Swedeborg Foot Complete

No more figures but I have now completed all the movement trays.

I decided I wanted the figures indvidually based for this project, partly in keeping with the "Old School" theme and partly in keeping with the likes of Stokes & Der Alte Fritz & their collections. However, I did realise that moving 200+ figures individually each move was going to be a chore and prolong the game.
So movement trays were always going to be the answer.
Having tried making my own with limited success (warping and getting accurate raised edges being some of the diffiulcutes) I decided to go with commercial items. Total Scenic Systems ( www.totalsystemscenic.com) had the answer. they make a wide range of movement trays including one that fits 12 25mm sqaure bases in a 4x3 formation -perfect.
The quality is good and only required a little work with the Dremmel to remove some of the scenic application that had crept inside the tray. Some of the trays are al little off kilter with a distinct slope where the casting has gone awry but for me it just adds character to the effect. The price is right at £2 a tray (£5 if you want it prepainted).

The Russians Are Coming!

More Russians from Musketeer to go towards the Great Northern War project.
Thirty two figures, half musketeers & half pike, which brings me over halfway through the infantry now with only 140 to go.
As ever the figures are simle, clean and well cast with minimal flash and smooth lines. whatever the problems that Musketeer Miniatures are having the quality of their product is always high.

The pikes are amongdt the newest o their rangem and as disussed last time, are not as chunky as the musketeers. they are rather more slender and with a little less character in their faces. Having said all that they are very nice figures and lovely to paint.

I'm not going to get any more figures completed before the month end so a quick toting up gives me the following:

October - 80 figures painted (48 Libyans & 32 Russians)
total for the year - 1129

What a Busy Weekend

Fun, fun, fun from start to finish.

Bowling For Soup

It all kicked off on Friday night when the entire family rocked out to Texan band Bowling for Soup on their "Part in Your Pants" tour. My wife and I were probably the oldest there but even we were pogoing with the young ones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnYm0EmyDVU

If you've never heard of them check them out on youtube.

Great lyrics and a tremendous sense of fun they play a great show and come across as being four guys having a great time doing something other than working for a living.

They played most of their singles with "Emily" being the only notable omission. Of course they played "Almost", "The Girl all the Bad Guys Want" & "I'm Gay" were there and they closed the show with a terrific rendition of "1985". Awesome.

One of the things about a BFS concert is the quality of the support and this year was no exception.

Opening the show were "The Leftovers" (check them out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o3jqlO58Lw&feature=PlayList&p=18434B5A0116D569&index=0&playnext=1) they were great. So good in fact that they are one of the few support bands that I've gone and bought an album from. reminding me of the Ramones in their style and sound they played a blistering set and are an act that deserve to be recognised.

Following them was M C Lars. Rap based rock with a literary twist - anyone who can put Melville's "Moby Dick" & Poe's "The Raven" to rap has to have something right?

The last of the support was Zebrahead. A good solid rock band with tight tunes played loud. They certainly got the crowd going with their play and stage show.

NFL International Series

Sunday saw us at Wembley for the third International NFL Game, this year between the New England Patriots & the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the wife being a Pats fan it was all the better for it being victory for New England.

The day started at 11 with the NFL Tailgate party. Unlike the US version this is a more organised affair and, from talking to travelling Americans, more like what they see at the Superbowl only not quite the same scale. Highlights include a Hall of Fame exhibit where the NFL had loaned out some of the exhibits for display. On show were rings from all the Superbowls and it was quite special to see, for me at least, Walter Paytons ring on display with all the others. The Lombardi trophy was there as well and we were struck by how big it is.

All 32 teams have a presentation area as well with facts and photographs for display plus the chance to win signed goodies (signed Urlacher shirt, signed team balls, signed helmets and the like). needless to say I wrote out a lot of cards to go in the box.

All this backed up with live music and cheerleader displays - including the Tampa Bay Cheerleaders (at one pint I could almost touch them if it were not for the big security guards marshaling them along).

Onto the ground and the game.

This year we were as high up in the stands as it is possible to be. But the view was great.

84,000 fans waving and cheering Tampa flags at kick off was a sight I'll never forget. The noise was incredible, louder then I've ever heard at a game. From comments I've read about the game it impressed the players too, sounding more like the Superbowl was how some described it. Also talking to the travelling fans they were hugely impressed by the whole thing. Few of the Americans who came over had expected anything as loud or as passionate. Many were impressed by the fact that every team were supported and the game was received with so much support from fans of all teams. Two ladies in front of us in one of the queues had travelled from Boston with the team and said that it was louder than a home game.

As for the game it was more one sided than previous yeas looking at the scoreline. Tampa played well but New England played better. Five interceptions across both teams gives some idea as to the on field balance but the quality of Brady, Welker, Moss & Maroney shone through.

I'm glad I got to see some of the big names play the game along with Carnell "Cadillac" Williams & a long time favourite of mine Junior Seau.

We'll be back for more next year.

Warhammer world

Saturday saw me in Nottingham at a bit of a loose end. My good lady wife was at a tutorial for her degree course and that left me a couple of hours to waste. A quick bit of googling allowed me to find that Warhammer World was less than 10 minutes from my wife's college so off I went.

Plenty of car parking and space available despite there being a tournament taking place inside the main hall.

