New Year's Eve Odds and Ends

Well, another year over and I'm still sitting on a pile of unblogged pictures, some of which are of models I finished painting several months ago.

The mounted standard bearer is has clearly had a couple of vins de trop, as has his cheval...

Teapot Rampant

After all this faffing around I've finally got round to playing the Lion Rampant rules that have been sitting on my windowsill for time immemorial. My old teacher Derek, who got me back into wargaming after my long hiatus, has assembled an assortment of early medieval fellows so the only logical conclusion was to have a punch-up.

My deployment: Left are foot yeomen with javelins, foot men-at-arms in the centre, and bidowers on the right

What I haven't been painting this year

I've been lured by the cold war for a while, largely drawn by the draw of CoD-style ultra-macho modern warfare stuff, except against an enemy who could well have clobbered the west in a straight up fight.

S & S models are generally good, but the tracks were a pain to fit. That's the downside of resin I suppose.

I learn how to resize picture in blogspot

So I've been off work again with the old mental illness, which I'm sure comes as good news to those who want to see me paint as many of the little men (and women) as I can. Speaking of which, I've also got next week off work too!

The secret to good model shots: Hold the camera close to the models

Battle reports pt 2

As you might remember, the last time Joey and I played Kings of War, Bishop Frodo of Tryeaux was soundly trounced, and suffered the humiliation of having his lawn mower dragged away in triumph by the neighbours in Isengard. But he was not idle in the following months: rebuilding his forces and enlisting his allies. When Captain Lurtz marched into the bocage* of Normandy to claim Isengard's tribute, he found himself opposed...

The armies line up. The masses of infantry face each other on my left flank while my light cavalry face Joey's infantry on my right

Battle reports pt 1

The first of my two games with Joey was a straighforward punch up: My Normans were off marauding round Middle Earth, writing bad fanfic and generally making a nuisance of themselves and the elves decided to try to restore some semblance of order.

Legolas leads the hosts of Mirkwood

Ok Devious, Don't Move!

As I hinted earlier, my general for my Normans is none other than Bishop Odo, the memorable club-wielding, tapestry-commissioning ecclesiastical relative of William the Conqueror. My depiction is based on 5 minutes looking at the Bayeux tapestry on the net, then painting him purple as it's the most expensive colour available back in the day (I think).

HIC EST ODO