Staying faithful

So, as the title says, I'm still knockiing out the 25mm Sung/Chin/Khitan/Xsi Xsia/Khitai (delete where not applicable) spearmen. So far, all the chaps are finished, its just the rupert and his flag waving sidekick to do. I tried the LoA method and I must say, without a shadow of a doubt, I'm definately impressed by the whole thing. Once the whole unit is painted, based etc I will post some piccys. Also found a site which translates English into Chinese so some standards with proper trad writing on them is happening. Bit of a personal thing with the standards...more later when the piccys are here.
  Found another tree makinig idea; this time at http://www.matakishi.com/fiwtable.htm. This site is amazing for its simple but brilliantly effective scenery construction. GO AND LOOK---NOW! Clocked it for future reference.
Now, the Irons. Not too bad a start to the League -one of each- shame about Calum Davenport, bloke who did it should have the same done to him, see what problems it causes him in his career.
What have the 'authorities' been doing, eh? West Ham v Millwall = Powder keg of the first order. Bleating 'Shame', 'Disgraceful', 'Disgusting' is like closing the door after the horse has gone. Sheep disguised as the powers that be again. You cannot tell me that two groups of hooligans (you can't call them supporters) weren't going to cause trouble. So now, because of a few, the name of football is being dragged through the mud again. I even read that it may go against us for our bidding for the World Cup in 2018. What! Wake up and smell the advertising hoardings -IT'S HAPPENING EVERYWHERE! Russia, Germany, Poland are just a few examples. Danny Dyer had a whole Silly Telly series on just such a topic and he travelled all over Europe.  In Poland, one team actually burnt all the opposition shirts that they had 'aquired' throughout the year. This was at Half Time. A line of burning shirts along the railings inside the ground. During the last World Cup, two groups decided that there were too many police around so they organised a little soiree in a field outside of town. they still do it, even though in these countries, the Old Bill don't mess about, its a cohort of police legionnaires advancing, shields up, happy-sticks at the ready. Why are we being singled out, eh? We go abroad for Internationals, get goaded, respond and who gets the blame. No prizes. Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. Yes, there is a problem that hasn't really gone away and if anything, the advent of the interweb and mobile phones has made it a lot easier to organise.  I lived though the original, wasn't nice then and certainly isn't any better now. Answers? I really don't know but hopping with the wooly herd isn't going to solve anything.
Political/Sport diatribe finished. Back to wargaming for the next one. Promise.
Mick.

Could be sticking with this (for the time being anyway).

Weeelll, after much deliberation I have decided...to paint the 25mm Chin spearmen that are to be the start of a new army. Irregular chaps and not too bad for it either. I have painted another half dozen leaving six inc officer and standard bearer. Now I am aware that Chinese units -one gentleman on the China History Forum reckons as many as one in twenty soldiers carried a flag- but I'm sticking with one per unit, mainly for sanity sake! And I'm goping to try out the League of Augsburg method of flag construction. More as it happens, maybe even some pics. Done a bit of cutting and slashing on the fellas but not too much; just the odd arrow in the shield or the occasional missing plume or even a bent hat brim. These are figures that don't really lend themselves to drastic conversion. On the Irregular website they are advertising a 24  figure infantry unit for £15 or 8 cav for £10, so Derby is now looking like 25mm.  Don't mates do yer ead in sometimes? Be assured, we shall discuss this further next time I speak to him.
On another 25mm theme, remember the part army of Carthaginians I have? Well, Warrior Miniatures offer extremely reasonably priced 'army deals' at 100 pieces for £30. 76 infantry and 12 cavalry for the first Carthaginian Army and 56 inf, 12 cav and 2 elephants. With a half decent paint  job, these are not bad looking little fellows. Could be doing some more of them.
Mine are straight, how about yours?
Mick

Change of Heart (2)