Sixty or so tables all full of gamers playing Warhammer 40k allowed me the opportunity to look at a wide variety of armies and painting standards. Having a thing for the 'nids I was disappointed to see very few Tyrannid armies being fielded, probably because they have to use lots of figures. Similarly there weren't many Tau or Dark Elves out there.
But pleasingly all the armies were nicely painted, some were stunning, and all based to a very high standard.

As for the venue.

The hall of figures is something else. Row upon row of armies from the 'eavy Metal Team ranging from the mid nineties to current. All those figures you see in White Dwarf are there to drool over. Whilst looking at the cases a couple of WAGs walked in and even they were impressed by the displays.
The room is dimly light but the glass cases are all well illuminated with rear mirrors allowing you to see the complete figure.

Bugmans Bar is well laid out with a range of tables and comfy chairs to relax in. Fresh coffee and home made cakes were very reasonably priced and excellent quality. Add in the ability to connect via wifi and you're all set.

The only downside for me was the shop. It was just like any GW shop you go in only not as well stocked with blister packs. Plenty of boxed sets, paints, tools etc but if you want the odd figure you have to ask - which is hard if you don't know the exact code/description and can only refer to as "that Empire General with a sword" sort of thing.

I'll probably be making regular trips here given my wifes current schedule so next time perhaps a game or a bit of painting?

More Bronze Age

Well that's the last of my impulse purchases for this year complete. A further forty figures for the Bronze age finished. This time libyan warriors, all from foundry and a mix of swords and spears.
I've tried to keep it simple so each unit is in a mix of cloth cloaks or cloaks of cow, giraffe or zebra. Each unit has a distinct colour trim and all wear the same coloured ostrich feather. Within the units though there is a mixture of coloured loin cloths, bead bandoliers and kilts.
My rationale is that each tribe would have some ditintive markings or features to allow themn to recognise each other in battle.

More Reading

Taking a break from Rome I picked up a copy of this classic.

Sabatini has enough swash & buckle to delight readers and entertains with his delivery. Most of the action is left to the imagination but the background and descriptions are enough to leave you wanting more.

The downside is that, even in your imagination, Peter Blood looks exactly like Erroll Flynn.

Book Review

I seem to have been on a Roman holiday this month. Two novels of the Roman Empire - one good one bad.

Bad first then.

Romanitas is the first of a trilogy following the Emperor Marcus Novius Faustas from his teens to his eclipse.
The premise of the book and the concept is fantastic. The Roman empire has survived and grown and today encompasses over half of the globe. Competing with it are the Chinese & Japanese empires and conflict is coming with clashes along the wall that stretches through what would be Alaska and seperates the Romans & Chinese. Add in the problem of a diminishing slave stock and the desire of Marcus to free the slaves which conflicts with the desires of the mercantile elite in Rome and the stage is set. It should be a great story and seems to have all the ingredients.
Except that it is so poorly written the novel fails to deliver at any level. The prose is aweful and the editing dreadful. So bad that it makes the book difficult to read. Sophie McDougall also fails to make us feel anything for the main characters. Despite the numerous dangerous situations that we find the three lead figures in we never feel as though they are in any danger of coming to harm.

Needless I will not be following the further adventures of Marcus & co and will not be recommending this book to anyone.

By contrast Ben Kane delivers a real treat with "The Forgotten Legion".

This time we are in the Roman Republic just before the civil wars of Cesar & Pompey. Crassus is off to Parthia to meet his fate and we follow the main characters as they build up to joining the ill fated expedition and its consequences.
We are treated to insights into the workings of gladiator schools and their brief but possibly glorious life. The brutality of slavery is not overlooked, indeed three of the cast are slaves and their lives laid bare (in the case of the Fabiola this is an overstatement). Plus we get to look at the Empire from a subjected peoples view with one of the characters being an Etruscan warrior.
From Rome we travel across the empire to Parthia and beyond with Kane able to deliver the scene from our hero's view point very well.
Sometimes in the writing we encounter a little difficulty and have to suspend belief. we are also asked as readers to believe in truth sayers and the ability to predict the future, but Kane prepares you well and it is not a difficult choice to make.

Ben Kane has written a book that has the appeal of Scarrow combined with the storytelling of Mallinson & Cornwell. Highly recommended & I can't wait to get hold of the next book "The Silver Eagle".

Painting for September

Remember back in April I told you I'd made a rash purchase at the Sheffield Triples show?
Well here it is.
Forty eight Sea Peoples warriors & four chariots all from Newline. Add in some Libyan warriors from foundry bought at Partizan and I get to 72 foot figures and twenty points for the chariots making 92 points for the month.
Brings the total for the year so far to 1049.

So why Biblical you may be asking?

Well it's all the fault of Ian Russell Lowell. Ian was a good member of the Grimsby wargames club (not to mention being the vicar who conducted my marriage ceremony) and was passionate about the Bronze age, in particular the Hittites. He wrote many articles for wargame magazines (remember the one on how to build bronze age ships - "Lukka Here Lukka There") and was a published author on the period in a variety of books. He introduced me to the period and started an interest that still lingers to this day and, Ian will always be an influence on the way I approach a period with his meticulate research and passion for a period.
In my time I have bought and sold Mycenean, Trojan & Egyptian armies in both 15mm & 25mm. When I saw the offer that Newline had I just couldn't resist. I'm not quite sure where this will go - will it be solely Sea Peoples & Libyans, will it become a New Kingdom Egyptian affair or possibly an addition for a Philistine force? Who knows.
It has made a refreshing break from the black powder period but fear not once the last 48 warriors are done it's back to the Russians.