I PLAYED A GAME!!!!

As the title says I actually managed to game this week!!
We played a game of "rules of engagement" WW2 skirmish rules by great escape games.
This was a new game for everybody and a few of the chaps who played were new to me to.
A good day was had by all, the rules seemed to work well, although slowed down by being newbies. I think after a couple of games the rules would flow well and there is lots of period chrome. HMGs are great and you wouldn't want to stand in front of them, so pretty realistic really ;o)

Sassanid pics

Here are a few pics of the Sassanids I have been working hard on lately.
I am very pleased with how they have come out and hope Dave likes them.

He now has a very impressive army and I hope to get some photos of the whole army together soon.

Once I have the elephants finished off I will treat myself to one of my own units, but which army?

Sassanids all finished HUZZAH!

Little Gracie getting in on the action

I finally finished the latest batch of Sassanids last night at around 0200..The last leg was a soul destroying basing session, I think next time I will break up the basing like I do the figure painting. It may take a little longer but is easier on the brain. As you can see from the picture above some times it can be difficult working around the family. Especially this little one who likes nothing better than to grab a paint brush and mimic her dad. She even has her own "extreme concentration face". Hopefully when they are a bit older I can get both my little girls basing daddys soldiers up so I can crack on with the good stuff.

More pics this afternoon when this one is having a nap, then on to the elephants!

Sassanids WIP3

Here are a couple of quick progress shots. 69 levy finished and 9 cavalry, so just another 9 levy which need a couple more hours work, just belts and weapons. Then on to the mammoth task of basing them all.

Oh and I need to paint a couple of elephants and their crews.

HAPPY EASTER!!

more Sassanids

Here is a few pics of some Sassanids I painted a while ago, this is the force that the latest figures I am painting will join when they are finished. 9 light cavalry and 60 infantry finished, 18 to go........

WIP2

Well I have finished another 9, just need to add weapons, varnish and bases. These are a real joy to paint I think I might buy myself some

WIP1

Not much time for blogging at the mo as I am working hard to finish my latest commission, a large mound of Sassanids mainly Grippingbeast. lovely figures to paint. I have 45 foot and 2 elephants to finish by the 25th. I am to easily distracted so I have locked all my new Aventine miniatures away and given the key to the boss so I can concentrate on these babies. They are an expansion of a larger army which I started a few years ago, I will try and find some photos Break over now back to it

Polemarch

Last night I took the night off work and commissions and painted this Wargames Foundry ancient Greek figure. I was happy this morning to see that it turned out ok as I downed a large bottle of Baileys at the same time.

He is the Polemarch who will lead the Greek mercenaries in my Alexander the Great collection, which I got for Christmas last year. Which means I have now painted three Thracian cavalry figures and a Greek, not much to show as I have had the lead four months.

Now back to commissions......

Happy birthday to me!!

Today I am officially a year older, although this brings many problems such as greying hair and sagging breasts. It also has the benefit that I get presents!! Last night I (well the mrs) put in an order with Aventine miniatures for a unit of their Tarentine cavalry and some late Etruscans. Aventine miniatures late Etruscans Triarii, picture from avantine miniatures website

Tarentine Cavalry, picture stolen from aventine miniatures website

I have not painted any Aventine minis before and look forward to seeing them up close, hopefully they will be as good as the pics suggest. If so then i will buy plenty more!

How disappointing.....

Teutonic knights Marshal that I painted a few years back for Gripping beast

I thought I would have another photo shoot this morning, a few shots of my huge Viking army just to remind me of the fact that I have got a miniature collection of my own whilst I finish off another commission.

So imagine my disappointment when I get them out of their huge storage box and realise I only have 37.....

After the initial shock I remember that I sold off a batch before Christmas. Painting figures for fun and for money is a double edged sword. Especially when you have the attention span of a knat. Because there is always another project you want to do and selling the project you have just finished is the easiest way to finance the next project.

Over the years I must of painted well over 25000 figures both 28s and15mm. looking through my current collection of painted figures is a sorry sight.

I have 37 Vikings, 2 Romano British, 10 French Napoleonics, 36 Nassau, 1 cowboy, 3 Thracians, 33 Samurai, about 50 various GW fantasy figs, 2 space marines. 6 chaos marines, 41 Fallschirmjager, a Jagdpanther and a Stuart.

So after over 25 years of industrious painting I don't have much to show for it in my collection.

To remedy this I have decided to list on my blog my current personal projects in the side bar, hopefully this will help me see where I am at and keep me on track. Last week I was having a bit of a shop around the net. I have always fancied doing Punic wars but rather than the main two protagonists I fancy either Spanish, Numidian, celts or one of the Italian states, these could then be used as allies or enemies for the big hitters. This army or armies is still in the thought stage, so whilst I am thinking about it I will crack on with my current projects which I will list in the side bar.

Okudaira Sadamasa the hero of Nagashino and his retinue

Hopefully this will help me stay on track and keep my collections, but as you know everything has a price.....