AK47

French union forces.

I have mentioned previously that I used to play AK47 with an army loosely based around the British and French invasion of Suez. I have been thinking of starting an campaign here but need to revamp my armies and provide more suitable opposition.

British Paras and RTR

The Boys in Blue

A quick snap of the figures I have just dipped. It was quite pleasant working on them as my Son was playing Assassins creed. What better background music than a mix of sea shanty's and general swashbuckling. Would have been better if painting pirates though. The Crusader figures are quite good and easy to paint. Not too much flash although two of the figures were slightly miscast just having small nubbins instead of left hands. The only other drawbacks is that the command figures  are quite boring. Just an officer standing with a pistol. I might replace them with some Forgotten and Glorious sword wielding officers which are much more exciting.

First Post since 19oatcake

For some reason I haven't been able to post for months. I could sign in OK but but when trying to type into the blog nothing would come up on the screen. All a bit strange. Even stranger suddenly this morning the blog is working perfectly.
There hasn't been a huge amount of gaming recently but there has been a reasonable amount of painting. Out of the Blue I ordered a brigade of Crusader games Union infantry from North Star. Have managed to blitz them quite quickly for me in two big sessions. These two sessions had a holiday in between but it was still good going. The figs are just waiting on a dip and then will look at flags and basing.

Kirrie

Just back on this mornings ferry from Kirrie. It was great seeing some of my old mates especially those that have emigrated back to the mainland. I got some nice dodgy 70s Tattoo flashes from Kevin and a fantastic man hug from Big Mark. It was like the 3 musketeers reunited for one last mission. Shame my visit was so short as had to do the Xmas shopping. As for games there was Colin, Bill and Hugh with a nice looking Chaco war game and an interesting Cold war Russian invasion game. That featured the battle for Trafalgar square. Very inspiring in a 1979 way.

Mike

A roll of the Dice

Out of the Blue last night I had a game. I have been slightly obsessed with AK47 recently and am planning a campaign set round the French Union in the 1950's so the Balkans are really on the back burner. Sean my main gaming oppo suggested we have a Balkan wars game.
It was a strange sort of game as running late I accidentally left a box of Greeks and some terrain at home. So my Greek force was made up of odds and ends that just happened to be in the box I had picked up. Two field guns and 5 Battalions of inf, no machine guns or anything. I did have one big battalion of Evzone though which turned out to be worth their weight in Gold.They just refused to fail morale tests! Sean had a balanced force of 6 Battalions of Bulgarian inf, including 1 of Guards. A field gun and MG plus a small section of cavalry. The game was a head to head collision in a small Thracian town. The rules were Rapid Fire lite. We had a real fun time with very little input. Just the way it should be. The results are that I have dug out all my Greeks to try and get all the outstanding basing done and Sean is talking about Turks. Oh by the way the Greeks won.


Mike

The Intercounty

Have just dropped the Orkney guys off at the airport after a weekend of gaming. Of course there was a lot of socialising as well. We managed two big games. The Americans were defeated after a hard fight at Germantown on Saturday. This morning the Government forces fought the socialists to a standstill at the battle of Scatsta. All will be revealed later, hopefully with some pics. Time to relax before I am back to work in the morning.

Some new figures for the weekend.

Just finishing off some new figures for this weekends big 38 game. Above is the Governor of Shetland. Appointed by the Mosley Government he has managed to rule Shetland with an iron fist.

I also finished the above squad of his personal guard. Every member is a chosen man who has learnt his trade in the harsh street fights and running battles of the Pre Mosley Era. 

The Shetland Imagination

For the last year or so we have been working on our own Imaginiation campaign.Ours takes place during the French Revolutionary war period.The main protagonists are Austria and The French republic. Who both seek to bring the Duchy into their sphere of influence. No games yet just lots of figure painting and talking. Sean sketched the background below.

"The duchy of wolfinstien

The duchy of wolfinstien is a small place tucked away in the Alps between Switzerland, Austria-Hungry and the various German states. For nearly all of it’s existence it has managed to avoid the chaos and turmoil the has engulfed Europe at various points in history, that is until now.

