The Power of the Internet.

I know that a lot of people look on the internet as a two edged sword, especially so with a lot of inadequates that seem to inhabit the hyper space. But sometimes it can work for good.

In my case it began with a post about one of my favourite wargames photographs, which was of Peter Gilder's Gendarmes in an early Miniature Wargames. [ Post 'Where are they now']

 As I have stated before, that photograph really inspired me, and still does. As a result I posted a question about what happened to the army owned by Peter Gilder. Well I never got an answer, but Andy of Old Glory fame posted that he had been offered some figures from the Peter Gilder collection many moons ago. He then very kindly got in touch with the gentleman who had offered them and what followed is history.

 The chap was one of wargaming's unsung heroes, Tony Runkee, who had been with Frank Hinchliffe and Peter Gilder from the early days, as a modeller and as a painter. I think its well known that Peter Gilder employed a lot of talented painters to build up his collection, Tony was one of the main painters. Anyway he very kindly supplied me with a regiment of the original gendarmes from the Gilder collection and also threw in a unit of Burgundian crossbowmen. 

 Now they are of the time, but I can tell you the photographs dont really do them justice. The Hinchliffe gendarme was always one of their best figures and Tony was able to capture the look, well certainly in my eyes.

The quality has allowed me not to do anything to the gendarmes apart from paint an edge around the wonderful bases, and add one flag to cover some slight damage to a lance. No doubt they will not be to everyone's taste, which is fair enough, but to me they are perfection. I do intend to use them [ albeit rarely] and will have them on show at the Middlesbrough show in November.

 As regards the crossbowmen, I will have to carefully re base them, but I hope to keep a lot of their original bases if possible.

 I also managed to buy a general figure, which is a Willie general, ironically I have just finished painting the self same figure. Tony's is better naturally.I will show him when I have added some figures around him.

Some you win, some you totally bollocks up.

  I have found in my longtime experience in wargaming that sometimes nothing will go right. From the initial set up, to the dice throw which should be a given for success.
 Black Powder/ Pike and Shotte rules are very unforgiving and punish bad luck mercilessly.

 I set up this game to fight against John, using my Borgia army against a French army. From move one, things just didnt work. Throwing a 'Blunder' with my first throw, which saw two units of arquebusiers from the Black Bande leave the table for two moves set the precedent.
In move two I threw another blunder [ this means a double six by the way] which caused my light cavalry to ride away to obscurity.

 By move five I finally got my entire Gendarme command to move. In the meantime John was steam rolling towards my disorganised line which wasn't able to manouvre.

 By move Nine, Cesare Borgia was killed leading the Blacke Bande pike into inglorious rout,
 By move Eleven, my Italian army was streaming from the table, leaving the French to look on in disbelief.

 But was it a good game? Definitely yes. Sometimes being really bad somehow makes a game more pleasurable.Perhaps its the jinx of a newly painted unit?

The Carroccio Guard.

I have completed my Carroccio Guard, which I must admit I am pleased with, if purely because it is one less unit to paint. The figures are Foundry obviously created by the Perry twins.
 This is still a very fine range of figures. I am hoping the photographs are better. After reading the article from Henry Hyde in Miniature Wargames, I treated myself to a couple of LED camera lights. Its only a small unit, but you wouldnt like a swipe of a halberd. Carroccio

Where are they now?

I am currently re reading my early Miniature Wargames,[ for the umpteenth time] and basically loving the early photographs and articles.
 In MW 2 there is one of my favourite photographs of some Gendarmes that I assume belonged to Peter Gilder. This unit was one of the units that inspired me to collect the armies of the Italian Wars.
 This got me thinking, [slowly] I know that two of Peter Gilders armies have been sold recently, his AWI collection and some of his ECW units. Well what happened to his Italian Wars army?
 Now this is the one I would really like to own, or just the unit from MW 2.
This is not the only army that I would love to know what happened to them. The wonderful Seven Years War armies painted by Phil Robinson are another set of units that I would love to trace.
 I have never seen these units on any game over the last thirty years.
Does someone just buy these up and then sit in a darkened room staring at the figures, slavering over their beauty?
 Wargames toys are really there to be played with, admired yes, but definitely played with.
 As I work through the early MW'S I know there are some wonderful photographs of the later Connoisseur range of gendarmes painted by Peter Gilder,again these were inspirational, where did they go?
Surely they weren't thrown away into a skip.
 I must admit this thought does keep me awake at night, what if there is a council dump somewhere that has piles of wonderfully painted Doug Mason figures buried under dirty nappies! Dumped there by the partner of a wargamer who always begrudged the time spent wargaming to the detriment of their relationship. Just a thought anyway....

+ Two on Morale.

In wargames rules from an earlier period, you were able in certain instances to gain extra morale bonuses for religious artifacts and certain leaders. Well modern times are slightly different but I had to have the Perry Carroccio and its crew. Its a tad early for the period of the Borgias, but it is such a lovely model that I wanted one, irrespective of history.

 I know there's a bit of a purple thing going on, but it seemed a colour that matched the period.I used a flag from Pete's Flags for the banner which had a suitable religious theme. So I hope to get a plus two for religious artifact when the army turns out. The only gripe is that the sides of the wagon are resin, so the spokes on the wheels are very delicate. I just need a suitable guard for the alter now.

Back in the Groove.

 Well I am slowly getting back into the painting groove after my momentary meltdown earlier last month. I am not as productive as I have been, but as the dark nights kick in, this should change. You cant beat a good figure to inspire you really and the Foundry Gendarmes were one of their best I think. Of course I dont really need them, but they were sat there in a box looking disconsolate so I had to paint them.

 This figure was found in my Bretonnian army draw. I remember painting him as a bit of an exercise. I am selling off my Bretonnian army but I think I will keep this figure. I am currently painting my way through a unit of Eureka mounted Archers. Not the biggest figures on the market, but still very nice.

What is this life if full of care.

 My school experiences were pretty varied and well not really that relevant to life. However one poem that I was taught has always struck me as summing up how things are.The poem started, ''What is this life if full of care, we have no time to stand nor stare''
Well for me that should have read, no time to wargame.
Because from time to time wargamers lose their way as regards their hobby. Personal matters take precedence, life intrudes on your wargaming world, and realisim bites. The last few weeks have been like that for me. Between travelling because of work, the offer of new contracts, ill health and bereavement, wargaming has taken a back seat.
Of course the build up to the World Cup and me finally buying a terrain piece that I have always hankered after didnt help.
 Well, the windmill I purchased is now painted, and the other parts of real life are back in some sort of order, except illness, which there is little I
can do about apart from wait for the NHS to inform me of my position on their waiting list.
 I have managed to escape reality and paint up another unit of Italian heavy infantry, which were a joy to paint.
I also completed a Spanish artillery piece, and another command base, just in case I didnt have enough commanders.For some perverse reason I have started using a bronze/copper paint for armour. Im certain its not historically correct, but I like the colour.
 So I apologise to any armour expert now, as there will be more units containing bronze coloured armour. So returning to the post title, I hope I will have a period to actually 'stare' and get back to some wargaming.