Picking up those brushes again.

Hi and welcome to the occasional mutterings of Dave Doc, a military modeller and some time gamer. Gaming and model making has given me a real education, History & Geography(obvious really), Artistry, Politics, Economics, Logistics, Project Management -you try building miniature armies without the last 3.

I will use the blog to record my creations & the odd occasion I actually do some gaming.

I have always been inspired by the aesthetic side of gaming. Playing on well constructed terrain using excellently painted units is always a joy.

Thursday 25 May 2017

Partizan Part 3 - the loot

In-between running the game and chatting to people (a lot!) I managed to nip around a few traders and have a bit of a stock up..I did had a decent list of things, and got most of them.

I sourced a load of bit for the desert terrain box from The Last Valley. Bits of scrub, brush and trees. I also got an oasis and wadi piece , that got used on the day , but its packed away at the moment.


A new Sudan related book , and the new set of Napoleonic rules with markers


a couple sets of paints - the Yellow is new for me - I have been using the flesh colour set for years and had just started to run out.


A stash of Perry Egyptians and Sudanese infantry, and the new Zulu war plastics - need to pick some more up to finish the 6 more units I want.


Pack horses!



I have also got booked up to run a game at the August Partizan ... time for boats I think!

Tuesday 23 May 2017

Partizan Part 2 - The battle continues

The action picked up pace as the morning went on with more Mahdists arriving in force .


Mahdists emerged in force from the Wadi.. the balloon had spotted them just in time to allow forces  to be  deployed 

The Egyptians lose two battalions quickly , the remains one , gun and cut of British  engineers form square and hope..

The Indian Brigade marching to sound of fighting arrives - can they deploy in time

More Madhdist mass on the west side of the Zariba
Rapid fire time ... can the thin line hold the horde...

A huge force of Baggara cavalry start to sweep around the North side.. 


The line breaks as the mahdists enter the zariba destroying the defenders

The sailors pour fire out of the zariba - the Gardener gun is glowing...
The Bengal Lancers deploy to challenge the Baggara.

The 15th Sikh , and 17th Punjab deploy into line to protect the western side,risking their flanks,,
The Scots Guards are heavily outnumbered at the western side - a unit of the NSW artillery is destroyed

Will it hold!
The 28th Bengal double time it , to fill the breach - and blaze away at the remaining mahdists inside the zariba



The unit of Egyptian lancers were having a great battle - crossing the wadi they cut a path through  and  attacked  the zariba besiegers from the rear!
The Naval brigade had hammered the lead Baggara cavalry - the Bengal lancers  crashed in destroying half the force which fled.. the North side was cleared..
The western side attackers were being whittled down - the guards held the zariba for 3 turns  , the Gardener gun on the train rattled out dropping swathes...
The 15th and 17th are in hand to hand - just holding with cracking morale dice.. forcing the hordes back..
The Mahdists have had enough - but oh it had been close!

next up the loot! 






Sunday 21 May 2017

Partizan 2017 - part 1

Its been a great weekend. I took a trip down to Newark to run a large Sudan game with Martin and Steve from the Old Guard club. Martin and I overnighted and met up with Simon Miller and friends for an evening of gamers chat , a curry and beers . This morning we set up the game and let the fun commence.

My new 12x6  Tiny Wargames mat turned up this week so it got its first run out , along with a lot of new units completed during the winter.

The main British camp
the heliograph team signal back... enemy advancing....
Scots Guards and New South Wales artillery-  time to man the barricade
\\
The Naval Brigade stand too
A straggling column of Egyptians appear
The sound of the Mahdist drums beating begins  ... ominously ...




Saturday 13 May 2017

Sudan - Military Railway & mancave updates

With the Partizan game looming up I have been pushing on to complete work on the railway. I am pretty happy with how its come out.

It's 1/55th scale , search for Teamsterz Train on Amazon or E Bay

 Not bad for a total of £15.00
Naval Brigade manning an MG , accompanied by Young Winston


I made a Sudanese construction set laying a rail section too. 


Time to strike camp - there might be some Fuzzies about!

Works are moving on again with the mancave , and I now have the temporary table up to allow me to plan how I will make a more permanent one. 


I will get a movable 8x4 table in with storage underneath , just need to finish designing it and get it built.

Plus I have now received the custom made glass splashback I had ordered to put on the wall above the work surface and below the display cases . Its 1600mm x 360mm and is made up of my own pictures of some of my own units and favourite blog pictures. This will be good protection when using the airbrush , or doing other messy jobs. 




Sunday 7 May 2017

Catch Up time

Its been a very busy couple of months since the wind down of the winter painting challenge with lots going , so its about time I caught up here. The works on the man cave are into their final phase, and with the impending finishing of the other upper room refurbishment we are doing it will be time to look as game table options.

In the mean time work has started on a couple of things . Having a game coming up at Partizan has pushed me to get on with the Military Railway. I had picked up a toy train set by "Teemsterz" which was labelled as 1/55th scale - they are still available on Amazon and e-bay for a few more.. I found it in the local post office just before Xmas it cost £3.50 - so I bought two sets. I have butchered  one carriage to make a flat bed one , and added some plasticard to armour the loco part. The rails and sleepers are proper model railway On30 track i sourced form my previous Cowboy project which looks the part. While the model does not sit on the rail rather over it I think it will work ok. If not i will shorten the axles if need be.


I need to do something about a coal tender as it did not come with one..

The original inspiration for it - need to make some construction crews too 

Undercoating done...
I have also decided to finalise my basing on the skirmish stands for the Sudan into permanent stands rather then single figures in sabot trays - so the Mahdists have been completed.



Next up is some progress on the upcoming 10mm ACW group project with my first Union troops painted. There are a few of us painting units for a first game hopefully in June/July.

 and the next lot started





A few new purchases from the "didn't go to Salute" spending..

 Lets see where this ends up ...

And finally , as part of the tidy up work going on I found my sets of Eagle and Dixie cards by Colombia Games, so decided to get Deepcut Studios make me a bespoke playing mat in mousemat material . Its 22x34 inches and I am very pleased with the result



So there you go - its been busy! If you are at Partizan , pop by and say hello..