Failed to comment..?

I tried posting a comment on the esteemed 28mm Victorian Warfare blog, but alas! It failed to post. Is anyone else having issues?

BE2c

A slight side-slip from my modelling bench. A scratch-built Middle Eastern theatre BE2c. Possibly for ground support should my Palestine/Mespot idea ever get off the ground (pun intended), or for the Too Fat Lardies' Algernon pulls it off rules.

Just the propeller to fit now. I'm thinking in terms of a disc of clear plastic.

The Middle East showed the difference in policies between the Entente and Central Powers. The British and French saw it as a sideshow, and sent aircraft considered obsolete by Western Front standards - the BE2c being a case in point. By contrast the Germans and Austro-Hungarians saw the theatre as being vital to their interests and dispatched top of the line aircraft, to the detriment of Entente pilots. 

Next up, another BE2c to make a flight, then possibly a DIII or IV or two for the Ottoman air force. We'll see.

Old Pierre

 Kings and tyrants come and go

I'll stand judged by what I know

A woodsman's life I'll ne'er gainsay,

Deep in the glades and far away...

The barons of England are in open defiance of King John. French and English armies march and counter-march across the land. Raiders strike at village and farm. Churches and manor houses are sacked. Deep in the woods Old Pierre plies his trade and keeps his own council...

 

A spare figure from the Blue Moon range provided the inspiration for this little vignette. The base is an old CD. Thoroughly dried twigs from our garden provide the logs and pollarded stump. Old Pierre's hut is a basic form made from 1mm cardboard. 

 

Copyright.

Along with many others I've noticed a dramatic uptick in hits on this blog, even for the most banal of posts. I'm given to understand it's down to AI bots data-mining it for material to pirate and sell for the greater glory of 'tech giant/and moral midget' corporate profits. 

I doubt anything will come of this, but here goes...

I reserve to myself the copyright of ALL content on this blog, especially with regard to original photographs and written material pertaining to my hobby, which remain my intellectual property. Any usage of such content without my express written consent will be met with a response under United States copyright law (chapters 1 through 8, and 10 through 12 of Title 17 of the United States Code) as stated by the Copyright Act of 1976.

© A J Matthews, 2026.

Stirrings and rustlings

My interest in gaming fell by the wayside a couple of years ago when real life intruded. Coupled with that a projected foray into the Palestine theatre of the Great War came to a crashing stop only a few weeks after I developed an interest in it, for obvious reasons. I turned instead to noodling with railway modelling, but gaming was never far from my thoughts.

Cut forward to earlier this month, and a find at the local library book sale...

1215: The Year of Magna Carta.

This neat little book by Danny Danziger and John Gillingham covers the sociopolitical, military and economic aspects of the decades immediately before and after the signing of Magna Carta. It doesn't go into great detail on everything - that'd take a much bigger work - but it does at least provide an overview of the era.

Enough to get some gaming ideas fermenting again. Perhaps a small, limited campaign set around a castle held by one faction or the other, which the opposing side needs to gain control of. It'd be a chance to dust off my First Barons War collection, and get my peasant rabble on the table at last. 

We'll see...

Happy Easter!

 The struggle is real...

Boosting the signal - Terrain for sale

Posting on behalf of a mate in the UK. Tunnie makes some truly outstanding terrain pieces, so drop him a line at his blog if you're interested.

"Retreat From Moscow terrain for sale. Price is £200 plus sending to destination. UK only. Depending on location I may even be able to deliver as we are always after an excuse to use the mobile home!

Sale does not include the figures, that were supplied by a wargaming friend.

There are three 600mm x 600mm square modular tiles which can be fitted together in a variety of ways.

These include a partly frozen river, a crossing point and a Russian izba. It was the subject of features in Wargames Soldiers Strategy, Issues 91 and 92.  

It includes and open ended storage box which holds the three tiles and also a pot of Woodland Scenics snow."

Further details and images here. 

Merry Christmas!

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, 

and a Peaceful New Year.

