In the Wars 3 - Updated

Hi folks,

               Good news - I have just been cutting my 72 mm Viking models from my sprues. Bad news, the primer flaked off all over the place. I had previously washed them in detergent to get rid of the release agent that is put on them to aid detachment from the moulds. I thought I had swilled them off thoroughly before I dried them, but apparently not. I will give them another couple of coats of thin primer and then try a thin coat of black to seal them.

            I was flicking through my rule sets and wondering what bases to use to go with which ruleset. I have Armati, Hail Caesar by Warlord Games, Battleblade, De Bellis Magistrorum Militum V 2.0, Fields of Glory - Wolves from the Sea and Scimitar. Ravenfeast by Little TV Wars (Which is a FREE .pdf from their website, with supplemental scenarios to download too). Warhammer Ancient Battles, Rally Round the King, Swordplay and Chain Reaction 3.0 by Two Hour Wargames. (The last two rules are a FREE .pdf from their website.).

            25 mm Base fronts are the norm, I believe. You have to take into account the javelins etc sticking out and generally getting in the way of the other figures. This will be a test of my painting skills, as I have not done any models of this scale for a while.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/11388/armati-2nd-edition-rules-and-lists-ancient-and-med

https://fightingfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Battleblade_Warrior_(book)

https://store.warlordgames.com/

http://www.ravenfeast.com/free-downloads.html 

https://www.littlewarstv.com/

https://www.twohourwargames.com/fataga1.html

I see in the free Metro paper that they have cast the latest Doctor. Ncuti Gatwa is his name. Good luck to the gentleman. He said that he binge-watched the BBC Doctor Who series from 2006 onwards. He has missed so much. The first episode of Doctor Who was aired on 23 November 1963.  He should have started from the beginning and watched all 26 series and the two movies.

https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=41&q=new+dr+who+actor&cvid=edba1fc634ec4d3bbf39cfa55440c123&aqs=edge.4.69i57

I have just downloaded from drivethruRPG "Radd Infinityum", one of the SOLO pocket RPG entries. I have only had a quick glance at it, but I hope to try it out soon. Probably after our local 39th Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival has come to an end. I will be sketching the bands I go to see and doing some in watercolour.

A Stargrave battle Report is next. 

Regards all,

Ivor Cogdell

Expanding a barricade.pt1

Terrain Tutorial

Hi everybody,

                    Picture this, we are all on jankers duty and restricted to barracks, you have run out of coal to paint white (you hope), the Sgt. Major is ordering more rations and PT kits from HQ for a bit and you are thinking "What can I do now?".

                   Well, I may have the solution for you today, embellish one of your old bits of terrain. In this case, I have a rough barricade made from a scrap bit of plastic that I had to hand. Couple that with a few carved up lolly sticks and scrap bits from laser cut models (optional), then we will see what we can make. I am using PVA wood glue here, but if you have a glue gun that should work too. This can work for a variety of model eras, from fantasy to bolt action and wild west. This is also a good tutorial if you have some new recruits with you, as no blades are needed..

Pick your terrain piece

First part to be fitted to the barricade,

Now in place.

The lolly stick has been carved on the edges with a craft knife to distress the wood and remove the straight edges. It goes along the piece in a roughly 30 degree angle to the right, attaching to the piece sticking out on the right.

Now in place.

Rear view.

 Now for the other side. The two square holes in the side wall planking do not give much cover to those inside,so with two more small bits of lollies broken along their length, I will convert the hole nearest to the corner to a mere slit to peer out of and leave the other one to shoot out of.

Before fitting.

I have added extra planking to reduce the target area on the left while still having a reasonable arc of fire and viewpoint.

Back to the left section of the barricade. I added a small wooden bar to the middle of the circular opening to prevent potential entry.

The bar in place

The Archer in action.

Inside showing shutter details.

 The central panel has had its face distressed, showing Dwarf axe blows and arrow dents.

Before painting.

 I now add whites and browns to the central area to blend it in more with the rest of the model.

Painting time.

After rough splashes of paint.

Added grunge.

More additions were made to the left edge of the barricade forming extra support for the plank sticking out, this has the benefit of attackers having to travel further round the hazard, giving the defenders more opportunities to shoot at them, or throw rocks if they are out of ammo.

Here we see our lone Elf defender against two Lizard Folk..

"Time to even the odds".

A close up of the supporting struts.

"An easy target".

Not up to professional standards, I was "winging it" as I went along, but sometimes that is all that is needed to put a bit of terrain on the gaming table.  I hope that gave you some inspiration to spruce up a model or even do a scratch build with some leftover materials, such as making rocks with foam core and filler, adding a standard to a wooden meat skewer. I add a base to the model in part two.  You may even have chance for a quick game before the Sgt. Major comes back. I hope so.

Stay safe everybody.

Ivor Cogdell

P.S. No Lizardmen were harmed in the making of this diorama.

The Acropolis

Hi all,
         Here is a model of the Acropolis in my local Town Hall / Museum in Birmingham, UK, which also contains part of The Staffordshire Hoard, worth £3.2 million. The other half is in the Stoke Museum.

Apologies for the glare on the glass.

Amphitheater

I think it would have looked better if they had painted the terrain.

Here are some of the statuary.

Roman grave markers.

I hope that proves useful.

Ivor Cogdell

Ambleside Roman Fort

Hi All,
         I have just got back from my latest holiday in Ambleside, at the top end of Lake Windermere in the lake district. I did plenty of walking and photography, As a bonus for us wargamers, it has a partially excavated Roman Fort. I thought you would like to take a look around.

The main gate, looking NW.  To the right, the trees are where the tower would have stood.

In front of the main gates is a covered drain, made from stone slabs, running north-south, with two access points, possibly to water horses or cleaning off sandals before entering the fort.

Looking North.

The Central Layout (South to the left.)

The Headquarters Building

From the corner of the Commander's house.

SE corner of the Commander's house.

SW corner of Commander's House

I think the HQ had a plunge pool, rather overgrown now. I missed getting a pic of it this time, but I will slot it in when I find it among my earlier visit photos.

Looking NE.

Looking East.

Looking towards the shore of Lake Windermere..

The shallows have been lined with stones for better grip and durability, for when boats were pulled ashore for unloading cargo..

Cows on the early external Tower position.

This was possibly the only time that the Romans used an external tower connected to their rampart.

View from the tower across the site.

Another view of the tower area.

Looking South, the Granary store is the nearest building.

The Granary Building's thick walls..

Looking West.

The original appearance of the site, the lake is to the left with the river behind the walls at the top. The vicus or civilian settlement would have been in the lower right area.

The Plans of the forts.

Not sure if this video works??.

Enjoy.

Ivor Cogdell