            Trouble started when the reigning Duke, Otto Wolfinstien XIII (or Otto the unlucky) died. He left behind no immediate heirs, they all died in strange and bizarre accidents over the years (hence the labelling of him as unlucky). However there is two claimants, both being great grand nieces, one being Emily Wolfinstien-Smythe and the other Ingrid Wolfinstien Von Pitt. Emily was raised in England and is currently married to the British MP Alan B’Astard while Ingrid is married to Count Ludwig Von Alucard. Both men and their respective governments have desires on the duchy and as both claimants have equal claim on inheriting the Duchy it will be down to which one can get there first and get control of the duchy.

            However things are never that simple, not long after the demise of the old Duke, the people of Wolfinstien realised they didn’t need a Duke to rule over them as they were making a decent enough job of it themselves and so declared the duchy a republic. Led by the radical (he spent some time in France) Hans (Wolfie) Schmidt the people of Wolfinstien are quickly gathering a peoples militia based along French models and have full intentions of defending their new found freedom.

            The French upon hearing about this decided to lend some assistance to the people of Wolfinstien and have sent a small army to assist them defending their new-found liberties. Though to be honest the French Republic government is really sending the troops to ensure the revolution and development of the new regime is along the French model. And not something different so as not to give ideas in to the heads of the other people they liberate from the oppressive aristocracy. The radical Jacobite Jean-Paul Gautier leads this army.

            So now it’s a four way race to ensure the future of the Duchy. Only time and incompetence will decide who will win."

Perfect Morning

It was a perfect morning earlier. Pouring with rain outside, roaring fire inside. The wife was upstairs sewing while I got on with painting. Just finishing off the Governors bodyguard for this weekends big game. All lovely Empress SCW figures. I was listening to one of the UNIT audio dramas while painting. Really took the old mind off the job and I just whizzed through the unit. The figures are presently dipped and are gently drying on the window ledge.
Now it is time for a cup of tea and a couple of episodes of the " Borgias ".

The phoney war.

Well no new posts since 2012 which is a bit disappointing to say the least. Not that there hasn't been a lot happening. Just none of it relating to the Balkan wars. In other Eras and scales there has been lots of progress and even games.
My Freikorp project is coming on fine as is the Crimean.I have recently started painting 28mm Cavemen and Swiss. I am also in the midst of planning a big inter county game.
So the thing is when I read my favourite bloggers like Legatus and Tradgarland there is an interesting mix of games, periods and just life in general. While my blog is just a bit flat and boring. So I am going to break free from the restrictions of the Balkan wars and post more generally.

Interesting pics of Old Greece.

Somebody has just posted this link on TMP. Absolutely wonderful pictures each one is a gem. Amazing to see the mixture of rural traditional dress and modern clothing. Also interesting to see a priest in so many pictures. I think we forget now that the Church was the center of every community.

http://www.lifo.gr/team/lola/34138

Back to the Balkans

I hadn't looked at my Balkan figures for ages so last night I got them out. Oh dear how much do I regret neglecting them for so long. I also regret running out of the bases I normally use. The figures on Precision steel bases are fine but the ones on MDF are all over the place. The result is 3 file boxes filled with heaps of figures. I am thinking of glueing steel bases to the bottoms of the MDF bases. It will raise them by a mill or so but it has to be better than constant damage and repairs.
I have also lost some Bulgarians! I know I painted at least a battalion of Minifig Russians wearing greatcoats but can't find them anywhere.
I am off to work on Monday so don't have much time left but when I get back I must be disciplined and crack on.

Sitrep sort of.

Well it has been so long since there have been any posts I thought it better to post something rather than nothing. There has just been no time for the Balkans for a while. At the club we have been playing a few 38 or pirate games. Nothing too heavy or serious.
On top of everything else I have talked myself into two new projects this year. The first is with Disco Dave and is The Crimean war in 20mm. I initially was just providing French but am now also doing at least a brigade of Russians. The French unfortunately have stalled after the first battalion. The Russians however are coming on Great guns. I have managed a unit of Cossack infantry and two battalions of Russian line quite quickly.To be honest the Russians are quite quick to churn out. They are all wearing Greatcoats and seem to have a minimum of equipment.
The second project is a Roman civil war in 25s. I started this as Big Mark has a Roman army and no opponents. I have been buying painted Foundry figs from a guy on Ebay. The poor guy is having to move house after being injured by a hit and run driver. I am guessing he is downsizing so is having to get rid off a lot of stuff. The figs are well but basically painted by a painting service in York. I have just been tidying them up and putting on some LBM shield decals. That and a coat of magic dip has really made a difference. I managed something like 70 figs in two days.
I will take some pics later but am having to nip into town.
Mike

After the Battle Athens December 1944

Issue no 155 of this magazine covers the British involvement in Greece at the end of WW2. Great edition of the magazine filled with before and after photos. It gives a good background too and description of the fighting. Well worth getting.

oops!

