2024 a Year in Review

Thought I'd do this a little bit early. I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year and hope 2025 is a belter for you all. So what did I paint up in 2024, quite a bit by the looks of it, 2995, just 5 short of reaching the 3k mark.

6mm foot - 72

6mm vehicles - 80

10mm scenic/building - 6

15mm artillery - 32

15mm foot - 2434

15mm vehicles - 56

15mm mounted - 91

15mm scenic/building - 26

28mm artillery - 2

28mm foot - 137

28mm monster - 6

28mm scenic/building - 44

28mm vehicles - 9

So what did I paint this year? It started off with the ECW project for Marston Moor. In the main the Scots Covenanter contingent. I also completed another 10 sprues of infantry for Simon. It was quite an undertaking and I am pleased with the final results and the game seemed to be well received at the Border Reiver show. We even managed a few games at the club while we fine tuned the rules for the game.

The next major project was the Afrika Korps for Rapid fire. Now WW2 is not normally my thing, but I really enjoyed painting these up. Need to get them on the table more as they only saw 2 games this year. So need to speak to Mitch about getting his allies on the table for a game.

After these 2 major projects I then went off on a tangent, picking up a couple of projects just because they are different, namely the Quar and Battletech. Really enjoyed painting these up and even got a couple of games in as well. These will definitely see more action in 2025.

The year ended with another diverse project, namely Burrows and Badgers. These were a joy to paint up and I have plenty of ideas for scenery as well as scenarios. Got my first game this week to test out the rules.

In gaming terms an old collection got a run out, namely my ACW as Neil B put on th battle of 1st Bull run. I found this inspired me to get another collection out of storage, the Franco Prussian War and start planning a learge club game for mid January, It even got me painting up a few unfinished figures for the collection. I can see this collection getting expanded in 2025 as my French need a few more troops to balance out the numbers. I also fancy completing the Badener's to complete XX Corps for the Prussians.

The only other planned project for 2025 is my Republican Romans, just need to think of a suitable opponent, the choice is between Carthaginians, Spanish or Gauls. Gives me something to ponder over the coming weeks. I'll also be looking to move on a couple of armies in the New Year, my WW2 Russians and Germans for Chain of Command. They take up space and never get used. I also need to get the Infamy collection on the table. All painted up during Covid lock-down and never been used, something to look forward to in 2025.

Have a good one folks

A mixed bag

With a few days off enjoying the festive spirit, it was an opportune moment to get a few figures painted up during some quiet time. So with the upcoming Franco Prussian game I managed to finish a small brigade of French Cavalry. I'll be adding them to one of the existing cavalry divisions for the game but they will actually form part of a second small cavalry division in XII Corps. The figures are all from Outpost, such a shame the range is no longer available as I discovered 2 unpainted units of French infantry which were probably the start of a 3rd Infantry division in XII Corps.

The next batch of painting was some scenic items I picked up from Debris of War. They'll always come in handy for a variety of skirmish games we play.

I do have another 11 of the bags with various crops to paint up, you can never have too many Just need a few more different items for variety. The last painted items were the remainder of my figures for Burrows and Badgers. A second badger, a spaniel, a mole and a squirrel. Loved painting these up and will likely pick up a few more in the new year.

Now back to planning the next stage of the Franco Prussian game.

It's all in the planning

After 2 weeks at the club, re-fighting 1st Manassas or Bull run if you prefer, organised by Neil B. It was great to dig the collection out of its storage boxes. Not sure why I didn't take any photos! The game ended with a very narrow Union victory. I decided that I would put on a large Franco Prussian game. It was really just an excuse to get another collection out of storage as it has been some time since it was used.

The game will revolve around elements of the Prussian 3rd army, namely VI Corps, Bavarian I Corps supported by a Wurtemburg division and a Prussian cavalry division, crossing the Rhine before swinging North West seeking out and engaging the French around Nancy.

