New 'Memoir '44' page added.

Well, the Waterloo anniversary has come and gone, great to see it well covered by the media. Funny enough I have found my own Napoleonic interest has waned somewhat over recent months as I have gradually become drawn into the late WW2 period. I'm pleased really as it has revived my interest in playing wargames again, and the pleasure derived from painting figures and vehicles of this period is not dependent upon painting vast numbers but rather individual pieces. This suits me well for the time being.

As my 'Therapy' blog has taken so many twists and turns along the way ( it actually started with 28mm Perry Austrians and must have covered just about everything since!), I have decided to start a dedicated 'Memoir '44' blog. It can be found in the links bar at top, so if you are also into Memoir you can follow along this separate project blog.

I must thank those who sent me messages of support during recent domestic events, very much appreciated. Mum in Law is stable and being well cared for, and family life must go on. I'm still working on the 30th Foot for Ian, taking my time, as and when I can. They are vintage Hinton Hunt castings and it makes a real change to be painting some redcoats again! I hope to have them finished and on the blog next week.

Meantime here are some replacement German infantry, all of the plastic 'Battlefront' miniatures have now been replaced with Peter Pig metals as they are so much more robust. Note that I'm also'static grass' free for the first time in many years as the bases look better this way on a gameboard.

Getting back on track.

It's been a busy few weeks on the domestic front, mother in law slowly recovering from her fall and eldest daughter back home after a spell in hospital with gall bladder infection. Of course we still have to deal as a family with mum in laws terminal illness, but she's remarkably upbeat as she approaches her 80th birthday. We have a special treat lined up for her, a couple of nights at the beautiful Port Lympne Safari Park, staying in one of the very popular 'Safari Lodges, that has magnificent views across the Romney Marsh towards Dymchurch. It's set in rolling hillside and is only about twenty minutes drive away, so no long journey involved for her. We're all booked in together, should be fun, all three of our daughters grew up with regular days out at Port Lympne so will be nice to spend a bit of time up there again.

As far as painting time goes I have managed to get a bit done here and there. I managed to complete the final Prussian unit for Vintage Waterloo, I'm pleased with them, they are of course for Roy. In addition I have started a 24 figure British battalion for Ian and I'm finding painting redcoats most enjoyable again after so many 'blue' units, both French and Prussian.

A new direction?
One thing I have been doing a lot of recently is thinking, about many things, future plans, is it time to move house etc, and this has included my hobby. I said a few months back that I'm no longer a wargamer, but it's very hard to shake off  something that does bring so much pleasure. I know that I'm done with painting large armies for myself again but having recently discovered WW2 wargaming I'm feeling a real pull towards 'Bolt Action'. I may also be becoming a 'tank geek' having watched and listened to hours of YouTube tank related videos whilst painting I have a new found fascination and respect for those guys who crewed the tanks!

Currently my WW2 stuff is 15mm for modified Memoir44, but Bolt Action uses 28mm figures (and tanks!) to play skirmish level actions with small forces. The rules do not seem any more complex than Flames of war to play but obviously at a lower level command level ( so you can target an individual soldier or officer figure). The simple activation system of placing all the unit dice into a bag and drawing them one at a time works so well, so initiative can suddenly swing about between sides creating real tension.

If you are into WW2 and have not seen a Bolt Action demo game this video is well worth a watch, the figures and terrain are stunning , and not a hex in sight!

Taking a break.

Hard to believe a month has almost flown by since my last blog update. The fact is that hobby time has been at a premium recently as the family come to terms with my Mother in Law's diagnosis of terminal cancer of the liver and a very short life expectancy. As if that was not enough she managed to take a tumble last week and break her wrist and her nose resulting in hospital and nursing home. It's tough because much as you try to think in terms of recovery from the fall. you know she only has a few months to live. But's she's a fighter and has an amazing attitude to her illness.

As a result I have had to abandon my commitment to Vintage Waterloo as I just can't focus on much right now. Roy has been very understanding, and I hope he will still be able to get the remaining units painted for the planned game. I have one battalion here for Ian, and as I have started it I will finish it in time for the event.

Meantime I have some Peter Pig ECW's to mess about with if the mood should take me. I must admit that seeing the 'Fat Wally' ECW page featuring loads of beautiful PP ECW's is very inspiring, take a look? Certainly cheers me up :)
http://www.fat-wally.com/BasicBaroqueECW.html

Back soon.

A quick photo update!

Here are the two completed and posted regiments of cuirassiers for Vintage Waterloo. These 24 cavalry took a fair bit of work to get them to the standard I wanted, approx 20 hours painting! I could go further, but overall I think they will fit nicely with Ian and Roys collections.

