Wednesday 16 December 2015

Something a little different...

It's not all alloy and plastic men at chez Napier occasionally other toys are purchased.



This is Lego's Sopwith Camel model which the better half bought me as a birthday present a couple of years ago.

Regular readers of this blog will note that I put little plastic bricks together no faster than little plastic men.



Currently it is the centre piece on the dining room table, at least it has the right colours for Christmas. Maybe a little sprig of holly will make it look more festive!

Sunday 6 December 2015

WH 40K Sector Part 2

One of the advantages of the new(ish) house is that the garage does allow large projects to be set up and painted; in this case some sector tiles from Games Workshop.



The palette is reddish brown to give the effect of a Mars type planet. I thought I had a lot of appropriate scenery but then added it to the tiles and found it a bit sparse.



Guess I know what to ask for this Christmas!

Still I was pleased enough to dig out a few old Tau miniatures to see how they looked in the new cityscape.

 
 

Naturally, they needed a bit of opposition... which came in the form of some Dark Angel Space Marine scouts.




A proper battle is surely only a free evening away.

Sunday 29 November 2015

Fallschirmjager - Finished Unit

Some of Warlord's finest 'Green Devils' all set to face the US 101 Airborne and of course those pesky resistance types that have been pottering around these pages.



 
Eighteen in all with some lmg and mortar teams to come.
 




Wednesday 18 November 2015

Waterloo - League of Augsburg Weekender Part 3

Last few shots of the Waterloo relight in Derby in October.

 
 
The French pressed the Allied centre and right flank hard.
 
 
 
A view of the Allied side of the table - Mr Hilton in the distance. Unfortunately the photograph fails to demonstrate the depth of so many figures in such a small space.

 
 
Parts of the Allied centre begin to crack.
 
 
 
At Hougoumont a congenial stand off ensues.
 
 
 
The Prussian were played off table and Napoleon (played by Paul Patrick) even led some cavalry charges which broke the Prussian ranks.
 
In the end the umpires adjudicated and declared a French victory. Les Bleus were still on the Allies ridge as dusk fell with a fair amount in reserve.
 
To the victor the spoils...





Wednesday 21 October 2015

Waterloo - League of Augsburg Weekend Part 2

The French plan was to ignore the big potential meat grinder on the left flank; Hougoumont chewed up so many battalions on the day of battle and for no discernible gain.

Instead a diversionary attack on the ridge of the Allied right would pin troops in place whilst the weightiest assaults would fall on the Allied centre and left.

Hougoumont... so tempting...



French skirmishers circle the chateaux.


French columns advance on the Allied ridge.

 
 
A Dutch/Belgian brigade stands ready.
 
 

French cavalry wait to exploit any opening
 
 


Monday 19 October 2015

Waterloo - League of Augsburg Weekend Part 1

It's October and that means time for the Derby weekender run by Barry, Adrian, Bob and Gerry of the League of Augsburg.

The board was approximately 28 feet by 12 feet with the tiles custom made by Adrian to mirror the valley.

Initially the British side felt a little deserted...

 
 
 The French commanders certainly seemed to have more to do.

 
 
 Wellington stood by his elm tree ready for the off.

 
 
 

 And Napoleon felt well enough to at least stand around with his staff.
 
 
 
So it was just a case of both sides waiting for the first shots to be fired.
 
 

Sunday 11 October 2015

Getting Me Colonels Out

There have been some suggestions that I have a deleterious effect on any officer cadre I come across. Mere rumour I'm sure but just in case I need a few spare colonels for next weekend's League of Augsburg Waterloo extravaganza I've decided to prepare a few.

 
All miniatures are Perry.

Monday 28 September 2015

Quatre Bras - League of Augsburg One Dayer

Sunday the 20th September saw a group of regular LoA meet at the Volunteer Rooms in Irvine  to refight Quatre Bras. The twin aims of the day were fun (a priority) and to get a much needed refresher on the Republic to Empire rules before the massive Waterloo refight in Derby next month (its been BLB all the way for some time).