The Prussians will be initially deployed between Stuttgart and Ulm. Mitch who has taken on the command as KPz Freidrich, has to plan their order of march to get them across the Rhine at Breisach and form up at Colmar, before advancing upon the French. 

The French, with Thom taking on the role of General Bazaine, will have most of III Corps and XII Corps trying to keep the road open between Nancy and Strasbourg. He will have to deploy his army between Charmes and Sarrebourg.

Mitch has already sent his orders in for crossing the Rhine, just waiting for Thom to provide the French deployment, once those are in, both sides will get a chance based on reports to begin re-ordering. Once first contact is made on the map, this will be the location of the battle. The French will be able to end dispatch riders to call in any divisions nearby, meanwhile the Prussians will follow the doctrine of marching to the sound of the guns. 

We should be ready to play mid January. This is handy as I realised I need to paint up a regiment of French dragoons. I also need 4 artillery pieces for the French. Looking in the lead pile unearthed 2 extra French brigades of infantry, but no artillery. For the game I will just proxy in, 4 artillery from my ACW Union forces. But now I have ideas of completing the 4th infantry division for III Corps, however Outpost are no longer in business so will have to have a little search for compatible alternatives.

More Burrows and Badgers

These were the last of the figures that I had for this project, so I had to order a few more. I love the poses on the two larger models, the bobcat and the otter. The others help fill out some options for selecting a warband.

The Group

Bobcat and Otter

Shrew heroine and Sparrow warrior

Mouse ganger and witch hunter

I also dug out another 4 Skaven figures to use as Black rats, they just needed a little touching up and re-basing. Along with these I re-purposed some old ruined pieces I had from the days I played Frostgrave. They had seen better days, but a bit freshened up and flock and tufts added and they will be perfect for fighting over.

Extra Black rats

All Rats together

Hopefully my next batch arrives and I can get them all done ready for the New year and can plan to get some games in.

Got to have a Badger

With the game being called Burrows and Badgers, it seemed appropriate to have at least one badger in the collection. But which one as there are a few to choose from. I eventually plumbed for the Badger Warrioress, and since I was putting an order in I added a couple of little companions. Another mouse and a Bat. Unlike the other models, the badger is resin, but still a great casting. It is one of the things I've noticed with these miniatures there has been no flash, even the metal bases didn't need any file work.

 

In some of the photos you may notice a few unpainted figures in the background. These are the last of the figures I picked up. A couple of really lovely models to get painted up.

More animal antics

So after completing the first batch of figures I got straight to work on a few more. These six will add even more variety as I begin to plan a warband for their first game. This time I added a hare, another ferret, a mole, a mouse, jackdaw and a sparrow.

I'm really enjoying painting these. I think I was in need of painting something a little different. I also managed a quick read through of the rules and they do seem straightforward enough. Hoping to get a game in just after Christmas. I even had a dig around some old Mordheim Skaven figures from an old plastic boxed set. As these were designed as adventurers they fit in as Black rats, saving me having to buy any of the official models.

All they needed was a little re-basing and some of the fur changed to black. I have even located another four which would bring them up to the maximum number of 10 for a warband. Just need to get them re-based.

Please don't judge me

Well sometimes you just fancy painting something a little different and before you know it you are lost done a rabbit hole, or in this case a burrow. I blame it on building and painting the MDF kits from Sarissa Precision. So I bought the rules and bought a few figures, then a few more , oh damn it I got lots of figures. Who doesn't want to paint foxes, otters, squirrels and mice. Now 2 other club members are putting warband's together for a little skirmish. 

It does help that the game is based in my home county of Northumberland or Northymbra, and the animals are all local with a few exotic exceptions. I even found myself on google actually looking at wildlife to try and replicate on the figures. So here are the first 10 figures done with another 9 to complete. I'll need to come up with a bit of a back story when I actually design a warband.