I'm currently painting the first of two more 24 figure Prussian battalions for Roy, both landwehr in long coats, so things will pick up speed again. At the same time I'm finishing off a nice set of medical orderlies/casualties for John and have the first 8 figures from Ian's British battalion ready to start. I'm finding that having several things on the go together is working well for me.

Hope to get a game of memoir 44 in over the weekend. I'm waiting on some figures from Peter Pig including SS in camo smocks, French resistance, and some British Paras.

Cuirassiers for Vintage Waterloo. Top two pics are pre finished - (officers eppaulette corrected to silver! )

A block appeal, and cuirassier progress.

With the Waterloo anniversary fast approaching I need to get a shift on painting the units that I have here intended for the Vintage Waterloo game planned by Ian and Roy. The 12th regiment are done (save for a final check through for errors/touch ups etc), and the 4th regiment are about half painted. These cuirassiers have taken some work and progress is slower than anticipated, but I won't rush them as I want to produce a couple of special units. I'll follow up with a couple of Prussian Landwehr battalions! I'm also painting more ACW's for John in the background as well as slowly adding to my WW2 late war collection in 15mm.

12th Cuirassiers - still need final detail checks and a satin varnish. No doubt I'll also add more highlights to the horses to bring them 'up' a little more.

A Waterloo block appeal!
Having made the decision not to build up armies of my own and instead to fight the Commands & Colors Napoleonics Waterloo scenario on the day, I am on the lookout for a few spare wooden infantry blocks. These will be used to create Highlanders, Brunswick, Dutch & Belgian, Polish, Swiss etc using the nice 'unofficial' stickers that are to be found on the C&CN forum. Some examples you can see HERE. Should anyone happen to have a couple of leftover blocks they won't use I would be delighted to make use of them. Any colour will do as I can repaint them to match. Please drop me a line:   lgramson@yahoo.com  Many thanks.

Memoir '44 adaptions.
Having completed painting of the Open Fire box set I must admit that currently I'm happy to enjoy using all of the miniatures with memoir games! With a lot of other commitments at the moment it's probably not the right time for me to be learning a new set of rules. I have the basics of Flames of War, I have played through the main rules, but the next stage of collecting and building scenery/terrain etc is not something I can get into right now.

I was pleased to read of some interesting variations on Ross' blog of the Memoir rules and I will be giving these a try next game. Makes a lot of sense and does not affect the overall flow of the game, for example artillery need spotters to range in, infantry cannot hit on armour unless armed with bazooka/panzershreck/ panzerfaust etc or in direct assault, and commanders are added. Should be fun, and of course with Memoir '44 what it may lack in fine detail it makes up for it in sheer speed of play and excitement.

In order to  use my own 'air support' rule with memoir I now have an appropriate model plane for both sides - purely for show of course! - having added a JU87 to my little late war Spitfire. I might go for the Typhoon next, in fact I can see myself building up a collection of these aircraft models.

And finally for now DOG NEWS! ... it's been unseasonably warm recently here on the Kent coast, with loads of day trippers over on the beach. Even the sun lounger hire guy had his loungers out (£5.00 all day), and we don't normally see him until June. On such days I like to be out early in the mornings with the dogs when it's quiet. Poppy the pup has come on very well and is still kept in her place by Marcie the Retriever, who at 12 years of age is in remarkably good form for her breed at this age. I love to watch them play fighting, huge sharp teeth, but so gentle together, occasionally if Poppy gets a little too feisty she will get a little reminder who's boss, but once tired Poppy will fall asleep on top of Marcie, who seems not to care.

A stirring sight - cuirassiers ready for painting.

Even sitting there with just the black undercoat on they look impressive I think, 24 Hinton Hunt cuirassiers with some wonderful conversion work by Roy on the command figures, including adding eagles to the flagpoles. Started this morning, I'll hold pics until both Regiments are finished at the weekend. Started with a pink facing unit (10th to 12th  I think were such units and both present at Waterloo), the second maybe 'aurore'. Nice horses too, well detailed and a separate officers horse (minus sheepskin) that is accurate. Both units intended for 'Vintage Waterloo' and commissioned by Roy for his collection.

Memoir44  'Breakthrough'.
Yesterday I spent an enjoyable couple of hours playing a game of Memoir44 on the new breakthrough board which is 17 hexes deep by 13 wide and works much better with my 15mm models visually I think. I'm so pleased that I'm on the lookout for a second 'plain/beach' breakthrough board so that I can play on a double seized board - 26 hexes wide  x 17 hexes deep! I really like the quality of the memoir graphics, which I feel to be better than even the C&C N board. I'll probably order another breakthrough set for next week.

Couple of new 'tweaks' introduced this game, borrowed from the 77 page PDF under 'Advanced play' firstly Air Support.  Each side can attempt to use air support twice during a game, must dice and if successful normal memoir 'air support' rule applies. Can be useful for strafing or rocketing both armour and infantry when adjacent. Up to 4 hexes may be targeted. It's just great fun, fast and furious and can do a lot of damage to formations.

