Movers and Mayhem

A lot has happened during the last two weeks or so, we are moving to a new home. A purpose built static caravan on a holiday park on the Yorkshire Coast. It really does look like a luxury bungalow, which of course will suit my wheelchair bound wife perfectly. The downside, well I lose my game room, the new place does have a spare bedroom, but it has to be kept for guests. Also being smaller it will not be possible to take all my soldiers until I have sorted out some sort of secure and waterproof storage boxes/shed to sit at the rear of the caravan.

All is not lost though, I am taking my ACW 6 mm armies, or at least most of them as well as the Liberty or Death box set. This means I can still war game and of course be busy painting my new project over the Winter. They, along with rule books, paints and scenery, have already been transferred to the new place. So more battles similar to the one below can still be fought.

Sadly the WotR, ECW, Arabs, Vikings, Romans and Anglo-Danes will not initially be going until the aforementioned storage is built and in place.

These storage boxes made the move for my 6 mm troops far easier and of course safer too.

The move will be two weeks today, so to keep me busy until then, I intend to fight a few battles on the kitchen table, need to adjust to the smaller table size, so the boys who are staying behind are going to get a battle or two under their belts. I will take photos and post them up to the blog, to keep it all running until internet etc. is all organised and functioning at the new place.

There are of course lots of things to organise, pack etc. in the next fourteen days, but I hope to manage some free time each evening to wargame.

Moving from A to V.

The Arab army project is now complete. The last two units of light cavalry and the newly arrived metal figure of Saladin, have now joined the rest of the army.

Light cavalry with spears at the rear, I used spear arms left over from the infantry sets as the spears that came with the cavalry, looked more like javelins. I also used spare heads to make them more individual as well. The archers in front are actually painted in Glacier Blue from Vallejo, but it does look white in the photographs.

Saladin on his mount. I have continued with the red/black/gold theme for him.

The armour on his chest has been given a light dry brush of red.

A lovely sculpt and a fitting leader for the army.

All the boys on parade.

Plenty enough to fight with Saga, Lion Rampant right through to Hail Caesar, L 'Art etc.

Next up, I intend to complete my Dark Age troops, again for Saga or Lion Rampant. The box of Saxon Thegns, has already been built and painted as have a few Dark Age Warriors. So plastic and metal will be mixed together. With the basic 4 point war bands and the plastic figures of three box sets, it will give me two decent sized retinues.

New delivery in the mail.

The metal figure of Saladin arrived late this afternoon, so he is now on the painting board with the rest of the Arab warriors. I also did a bit of planning ahead, for when I begin my American War of Independence/French and Indian War project, as you will see from the following photographs.

Saladin in his blister pack.

His arms/hands come separately and I have just sat him on his steed.

 Very nice detail on his armour etc.

Various bits and pieces in the bag.

Some civilians for the AWI/FIW project.

The armed settlers, I particularly like the woman carrying an armful of muskets, presumably she has just reloaded them for the shooters.

The working settlers have some good poses, but notice the figure top left. I will show a close up of him in the next photograph.

He is wearing an apron and holding a knife, but note his right hand. It is holding the shaft of what I assume is, or rather was, a blacksmith's hammer. Sadly it has broken off and is not in the blister either, so I cannot repair it! Very annoying.

I do have thirty Hessians in the 'Liberty or Death' box set, but having an extra thirty will allow me more options to build grenadiers, jaegers, musketeers or fusiliers as well as the extra command figures.

There is only a single sprue of eight indians in the box set, so added to this box, it gives me a decent sized force.

Finally, on the model front, a building. I do intend to scratch build a number of cabins but this kit will give me all I need in respect of dimensions etc. as well as being an attractive piece in its own right.

Although I intend to use Black Powder/Rebellion rules for larger battles, I wanted a rule set for smaller skirmish type battles too. So Muskets & Tomahawks was my choice.

The cards come in a protective plastic box.

Arab project coming to a close.

Since my last entry I have completed another two units. A unit each of standard spear men and archers. I am now working on the last three units of the army, two light cavalry and one foot javelin. This will give me a total of 24 each of heavy and light cavalry, plus 120 infantry broken down into spears, javelins and archers. That is the complete contents of the seven boxes of Gripping Beast figures I purchased. I am awaiting the metal mounted Saladin figure to lead the army, giving a grand total of 169 figures! More than enough for Saga, Lion Rampant, L'Art, or any other rule system I wish to use. Just a case of combining some of the units, mainly cavalry, into larger formations.

The whole army so far, the regular troops and cavalry in the foreground with the elites in the distance.

The regular troops, based for Lion Rampant. Two units of light cavalry, one archers and one spear or javelin plus a unit of foot javelins are still to join this force.

The regulars will eventually total fourteen units. six mounted and eight foot.

 Ready for action! Javelin skirmishers to the fore, three units of archers, backed by three units of spears,  two heavy cavalry with spears, one with javelins and one of archers, to the rear.

The elite force is of course much smaller with two units of heavy cavalry, one with spears and one with scimitars/swords. A single unit each of spears and archers, all in the distinctive black, red and gold colours.

The hooded spears advance before the golden helmets.

Archers prepare to unleash ahead of the spears.

Four units of regular cavalry, comprising two of spears, one of archers and one of javelins.

The final unit of javelins are on the painting board, they have the base colours blocked in and have had a wash, they are now awaiting their highlights.

The final twelve horses built and primed. They will be the mounts for archers and either spears or javelins, not decided yet.

The last units of this project.

Arab 'Elite Heavy Cavalry' finished.

Just a short posting today, I managed to finish off the two units of elite heavy cavalry. Mostly in the Tabletop Commanders paint and chat last night, with the final bits and pieces this afternoon.
Next up will be the remainder of the infantry troops, not sure how many there are, or what they will end up being, however, they will be bog standard troops, no more elites.

One unit of elite heavy cavalry armed with swords or scimitars.

The second with spears and Norman style helmets in elite black, red and gold.

Both units lined up.

Ready for action!

Arab 'elite' archers completed, and some work on cavalry.

The Eastern army project is progressing very well. I almost managed to complete the elite archer unit during the paint and chat on Tabletop Commanders, finished them off on Saturday morning with flock and then sealed the flock, took the opportunity to flock and seal the bases of 12 cavalry horses too.

Painting completed on the chat.

Decided to give them red and black quivers too.

Built, washed and assembled twelve cavalry mounts.

Primed, painted black and washed with transparent ink.

Elite archers now complete and ready to join the army.

Flock applied and sealed.

Flocked and sealed the cavalry mounts too whilst I had the mixture on the go.

They will form two units of 'elite' heavy cavalry, so they get black horses.