Home Away From Rome: Secret Santa Obligations Finally Fulfilled

I am grateful to Cath Willey and to my Santa recipient, Chris Stoesen, for giving me extra time to  fulfil my Santa obligations after Kay got sick before Christmas and my spare time vanished.

Chris’ wish list included a camp scene from Baudea for his Romans.  Baudea make some lovely kit, quite detailed little resin models that were easy to pain.   These items finally on the way to Chris, I hope they will bring some rest and hot grub for his tired legionnaires.   15mm ancients aren’t really my thing, but if they were, I would invest in this kit.

 

 

 

These figures bring my 2017 totals to:

15mm: Vehicles: 3, Foot Figures: 4, Scenic Pieces: 7

20mm: Foot figures: 18

28mm:  Foot Figures: 31;  Mounted Figures: 2

Some Heroes of Spain

Not much to say about these chaps except that I painted them for MS Foy, proprietor of Prometheus in Aspic, in return for many kindnesses he has shown me.   These chaps are part of his 1809 Spanish army, and represent the Voluntarios de Campo Mayor, a light infantry regiment.  Tony has some learned background on them here and here.   A learned chap, Foy 

 The figures are 20mm, by Spanish maker Falcata.  They are lovely sculpts, but according to Foy, Falcata has had a troubled business history and one would think twice about sending them one’s hard earned dosh.

 

 

 

 

I had great fun painting them, but I think if I was to do Napoleonics in a larger scale than 6mm, I would go all the way up to 28mm.  

I am happy to report that these fellows made it successfully over the waters and are now in Foy’s possession, where it does my heart good to think that they will certainly find the best of wargaming homes.

Blessings to your brushes! 

MP+

These figures bring my 2017 totals to:

15mm: Vehicles: 3

20mm: Foot figures: 18

28mm:  Foot Figures: 31;  Mounted Figures: 2

The Kindness Of A Friend Not Yet Met

So Madame Padre is in hospital again, getting a nasty bug flushed out of her blood so that she can get back to chemotherapy and kicking cancer’s ass.  She’s doing well and getting stronger again, though the bug knocked her flat last week.

One source of her recovery was a care package that arrived from England yesterday, provided by one of the nicest ladies I have yet to have the pleasure to meet.  Cath Willey.  Cath of course is the genius behind the Secret Santa project, and her lucky husband is Ian, who runs the excellent Blog With No Name where his small-scale goodies beg to be admired.  Cath and I were exchanging emails about Secret Santa and she learned that I had been delayed in my gift project because of my wife’s illness.  Tell me about your wife, Cath wrote, and what she likes.  Well, err, that’s very nice, I said, ummm, cats, plants, knitting, crime novels ...

In due course, an envelope containing knitting needles, yarn,  a pocket diary with a cat theme and a crime novel about a cat arrived.   Cath quite skillfully covered all the bases.  As you can see, Madame was quite delighted, and when I said goodnight to her was busy starting to knit.

Cath, you are a lovely and kind person, and we can’t thank you enough.  The extraordinary thing, in my experience of the war-game blogging community, is that this degree of kindness is not unusual.  Kay and I have received similar kindnesses since she started fighting cancer, and we are always moved and deeply grateful.  Kay said to me, “I can’t believe that someone who I’ve never met would be so nice to me.”   I can believe it.  We have already paid it forward.

Be kind to one another.

Blessings,

MP+

Secret Santa Satisfaction

It was a quiet and very happy Christmas at the Padre’s Painting Chapel. Madame Padre and I had an excellent time.

Among the goodies under the tree was this package wUK postage mark, thanks to the Secret Santa project organized by Cath and Ian Willey, with this inscription on the outside.

I certainly did like it, Secret Santa!   Inside the package was proof that my Secret Santa had carefully studied my blog and had discerned by interest (dare I say obsession?) with the Lord of the Rings, and the Isengard army I have been building.  Secret Santa was extremely generous in giving Saruman some new offensive capability.  Here is an Isengard uruk-hai battering ram team, ready to knock on the doors of Helm’s Deep.

