Rail Roads, Picts and some Soviet Ba-64s

Working on the Rail Road I just got in my new rail road tracks. I relly like the look of the 15mm tracks from Mark IV Miniatures. I picked up a pack of straight tracks (four feet worth) and one of the road crossing packs. The road crossing is about the same width as my dirt roads. I have gotten the pieces undercoated so far.

Picts
I finally started painting these up. Here is what I have so far, 4 skirmishers. I also started on some cavalry. But I am halted in my attempts since I ran out of the ink wash that I have been using. Waiting on the the Amazon sub contractor to deliver.

Soviets
Yep, the four armored cars have gotten undercoated. Thats all. Just a black undercoat. No paint yet. Oh well.

Zulus
I bet you thought I had forgotten about these guys. Nope. I managed to start basing the two leaders. These may actually get done in a day or two.

Post 400: The Revenge of the Paint Table

Welcome to post number 400. Posting has slowed a bit here lately but I am trying to get things cranked up again. I am setting a goal for the Month of May, that I will post at least 4 times a week. With Easter coming up this weekend, there is no way that I can get much done before then. 400 posts is rather remarkable for me. The blog began in May of 2007. That puts this blog at 7 years old next month. I can hardly believe it has been that long. Enough nostalgia, on to the fun.

Finally! I got my paint brushes moving a bit and made some progress. Did I work on one of my existing projects? No. Instead I found some Late War Soviet vehicles that had not received any attention.

Here was my painting table at the middle of the week:

You can see that I have added several new items. I have a bunch of them from the Old Glory Dark Ages Baggage Train pack. Some Picts have been placed on the queue as well. There are 4 cavalry, 4 skirmishers and some spearmen that look almost identical to the javelin troops. There is a finished base of married Zulus and two Zulu leaders. Then there is the set of dead WWII Italians that need work.

Besides the above, there are some Late War Soviets that ended up receiving the attention. First is a set of 4 unprimed Ba-64 armored cars. Then there is one each of: T34-85, SU-100, SU-85 and SU-76M.

The T34 had hatches that would not fit. It was very frustrating. In order to make it work, I glued them on in an open position. That also did not look great so I went to the bits box to find some figure that would work as a soviet tanker. I found a Battlefront dismounted tanker figure. However he is rather big. I cut the figure down and got him in place. You can see his severed legs in the front right corner of the image. I did not have a suitable second figure and the other one's hand was overhanging the other hatch. So I left that one open.

All of the Soviet tanks are Old Glory/Command Decision figures.

I finished up the tanks last night. Here is the look of the painting table this morning.

And here are the tanks by themselves.

Lastly, you may remember that I had been working on terrain for a bit. One of the things that demotivated me was a slight disaster with a large wooded area that I was working on. The base of my woods fell in the garage to the concrete floor. It took me over a week to recover and pick up a brush again. I think I can fix this but it was definitely demotivating.

Well that is all for now. Take care and happy gaming.

Dux Raiders Received!

The past two days have been a real drag. I ended up having to spend the bulk of them at one doctor's office or another. But I got some good news. A nice package was waiting on my doorstep when I came home. Inside was the new Dux Raiders supplement with cards.

Now I just have to get some painting to do. I am planning on a Pict force for Dux Britanniarum. I have 8 Raiders, four crossbows and four slingers all painted (Thanks Mark). I have four javelin men and four Raider Cavalry that I need to paint up. I still have to buy some more Raiders. I need a total of 16 more to complete out the force. In addition, I need some nobles and a champion as well. The painted stuff is all from Sergeant Major Miniatures. The unpainted is from Old Glory. I will get matching figures from Sgt Major for the remaining raiders and the command elements. Oh, I also have casualty figures painted up for the force as well. I need to get to work.

I am hoping this will give me the push to get back to the painting table and finish something.

Till next time.

90K Page Views

Well, how about that. I just noticed that I just bypassed 90,000 page views. This is after my posting pace has drastically slowed. I am also approaching 400 posts. I promise that the next post will be more useful than this brief observation.

At this point, my trial balloon into the world of Amazon Direct Publishing has been a less than stellar success. Hopefully, things will warm up.

I need to get game in

It has been a long time since I have manage to get a game in. Recently, Mark and Brian got together and had an excellent game of Chain of Command in set in the Pacific Theater. I really want to get another game in.

In pursuit of that, I went looking through my terrain for inspiration. One feature of the Eastern Front that can be seen in pictures is that of Rail Stations. I found that I had a train station, a coaling yard and some warehouses. What I don't have is rail road tracks. So I started looking. I am thinking of picking up the pack of straight tracks that they offer. That should finish out what I need for the scenario.

Now that Rich has published his official lists for Operation Barbarossa, I will restart my campaign once I can seize the kitchen table.

Weekend Travel and Finds

Normally I try to keep this blog limited to my Wargamming hobbies but every now and then something else will cross over. Last week I had a chance to do some Turkey hunting. But what I managed to find out in the wilds of central Georgia was the Battlefield of Sunshine Church! Just off of Highway 11, the battlefield and the rebuilt church were present. The battlefield is now covered over in new growth pines and a couple of houses.

Here is the Marker for the second incarnation of the church. The picture of the current church and a barn that was near the new church that looked rather interesting at the time.

The actual battlefield site was much less interesting since the church is gone and the battlefield not visible.

Anyway, it was an interesting find. I am much better at finding old battlefields than turkeys apparently.

1st World Problems

Ugh, I just cracked open a pack of Old Glory/Command Decision T34-85s and started to assemble them. Treads, no problem. Gun barrels, fine. Oil barrel looking things that go on the back of them, I think that is under control. The turret hatches - complete non-fitting pain in the rear. What on earth! They are too big. I will have to file them down to put them in. That means they will look terrible by the time I am done with them.

Anyone have a better idea?

Well, while I am at it, here is what I have tried to work on. First is another small stand of pine trees. Its not bad. I have space for two more trees. I am thinking of making one a fallen dead one and the other a stump.

The next is a stand of trees a la Architects of War. The base is no where near done. The top looks OK except for the hot glue strings. It gives it a sort of spiders of Mirkwood feel. Its coming along.

That's it for now.