A cracking win against India in the 20/20 world cup,we only have to beat the West Indies tomorrow and,let`s face it we`ve been beating them all summer,we`re through to the semi-finals,come on England!
I`ve just found out that Brigade Models have released WW1 Belgian cavalry and i am sorely tempted(readers may remember i`m not overly keen on Brigade`s WW1 Belgian range),with Father`s Day only a week away a few "samples"may be in order.
Sunday 14 June 2009
Saturday 13 June 2009
T20-tastic
Well the 20/20 cricket world cup is upon us and the mighty "Proteas" powered to their 6th straight 20/20 victory,a world record,and Pakistan crushed the Kiwis,and Sri-Lanka are still unbeaten where are England?Well we`re still in it(just) after the humiliation of losing to Holland and the pasting handed to us by South Africa on Thursday evening we need to beat the current world champions,India,tomorrow afternoon or it`s curtains.Let`s hope they can do it and keep our hopes alive for a little longer at least.
The new Osprey about the Belgian army in WW1 arrived today and it`s t`rific,i hope it presages the release of the (promised for so long) range of early war Belgians from Great War Minis.I can honestly see a Franco-Belgian conflict set in about 1910 on the cards,that`d be fun.Speaking of fun,i`ve been delving into the "War Game Companion" quite a lot just recently and i am seriously thinking about nicking Charles Grant`s ideas and moving them on 100 years and using Warterloo to Mons and Helion figs to represent the VFS and Grand Duchy of Lorraine in their mid-19th century incarnations,i don`t think copyright would be a problem,would it?
Lastly,on the subject of new figs Rifraf minis(http://www.rifrafminiatures.co.uk/) have released the first of their Rifian war(1920`s variant) Spanish infantry and very attractive they look too,i`ve got the first 16 Rifs still to paint and then i think i`ll treat myself to the first 16 Spaniards(i was tempted to a flirtation with early Medieval Russia using Gripping Beast`s 28mm range but i think i`m over it,all those horses,all that armour and the size of those crossbowman`s hands,yeuch).Speaking of treats Waterloo to Mons` Schleswig-Holstein jaegers should be available by the end of the month and along with the Helion Austro-Hungarian hussars are definitely on my wants list (yes that is a hint,Sarah)
The new Osprey about the Belgian army in WW1 arrived today and it`s t`rific,i hope it presages the release of the (promised for so long) range of early war Belgians from Great War Minis.I can honestly see a Franco-Belgian conflict set in about 1910 on the cards,that`d be fun.Speaking of fun,i`ve been delving into the "War Game Companion" quite a lot just recently and i am seriously thinking about nicking Charles Grant`s ideas and moving them on 100 years and using Warterloo to Mons and Helion figs to represent the VFS and Grand Duchy of Lorraine in their mid-19th century incarnations,i don`t think copyright would be a problem,would it?
Lastly,on the subject of new figs Rifraf minis(http://www.rifrafminiatures.co.uk/) have released the first of their Rifian war(1920`s variant) Spanish infantry and very attractive they look too,i`ve got the first 16 Rifs still to paint and then i think i`ll treat myself to the first 16 Spaniards(i was tempted to a flirtation with early Medieval Russia using Gripping Beast`s 28mm range but i think i`m over it,all those horses,all that armour and the size of those crossbowman`s hands,yeuch).Speaking of treats Waterloo to Mons` Schleswig-Holstein jaegers should be available by the end of the month and along with the Helion Austro-Hungarian hussars are definitely on my wants list (yes that is a hint,Sarah)
Thursday 4 June 2009
An Apology
First off i`d like to apologise for my very negative last post,i`ve now read the "War Game Companion",properly and i now realise that it`s all about sharing a personal history from one of the luminaries of our hobby and whose father was one of the giants and giving us an insight into their views and core beliefs about the hobby.Also,about sharing some very interesting and inspirational ideas,so it was just me,being me after all.
Anyway,the new Great War Minis BEF limber and crew arrived yesterday and to be really honest i do think it`s over-priced for what it is,it`s very nice and well detailed,but you don`t get a lot for your money.You get 3 ridden horses,3 un-ridden horses,2 limber riders,and one limber,going off Great War`s current pricing system i feel that £20 would be a more realistic price or if you`re going to charge £25,then throw in an artillery piece as well,still you pays your money and you takes your choice and ,let`s face it ,you`re not going to buy very many are you maybe 2 just for a bit of interest on the gaming table or maybe just a one-off for the desk or the side-board.After all that i still reckon Great War are the best WW1 minis around(although they are faced with stiff competition from Musketeer,and the Austrians and Italians from Scarab Minis are looking very interesting-wrong part of the war for me really,but i could be tempted)and are my chosen range for my 1914 Western Front project-just,please release the Belgians and dis-mounted cavalry with horse-holders and i`ll be happy.
I was thinking the other night about how much i admire people such as Phil Olley and Bill Gaskin and their single-minded approach to the hobby and i was basically blaming my complete lack of focus on there not being a suitable range around which i could build my armies and how the 18th century was beckoning and if only Musketeer would crack on with the GNW range when i got to thinking that the Helion 1866 range is everything i desire in,what i would call,a core period,plenty of gameable actions,a wide variety of troop types,pretty flags,colourful(ish) uniforms and they stood up,and marched around in full vie, to fight.So i`ve no longer got an excuse.