Or maybe they’re doing log PT.  I always hated log PT.  

 I guess I had better start making something for them to batter.

As if that wasn’t generous enough, my Secret Santa also included this Isengard bolt thrower with crew, including a chap carrying  a reload.

Such a great model.  It will add some offensive punch to Isengard’s forces.   Should also prove very effective in Dragon Rampant games.   High roll to activate, but deadly when it does fire. 

Saruman is delighted with his new toys.  Here Captain Nurg explains the principles of bolt throwing to Saruman.  Nurg graduated first in his class at the Isengard Artillery School the day after he spawned.  Nurg is definitely a streamer.

Also under the tree was this box of LOTR figures from the Santa Clause project run by Christ Stoesen.  More reinforcements for Gondor!   They will need them.  Many thanks, Secret Santa Clause!

Now that Madame Padre is home and doing well, I have my own Secret Santa projects procured and painting has commenced.  They should be out the door soon.   These gift exchanges show how generous and supportive our blooging community is, and I am so grateful to be a part of it.  My thanks to my generous benefactors!

Blessngs,

MP+

Meanwhile, in the Elven Realms

Just under a year ago, I received a very kind package from my good friend, Duke Alan of Tragardland containing some Games Workshop Lord of the Rings figures.   It was one of those unsolicited actions that spurs young Kinch to refer to the Freemasonry of the hobby, a very fine phrase.

That package contained three elven lords.  I had a bit of free time at the brushes this weekend, and so here they are.

 

Seeng as these chaps looked fairly noble, I tried to find some colours to offset the usual green.  

Thank you for this thoughtful gift, milord Duke.  I am slowly assembling an elven host for Middle Earth, and these fellows will be useful captains of hosts.  

I also finished these two figures, from the OOP GW box of metal figures, Heroes of Helms Deep,  The figure on the left is the Haldir figure - Tolkien purists will gnash their teeth at the memory of Haldir and his troops showing up for the battle of Helms Deep.  The figure on the right is Legolas, hastily painted when my son and I used to play with the LOTR mins a lot, and given a touch up and a proper basing/

 

I have some GW elven warriors from their First Age plastics set who I will paint up as elven “regulars” to serve with the Haldir figure.  I had painted his armour gold and then given it a wash of AP Strong Tone, which was a mistale, I think.  For the other figures, I think I will paint the armour black, and then pick out the plates in gold and not use a wash.

The last sight many a charging orc will ever see.

These figures bring my 2016 totals to:

28mm:  Foot Figures: 73; Mounted Figures: 8; Buildings: 3; Terrain Features: 2

20mm:  Buildings: 1

6mm:  Mounted figures:  36;  Buildings: 

Thanks for looking and blessings to your brushes!

 

 

Some Napoleonic Kindness and Some Classic Rules

Last month and a bit ago I entered Max Foy’s photo competition and was delighted to win my choice of some lovely prizes.   Being late to the whole Napoleonics scene, I opted for a copy of one of the classic rules sets, Empire by Jim Getz and Scott Bowden.   

I have only heard of these rules over the years, never played them.   My understanding was that Empire was famous in its days, and still has some grognard cred.  There’s a good discussion of Empire’s pro and cons by what seems to be a pretty knowledgeable fellow here.  Empire is a gorgeously produced artifact, with the print rules contained in a “Gold Hot-Stamped Imperial Green Leatherette 3-Ring Binder”. and some impressive charts and (gulp) counters.  The level of detail appears to be Grand Tactical, with Maneuver Elements (brigades) forming divisions and even 1 or 2 Corps represented on the table.

I have a bit of a soft spot for the Emperor’s Press logo printed on the box.   My own grognard cred, such as it is, includes a visit to this fabled wargames store in Chicago back in the late 1990s.   I remember driving for quote some time through semi-suburban neighbourhoods that looked like the opening minutes of The Sopranos, to find a store that was large but, even then, appeared to have seen somewhat better days.   I wasn’t touched by the Napoleonic bug then, I wish I had been because I am sure I would have enjoyed the visit more. 