 

Hmm...

I recently decided to put my 25/28mm Colonial figures up for sale, since I haven't gamed with them for years, got rather bored of the period, and can use the space they take up. 

I queried Noble Knight Games, sent them a list of my 130-odd figures, and was offered... $12 cash, $14 store credit. Total. 

What?

I declined the sale as the offer seemed ridiculously low. Yes, I expect they do want to make a profit, but seriously..?  

Remembrance Day

 They shall not grow old,

As we who are left grow old.

Age shall not weary them,

Nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun,

And in the morning,

We Will Remember Them.

 

Pugnacious Peasantry!

After too long a time away from gaming the mojo is beginning to trickle back. I recently finished slapping pigment on the 15mm Blue Moon medieval peasants I bought two years ago for the First Barons War.

They're now based and awaiting warmer weather for the final varnishing. I did give them a coat of matte varnish once the shading dip dried, but it looks glossy. I was able to score a spray can of matte varnish and another can of hunter green from the local JoAnn's outlet in their closing-down sale for 60% off. It's sad to see a staple of the US hobby scene closing down. My cosplay friends are seriously annoyed.

Merry Christmas!

 May Santa fulfill your gaming Xmas desires.

On the run-up to Christmas...

...I'm thinking that 'The Little Drummer Boy' is an utterly stupid carol. Here's this poor young woman, barely more than a girl, who's exhausted after giving birth to the Messiah in a freakin' stable in an unfamiliar town. There are all these weird strangers hanging about the place - some of whom are glowing. She's just got the baby to sleep when this little squirt comes along and thinks "What this chick really needs right now is a drum solo..."

Unable to post comments

For some reason following an upgrade to my DOS I'm unable to post comments on other blogs. It's a bit frustrating as I've read several excellent posts and game reports. I'll continue working on a fix. Message ends.

We Will Remember Them

They shall not grow old,

As we who are left grow old.

Age shall not weary them,

Nor the years condemn. 

At the going down of the Sun,

And in the morning.

We will Remember Them.

East Coast armoured train - 1914-1918

A feature on an interesting armoured train that protected my part of the world during the Great War. It could be useful for a what if scenario in the Great War, a AVBCW game, or even a Second World War game.

Painting Peasantry - 3

...and a library sale find.

Some progress on the desultory painting process on the peasants for Lion Rampant. The last batch of twelve out of sixty is on the painting block, and finally the end is in sight.

A visit to our local library monthly sale turned up a little gem in the shape of Aircraft of the RAF since 1918 by Owen Thetford. As soon as I picked it off the shelf it opened to the page on one of my favourite aircraft, the DH9A Ninak. It was fated that i should buy it for the princely sum of $1.

Painting Peasantry - 2

Some progress on the peasantry. The first batch of twelve is done and ready for the base work. 

I gave these a double dip in the gunk to get the proper hard working, hard used grungy peasant look. For some reason, perhaps the pervading damp weather, the matte varnish turned out a bit shiny. I might give them another go over when the weather's warmer.

The next batch are on the painting block, ready for undercoating. 

Lying face-down to the right is the 'War Doctor,' a present for my Whovian wife.

Painting Peasantry - 1

I've made a little progress on the peasantry for Lion Rampant. Given I have sixty figures to paint up I am breaking them down into batches of twelve.

A slightly blurry image of progress so far.

I prefer to use a mid brown undercoat for most figures these days, as it's more subtle than black especially for irregular troops like these with mixed coloured clothing. 

As usual I painted in the faces and hands before moving on to blocking in the clothing. Thanks to my archaeologist daughter's expertise on historical fabric dyes I can get something approaching the authentic garb our ancestors wore.

Happy New Year! And...

Some figures. 

These chaps are the peasantry contingent for the Lion Rampant First Barons War collection.

They have four basic poses - pitchfork, axe, hatchet, and club. I might convert a few to bidowers (light infantry). There's an extra chap in one pack, so I'm thinking of making a small vignette of a woodcutter.