The wonderful thing about wargamers.

One of the best things about being a wargamer is that you come into contact with some really nice people.Not all the time, but in the main wargamers are very friendly and also very generous. Over the years I can count on the fingers of one hand wargamers that I met and thought,'' dont like you mate''.

Anyway a week ago I received a parcel through the post and inside were a number [16] of painted Citidel pikemen. The figures were well painted and in one of my favourite poses. The figures had been sent by a fellow wargamer who was clearing! out some spare stuff and after reading my blog sent them to me to use. So I would like to thank, Jason Williams for his generosity and thoughtfulness. I hope I bump into him at some wargames show around the country, because I would like to reciprocate the gesture in some way. So as I was painting up my last French pike block, I thought what the hell do another unit,using Jason's wonderful figures. So the two photographs below are of the unit. I added a couple of halberd toting figures to give it a varied look. 

                                          I also completed my intended French pike unit,

                         A photograph of the two latest pike units together. I really like them.

I also managed to squeeze in a unit of Venetian mercenary archers. I dont think they fight to well, but they are a very nice Perry figure.

  A couple of Pro Gloria villagers were done to add some interest to the camp I hope to make soon.

 And finally I had a spare Front Rank knight, so I had to give him a Black Bande standard to carry.
 Pete from Pete's Flags, is also a very generous soul, he kindly created these banners after very little pestering, so well done to both wargamers you restored my faith in people.

The French are Coming.

 As a lead on from last nights post, [ I changed my mind about putting these photographs on my other blog ] I thought Id show how my French troops are progressing. In the last two weeks I managed to complete two more pike blocks, with their sub units. I also completed some more Pro Gloria figures.

I particularly like this chap, as he typifies a renaissance figure. 

 The armour maker is also a really nice figure to paint and shows the standard of the Pro Gloria range.

 The sleeping militia figure is a well crafted piece.

These two pike blocks are my latest units. The first one consists mainly of the defunct Foundry range. Some people didnt like the figures, but to be fair they have a certain charm and are easy to paint.

This block is mainly made up of the old Citidal range, which was created by the Perries. They are still a very good range of figures.

 I had to include the Pro Gloria fighting dog and handler in the block, probably not realistic, but it gives the block a little story to tell I think. I only have one more block of French pike to complete, and then its onto some French gendarmes. Anyway onwards and upwards.

Its been a slog!

 For some reason, late February, early March has been a real chewy time. Extra hours at work, lots of travel, coming home plain knackered. Couple that to another birthday, and you realise that maybe you haven't got the time you once thought you had.

 Now I'm not going to get maudlin, because getting older is part of life, but finding the time to paint some figures has been problematical. Still persistence does pay off. I have managed to complete my two units of Perry sword and buckler men, one for the army of Cesare, and one to join my large Black Bande.

 I also coupled a civilian Perry pack into an artillery crew. I did this because I wasn't happy with my Hinchliffe crew. I love the large gun, but didnt like how I painted the crew.

I felt I had to do some more Black Bande simply because I had some spare flags created by Pete of Pete's Flags. They were just too good not to have them flying in a unit.

 I also completed two French pike blocks, but I am going to show these on my other blog, purely because I wanted to write something on there, with some colour. I have been re reading some of my old Pike and Shot Society magazines from the 1980's. At that time I was a keen member, always contributing something or other. One of the article I wrote was about the army of Cesare, To be fair, it wasnt bad, and actually had some decent information in it, so much so that I intend to quote from it in a later post. Anyway I hope you like my new troops, they were a joy to paint.

Groundhog Day!

When I started this second blog, it was to record me building up my new army of Cesare Borgia, in 28mm.
 As stated it was to replace an army I sold back in the 1980's. At that time I also sold my Burgundian army and John sold his Italian Wars army. These were all in 25/28mm and the money was used for us to buy into the 6mm ranges which we did in a very big way. Things as usual came full circle for me and I re adopted the 25/28mm.
 At today's game at the Durham club, John and I came face to face with a lot of our original armies that we sold. I must admit I was expecting the figures in the main to have been painted okay, but that they would have been of that time.
 Well John and I got a pleasant surprise when we viewed each unit that we had created nearly 30 years ago. If only their owner Shaun Lowery would sell them back to me, but of course he wont.
Shaun's army was a lovely thing to behold, and it fought pretty well.
 I can only apologise for the quality of some of the photographs, for some reason the camera is not performing as it should.

This was one of my original gendarmes for Cesare's army, at that time John and I used oil paints for the horses.

 The swiss were a mish mash of Connoisseur figures with the odd Vulcan thrown in for effect. [ Not the ones with pointy ears.]

  I can actually remember painting this giant standard, which in reality would have been impossible to hold.

  This artillery piece was never released by Connisseur, and was cast by Peter Gilder as a one off, luckily Shaun didnt realise how badly I wanted to walk off with it.

  I didnt actually paint these wonderful french mounted archers, but they were so beautifully painted that again Shaun was lucky I didnt put them in my collection.

  A Swiss pike block from the front,including painted eyes!

 Connoisseur mounted arquebusiers, with a Borgia standard, based on a stemma design.

  These lovely figures came from the original Wargames Holiday Centre in Scarborough.

  I hadnt realised that Shaun had even bought my tents!.

  So after drooling over Shaun's figures, how did the game fare? Well Paul and I were fighting together against John and Shaun.  We took the Papal side, Shaun and John the French. Success was not on the side of God it is fair to say, between Paul being unable to throw decent command dice, and me managing to lose Cesare in a suicidal charge it was fair to say NOTHING went right for us. The beauty! [frustration] of Pike and Shotte is the fact that the wargamer cannot rely on anything, you have to carefully consider your tactics and plan for the worst. Needless to say I certainly didnt.
 The plan entailed my infantry holding up the advance of the French gendarmerie under the command of John, whilst Paul commanding our best troops rolled up Shaun's flank and centre.
 What actually happened was Paul couldnt get his infantry to move very much, although he managed to turn Shaun's flank we had expended so much effort that Paul's cavalry command was exhausted. Meanwhile on my wing, I had managed to lose all of my shot troops which caused my division to be classed as spent, whilst my gendarmes had been hemmed in by a combination of pikemen and halberdiers. So naturally when Cesare decided to charge to undying fame, he didnt and copped a pike up his j#####y. Such are the vagaries of Pike and Shotte. Was it enjoyable? Debatable, because nothing went to plan. Was it a good way to spend a Sunday? Definitely.
 Do I want my old armies back? What do you think.    

 Shaun showing off his wargames credentials by wearing a vintage top, John meanwhile thinking about giving my Italians a good kicking.

Meanwhile on the Papal side, Paul is looking for the rule that says the Pope's blessing allows a re roll on a failed command throw.

 
 These gendarmes, belonged to John over thirty years ago, and they still managed to beat up my newly painted replacements.

  I had to include the rear shot of my Romagnol pike block, during the battle they managed to advance only twice before retiring from battle following the rout of their arquebusiers and the collapse of the morale of their division.

  These mercenaries managed to pin my gendarmes, negating their effectiveness [ That means I ballsed it up]