 The other thing that Max Foy kindly included in the gift was an ancillary product, the Empire Campaign system.   This product was released in 1984 and includes a hexmap of Germany and a set of counters for Prussians, Austrians, Russians and French.  The rules include details for supplies, ammunition, sick and wounded, hospitals, and a myriad of other wonky stuff that would make a staff officer happy.   It is certainly a step up from the Scharnhorst system in the Sam Mustafa Blucher rules, that I was experimenting with recently.  It’s a beautifully produced map and counter sets.

I can also see some uses for this system in transposing it to the American Civil War.  That would be fun.

 

My thanks to Monsieur Max Foy for his generous present.  I will give these rules a good home and may even try them in the near future - I certainly hope so.

Anyone have any experience with these rules?

MP+

Meanwhile, In Isengard

Back in November, His Grace the Duke of Tragardland sent me a very kind gift of some GW LOTR figures.   These were the real thing, proper metal models and not the overpriced plastic crap that GW now sells online, but that’s another story.

Included in the package were some Isengard archers, sculpted to resemble the raiding party in the second SPJ movie that captures Merry and Pippin.  Here are the snooty fellows, repainted to fit in with the rest of my force.

And some chasey chaps to run in front.  I like how the Duke had done some mods on these fellows, giving the one in the middle a giant war hammer and putting a crossbow on the back of the fellow on the right.

While I was working on this group, I finished two more plastic GW Warg Riders for Saruman’s stables.  Here are Cyril and Gervaise.

 

Graduating class, Advanced Course in Raiding and Rapine, ISCA (Isengard School of Combat Arns) Serial 16-1.

With these reinforcements swelling the ranks of Isengard, it’s a good thing that Rohan is looking to its defences.   Somewhere in the EastMark, this watch tower is being constructed.  Rohan archer and Catbeast of Mordor shown for scale.

Many thanks again, Alan my friend, for this kind gift. I still have some chaps from that lot to finish.

These figures bring my 2016 totals to:

28mm:  Foot Figures: 48; Mounted Figures: 5; Buildings: 2; Terrain Features: 4

6mm:  Mounted figures:  36;  Buildings:  2

The Well Travelled Prince Arrives

“What’s this?” I asked Madame Padre, pointing to a fattish brown envelope sitting on the counter under a mound of 2015 New Years sales flyers. 

“Oh, it came yesterday”, she said casually, as she contemplated what to do with the New Years Eve leftovers.

“What?” I said, lunging for the mysterious package.   “Why didn’t you tell me?"

Madame Padre smiled coquettishly.  “Oh, I figured you got enough little men to play with this Christmas.  And you said something about taking me to the Star Wars film this afternoon."

Much later, after getting back from the cinema (no spoilers), I opened the package.  Could this be the mysterious visitor from the Orient whose coming was foretold?

No, I am not taking about the Magi who visits after Christmas.  I am talking about a package that Jonathan Frietag had warned me was coming … all the way from Japan.  

You see, back in early December, Jon emailed me to be on the lookout for a small package.  Mysteriously, he didn’t tell me what it was or why he had sent it.  I got quite excited.  The days passed.  Jon emailed me.  “Did you get it?"

“Nope”, I said.   Jon traced it via US Parcel Service.  On Dec 9th his package reached Los Angeles from Spokane, WA.   On Dec 11 it left LA and its whereabouts are swathed in mystery until Dec 26, when it arrived in Vancouver, Canada.   That makes sense, because Vancouver is more or less straight north from LA, and fifteen days is about right for it to have travelled up the Oregon Trail by mule train.  But then it gets odd.  Notice where it went on leaving Vancouver.

 

Japan.  Of course.  Makes sense.  Because Canada and Japan are such similar words.  Anyone could make that mistake, really.   Jon persisted with his tracking, and saw that it arrived at its destination, Casa Padre in Barrie, Ontario, on the 31st, where Madame charmingly left it under a pile of flyers.

