review

Little ongoing book review…

Started reading McGuire’s books on the Philadelphia campaign and I have to admit I’m enjoying them. It’s not a campaign I know in enough detail to comment on the accuracy of the books but the range of material quoted is very good with some stuff I haven’t come across before and lots from my fave Ewald!

His (McGuire’s) description of the Grenadiers going in to action at Brandywine has inspired me to paint a few for my Brits.

He does use a LOT of quotes throughout the text and it seems that often you think the story is moving on only to find it’s just another viewpoint of the same event. There are also a couple of times where the same event/quote is duplicated later in the text. Although Im enjoying them I think a good editor would have got it down to one slightly larger volume. Currently at Germantown so a bit to go ’til completion but overall I’d recommend them.

Next up will be The Southern Strategy. The advantage of getting a bus to work is I finally get some reading done each way. Trying to read in bed now (with 2 kids) lasts about 5 minutes before the eyes shut and the head slumps!

Making progress on painting the 71st and looking forward to a game soon…

update

Finally some painting…

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Well, after a four year lull I finally started painting again last night and tonight. I’ve had to buy some reading glasses from ASDA to make it possible (and will be getting a proper eye test soon via work!) as my eyesight has gone right down hill in the last few years…

I’ve said earlier that the von Bose unit I got from Terry was missing the last command element, the four figures of which needed finishing off. That was to be my first task. However, on starting I spotted the big flaw. And no one spotted this in the picture I posted before…the uniforms were wrong! For some reason they had red cuffs. I was sure we’d given Terry the info for von Bose but maybe he decided to do his own thing?

So, spent last night and tonight repainting the various bits and finishing off the command. They’re done now but all need rebasing as I had to bend the bases out to get to the cuffs on some figures. That is tomorrows task. I’ll then post a picture…if I can find the correct standard for the unit.

Next up will be the 71st. I’ve done two stands already and they came out really nice. Hopefully the rest will match.

shows

Derby 2008

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Well, made it to Derby at the weekend after missing it for a few years. Traveled down on Friday PM to Birmingham and had a few beers and a curry and traveled over with Billy who was going to be playing in the WRG 6th Edition (very) Ancients tournament.

I like Derby Uni as a venue. Very open, light and spacious and one of the better venues I’ve been to. I’d hoped to pick up some 15mm AWI on the Bring and Buy and maybe some Freikorps from anyone stocking them. Failed on both counts. I was dissappointed with the bring and buy, although I’ve had some bargains in the past, but maybe if I’d have found some AWI I’d be raving about how good it was!

I saw two lots of painted 15mm AWI on stalls there and for the estimated £1 per figure I didn’t think the painting was worth it. Of boxed sets I think it was down to the painter. Some of the boxes were rather nice but the ones I wanted were a different painter and I just didn’t rate them.

The other figures I looked at have a bit of a story. Maybe not an interesting one but one none the less!. The last time I went to Derby 3-4 years ago I saw a collection of 15mm AWI on the B&B. Probably a couple of hundred figures and at the time I thought worth the £70 but as I knew gaming time was fading at that time I didn’t think I could justify the expense. Roll forward to Saturday and after talking to a stall holder he said he had a collection to sell and could get them to the show before I had to leave at 4pm. They duly arrived, and I was much excited at the prospect of getting the Brits I need even at £1 per figure. Turned out it was the same batch I’d seen 4 years ago and to be honest they weren’t worth the £1 each. I could have spent time working on them and maybe applied a wash to bring out the detail but the style wouldn’t have fitted what I have and for the cost/effort it wasn’t really worth it. I was gutted to be honest as the guy had put himself (well ,his wife) out getting them to me.

Suppose this brings me to the cost of painted figures. I had a couple of units painted 6-7 years ago at c.90p a figure, which I supplied. They fitted in with my style and I was happy to pay it. I’ve seen online ads for painting with nice figures around the £1 mark and others up to £2 for very nice stuff. I’m tempted, if I can find a suitable painter to get a couple of units of redcoats done just to bolster the forces while I get more painting done and allow me to play. Just don’t know who to go with for something that will match mine? Suggestions?

Noone carried Freikorps but found one of my local suppliers (Under the Bed) can get them for me. Also looked for Old Glory 15’s who are now apparently available from Timecast in Shrewsbury. This is where I grew up and started gaming and turned out one the guys from the old club lives just round the corner from my Aunt in Shrewsbury and bumped in to him and a few of the other regulars at the show, some of which I haven’t seen for decades! As I still go visit in Shrewsbury a few times a years I’ll be calling at Timecast and maybe the club next time I’m down.

Also picked up the British Grenadier rules which I’ve been reading a lot about and quite fancy. Chatted with Paul from the BG forums who did a good job of selling them to me further!

Good show overall. Spent not a lot so wife is happy. Looking forward to making the reborn but soon to die again Stockton Show next month as well!

awi

More troops for the King…

Well, finally saw Terry last night and picked up some figures and more Purbeck Terrain – some I think is Gary’s so if you’re reading this, I have it on loan now :-).

Figures consist of…

Hessians – von Bose. Old Glory figures.

British Legion Cavalry. Polly Oliver figures.
Still lots more to paint for Cowpens!

And finally, straying way south, some native support!

Terry’s painting is really nice and the photos don’t do them justice. There’s a command stand for the Hessian 90% complete which may be my first task. The remaining British Legion cavalry will probably be Old Glory as I have few if any of the Polly Oliver figures left.

There was also a nice selection of the 9″ Purbeck blocks with roads and rivers and some more hills and trees. I can put together a fair size battlefield now – if only I had a table to put it on!

Also gotback my copy of Ewald’s Hessian Journal which has cropped up many times in the account if the Philadelphia campaign I’m currently reading.

Took delivery of the Encyclopedia of Uniforms of the American Revolution. Only had a quick glance but the images seem to be of variable quality. Some very nice, some less so. Text seems very pro -American to me too :-). Some useful info there though so will investigate more later.

Back again soon…probably after Derby.

rules

More on the rules. The quick reference sheet is available for download but I’ll gradually reproduce and comment on them in posts here.

Training

1stClass Grenadiers, Light Infantry, Guards
2ndClass Regulars, Hessians, Continentals, Rangers, Jagers, British Legion foot, Queen’s Rangers
3rdClass Raw Regulars, Veteran Militia, Loyalists, Mountain Men
4thClass Militia, Inexperienced Loyalists, European-led Indians
5thClass Other Indians

We used the above classifications for troops. We felt that the best of the loyalist troops were as good as regulars. I have some references to support this somewhere.

Musings of an easily distracted wargamer