12 and 4x£8)

So why all these. Well my lead mountain has been strip mined and I've nearly finsihed the 10m &YW army - 6 inf regiments and 2 cavalry ones - plus some Prussians, fewer of these, 4-5 infantry regiments, a cav regiment and loads of heavy artillery. Once I've painted them the prussians will go on to tick over. 

I needed a new project and i loved painting my 15mm ancients - Pontus and Classical Indian. Now I can go for loads more armies in the near and east, Thracians, Galatians / Gauls (if I want), Parthians and others.

I also picked up 10 pack of Forged in Battle Romans and Gauls from ebay today at £10 each. So I've spent £225 today for 17 packs of 15mm figures. That will keep me busy for a while.

Also found out yesterday one of the guys at work paints napoleonics but doesn't play. So he's coming over to be educated. Bit concerned as he is ex forces and may actually know how to do this properly, on the upside he was in the Navy