Top Gear

After a fairly fallow May on the painting front since returning from a week down in Cornwall I have gone up a gear. I am currently working on an Isabelino battalion of twenty figures for the First Carlist War, I have twelve completed so far.

First up I finished off four figures to complete the British infantry section for WW2 Italy action.

All AB Figures.

To break up the monotomy of painting the twenty Isabelino infantry figure I worked in these figures for an Isabelino command base. Perry Miniatures.

Also these British Auxiliary Legion staff officers, again Perry Miniatures

Some time ago probably a couple years, both Dave and I had forgot about them Dave passed these rather nifty metal palm trees onto me for the Triple Alliance scenery. I rediscovered them when searching for something else so I set to and got them painted and based up.

Our first game after our respective breaks in the South West was a French Revolutionary Wars game over at GHQ which currently features on Dave's Blog

Next week all being well over here in Darkest Rawnsley we will feature another Goth v 3rdC Romans game. On checking they last saw the table in 2024 when we thought it was only last year. Tempus Fugit so Carpe Diem and KBO.

Eastern Front 1943

 Somewhere on the Eastern Front  things are going to turn hot.

Incoming! Table set for some action later today, World War 20mm hits the table for the last time in 2025.

Now And Then

Way back in 1989, that's what I have written on base with initials I made this building. The base and walls are plywood coated in Polyfilla, no MDF those days, I am not even sure if it was a thing?

The garden wall I am not sure about, Gallia perhaps? The roof is off a farm building in the children's farm set, it was broken anyway, honest. The window and door frame is made with match sticks, the chimney pots and guttering are from Wills railway accessories. The gate is from a Tamiya scenery kit and the tree a good old K & M one.

It is rarely used these days, in light of my latest fluttering Dave suggested it could be used again, in a case of great minds..... Or? I had already got it out the loft with a view to sprucing it up.

Voila! 

It has turned out well I thought.

Until next time ........................KBO

Finally!

Way back in 2023 I swung by Devizes on the way back from holiday to visit the Attack show where I picked up a pantile ruin building off Colin AKA Charlie Foxtrot Models. Having picked up a NWE farm building at the recent WMMS show I thought I ought to get it done before commencing on the farm house.

Hopefully it will get it's table debut on Tuesday.

Next up on the bench something in 1/72nd scale.

TTFN & KBO

Water And Medicinals For Bikkelheim

I have recently completed my remaining structures for my fictional German town of Bikkelheim. Both are Faller model railway items sourced off EBay the bases are of course from the ever helpful Warbases, the sign is from a sheet of German signs available as a free download from the Rapid Fire website.

Front elevation

Rear elevation.

Look out for their debut on the table next week in another exciting game using Battlegroup rules.

Until then KBO

Growing Bikkelheim

I have had this retail building on the paint desk since the middle of last year, inspired by Wotanwerk's work on Instagram I have knuckled down and got it finished.

Building is by Faller a model railway piece sourced second hand on EBay, the bakery sign was downloaded from the Rapid Fire website.

I didn't attempt to straighten the wonky downpipe I like the quirky look.

TTFN & KBO

Heroes Or Villains

Suitably inspired by our recent outing with the new Midgard rules I have added to post Roman Britannia collection.

Myrooin, a wizard. Figure from Footsore Miniatures.

Raeowulf the Cursed, a Wiglera. Figure from Gripping Beast 

An unamed hero or champion that can go on either side. A figure from Footsore Miniatures.

Another unamed hero or champion to go with either side. Again the figure is from Footsore Miniatures.

Now onto terrain, a scenario in Midgard features a hill with salient points that if held gain the occupying side extra reputation. Author James in one of the introductory videos played this one and used standing stones to mark them. This reminded me of a "buy it when you see it not when you need it" moment a few years back.

Queqe these items from the set suitably based.

No game next week as I am away for a few days, so until next time...........

TTFN & KBO

Fill It Up

A couple of years ago I started a France 1940 project in 28mm which never got far before being sold on, I have since done it in 20mm. At the time I started this garage to compliment the buildings I already had for the late war.