The other day I got on the mobile jellybone to a mate of mine back darn sarf whom I haven't spoken to for a while. We wargamed together from the ages of about 16 for a a good dozen years. (The best of my wargaming life by a country mile). We did the usual warm up banter... hows the family, whats happening etc, etc., before hitting the big time. Now he has no idea about this blog because in his own words he is NFI in the tinterweb ( no, its not a typo for some furniture company. it's an acronym for Not F***ing Interested). Hopefully, I may have changed his mind but I doubt it. Anyway, we got to the important stuff and he was telling me about his 25mm ACW armies -2 of 16 x 25 Union regiments and 13 x 25 Confederate. Now I have not the slightest (at the moment) interest in ACW but the magic numbers 25mm got to me, especially when I thought about my 10mm. 25mm I thinks wistfully, pretty colours, shading, grand spectacle et al. What have I got in 25mm? The ever present Mongols, a fair sized mix of Mediaval Poles and Russians and a Polish Renaissance -which you know about after seeing the all the posted piccys.
Then I had it. Several years ago I bought a trial unit of Irregular Sung spearmen and I only ever got 10 of the 24 finished. So now, the remainder are on the painting table, undercoated by the famous Blue Peter  method (here's one I did earlier) , and ready to go. So I will.
Ta, ta, the brush is calling.
Mick.

Another change of heart?

I been thinking. I have a nice Mongol 10mm army of the equivalent of a single tumen (10,000 at optimum strength) -3 units of heavies/mediums and 7 of lights, all from Irregular Miniatures. Then I had a look at the Command Base, which is not Irregular but is from... for days I couldn't remember the b****y company name. Checked all of my manufacturer Bookmarks. Nothing, sod all, not a sausage. Then, yesterday evening I had a St Pauls moment -well part of one anyway- begins with a K says I out of the blue, much to the surprise of OH who was watching something on the oblong picture box  about military ghosts and aircraft -para-normal I think it was. Got told off for being silly (not quite the words but you get my drift).
Then I had it, Kallistra!
You ever get that? Trying desperately hard to think of something that it's never going to happen as long as you have a hole in your a... Then, suddenly, usually about a week later it will hit you like a brick to the boat race and you then have a Eureka moment...normally when people who haven't got a clue what is going on are like sardines in the room. Same as if you go a over t in the street; there is nearly always a de Mille sized crowd of people who just happened to look your way as you go over! Never, never when no-one is around. (Are we getting into the realms of quantum thingy here?)
So anyway, I dashed up the rickety staircase to the north tower and had a quick Google.
Slobber, salivate. Pictures on the website. I had forgotten how nice their little chaps were. A little larger than Irregular but if I was to get a whole tumen of them...
At this point brain went into hyperdrive and I worked out that I only need -at 16 figs a bag- 2 heavy, 6 light and 2 command bags for the lot. £45. Bargain. Money well spent, thank you very much.
Then partial reality sneaked back in.
If I was to get another tumen, I would need shed loads more Chin. Not so, I argued with myself, some of the Mongols could be used as disaffected steppe nomads who hadn't wanted to join GK's little merry band and had done a runner for safer climes -i.e. China. Or as Tanguts, or Uighurs or anything really, including Kanglis for a Khwarizmian Army! (I'm still trying to work out whether I won that particular argument.)
What a b****y tangled web I weave for myself and no mistake!
So now, after a couple of e-mails to Mr Kay at Irregular about the availability of figures, I may be reneging on my deal. Don't know yet, might even get another tumen and the Arabs.
Keep em straight.
Mick.

Back to wargames.

I have been ruminating incessantly for the past couple of weeks an I have come to a conclusion. The next 10mm army is going to be... either the generic Arabs or Samurai. Now, I know there are two to choose from but I still have until a week before Derby to work out which. (I will phone that nice Mr Kay from Irregular and ask for couple of battlepacks.) Something else that is niggling is that the Irregular Carthaginians look rather tasteful as well -but out of period; so I think that army is going to be one for later.  

I keep looking over to my painting table at the last unit of Mongol 10mm cavalry and thinking, I'll get them done soon. But you know how it is, life keeps getting in the way. Still, need to get a wiggle on so I can start afresh after Derby.

Make sure it's wet.

Mick

PS It's looking favourite for the Arabs.