Some Initial Priming

I slept most of today (feeling worse than yesterday), which is not unusual after the first endorphin-driven "good" day following surgery.  And I'm hungry . . . a liquid diet isn't very satisfying . . . but I need to get used to it.

Anyway over these two days I've managed to get 110 figures onto painting sticks and black brush-primed.  Now that doesn't mean that they're ready to paint yet. but it is a strong start.

You see, my eyes aren't great.  Indeed, I'm due for cataract surgery this summer and I need help seeing uniform details.  So I use a black prime / white damp brush priming technique.  This means that the raised areas are highlighted and recessed areas are dark . . . which also provides some slight "depth" to my follow-up "block painting" . . . because I just paint to a "wargaming standard" and don't aspire to make each figure a little gem.

So, while wounded, I have still made some progress.

-- Jeff

May Day = Distress

I am in distress today indeed.  I've been wounded in battle. . . . Okay not exactly "battle" but as an after-effect of my battle with cancer and recurring abscesses in my mouth.

So I am currently in quarters recovering from a severe mouth injury.  The oral surgeon removed an enemy pistol ball (actually a cyst to be biopsied) as well as 17 damaged teeth.

Therefor I am here with a mouth stuffed full of gauze as I continue to bleed (although much less badly than earlier).   So I look at the calendar and cry, "May Day, May Day" since I am definitely in distress.

-- Jeff

Revised Army Plan

Significant changes are ahead for the armies of Saxe-Bearstein and those vile Stagonians. These armies are composed of Great Northern War and War of Spanish Succession Bloodaxe Miniatures which I purchased from sculptor Lance Runolfsson well over 20 years ago.

I recently learned that he had sold his moulds to Historifigs.  And today I got an email from Mike at Historifigs that he had finished casting some much-needed figures that I have long wanted.

Beside ordering more musketeers, I will be receiving both WSS and GNW Grenadier figures (seen at left).

While Lance's figures appear rough in their lead state, they paint up very easily and look good on the table top (at least to me).  (You can see some in the masthead photo).

 While it will force me to re-paint some figures, the Grenadiers will allow me to paint my standard battalions of 24 men with six 40mm square bases of four figures -- one stand of which will be Grenadiers who can be detached to form a unit of combined grenadiers in each brigade.

I will also receive some figures to build two more "irregular" units (each army already has one, but this will double it).  These are also based four to a stand . . . but on the larger "cavalry" stands (nominally 50mm square but mine are actually 47mm square so that they will fit in my display cabinet).  These are based in a loose diamond formation of 1-2-1.

Speaking of Cavalry stands, I should also receive enough Hussars to add another regiment to each army.  Cavalry units have six bases of two horses each.

When finished (and, yes, I will have well over 200 figures to paint or re-paint) each army will have the following units (as well as a mix of Generals, Brigadiers, Aides-de-Camp and Artillery):

• Horse -- four 12-horse regiments each
• Dragoons -- four 12-horse regiments each
• Hussars -- two 12-horse regiments each
• Muskets -- eight 24-man battalions each
• Irregulars -- two 24-man battalions each
• Skirmishers -- three 12-man units each

 Once I've finished with this, I will be able to play out all of the "mini-campaigns" that folks submitted using various Charles Stewart Grant "Scenarios" and "Table Top Teasers".

Well, that's the plan anyway.

-- Jeff

A Disappointing Film

I finally got to watch "The Hobbit:  An Unexpected Journey" last night . . . and I was underwhelmed.

By the end of the film I knew something about only one of the Dwarves (Thorin Oakenshield).  Sure, the other Dwarves were introduced by name (often in groups) at the start . . . but after that I learned nothing about any of them.

So unlike the Fellowship of the Ring, by the end of the film most of this fellowship remain ciphers.  We only know Bilbo, Gandolph and Thorin.

I also found the constantly moving camera POV (point of view) to be very distracting.  And the "Chase/Battle/Action" scenes reminded me of those in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" . . . which is not a good thing.

Now I did read "The Hobbit" . . . but that was close to fifty years ago so I don't recall much.  Maybe a re-read prior to seeing the film would have helped . . . but why should that be necessary?

It seems that "action" and "spectacle" are now supposed to take the place of "character" and "story" . . . which I find to be very sad.

I was so looking-forward to seeing this film; and, yes, I was entertained; but I came away feeling empty and unfulfilled. 

"The Hobbit:  An Unexpected Disappointment".

-- Jeff

Some Old GNW Photos

While searching for something else I came across some old photos of a Great Northern War battle fought at Murdock's about six years ago.  Here are a couple:

 

Figures are 25mm Bloodaxe Miniatures, which are currently available from Historifigs.  However they are not yet posted on their website so you will have to contact Mike at Historifigs to request them. 

They are probably not mixable with other miniature lines because of the difference in sculpting styles . . . but they are super easy to paint and have a charm of their own.

-- Jeff

ala "Much Ado About Nothing"

One of the things that most of you don't know about me is that I spent most of my adult life in the Theatre.  No, I'm not famous.  For the most part it has been "Community Theatre".

But I've done a lot of it.  I've been in over 230 productions . . . 43 of which have been Shakespearean productions.  One of his plays "Much Ado About Nothing" has a line in it that refers to my current situation.  Here it is (from memory so it might be a slight misquote):

"There was never yet philosopher that could endure the toothache patiently."

So here it is almost 7:00 in the morning and I've not had a jot of sleep thanks to a very nasty toothache.

. . . And I am not enduring it patiently . . . particularly since it is a weekend and I won't be able to see a dentist until next week.

So what am I doing for it?  Besides some (not particularly effective) pain-killers, I am rinsing with hot salt water, rinsing with hydrogen peroxide (followed by several water rinses once the foaming has stopped) and using a spray local anesthetic.

They all help; but the pain is still there . . . and I'm not even a philosopher.

-- Jeff

Alpian Wars reaching Critical Stages

My "solo" mini-campaign between 16th century Stagonia and Alpia is reaching a critical stage in the third battle.  Each side has won one and now Stagonia is trying to eject Alpia from its position on Rose Ridge.

They have 24 + 1d6 "decks" to do it as we use Clarence Harrison's "Victory Without Quarter" rules.  We currently have completed 17 "decks".  I say "we" because even though I'm playing it "solo", two fellow gamers are issuing orders for the two sides.

Here is the current situation:

http://alpianwars.blogspot.ca/2013/03/stagonia-is-on-ridge.html

If you were to advise either or both generals, what would you suggest they do?

-- Jeff