Here’s what I found inside.  Notice the mailing label, BTW.  CANADA.  Not Japan.  And here is the little prince.  Not so little, really, he’s quite a large chap, at 1/54 (oops, err, I mean 1/32) scale.  Prince Eugene de Beauharnais, whose role I played last summer in Jon’s PBEM battle of Raab game.

 

Also enclosed was a very kind note from Jon thanking me and Phil, my opposite number, for playing in this game, which as I blogged yesterday, was one of my highlights of wargaming in 2015.  I am quite looking forward to painting this splendid fellow.

There are no shortages of portraits of Eugene.  I think I shall settle on this by Johann Heinrich Richter one as a guide.  

Jonathan, you are a generous fellow and I am most grateful.  I hope I can do him justice.   Thank you.  Given his itinerary, perhaps I should fortify myself with a warm sake before I start painting him?

MP+

Thank You Santas!

I have several Santas to thank this year.

Before I do, it seems that my photo bug has returned.  So, I include two versions of each picture.  The first is of the photo as hosted on Imageshack.  The second is a thumbnail on Google Picasa Web Albums.  Pls met me know if you can see only one or both versions of the same image.

I took part in the Secret Santa project run by Ian and Cath of the Blog with No Name fame.  This was my first time participating in this event, and I was delighted to unwrap these fellows on Christmas morning.  My Secret Santa carefully read my shameless wish list and discerned that I wanted some Foundry Saxons to stand in as Rohirrim for my Middle Earth project.  These fellows are the Saxon mounted characters from the Casting Room Miniatures Saxon line. Both the armoured fellows have a definite Rohirrim look about them.  The one with sword will do nicely as a lord of the Riddermark or perhaps a captain in the Royal Guard, and the fellow in the middle looks like a hearth guard if I ever saw one.  Orcs beware.  The mounted monk will find a use with my medieval collection, to be sure.  You picked very well - thank you Secret Santa!

For the second year running I participated in the Santa Clause project ably run by Chris Stoesen.  I love this project because the gift is painted and the gifted has to read the giftee’s blog and choose an appropriate present.  In my case, some kind fellow in the UK noticed my Middle Earth interest and found two little fellows - on the left, the hobbit Meriadoc Brandybuck in the livery of Rohan.  On the right, his friend Peregrin Took as a soldier of Gondor.  Both figures are from Games Workshop and are difficult to find now, so I am delighted to  now have them in my collection.  My anonymous benefactor also included two stands for them, which I will gladly use.

Both still wear the cloaks gifted to the Fellowship of the Ring by the elves of Lorien.

I can see both of these fellows getting use on the tabletop.  If I am using my adaptation of Dux Britannorum, they might allow an extra die when with with a unit of Men in combat.   Lots of time to figure that out.

To both my secret Santas, thank you so much.  Your kindness helped make for an excellent Christmas.

There were some other wargaming goodies under the tree, but I’ll save them for another post.
Blessings,
MP+

Thank You Santa Clause ...

… whoever you are!

This is now under the tree.  I hope I can wait until Christmas!

Blessings,

MP+

Emissaries From Tradgardland

Last week, in the midst of a busy and tiring week, I was buoyed to come home and find an unexpected parcel from my favourite imaginary place, the Duchy of Tradgardland.

 Good Duke Alan like me is a longtime fan of JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and has been very encouraging in my own gaming efforts in Middle Earth.  The package, pleasantly heavy and not cheap to post, I am sure, spilled out this alarming bunch of Games Workshop Isengard orcs and half-orcs, very nice metal castings with an interesting variety of shields, swords and boys.

Three stalwart elves ready to defend the woodlands against muddy iron-shod orc boots and bad breath.

 

Bilbo Baggins, ready to record these adventures!

