Hail and Well met!...and visit me new blog

[Justin Penwith]

Gents (with apologies to any ladies who visit),

Members of my local gaming club, here in sunny California, are currently involved in a NYW campaign (alas, I am not), but several of us, including myself, are intent on conducting a WSS campaign, either historical or Imagi-Nation based) for about a half dozen of us.

I recently purchased several boxes of the Wargames Factory plastic figures for this period; yes, I do understand that many of you ill regard these particular models, but my budget does not allow for units of metal (aside from some officers and standard bearers from Front Rank...which I blame on a lot of your posted pics, here.)

Getting more to the point, I have recently begun a blog detailing my own wargaming experiences, including my work on these new figures.

Also, I did purchase the digital copies of BLB 1st edition, and I do like the rules, very much. I anticipate buying the 2nd edition once they appear in the States and once my limited budget has room for the expense.

I have delved deeply into the forums here and enjoyed the friendly banter, the information, and even the debates.

I extend to each of you an invitation to visit my blog, comment if you wish, and even "follow" it if you so desire. Keep in mind, I do like to follow others with similar interests, so you would likely have a frequent guest of me at your own blogs or websites.

Therefore, click the below link...if you dare.

http://royalistroundhead.blogspot.com/

Justin

[barr7430]

Welcome to the Boards Justin and good luck on the blog! I visited and was impressed particularly by your large Vietnam table!

Barry

[Justin Penwith]

Thank you, Barry.

My club has a meeting this Saturday. It was supposed to be a Waterloo game, using Age of Eagles, but it has been switched to an ACW game using rules that have not been announced yet. So, I will be posting about that game, this weekend.

The gentleman whose terrain enlivened the Vietnam table has a game room larger than many people's homes.

I hope all of the other visitors from here also enjoy their time at my blog.

[Redmist1122]

Justin,
Very cool looking Blog! Thanks for sharing. When I used to live in L.A., my family would make trips to Fresno every summer to visit family. Since then, I've retired from the USAF and live in Tucson AZ. I go to Cali about 3 times a year to visit family...not sure how much farther Fresno is w/o looking looking it up on Google maps. I'm always looking for other gamers when I'm in town...

[Justin Penwith]

Greg,


Thank you. I used to live in L.A. also, but that was decades ago. We are about 5.5hrs from San Diego, if that gives you any indication (You chaps in the UK have no idea what lengths many of us in the Western U.S. have to go through in order to get a game in).

My local gaming club is putting on our first mini-con the first week of November, this year, so if you are in town then, you'd be welcome to join us.

In fact, we just had our monthly game yesterday, for which I have a battle report and pictures to post later tonight or tomorrow.

[Redmist1122]

Justin,
Thanks for the offer...may take you up on that! I generally visit around Riverside. Whenever the NFL decides not be greedy and get the season going, I make a serious road trip to Oakland every year to see my boys...the Raiders!

[Justin Penwith]

Greg,

If it turns out that you want info, just post on my blog. I have a forum there, The King's Men Tavern (figured it would be more flavorful than just "forum"), and I will make a topic about general gaming. Post in that and I will add whatever info I can as I receive it from the organizers.

Oh, I was a Rams fan back in the day, but now I cheer on the Steelers. However, I do not watch the telly anymore, so it is more a telepathic level of support. Oakland is three hours away from me, btw.

Also, you are welcome to post in the forum there, in any of the sub-topics. I am trying to get the gents in the club to become active participants, but that will take time.

Cheers!

Justin

[Justin Penwith]

A sample figure from the unit I just finished. I need to base the models, but am awaiting the bases atm.

[Churchill]

Ray.

[Justin Penwith]

Ray,

Thank you for kind comments, it has been nearly 7 years since I last put paint to a wargame model.

To answer your question, I suppose it could very well be the 24th, but I believe the stockings and trousers would be the wrong color for that regiment. My intent was more to have the unit stand in for a regiment that served in Flanders, but for which we do not have definitive information on the facing, trouser, and stocking colors.

The next several units I will be painting will be from one of the English brigades present at Blenheim, but I have not yet decided which one. I am dual purposing these models, because of budgetary considerations (single father and a grad student) for use in WSS and Imagi-Nations wargames.

Ha...I am a old school Los Angelas Rams fan, but once they moved East, I switched my allegiance to the Steelers. Glad to know that American Football is not completely lost upon those across the pond. (I almost wrote "Europeans," but I dare say you Brits are less inclined to align yourselves with the continental powers as many would have us believe.

BTW, my paternal ancestry is Cornish and I am third generation American on my father's side. While I have never been to the UK, my hope is to one day visit the small town from which my father's family came from. My mother's side left the UK in 1607, so I cannot claim a close association with Albion from her side.

Back to the models...

I plan on painting up 18 twelve figure battalions of WSS figures. Probably will do 12 English and 6 Dutch or Danish units. Once the Wargames Factory WSS Cavalry are released in a few months, I will do 18 squadrons, with a similar proportion of nationalities. Although these proportions are backwards of reality, there is another player in my club that has a large number of Imperials, Danes, Dutch, and smaller German states, so my forces will really round out the allies.

Whenever the time comes that I once again have gainful employment, I will order enough figures from Front Rank to fill out 2 footguards battalions, 6 guns and crew, the 1st Dragoon Guards, and a battalion of converged grenadiers. The vast bulk of my army will be in plastic, but my elites will be represented by the high quality metal models that I have seen here.

Ray, I do have a specific suggestion for you, though. I'd like to see your painted forces organized by brigade in a photo layout. It will help with visualizing the look of the units that myself, and others, use as inspiration when painting our own troops, and it will help us to not have to reinvent the wheel of sorting all the facings, stockings, trousers, etc., when trying to figure out what to paint next.

Justin

[Justin Penwith]

Updated WIP pics from my latest blog post, more pics on my blog.







Thoughts and criticisms welcome.

[Rob Herrick]

I hope I can do as well if I've not painted in seven years!

They look quite nicely done

[Churchill]

Ray.

[Justin Penwith]

I hope I can do as well if I've not painted in seven years!

They look quite nicely done

Thank you. I credit the black primer with aiding the appearance.

[Justin Penwith]

Hi Justin,

A nice painted regiment, but the Front Rank standard bearer in the centre looks like a giant compared to the rest of the men.
Do the plastic's not come with a standard bearer, if not you need to use a smaller figure manufacture i.e. 25mm and not 28mm.
Your men also seem to be without gaiter's which is another problem as Front Rank do all their rank and file figures wearing gaiter's and the officer's, ensign's and drummer's wear stocking's.

Yes, the FR model is well fed compared to the rest of the troops, which is why he is in the back rank and is the standard bearer. I am hoping the standard will obscure him enough to reduce the visual effect of his being oversized.

The plastics do have a standard bearer, but as I am intending to eventually add brass rod and extra large standards from the Flag dude, I felt a metal model was warranted. I have had poor experiences with plastic models as standard bearers in the past, the arms tended to snap off.

I prefer the FR sculpts and did not know of the size difference as everyone around here has Dixon figures, which I am not exactly a fan of. But yes, I agree that a 25mm model would fit better with the plastics.

As the plastic musketeers are sans gaiters, the FR figure matched the look.


Thank you for your comments, they are appreciated.


Justin