 


I was on the French side and my comrades, painfully aware of my reputation of decimating officer cadres in a single round and having the Imperial Guard cavalry refuse to even contemplate a forward meander never mind a charge for me, cast me as Ney in a vain attempt to keep me safely away from any vital dice rolls.

Alas as one round was to prove my mere presence is enough!

The French got off to a goodish start; quickly putting to flight the paltry Dutch and Belgians strung out in front of them (Bill R and I started high fiving each other at this point, I know I wouldn't want to be seen with us either).


However, the Divisional commanders could not resist the lure of Germincourt Farm and gradually more and more troops were drawn to its walls and repulsed in a mangled, rout ridden manner. That's when they bothered to pass their charge tests!


Eventually, an unsporting number of Allies arrived at the crossroads to spoil any chances of Ney pleasing the Emporer (where was d'Erlon????).


The day was organised by the regular LoA crowd Barry, Bob and Gerry (that was some lunch!) and they promise more of the same in a couple of months.
 
 

Sunday 13 September 2015

Commissar Kervon

Stoical chap this, ready to face down the forces of Chaos and gun down any of his comrades who don't feel like facing the forces of Chaos.

 
 
Mind you before he gets a chance to rid Morgoth XIII of demons, cultists and assorted mutants he'll have to survive an onslaught from a Tau invasion force.
 



Sunday 30 August 2015

Listen very carefully...

...the last of the French Resistance group are here.

Ready to destroy that 88, rescue lost Allied airmen or aid US paratroopers.



This is the last section of these I have. There are a couple of more figures languishing in the garage but they look more East of the Dnieper than West of the Rhine.



Should make for some interesting games (like I have time to play!).



All figures are Bolt Action and the advantage of resistance fighters is you can make the uniforms up.

Sunday 16 August 2015

Bolt Action 88

The grand plan of clearing my painting desk is coming to fruition and I'm even resisting the temptation of a mad cackle or two after that statement.

Next off the bench and into the garage is an 88.



The crew are painted in Luftwaffe colours, just to be different.

I've built, well that's a strong word, smeared some wood filler across a piece of MDF to make a base.



It can also be deployed in one of Adrian's Walls Eastern Front bunkers.



All figures are Warlord, the bunker is Adrian's Walls and all uniform mistakes my own.

Monday 10 August 2015

Claymore 2015

Last weekend I had the pleasure to take part in the League of Augsburg demonstration game at Claymore 2015.



It was a Donnybrook game played out on some fabulous wintry terrain by Barry Hilton.




I commanded the Swedes and although my musketry rolls made the Russian contingent think they were facing Gatling guns, I naturally managed to get the Swedish commander killed.



Well you try doing a three point turn in a sled in front of a horde of charging Cossacks!



More pictures to be found on the League of Augsburg site.

Sunday 12 July 2015

Imperial Guard Valkyrie

A flyer from the 327th Cadian regiment.


This is the first vehicle in what will hopefully be a short army project (no sniggering at the back).


The Cadians will be the first to be deployed in the new sector piece I'm working on.


In time the sector will also see combatants from two Space Marine Chapters, Tau and the forces of Chaos.

Fortunately, most of these are already painted.

Sunday 28 June 2015

WH 40K Sector Part 1

I have a dream...

Admittedly it's not a very good dream but at least its a goal of sorts!

What sort you may ask?

Well, the rather pathetic sort really; I'd like to have a proper Warhammer 40,000 board with some decent scenery. I've an idea for a campaign which may or may not make it's way onto this blog (or indeed on to a gaming table). But first I need the terrain.

So here are a few of the building blocks. First up a really big statue:


Some ruins, painted in a multitude of fetching greens and reds (it's a Martian theme) which have singularly failed to show up in the photograph. But they're there, honest.



Finally, a tall spikey topped building (I was going to say crenellated but spikey is so much more Gothic Space Opera I feel). I've included my favourite grizzled Space Marine to demonstrate scale.


All models are Citadel's finest.