Secondly, I introduced my freshly painted Tiger I tank. There are rules for such beasts in the FAQ, being mainly that they begin as 4 point tanks and any hits rolled against them must be re - rolled to confirm hits. Reasonable enough, but still a -2 when fighting into bocage? a Tiger? Anyway, rules is rules and it does give enough advantage to be about right on balance. I did consider giving it 4 combat dice, but it may become too unstoppable! As it turned out the Tiger did sustain 3 hits and would have blown up on the next hit, but it retired from the fight to the safety of a village having blown up two of the Allied Shermans and damaged a third.

All great fun, buckets of dice rolled, and all packed away again within a couple of hours. Models still need work, tanks need decals, more stowage etc and I'm waiting for my German aircraft to arrive in the post. It's very much a side project and I'm happy with it, having learned from past lessons that this combination of models and board game works for me. Thanks to those who commented on the last pictures.

German victory - 6 medals to 2! Allied armour had a long journey to get into the fight on the new deeper board, even moving 3 hexes per move they took time to arrive, the centre being blocked by the dreaded 'bocage' that slows everything to a crawl and blocks line of sight.

The newly painted Tiger rolls slowly forward.

Look where I started those US infantry..... what chance!

Air support, targeting the two tanks and the supporting infantry.

Stug assault guns and the Tiger move forward, the allied front line being held by US Airborne with infantry coming up behind the tanks - again I overlooked how far back they were deployed and they did not get into the fight.

Three 'brewed up' Shermans.

Dice placed to denote 4 units ordered that move, not a lot to remember in memoir I know, but it helps when working resolving the combats I find.

Tiger retires to village hex to prevent being hit and blown up (red marker marker denotes down to last hit).

Mustering for (Vintage) Waterloo & more fun with Memoir44.

Lots of family coming over for dinner during Easter, my wife is busy cooking (as she likes to do), roast lemon chicken with stuffing today, and roasted leg of lamb tomorrow, (of course they can't all make the same day!) . We shall certainly feast well and be thankful for it.

Vintage Waterloo.
After the break this will become my main painting focus going forward. I have now had time to sit down and look through all of the units that I have to paint, mostly for Roy but also a British line battalion for Ian. I'm confident that I can deliver what I have here in good time and I'm very keen to produce some striking units.

What I have in my 'in tray' for VR is as follows:

Cavalry:
2 Regiments of cuirassiers, each of 12 figures. Roy has produced some nice conversions for the command figures, with eagles added to the standard bearers.

1st Chassuers a cheval  12 figures. These are clever conversions from HH french line lancers as this unit wore the  Grecian style helmet. Swords replaced from pins and neatly done.

Cumberland Hussars 12 figures.

1 regiment of Prussian Dragoons in Litewka. 12 figures.

Infantry battalions:
Hanoverian battalion 24 figures

British line battalion 24 figures (Ian)

French Middle Guard battalion 24 figures

3 x Prussian reserve/landwehr battalions, each of 24 figures.

I'll feature each unit here as it's painted, I'm thinking of starting with the two cuirassier regiments, because I love those French heavies!

Memoir 44 & Flames of War.
I continue to have fun with Memoir as I build up my 'Flames of War' collection of figures, tanks and guns etc. The box set is just a few infantry bases away from being painted, and the Allied tanks need finishing off and will have decals added when I can get them. I have ordered some but they have not arrived yet. I have added a platoon of US riflemen that I had here, nice metal figures that match the plastics very well in scale, but crisper detail, and I now have a Stug platoon of 5 models to add to my German armour. These came 'new' via ebay and I was surprised to get them for £18.00 as they currently sell for around £26.00. Like most FoW/Battlefront stuff it's expensive for plastic, but just so nice and collectable. So I just could NOT resist this little Spitfire when I saw it, late war so ideal for air support in the game. A quick paint job and she's up on her (supplied) FoW flight stand with flight dice included, ( if you are successful in calling in air support at the start of a turn, you then throw the 'flight dice' to see how many planes make the strike, 1, 2 or 3). I just had to feature her in a couple of pics, but  for almost £11.00 I can't help thinking of the actual production cost of what is a very small piece of cleverly marketed and packaged plastic! Still. I fell for it and I love her ......and I have my eye on a German aircraft I'll be ordering on Tuesday.

Memoir44 fun! The 'breakthrough' boards should be with me on Tuesday, 17 x 13 hexes should improve the visual appearance of using 15mm figures on the board.

Finally for now, I'm finishing off some ACW's for John, Hinton Hunt cavlary and infantry, over the weekend. Getting in some horse shade practice for those cuirassiers, working on the 'browns'. These Rebs and yanks have a mix of shades -( they are shown un-finished).