 

And finally, this quite terrifying Nazgul Dark Rider, who will be quite lovely, though I don’t think I could hold him upright like this for an entire game.  Going to have to do something about that. 

 A very kind gift and sign of friendship, milord Duke.   Many thanks from your Duchy’s most loyal Canadian friend.

MP+

 

Opening Knight in the Wargames Room

 

 

The kind and talented Jonathan Freitag held a contest recently on his blog and I was quite thrilled to receive this prize in the mail last week.   I wish I had acknowledged and thanked Jonathan sooner, but I thought it would be appropriate thanks to show that I’ve already employed this useful little book.

This book is valuable in two ways.  First, it provides 2-3 page rules for classic wargaming periods ranging from Ancients to WW2.   The rules are extremely brief and simple.   Each period has four troop types, and the rules for all these periods share an IGO/UGO turn structure: move, shoot and melee.    There are no morale or leadership rules, but for an hour long war-game, not every rules concept can be included.

The other useful thing about this book is that the second half features a set of scenarios, thirty in all, which would work for the rules in the book or for more complicated rules.  This combination of smiple rules and fast scenarios seemed like a perfect way to inaugurate the wargames room.

Since I had just unpacked the box containing my 28mm medievals figures, which have been sitting in that box for four moves and at least ten years, I decided to break them out and try Thomas’ medieval rules.  In a very simple confrontation, using the Pitched Battle scenario, the forces of Humphrey de la Tour Palouse face off against the retinue of Godfrey Mainfort.  Humphrey has allied himself with Oswry the Usurper and promised to deliver him the North in return for being made Lord of the Marches and marrying his daughter Esmerelda to Oswry’s rodent-faced son Ranulph.   Godfrey Mainfort, on the other hand, is loyal to Penric, uncle and Protector of the two young princes of the late King Bohemund the Pious.   The two armies meet on the windy moors to decide the contest.

Both sides are identical in composition:  three units of knights, and a unit each of archers, men-at-arms and levies, since both roll the same number on the random force generation table.  Duc Godfrey chooses to mass all of his chivalry on his left wing, while Humphrey only has two thirds of his knights on his right wing.

 

Humphrey’s array.   Many of these figures, including the peasants in the foreground, are about twenty years old.   I’m glad my friend James convinced me never to get rid of them.

 

Godfrey’s knights surge forward.  They will mass 2 to 1 and 1 to 1 on Humphrey’s two units, annihilating one immediately.   As you can see from the white bases at the top of this picture, I had started a rebasing project, years ago, then forgotten about it.  I suppose I should revisit that project, as most of these figures are based singly on pieces of cereal box cardboard, and the state of the basing art has progressed since then.

Lord Stanley of Barrie adjudicates the clash of chivalry.  A most palpable hit, he cries.  Now, where’s the tuna you promised me for this gig?

Humphrey’s unengaged unit of knights rides down Godfrey’s archers, which are old Minifigs castings with one Wargames Foundry figure closest to the camera.

In return, Godfrey’s chivalry, having crushed Humphrey’s right wing, ride down his archers while Humphrey’s men at arms look increasingly endangered.  In the back of the photo, a unit of Godfrey’s knights rides in pursuit of Duc Humphrey.  Some of the charging knights are RAFM and others are Minifgs.  The archers are Wargames Foundry.  I don’t recall who made the halberdiers at the bottom right.  Citadel, perhaps?

Who legs it, with his surviving knights, leaving his foot to their dubious fates.  Notice in the photo below how my collection, which was quite haphazard, combines a late medieval/WOTR era figure with early 14th century figures.   Shockingly ahistoric, but these were collected in long ago, more innocent days, when I was content to grab whatever figures I could find on a limited budget.

Duc Humphrey has escaped to plan his revenge.  The fate of the realm is far from decided.   There will be other battles.

Joanathan, thanks for your very kind gift.  It was a great pleasure, in my distracted state, to use this great little book for a cheap and cheerful battle with some old, old friends.  I will turn to this book again, I am sure.

Blessings to your die rolls!

MP+