Now i`m off to the Scarab Minis website to check out their figs and who knows maybe buy a few samples,and i`m going to have a look at the Helion range of Prussian flags and lance pennants.
cheers,Andy
Anyway,the new Great War Minis BEF limber and crew arrived yesterday and to be really honest i do think it`s over-priced for what it is,it`s very nice and well detailed,but you don`t get a lot for your money.You get 3 ridden horses,3 un-ridden horses,2 limber riders,and one limber,going off Great War`s current pricing system i feel that £20 would be a more realistic price or if you`re going to charge £25,then throw in an artillery piece as well,still you pays your money and you takes your choice and ,let`s face it ,you`re not going to buy very many are you maybe 2 just for a bit of interest on the gaming table or maybe just a one-off for the desk or the side-board.After all that i still reckon Great War are the best WW1 minis around(although they are faced with stiff competition from Musketeer,and the Austrians and Italians from Scarab Minis are looking very interesting-wrong part of the war for me really,but i could be tempted)and are my chosen range for my 1914 Western Front project-just,please release the Belgians and dis-mounted cavalry with horse-holders and i`ll be happy.
I was thinking the other night about how much i admire people such as Phil Olley and Bill Gaskin and their single-minded approach to the hobby and i was basically blaming my complete lack of focus on there not being a suitable range around which i could build my armies and how the 18th century was beckoning and if only Musketeer would crack on with the GNW range when i got to thinking that the Helion 1866 range is everything i desire in,what i would call,a core period,plenty of gameable actions,a wide variety of troop types,pretty flags,colourful(ish) uniforms and they stood up,and marched around in full vie, to fight.So i`ve no longer got an excuse.
Now i`m off to the Scarab Minis website to check out their figs and who knows maybe buy a few samples,and i`m going to have a look at the Helion range of Prussian flags and lance pennants.
cheers,Andy
Tuesday 2 June 2009
It`s been a while
Since my last post,a combination of new baby(she`s gorgeous,only seven and a half weeks and she`s already sleeping for six hours at night and shows all the signs she likes cricket,just like her eldest sister),a complete twat for a boss(he`s not my boss,he`s a c*&t)and aol taking the piss with our wireless connection(i`m back downstairs using the DSL cable).
But what`s been happening on the hobby front,well Susan Boyle really,that`s a big fat zero,(Susan Boyle rhymes with "fuck all" says everything really).I`ve bought some books,an absolute belter about Baron Ungern-Sternberg and the various atrocities he commited in Mongolia in 1920-21,and the "Wargames Companion",which i`m enjoying,but i find a somewhat cynical attempt to cash in on the current renewal of interest in "old-school wargames",don`t get me wrong i like it a lot and i`m getting a lot of inspiration from it,maybe it`s just me.On the figure front i`ve ordered the WW1 British artillery limber from Great War Minis,at £25 a go i think it`s going to be a one off purchase and i just hope it`s worth the price,can`t wait for those Belgians.I`m struggling against Empress Minis and their Anglo-Zulu war range,after Isandlwhana,what`s the point,but they intend covering the war in great detail,i just can`t imagine painting 400plus Zulus,although there`d be no cavalry,well very few anyway.Anglian continue to tempt me with their Italian excursion into Abysinnia in the 1930`s,i just wish i could find a good book on the subject and work out what to do with the figs.
Musketeer have released Russian pikemen for the GNW and to be honest i was a little dis-appointed,they don`t seem to have the same detail or production of the earlier figs in the range,a little bit like they were rushed out in an attempt to keep the GNW fans amongst us interested let`s face it this is the 300th anniversary of Poltava,which has got to be one of the most crucial battles of all time(i suppose all battles are crucial for the poor sods who have to fight in them),still let`s hope they release some more Russians and Swedes and keep up the very high standards the Swedish and Russian musketeers attained when they were first released.
cheers,Andy
But what`s been happening on the hobby front,well Susan Boyle really,that`s a big fat zero,(Susan Boyle rhymes with "fuck all" says everything really).I`ve bought some books,an absolute belter about Baron Ungern-Sternberg and the various atrocities he commited in Mongolia in 1920-21,and the "Wargames Companion",which i`m enjoying,but i find a somewhat cynical attempt to cash in on the current renewal of interest in "old-school wargames",don`t get me wrong i like it a lot and i`m getting a lot of inspiration from it,maybe it`s just me.On the figure front i`ve ordered the WW1 British artillery limber from Great War Minis,at £25 a go i think it`s going to be a one off purchase and i just hope it`s worth the price,can`t wait for those Belgians.I`m struggling against Empress Minis and their Anglo-Zulu war range,after Isandlwhana,what`s the point,but they intend covering the war in great detail,i just can`t imagine painting 400plus Zulus,although there`d be no cavalry,well very few anyway.Anglian continue to tempt me with their Italian excursion into Abysinnia in the 1930`s,i just wish i could find a good book on the subject and work out what to do with the figs.
Musketeer have released Russian pikemen for the GNW and to be honest i was a little dis-appointed,they don`t seem to have the same detail or production of the earlier figs in the range,a little bit like they were rushed out in an attempt to keep the GNW fans amongst us interested let`s face it this is the 300th anniversary of Poltava,which has got to be one of the most crucial battles of all time(i suppose all battles are crucial for the poor sods who have to fight in them),still let`s hope they release some more Russians and Swedes and keep up the very high standards the Swedish and Russian musketeers attained when they were first released.
cheers,Andy
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