Thursday, August 30, 2012

AVBCW - The assembled forces

Here are a couple of photos of the combined LDV and Socialist Militia companies. Both units have integral armor and artillery, along with support weapons in the shape of the sturdy Vickers MG.

The LDV favor ten-man sections including a Lewis LMG and second. Mostly composed of rural laborers, they have a leavening of "old sweats" from the Great War and some TA members who decided the keep their military skills at home. 
The Socialists favor twelve comrade sections, with the exception of the Socialist Women's Alliance section (nearest camera) which has fourteen. All sections include a Lewis gun team. The Company HQ numbers ten, including the CO and Lewis, which acts as a reserve force immediately to hand.

Mostly composed of workers and unemployed folk from the towns and cities, like their rivals in the LDV they also have a number of former soldiers and TA in their ranks. 

Both sides have acquired their heavier weapons from a number of sources - ex-military stock and materiel donated by various supporters.  
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All figures and models are mounted on plasticard. Infantry bases are 1" front by 1/2" deep. Artillery and cavalry are 1" square. The Vickers guns are 1" by 3/4" deep. All vehicles have 3/4" width and are 1/4" longer than the model. Two vehicles can pass each other on the roads I use. 

I have a copy of Went the Day Well rules, which I'll adapt to this scale and see how they play. I intend to build roughly comparable forces for the BUF and Anglican League sometime in the future.

On the Colonial front, I upgraded the chance cards used in Sharp Practice, printing them out in color and sticking them to old playing cards for greater durability and ease of use. As mentioned before I hope to get the heliograph section from Black Tree Designs sometime soon. Watch this space. 
 

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

A spot of attribution

Some visitors to this blog inquired about the origins of the medical and cookhouse figures shown in the masthead photo. I bought them from eBay and the seller didn't know, but I've since found they come from Black Tree Designs (US)

The medical team are the appropriately titled "Kill or Cure" vignette, and the Cookhouse team may be found here

I have had good results from Black Tree, with their reasonable prices and quick dispatch of orders. Some time in the future I hope to buy their heliograph team, which would make a splendid addition to the garrison and field force of British Ukraziland. 

I'm a bit busy making commissions and getting ready for the upcoming Archon convention in Fall, but I should get a wargame or two in soon. The next scenario for Ukraziland is stirring in my mind. I need to work out a few details, but it should be a challenge for the garrison.
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I did manage to finish the Pendraken AVBCW figures bought recently. Here are the Vickers MG teams (one each for the LDV, Socialist Militia and BUF), and two period lorries.


The above shows the LDV cavalry, with the armored lorry Black Shuck on the road, supported by the new Vickers team. The road itself is cut from a tar shingle, and the photo shows how flexible it is where it follows the contours of the cloth. Time permitting I'll take a couple of photos of the entire force of LDV and militia soon.
 

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

AVBCW Mobile Forces

My current batch of VBCW figures from Pendraken Miniatures is almost done. Here are a few photos of the mobile forces for the Flegg Fencibles LDV and the Socialist Militia.
These are the mounted contingent of the LDV - the Rollesby Roughriders. Based in stables close by the village of Rollesby on the main road between Great Yarmouth and Norwich, these fellows act as the Fencibles' quick-response unit.

 Armoured might - On the left "Black Shuck." On the right "Strike."

The armored component of the two forces consists of a lorry with improvised armor in SCW fashion. It's been given the name "Black Shuck" after the legendary Devil's dog which is supposed to haunt parts of Norfolk during the hours of darkness. Supposedly any who see the dog will die a horrible death. In actual fact, the legend came out of the smuggling industry along the coast. The "Gentlemen" spread the tale around to keep folks at home at night so they could work unobserved. Still, the LDV think the name seems appropriate - all who see the vehicle will die a horrible death!   

The Socialists have fixed their calloused working-class hands on a WW1 vintage Austin armored car. It has been given the name "Strike," to reflect the right of the worker to withhold labor and the hard-hitting punch of twin Vickers MGs.

I found vehicles and cavalry easy to paint, and that's coming from someone who normally finds painting cavalry a chore, no matter which scale. The mounted troops are on bases with rough grassland effect, but the vehicle bases are modeled to resemble road surfaces, since they'll spend more time than not on roads. 

I have two more lorries to paint, and three Vickers teams, one each for LDV, Militia and BUF. Photos to come, time and other commitments permitting. 

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

AVBCW Artillery

A sad and hectic few days have ended with my wife and I finding calmer times in which to return to an even keel. Getting back to the hobby is quite a relief. I took some photos of the recently-completed artillery component of my 10mm AVBCW collection last week, and have posted them below. 

These are British 18-pounder guns from Pendraken Miniatures' WW1 range. One of my favorite artillery pieces, I believe it was the gun-type used by my great uncle's battery of the Royal Field Artillery during the Great War.

The center and right pieces will fight alongside the LDV and Socialist factions. The piece on the left I painted in a Black & Tan fashion to serve the BUF faction, when I get around to building it. The solitary figure to the far right is an as yet unnamed command figure for the Socialists. 

I have more figures in the shape of cavalry and infantry in the works. More photos to come once they're painted and based.
 

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