I had run out of primed figures earlier in the week so I set to and finished it off.

The building is a MDF shell is from Warbases, from where I sourced the base, with a Wills corrugated iron roof added together with guttering, downpipe and weather boarding. The cobbled forecourt is from the same source too.

The advertising signs are downloaded from the Rapid Fire website, the forecourt furniture is from 1st Corps with period names downloaded off the web and resized from 1/35 scale.

The name on the frontage I did myself.

All being well it will feature on the table in our game next week.

Toodle Pip & KBO

Terrain and Troops

My Great War project revival continues, firstly I have finished off more figures I had partially started in the form of some Great War Miniatures British trench raiders and I think a Partizan free figure to commerate the 100th anniversary of ending of the war if I recall correctly.

Next up a 90° trench corner I picked up off Ironclad Miniatures at Hammerhead earlier in the month.

Finally some shattered tree stumps purchased a while ago from Coriatani.

The Great War mode will continue on Tuesday when Dave pops over for our fortnightly game here at OHQ.

Until then..........

TTFN & KBO

Building Bikkelheim

Another building for the fictional town of Bikkelheim leaves the work station.

A Volmer model purchased via EBay, the gate was missing so I added a brass etched piece, part of the Ainsty cemetery entrance,  the wall is a resin piece from Anyscale Models, cobbles from Wills and a bespoke base from Warbases.

We have a Bolt Action WWII game scheduled here tomorrow using my 28mm collection, a shot of the table appears below.

A report will follow, until then.......

KBO

October Painting

First up some purchases from Partizan earlier in the month.

Ironclad Miniatures pillbox.

Again from Ironclad some slit trenches and field positions, all for the 20mm collection.

Finally part of my purchases from Eureka all for the 20mm WW2 projects. A US 60mm mortar, the rest of the purchases have been put into stock for the Italy project.

Finally the sixth battalion for the War of the Triple Alliance Paraguayans, I am currently painting a brigade commander for each side, I shall endeavor to get them finished so that we can have our first game.

TTFN & KBO 

Bunkering Down

You may think I was being kind to Dave by adding the M12 to my US Battlegroup. 

But,..............

More West Wall defence, the bunker was a gift from Dave, from the door size it appears to be geared towards 28mm but the inside would struggle to hold standing figures or indeed weapons. It does make for an imposing 20mm bunker to house an anti-tank gun though.

The gun is left over from the Plastic Soldier Company 38T box to make various Marder varients, not sure if the configuration is accurate but it will do for me.

The hillside is carved polystyrene coated with Polyfiller painted and coated with my scatter/static grass mix.

The crew are old Battlefield Miniatures part of a batch of various figures gifted to me by Dave's son Matt.

Here they are in situ

Next to leave the work desk will be a MG bunker I picked up off Ironclad Miniatures at Partizan n recently.

Until next time...... .

TTFN & KBO

Building Bikkelheim

From the previous post

I have already removed the flowers and window boxes, the setting for Bikkelheim is early 1945.

Most railway buildings on EBay, if you want a lower price anyway, are off layouts. Invariably they have bits missing, in this case there would have been a wooden door at the one end on the original model. I have replaced the missing door with a brass etched gate (I recall this came with the Ainsty cemetery gateway)

Gate added and the building primed with Halfords car paint primer.

At Partizan I collected a base for it from Martin at Warbases to make a backyard, inspired by one made by Rob Rowell I added an Anyscale Models wall section which I had in stock and Wills cobblestone piece.

To be continued............

TTFN & KBO

Building For Bikkelheim

The latest addition for my fictional German town of Bikkelheim, a goods platform.

Painted I won't say repainted because most purchases off EBay including this are left in the pre coloured plastic condition, with Vallejo and AK 3RD Generation acrylics 

Next up is this one, I didn't intend to add more but I couldn't resist this one. I will be collecting a base for it from Warbases at Partizan tomorrow so hope to get it on the painting desk sometime next week.

TTFN & KBO