Next project and a diet update.

First of all the great weigh in was done this morning after exactly one week on the diet. The result is I have lost five pounds! Really pleased with that, just another thirty to go. I realise I probably won't lose that amount every week, but it really has given me a lot of encouragement to continue on.

Now for the next project which is a whittling down of my stash. I have quite a few boxes of 1/72nd scale figures, some of which are for the Hundred Years War. A few figures had been painted a few years ago and then boxed and forgotten. So I have dug them all out to paint up.

First up will be...

A dozen or so English Longbow men that need completing.

Two boxes of French knights, still in their shrink wrap.

Contents of each box.

One command sprue.

Three common sprues. Two boxes equals 38 mounted knights.

It also contained the instruction sheet.

And rules for the long defunct 'Age of Battles' rules that Zvezda used to produce.

A resurrected project.

When I first got back into the model soldier painting and wargaming hobby after close to 50 years away from it. I didn't realise how much the hobby had changed. My initial purchases when returning of course were the 1/72nd scale of my youth. A lot more pricey now! I used to get them for two shillings a box (10p).

I hadn't really considered wargaming at that time and was really just wanting to paint up some troops for fun and relaxation. One of the periods that has always interested me greatly was the Hundred Years War, though to be honest all Medieval periods float my boat. With access to the internet, I was able to browse the now huge range of 1/72nd scale figures, it seemed any era was now possible, even obscure conflicts I had barely heard of.

I ordered a number of boxes with the HYW in mind and at the same time bought a Miniart Castle and Fortress, the idea being to combine the kits to make a bespoke castle. Along with them were a battering ram and other siege equipment, though I was unable to get my hands on a Zvezda siege tower for this period. I must look again for one of them.

I had been painting up some Napoleonic's in the same scale and fancied a change was the main reason. I already had some Crusaders and Saracens painted up, and some Greeks and Persians, this project would fill a gap in my armies.

I did paint up a few English archers, foot soldiers and mounted knights, but then I was attracted to new shiny things, not only that, but a new scale too. I discovered 28mm and was immediately hooked and a new journey began. The HYW project shelved for future times and the whole lot boxed up and forgotten.

My goal this year is not to buy any new shiny soldiers, but to complete everything that I have already. Part of that of course is my stash of 1/72nd scale figures. I am currently coming to the end of my current project, 28mm Wars of the Roses, the last box of figures are currently on the painting board. I was going to return to completing my 28mm English Civil War armies, as I have the Irish and Scottish contingents still to assemble and paint. However, I have also been playing with two sets of rules that I am thoroughly enjoying, namely Lion Rampant and Sword and Spear, both perfect in their own way for the games I want to play.

So of the numerous boxes of 1/72 I have selected the ones relating to the HYW as of course I can use those two rule sets with them. A change of scale will also make a pleasant change too. So here are some photographs of the next project.

Two boxes each of Zvezda knights for either side. Miniart French knights and Burgundians.

Some boxes of infantry for both sides.

With the castle in mind, I had also bought some specialists.

A stand of English mounted knights.

Some close to completion, archers. (must sort out those mould lines)

Finally, some foot knights and men at arms.

So the next armies for the two rule sets are already in stock and awaiting a splash of paint. Add to that the building of the castle and I am in business for a few months to come.

Foot knights and some 1/72nd scale.

As promised I have taken some photographs of the completed foot knights for the War of the Roses armies. They sport non of the faction colours and so can be placed with whichever faction is required for a particular battle. There are seven units of six men, plus a couple of spare. This has come about as I have used the four fully armoured command figures from the two boxes of WotR infantry to make more units. I still have two or three more boxes of the infantry as well a one more box of foot knights so should end up with 16 or 17 units of foot knights in total, more than enough for my needs.

I have put in a few banners from the various box sets, they may or may not be relevant to the War of the Roses, but if I like the flag, then it gets used!

Quite a formidable looking force.

I also had a sort through my painted 1/72nd scale figures, as you know from previous blog entries, I have a ton of unpainted figures in this scale, all of which I intend to paint up over the coming year. Some of the figures can be used for different rule sets as they are all single based, when I first returned to the hobby, and didn't realise there were other scales now available, or even considered war gaming, I just put the minis on pennies. I have added some photographs of some Crusader figures, they could be used with Hail Caesar, L'art de la Guerre or even Saga.

A host of mounted knights and men at arms.

Certainly a good starting point for a future army.

I also have a large number of Feudal Japanese in 1/72, these came from the board game by Zvezda and Richard Borg entitled 'Samurai Battles.' It has a board and terrain tiles etc. as well a good quantity of 1/72nd scale figures by Zvezda, so they are of a good quality. They come with bases that are used in the game as movement trays, but they can just as easily be detached and used for other rule sets.

Here are just a few of the units I have painted up. The archers in the foreground have some rather large arrows on their base, the idea being, that each time they fire an arrow is removed. A neat way of showing when they are out of arrows!