All together

Otto, Felix and Red

The mice, Tom-tom, Fergus and Tam

Slick, Sid, Bailey and Dead eye

So 2 foxes, an otter, 3 mice, a ferret, adder, hound and a squirrel. They are all metal figures from Oathsworn miniatures and they are a joy to paint. I even spent a bit of extra time on the bases. I've had a dig around in the old Mordhiem collection and identified 6 Skaven figures that will be perfect for the game. They just need re-based and fur re-done black as black rats.

Support vehicles

In preparation for the clubs game next year at Border Reiver, we need a Lance of Mechs supported by some infantry, APC's and tanks. Now I already have the mechs and the infantry and had made a start on some of the tanks. Well I finally got around painting them, slightly delayed as I was ordered to do some painting of a different kind, 3 days I'm not getting back.

So here they are, all 3d prints. The tanks are from EBay and I believe they could be 40k related but don't quote me on it. All painted up to match the colour scheme of my mechs for Darc's Dragoons.

These next 2 vehicles were supplied by Mitch,1 is an additional APC and the other a AA support vehicle.

So just 1 more APC to complete to finish the force and I'll also be able to retire the old epic scale rhino's I've been using.

Now plans are underway for a new side project as I've decided trying to paint a Roman army with the dark nights is not really an option and would be best left to spring. This project will only need 20 or so figures to paint up and I can take my time as I will only really have weekends available to get any painting done.

Darc's Dragoons

I picked up another boxed set to bring my mercenaries Darc's Dragoons up to company strength (3 lances). I still needed to add the tufts to the bases which I did after the photos were taken. These Mechs were all part of a Direct fire lance, 2 assault mechs and 2 heavy mechs, the Atlas, Marauder II, Orion and Crusader.

AS7-K Atlas

MAD-5A Marauder II

ON1-k Orion

CRD-3R Crusader

The full company

To support my mechs I also painted up 3 more vehicles, the 2 APCs are 3d prints from Mitch, the heavy tank is also a 3d print I picked up off EBay, I have 3 more of these.

I've got another 3 tanks, an APC and a AA support vehicle on the painting table nearly finished. I will just need 1 APC to complete but need to order in some more bases.

Songs of our Ancestors

On Thursday night Mitch set up a small table so we could try out the 'Songs of our Ancestors' rule for a Quar skirmish. My force was made up of a standard platoon, 3 sections each of 3 Quar, 2 armed with Bogens and 1 with a Ryshi rifle led by my Yawdral. 

The rules are pretty much like all those by Ganesha games, needing 'successes' for your troops to do anything. Failures allowing your opponent to steal the turn.

The Yawdral encouraging the Quar forward

2 sections advance towards the ruined village

My 1st section occupied a ruin and set up camp for pretty much the rest of the game.

Dastardly Royalists pushed forwards

A lone Royalist about to meet a grisley end

With both sides manouvering into position my Crusaders got a crucial steal of the turn, allowing them to pout some devastating fire in the Royalists. Taking out 1 and sending the others scurrying for cover. Mitch was having difficulty getting all his troops moving each turn as with bad dice rolls I kept stealing the turn. This was allowing me to keep my forces on the move and isolating his troops.

Take that ya Royalist fiend

Led by my Yawdral, we stormed one of the buildings, throwing grenades and taking out 3 of the enemy at close quarters. The Royalists were now on the run. Their right flank position was overrun and most of their troopers were prone or shaken. It was then that my Yawdral caught his Royalist counterpart in his sites, taking him out with a single shot. With their Yawdral down, morale tests were required across the remaining Royalists. Only 1 passed. The remaining troopers fled the field.

Another Royalist is down

Crusader 'fire and move'

It's all going wrong for the Royalists

'Got him'

A very fun and fast game. The rules are definitely a lot more smoother than Clash of Rhyflers. There were definitely less rule querying and head scratching. I got the best out of my Crusaders by keeping them on the move with the sections supporting each other. You have to get in close as the Royalist infantry have longer range rifles  and take delight at pinning you down at range. So another glorious victory for the 22nd 'the Double Ds', Devious Ducks.