Blisters and Peaches by Mark Backhouse

Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy issue 108 from June/July 2020 has a fantastic Napoleonic wargame scenario called Blisters and Peaches written by Mark Backhouse. While reading it (and re-reading it) I was struck by the possibility of using it as a Flintloque gaming scenario.

Basically a hungry French army is retreating from the battle of Vitoria with British dragoons hot in pursuit. The French army objectives are to leave the opposite gaming edge before the British catch up, however there are one or two temptations scattered across the board. Will the hungry French succeed or can the mounted British cut off their retreat?

My only addition would be to add an inn or tavern to the village set up and thereby confuse the situation with an another temptation - Strong Liquor or Demon Drinke.

I think the magazine was worth the cover price, just for this gaming scenario. I was even tempted to set up my own gaming table for a solo game using the same mechanics but with reduced troop numbers (to fit in with the Flintloue skirmish game) however I have a couple of un-finished projects that need my time this week.

Check it out via this W, S & S link.

Stay safe and

Keep Calm and Carry on Gaming

Tony

The Chapel at Rofenburg - part fourteen

The groundwork was basecoated with Snakebite Leather and highlighted with some Snakebite and Skull White. I have also mixed up a couple of very weak washes which I use to blend the lower wall sections into the groundwork. I use a two brush technique – where I wet the area to be painted, add small dots or streaks of colour (green, black, dark brown) and then blend these colours from top to bottom. The effect I am after is to just tint the whitewashed walls darker at the base and lighter the higher up I go. I think the images show this better than words.

Prior to finishing the groundwork I have picked out a number of larger stones with grey (which was mixed from Chaos Black and Skull White). The final job was a quick wash of GW Sepia wash.

Stay safe and

Keep Calm and Carry On Modelling

Tony

The Chapel at Rofenburg - part thirteen

The whitewashed walls were built-up over Vallejo Stonewall Grey, highlighted by adding more white to the mix and a final highlight of pure Titanium White tube acrylic applied with a hogshair brush in a scrubbing motion. I don't usually recommend using pure white, but in this instance it just works.

I basecoated the spire with Dark Brown paint from Vallejo mixed with Dwarf Bronze from GW. When fully dry I used Burnished Gold and Dwarf Bronze to drybrush the detail and then mixed a Dark Blue/Bright Green mix to add verdigis. This effect was further exaggerated by mixing Stonewall Grey to the mix and again a second highlight with even more Stonewall Grey in a light drybrush.

I have also washed the whole roof area with GW washes. The plasterwork was painted with a warm cream grey, mixed from Skull White, Snakebite Leather and Stonewall Grey. Then highlighted with the same mix with a little more Skull White added.

The model was now nearing completion and soon I will be finishing it off.

Stay safe and

Keep calm and Carry On Modelling

Tony

Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy - issue 108

The latest issue of Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy (issue 108 May/June 2020) features another article written by me.

Dandied up Dark Ages

Back in 2019, I was visiting a local carboot sale (remember those?) and came across a guy selling a whole host of Games Workshop, Lord of the Rings figures. Also on the table were a couple of resin buildings and I picked up both for just £5.00 (that's right £2.50 each) - at those prices I thought they were well worth taking a punt.....

Both buildings were either damaged or heavily modified with doors and some features either cut off or broken. I cleaned up the castings and mounted them onto plastic card bases before painting and decorating the bases.

I had originally written the articles/tutorials as two separate pieces but Guy (the editor W, S & S) has published them as one. The first, the Roundhouse is a 15mm casting by Hovels (modified to 28mm scale with new doors), while the second is a 28mm Longhouse from Gripping Beast.

For more information about the magazine see this link

Browsing my virtual W H Smiths store I currently have three magazine articles in three different magazines on display. The W, S & S issue 108, Narrow Gauge World 147 and Miniature Wargames issue 445. Although I have in the past had two magazine articles displayed at the same time - this is the first time I have had three!

Stay safe

Keep Calm and Carry On Modelling

Tony

The Chapel at Rofenburg - part twelve

More work on the chapel roof....

The terracotta tiles to the edges have been painted and the cement or mortar rendering painted in.

The wooden bell tower has been detailed and the steeple has been basecoated in a very dark blue/grey colour ready for the main colour.

Stay safe and

Keep Calm and Carry On Modelling

Tony

The Chapel at Rofenburg - part eleven

Painting of the chapel started with the roof which was undercoated or basecoated with dark grey acrylic paint. Individual tiles were picked out in lighter greys and darker browns. I find that it is best to apply the basecoat in two or three light coats and try to ensure that the paint gets into all the groves and gaps.

I tend to take more care when painting roofs as it is usually the roof that you spend most time looking down on - It you are going to lavish detail on only one part of your wargame terrain - lavish it on the roof.....

Subsequent highlights were done with a mix of grey and mid brown paints drybrushed on in layers.

The basecolours painted on earlier still show through the drybrushing and the drybrushing helps to highlight all that texture. The variation in colour also helps to give the model some 'warmth' and makes it look more natural - if I was to offer the novice one more piece of advice it would be to add lots of different colours to roofs (not just black and white or a single tone of grey) as the variation helps to make it look more natural and interesting.

The doors to the front and the windows were painted in a similar manner.

The windows were also highlighted with a blue drybrush to highlight the plastic weave.

I have been asked why I start with the dark roof and detail before painting the whitewashed walls. I regularly paint in this fashion as I think it is easier to add the whitewashed walls later than try and mask off the white while painting the roof and drybrushing it.

Don't get me wrong, I know that this technique is thought to be the wrong-way-around. But it works for me. If you have a different technique - fine, whatever works for you.

Stay safe

Keep Calm and Carry On Modelling

Tony

Kerr Stuart 4412 - Narrow Gauge World May 2020

The latest issue of Narrow Gauge World (issue 147 - May 2020) features my scratch-built model of the Kerr Stuart Geared Steam engine number 4412. The model was built to the unusual scale of 1/27.7 or 11mm = 1 foot running on 16.5mm narrow gauge track representing an 18 inch industrial line.

The model was built some time ago to run on my diorama or shelf layout. details of which can be found by following the 1:27.7 link to the right.

This is the first of what I would hope will be many, many modelling articles to feature in NGW. Narrow Gauge World is published nine times a year by Warners Group.

Stay safe

Keep Calm and Carry On Modelling

Tony