I think there is a lot of potential games to be had with these figures and their colleagues still stored in boxes.

More thoughts on Stock.

After yesterday's blog entry, I actually rooted out a few bits and pieces, both to show you and also to remind myself just what was lurking, untouched and unloved in the storage boxes. Even I was amazed at just how many boxes of figures and also kits, sat there waiting to be discovered.

The 28 mm Romans from the two box sets are mostly still on the sprues but I did find that I had actually painted up about 20 legionaries as opposed to the half a dozen I thought I had done. A few are shown in the following two photographs.

They really are lovely sculpts and should really be seeing some action on the table top. With close to 300 figures  Roman, Celt and Ancient Briton, all to be painted, that is a project that will be tackled sooner rather than later, too long have they sat idle. All the painted figures are mounted on one penny pieces, I may continue that trend and simply put them on movement trays. The Hail Caesar or even the L'Art De La Guerre rules should do nicely.

My attention then turned to the 1/72nd scale figures that had been squirreled away, many have been painted and based, but far more sat ignored. One of my first finds was a kit for a castle and also a second kit for a fortress. Both by the same manufacturer and they were bought to be built as a larger castle, parts from the fortress being used to enlarge the castle kit. Lovely artwork on the box by MiniArt.

The kit itself is still sealed in a poly bag, unopened in the five or six years I have owned it.!

The instruction sheet is also still in the box.

The smaller fortress kit, which was and still is, intended to enlarge the castle. The extra walls and possibly the towers put to use.

Once again still sealed in its poly bag.

This was bought to be built and used in a Hundred Years War period or could also make an appearance as a Crusader castle in the Holy Land. An MDF base and some foam board is a must for this project.

In a couple of plastic tubs are some of the unpainted figures, a mixture of Hundred Years War and Napoleonics in this case.

Crusaders and Saracens as well as elephants and more Hundred Years War figures await.

 
In a second box lurk more figures, again a good mix of periods to have a crack at in here.

A real treasure chest of goodies and there are also a couple of cardboard boxes not shown, that are also full of 1/72nd scale treasures. Including Greeks, Persians, AWI British and Continentals, more Naps and even a couple of kits for assaulting the castle, namely a catapult and a battering ram!

Actually seeing and handling all this goodness has rekindled my desire to actually paint them all up and see them' do their stuff on the table top. I think you will agree, I don't NEED any more new shiny things for at least a year!

Taking Stock?

As we race along to another Christmas and end of year, thoughts turn to gifts for the loved ones etc. My wife asked me what I wanted this festive season and for the life of me, I couldn't think of anything that I need! Lots of things I would like, but nothing I need.

Since that question, I have been doing a bit of a stock check, I know most of us in this hobby gather a mountain of lead or plastic, or in my case, a mountain of each. So many projects, but how many actually get finished? On my return to the hobby a number of years ago, I simply built up a stock of 1/72nd scale figures, similar to the Airfix troops of my childhood. I have two large boxes full of unpainted troops from various time periods. They all need finishing and there is enough in those boxes to keep me going for months, if not all of next year!

I also have not completed my English Civil War or War of the Three Kingdoms forces, yes I have completed lots of them but I still have a number of regular regiments in plastic to paint up, that have sat in their boxes for close to a year now. I have barely started on my Scottish troops, The Montrose Irish, the Scottish Covenanters and of course the Highlanders photographed below, all remain untouched.

Beautiful sculpts, already primed up and ready to go, once again, enough painting to keep me going for a good two or three months.

I also have the two box sets shown in the following photographs.

Add to that two boxes of Ancient Britons, giving a total of close to 300 figures. I have actually painted up about a dozen of the Roman bog standard legionaries, the remainder sit untouched in the boxes again! There is certainly a good few months work there.

I have completed a box of Anglo-Saxons and half a dozen Dark Age Warriors for SAGA, the rest of the DAW plus a full box of Vikings sit untouched. Add to that a 1/50th scale Viking Longship for use in a SAGA battle, again, pristine in its box.

Next up is the 28mm War of the Roses armies I am currently working on, still quite a lot of plastic figures to paint up as well as all the metal command and a couple of wagons drawn by oxen and horses!

Finally, the 6mm American Civil War armies, granted the lion's share of this huge project is done but I still have some 17 or 18 infantry units for each side to paint up as well as a few more wagons etc.

So do I really need anything! No of course I don't. I have more than enough to last me beyond next Christmas. My N Gauge model railway is scheduled to be resurrected in the New Year also, that is going to be a lot of work and take up lots of time, not to mention war gaming with all the completed figures I already have.

Fortunately, I retire at Christmas so will have more free time from now on to achieve all of these goals, of course retirement means a tightening of the purse strings so I just won't have the cash to spend that I have been used to. Maybe that is a blessing in disguise, as I won't be able to add to my plastic and metal piles quite so easily in the future. All those little guys sat patiently waiting in their boxes might finally get a little love and attention.