500 Miniatures painted and counting.

So it’s happened I’ve painted my 500^th miniature this year. In fact, the total has now risen to 505. I’ve got some basing to do now to make sure it happens, but with the Christmas break looming. I can see get some more models done.

Sorry for the picture.

So what was the 500^th miniature to be painted? Well, it was an Aly Morrison Chaos Champion, that I originally purchased in 1997. Bizarrely I can even tell you where I purchased it as well. It was from the Games Workshop store in Coventry. I painted it back in the day to be a leader of my Khorne Berserkers and, I think, last year he got stripped in a bath of Dettol and he’s been kicking around my desk, waiting to get repainted.

So I did, I stuck true to his Khornate heritage and painted him in dark red and brass. I think he has come out okay. However, doing some research into this model has led me to realise that I made a mistake. When I brought him, I just assumed that he was a champion of Khorne. I was young and he has a big chain sword, however, I have now learnt he was just a standard Chaos Space Marine Champion. I am starting to think I need to purchase a proper Khorne champion to lead my squad.

However, there is a down side, the difference between the amount painted and the amount bought this year is quite small, and so I need a big push next year to try and clear down the back log as quickly as possible. Hopefully I will be able to get a large number of Germanic Tribesmen painted up in the next few weeks to increase the gap.

Repainting this classic miniature, and hitting the 500 model mark, has got me thinking of plans for next year. Firstly, there will be the continuing project of Middle Earth. I now have less than 200 individual models to purchase, so that I can complete my goal of having, at least, one of every LOTR model GW has released.

Some of my recent purchases.

This project also involves me getting enough models to be able each published scenario, either in a rulebook, source book, or White Dwarf. This is a slightly larger total of 980ish models. This is a long term project, that I am going to be plodding along with. I am trying to work through one source book at a time, whilst buying miniatures to bring down the need for the Hobbit scenarios. The next book to do is Siege of Gondor. I’ve got some mounted Royal Guard, an Uruk-Hai Ballista and a Mordor Troll to collect for that one. 

Further than that, I’ve been inspired to start a project on my beloved High Elves again. Earlier in the year, I was given a large number of models from a friend who used to play and was getting rid of stuff. In it was a large number of High Elves from the 4^th edition days. These were the models of my youth that I never got but have always wanted.

So, where to start. Well I made a decision to try and collect all of the models from when I first started, September 1996. I headed on over to the website Stuff of Legends and headed to the catalogue scans for 1995 and 1996. Any model shown on these pages is where I am going to start with. Thankfully, I know that I have a load of the original plastic archers and spearmen from back in the day. However I’ve acquired

ten unpainted models from my friend's lot, so I’ll start with them.

Going through the scans has reminded me of how many models I already have. This allowed me to make a decision. I want to be able to have valid units on these. Therefor all foot troops will be units of 20 strong, with the exception of archers, which will be 10 strong.  Cavalry units will be ten strong with the exception of Reaver Knights which will be five strong.

The only other exception is command units for Archers and Reavers. I don’t like giving them a command unit, except a champion, and so these models are therefore for nothing more than for me to being a completionist.  I am now going to spend some time hunting on eBay for the High Elf Sorceress riding a Unicorn, as well as a cheap, unpainted Warhammer 4^th edition box set for lots of plastic spearmen.

The other project I am going to be working on is the forces of Henry Tudor at Bosworth Field. I’ve already started owning some of the Perry plastic box sets and, as you can see from the photo on the left, I’ve already started to paint them up. This is going to be a difficult project as there are not a lot of lists or references to help me say I need to go and get X and Y.

However, there are places that I can start. I’ve ordered the Osprey campaign book on Bosworth, which has arrived and I’m going to read that and take some notes and start planning. Hopefully, this will lead to a good sized force, that I’ll be using with Hail Ceaser.

That’s all for now, and yes, Tanks are coming. Here is a picture of the Allied tanks for you.

Coming Soon

Tanks lots and lots of tanks

Dark Ages

The Vikings line up.

   So, the other night I took part in a quick game of Hail Caeser, playing a simple Viking raid on a Saxon dwelling. We had two divisions sides with a mix of Thegns and Hirdsmen. Terry and John took the Vikings Jim and I took the Saxons. Lines were drawn and here is a quick recap of what happened.

  The Vikings moved forward, chanting their war cries and shouting curses from Odin on their foes. The Saxons, however, remained resolute, fixing their shields into the customary shield wall and waiting for the enemies to arrive.

The Saxons engage Shieldwall manoeuvres 

  The moment came and with a great cry the Viking warband, led by Terry, charged forward into the mass of troops led by myself. After a quick exchange of blows, the Vikings found themselves not only being forced back but quickly set upon by their foe. 

It was the second Saxon turn and on the right flank, combat carried on with the Saxons taking the upper hand and forcing the Vikings back again. However, on the left flank, their glorious leader, Jim, urged them to charge forward, to gain honour and glory, to protect the women and children.

Only for the men to go. No. 

At this point, Terry’s division had become broken. His two units of warriors had suffered many, many casualties, but the Saxons kept in combat with, doing their very best to wipe the invaders of the land. However, with the other divisions being remaining largely untouched. The battle hung in the balance.

Do you have a flag?

On the left flank, the Vikings were close enough to charge. They just need a successful test to give them two moves. The dice were rolled; they passed, but could only move forward one move. Leaving them with the jeers of the nearby Saxons ringing in their ears. 

On the right flank, more of the same continued. The Saxons, with a plus one for winning the last combat, pressed home the advantage, but the Vikings were now beginning to fight back. Wounds were beginning to mount, and for one unit, they were getting dangerously close to breaking. 

Things are starting to look bad for the Vikings

This was the turn, charging forward the Saxons engaged with the Vikings interlopers, hoping for a quick and decisive battle, like their brethren on the left flank. However, it was not to be. The Vikings, eager to take revenge for their fallen brethren, or to burn some houses, were not sure which, cut down the Saxons as they charged in, and pushed them back towards the homesteads.

Worse for the Saxons, the left flank started to fragment with one unit managing to get the upper hand but took a heavy beating from the Vikings in return. And the other pushing forward, driving back the enemy again. Things were starting to get precarious.  

The final turn for the Vikings began. It was a game of combat now, however Terry’s unit of archers shot and took a small unit of slingers to their breaking limit. On the right flank Jim’s Saxon’s disappeared under a wave of axes and swords. There was one unit left, engaged in combat.

However on the right, the Saxons were beginning to falter. The unit taking the heaviest damage fell back, whilst the other units bounced the marauding Vikings back once again.

Or maybe not

The final Saxon turn arrived with a few quick charges and we were into the combat phase. The Saxons, on the right flank, thought bravely, and despite managing a high number of wounds, were unable to see of their foes. Jim’s Saxon’s on the left flank fought bravely, but no made indentation into the Vikings.

And with that the turn and the game came to an end. It was a highly enjoyable affair with two great armies, and everyone came away happy. What more could you want from a game. I felt that Terry suffered from some poor dice rolls, which stalled the Viking charge on the right flank, and that I was blessed with some very good roles, that enabled me to bounce Terry’s forces backwards. But’s that what Hail Caesar, and all wargames are like, a series of bad dice rolls and you’re scuppered.

The positive outcome of the battle, unless your my bank balance, is that I know want to buy Saxons and Vikings.