Oh dear, no posts since June last year, Absolutely shocking sorry about that. But to be honest the Balkans have been last thing on my mind last year. I had all the build up to and attended my brothers wedding. Although it was held on Corfu there wasn't much for the Balkan history buff. Possibly not the first Grecoscots wedding but a first for me. The Greek traditional dancing wearing kilts was pretty unusual.
Mike

Some new figures and a game.

Last week at the club we were mulling over what game to put on this week. I suggested a Balkan war game, hoping it would provide some sort of stimulus and get me painting again. It worked quite well as I managed to paint another Bulgarian battalion and a small unit of cavalry in just a week.

The massed Bulgarians.

The game gave me a chance to use my new river sections and bridge bought of Ebay. They look quite flimsy but are OK on the table.

I found a couple of packs of Peter Pig Russian cavalry in a drawer. I painted them as life guards as thought they would add a touch of much needed colour.

There and back again.

I got back from two weeks at work last night. As usual I was up and about far to early this morning. I was awake at 0330 most mornings at work but managed to sleep until 0500 this morning. Must have been that Red wine last night that gave me that extra couple of hours. The good news is that I managed to get some painting done and finally finished the first Bulgarian regiment and started the second. Pictures later today. I was also thinking I haven't photographed any of the Eureka Greeks. So will take some pics of those as well.

Osprey Men at arms 466

Armies of the Balkan Wars 1912-13, The priming charge for the Great war to give it it's full title. Arrived on my doorstep this morning. I've only had a chance to give it a quick look over but my first thoughts are positive. It is a basic introduction to the Balkan wars with some really nice photos that I hadn't seen before. The colour plates are also very well done and atmospheric. You could probably go ahead and paint any Balkan army using these alone. Which I suppose is the main strength of Osprey books that they are a one stop shop giving just enough info for those that just want that. I was however struck at how thin the book is. At 48 pages it is more a pamphlet than a book. A bargain price of £6.99 from Amazon though means that it is a must.

Bulgarian Krupp armoured field gun

A chap in Athens who I had been chatting with on another forum kindly took this snap for me. That was some time ago and unfortunately I lost his details. A big thanks to him though as I had lost all the pictures I took on my last visit. I approached Nic with the idea of producing these in resin and lead. But the cost was a bit much even for me. To be honest I don't think it would be a big seller. I must get over to Athens again sometime.

Minifigs Vs Peter Pig

As you know last month I ordered figures from both Peter Pig and Minifigs. Both orders arrived on the Saturday before I left for work. So I didn't get a chance to more than glance at them. Service from both companies was both good and quick. Although Minifigs delivery was slightly quicker being ordered a few days after and arriving on the same day as the Peter Pig. Both companies sent mails to confirm the orders and to tell me they had been despatched. The Peter Pig figures were as usual very well packed as were the Minfigs. The minifigs surprised me though as they come in little paper bags like a quarter of sweeties. They are still listed in packs on the website but I am guessing you can buy them individually. As well as the figs I ordered some other bits and pieces including field guns from both companies. Both were a bit of a dissapointment. From Peter Pig one gun had a miscast barrel while the other had only one wheel. Giving me one gun from two packs, Not good. Unfortunately the Minifigs gun has so much flash on it I haven't been bothered to put it together. I also ordered Maxim gins from Minifigs. These look ideal as they are supplied with a seperate shield which I can leave off. Lovely clean casting of bot gun and crew apart from one glaring problem. The firer has no face! I don't just mean a poorly sculpted face I mean a completely flat plug of metal where a face should be. I'm thinking a headswap may be in order so will have an ambulance on standby.