Normandy Game

Hello There! Here is another game played at the New Buckenham Historical Wargamers Club recently. This used 10mm figures along with a number of buildings, some of which you may recognise from the collection of building from the Battle of Waterloo.

Here is the overall table and the Britsh were attacking from the left, across the board towards the German defences.

The painting on the building was highly effective. I have painted some of these for a wargaming friend and can vouch that these are very well detailed and almost 'paint themselves'!

Here is another Waterloo building.

The buildings also fit very well with the figures used.

This was the rules used. I know very little about these, but the game appeared to run smoothly.

Some of the buildings had a few contemporary posters for the period. 

Commando Game

Hello There! While escaping from some family commitments, for a little while, I managed to visit the wargames club and take some quick photos of the commando game which was being run.

It was played using 28mm figures and Bolt Action rules. Here is the overall view of the table. The commandoes had to get from the far side of the table and sabotage the railway station before the end of the game. 

I have been considering making a train and wagons for years but have never got around to it. There are plenty of damaged models or stand in trains and wagons at the local model railway shop and I have a few old Dalpol models in the stash of shame. These examples from a fellow wargamer have pushed this project forward somewhat.

Also a scratch built bridge. This reminded me of the Slaters Plasticard that I also have in the plasticard stash. A basic construction but highly effective.

Between the commandoes starting point and the railway station was a few building. On the far left is the ubiquitous Hovels damaged building. The others are scratch built.

Here is the rear of the railway station. The German player had a machine gun in the top window which caused the Commandoes a lot of problems.

The figures were very well painted.

The Germans entered along the bridge at the side of the board.

The railway bridge was also scratch built. It is very stimulating to see the work of other wargamers.

The train was painted black and dry brushed.

Here is a close up of the Hovels building.

Obviously the commandoes had not read the fieldcraft book which began, 'Dont bunch up'!

The River was plaster and multiple coats of paint and marine varnish.

I have started to make some trees from rubberised horse hair, but prising the horse hair out to make a much less dense tree, before I flocked it.

Various pieces of 'fluff' were also present.

The game was very popular and was enjoyable, for all of the players. Further photos can be found here.

Cobbled Roads

Hello there! I have started painting the cobbled roads, from Early War Miniatures. Their website is here.

I started by painting them a dark grey, as per the instructions that came with the purchase. 

After they had dried I used a dry brushing brush to add a lighter grey. I gave the roads an uneven colouring overall.

Next I painted the edges an equivalent to Vallejo English Brown. This would help to make the roads blend into the existing scenery.

I started to add the same flock that was already on the modular terrain. In the above picture I have added the first 'burnt grass' flock to the top right hand corner.

I finished the roads off with a few patches of Woodland Scenics grass mix and some grass green static flock and they were all done.

Overall I was very happy with these.

I shall post some pictures of these in situ when I have completed the scenic modular terrain.

La Belle Alliance Build Part Three

Hello There! I have now started to emboss the foamcore with bricks. Part two of this build is here. 

I rectified my first mistake today! I fitted the window frames as far forward as I thought was required. Then I peeled off the paper on that side of the foamcore and realised that the frames were too far forward. I have since trimmed them back and and replaced the wood grain with the tip of the scalpel.

For the door and window frames of the other side of the building I remembered what had happened with the other side and removed the paper around them before I fitted everything. I also cut the walls for the end extension and got some blank pieces to act as stiffeners for the buildings.  

I found an easier way to emboss the bricks on the end of the building. Usually I use a steel ruler to act as a guide but as the end was already glued to the end of the main building I found I had 'run out of hands' to hold the building, steel rulers and the brick embosser. 

Instead I used a pencil to mark a guide line so that I could see if I was deviating from a straight course of bricks.

After making the bars which go across the lower part of each window I had to cut the protruding bars which stuck out of the top and bottom of their frame. I had to wait for the plastic liquid glue had set and dried. This picture is purely descriptive and I used the scalpel again. I did hold the piece as I cut it!

The next part will include fitting the building together and starting the painting.

Battle of Fraustadt 1706

Hello There! The New Buckenham Historical Wargamers recently put on the Battle of Fraustadt as a weekend game.

I do not know much about this period of military history so here is a few photos for your delight.

Further pictures can be seen on the New Buckenham Historical Wargames Facebook page here.