Just a quickie

Well, I got back very late, cold and slightly snow-covered after last night's game of FoG. My Sarmatians were well received by club members.

However, they didn't fare too well on the table due to a combination of factors:

• My opponent having a huge pike phalanx
• Awkward terrain placement
• Bad luck with the dice
• A somewhat stupid deployment (I kicked myself later when I spotted what I should have done)
• My tactical ineptitude/inexperience with the rules

However, it was a good learning experience. I'm just glad it wasn't a competition game.

Full AAR with pics to be written and posted this evening.

On the workbench #2 - More Sarmatians

I decided to take a voluntary break from painting for tonight and tomorrow. The last couple of weeks have been quite intense on the painting front and I wanted to get myself ready for my FoG match tomorrow evening.

I *think* I have everything I need:

• figures - check
• terrain markers - check (though maybe not enough)
• D6s - check
• measuring sticks - check
• marker blips - check
• tape measure - check
• paperwork - check
• rules and crib sheets - check
• tactical plan - errmmm, sort-of

So, what's on my workbench to be painted up after my break? Not a great deal:

16 light horse archers

48 javelin/spear infantry

9 armoured lancers for the command groups

These will be enough for me to have a reasonable army for now, but I still have another 24 "other cavalry", 24 armoured lancers and (gulp!) 72 protected lancers waiting to be prepped and painted.

Once they are painted up, I'll take a break from the Sarmatians and crack on with some of my SF stuff. I haven't decided yet which figures it will be - I've got so many to choose from right now. I was thinking about finally painting up some starships for Full Thrust, but I would want to be able to use spray paints for priming and basecoating and the cold weather rules this out for now. I also need to get some holding sticks to use while painting them (probably Litko flight pegs; I'll also order some other gaming bits at the same time).

WIP: Sarmatian Camp #4 and Light Foot Archers #2; I get to play with them!!!

The WIP bits:

(pics at bottom of post - you'll have to wade through all the text first!!!)

As I wanted to crack on with painting the light foot yesterday I didn't take any photos as I knew they'd be based up this evening. Besides which I'm slightly ahead on post count for this month, so skipping a day was OK.

I did finish painting the light foot last night and varnished them this morning before going to work. When I got home they received a coat of Klear/ink and when that had tried they were pinged and then glued to the bases. After letting the glue dry I added my texture gunk. I also based up the supply camp at the same time.

While the Klear/ink was drying I prepped another 24 javelin/spear infantry, quick wash and dry, stuck to painting sticks and gesso primed them. I'll probably make a start on painting them tomorrow evening.


I get to play!!!!

In an amazing flurry of organisation over the last day or so I have managed to set myself up with 3 games of FoG in the next 2 weeks. This Thursday and next Monday I have practice games lined up with Alan (Macedonians) and Jerry (mid republican Romans). then next Thursday I have my first tournament match against Gordon's Classical Indians.

I'll post AARs here, with pics if I remember to take any.


OK, Time For The Eye Candy:

Light Foot Archers:

The Supply Camp:

Once the texture gunk has dried, it will be ink-washed and dry-brushed, after which I'll add some scenic bits (clump foliage, grass tufts, a woodpile)

WIP: Sarmatian Camp #3 and Light Foot Archers #1

Seb - oh dear, what have I got here?

(for those not in the know, Seb is in my group for the first round of our club's FoG tournament and is busily painting up a Qin Chinese army - we're racing each other a little bit to see who is finished first)

Just when you thought you had a chance of catching up with me on the painting stakes, along come 4 BGs of light foot which should be painted and based on Tuesday evening!!! I should manage to get the rest of the painting done by the end of tomorrow, leaving washes, varnish, Klear/ink and basing for Tuesday.

I think when these boys are finished I'll move on to the light foot javelin troops (need to do the prep work on the 24 extras I received the other day). After that I'll get my light horse done, then the command groups.


Camps - 3 alternative layouts:

I've played around a bit more with camp layouts and now have three alternatives. The first one is in the post below this, but here are the other two that I tried and thought looked OK.

Which of the three layouts do you think works best? I'm leaning towards the last one at the moment.

WIP: Sarmatian Camp #2

Last night I was playing around with the bits to try out different arrangements for the camp or camps. I discovered that all of the bits (gers, camp followers, goats, loot and cook fires) can fit onto a single base (120 x 80 mm) but it looked a bit too "busy" and doesn't leave much room for scenic details. Here is a pic of the first single-base set up I tried:

What to you think - too crowded?

Camera accident, Snow and Sarmatian Camp(s)

When I posted earlier, I forgot to mention that I'd had to switch to my old camera. This was because of an accident involving my new camera which will mean me having to take it to a camera shop for minor repair. So, this is what happened.

I was setting up the camera on its tripod in order to take a picture of the texture "gunk" I use on my bases. Just as I'd got the shot set up, I sneezed causing me to jerk the camera. This caused it to topple forward extended lens first right into the gunk. Lovely - acrylic texture gel over the lens, all around the zoom bits and in between the lens and the sliding lens cover. After a good sponging to remove as much gunk as possible, I discovered that the lens cover-slides weren't shutting and so the camera wouldn't power down. Arrrrggghhhh! I've only had the camera just over a month!!

Here's a pic of the gunk. Looks lovely doesn't it? You can even see the lens-shaped crater!

Snow:

Well, it has snowed in London this evening. I don't know what time it started as my curtains have been closed all evening. I only noticed when I popped to the bathroom. Here's a pic of the street outside:

Sarmatian Camps:

Heyyyy good lookin! / Wha-aaat you gotta cookin'? :

You can't trust anyone:

I reckon he's got the goat(s):

Roll out the barrel, choppity-chop! :

Possible full camp set up:

other camp bits:

I'll probably add some bits from this one onto the camp with the "gers" (not yurts).

WIP: Sarmatian "Other Cavalry" #08 - finished!!!

Finished at last!!! It really seemed like a long haul doing these, probably because it was a long haul.

All 48 "other cavalry" are painted, varnished, Klear/ink washed and based with basing texture mix added. As I know you'll all complain if there are no piccies to see, I took several.

En mase:

1st Battle Group:

2nd Battle Group:

3rd Battle Group:

4th Battle Group:

As a reward for finally completing them, instead of cracking on with painting my light foot bow and javelin troops, I decided to do some fun work and painted up the bits and pieces for my camp bases. Depending on how far I get with them, there may even be some pics later on tonight.