A small stock up of the stash

Once the new Orion figures were released it was time for a quick top up of the stash in conjunction with Andy.

My haul includes

• The Orion figures will either create another USMC platoon or more likely boost the variety of figures.
• The Eld Cid Spanish Infantry will add a foot contingent to make up a Spanish force for Lion Rampant.
• The First to Fight German Heavy weapons provide correctly uniformed figures for my early WW2 German MMG teams as I found I only had figures in field caps
• The WSS British Cavalry and SYW (Jacobite) British Infantry are to complete my previously planned purchase

Recent purchases

With the arrival of some new sets from Strelets, it was time to top up the stash.

So my plans for using them are from right to left:

• The Orion figures will provide some well needed figures to create a US Army and USMC platoon for Nam68 to replace my old Esci.
• The Chinese will add a bit of colour to any WW2 Burma or "Back of Beyond" game.
• The WSS Duch will become exactly that, a brigade of Dutch Foot
• Holy Roman Empire Grenadiers will boost my existing Austrian Foot
• The WSS British Cavalry were intended to boost my French Line Cavalry but somehow I only bought one packet instead of two
• Similarly the SYW (Jacobite) British Infantry should have been two packets, but the intention was to use a pair of these two items to make up the order to give free postage, but something went wrong

So I've already started on another top up list

Dutch Line Infantry for Trebian

Wirral Warboot

A quick run up the Wirral to the Wirral Warboot being hald in New Ferry Village Hall. Loads of Science Fiction and Fantasy, but very little historical. I picked up a few bits.

The islands will be used for Cruel/Black Seas games and the Wild West Farmers for bystanders in What a Cowboy

Latest Acquisitions

It's has been a while since I bought anything, mainly because Strelets is still unable to produce anything at the moment. But I combined an order with my friend Andy for some bits to fill gaps in my collection.

My plans for these are:-

• Waterloo line officers - upgrading my British staff
• Waterloo Prussian staff - ditto for my Prussians at some point in the future
• Waterloo British Paratroops with pack guns - I realised I was a bit short on gun crews
• Mars US Paratroops (Part 2) - half pack - some odd additions
• Mars British Paratroops - half pack - again odd additions but I like the 2" mortar
• Mars German Winter Artillery Crew - half pack - some nice crews, I not sure I'll use the 105mm RRs
• Mars German Tropical Paratroops Heavy Weapons - half pack - I will be using these 105mm RRs
• Mars German Tropical Paratroops -all for Andy

A small top up for the stash

Yes the new War of Spanish Succession figures are out from Strelets so I immediately bought a selection..

The British/Jacobite artillery are just to add a little fun to 1745 games and half a pack of the Volksturm will top up my Volksturm to a full platoon (the other half are for Andy).

My latest acquisitions

Once Strelets managed to produce some more War of Spanish Succession figures I had to buy them and a few other bits to make up the order.

There are

• 4 x Strelets WSS Bavarian Cuirassiers - so I will make each of the four Bavarian cuirassier regiments and replace my existing pair of converted regiments
• 4 x Strelets WSS Austrian Cuirassiers - again to make four new regiments and replace the two old ones
• 2 x Italeri Napoleonic Dragoons - to replace my old Airfix conversions
• 1 x Hat Russian Tank Riders - to provide crews for the bren cariers I printed and painted recently

I'm not sure yet how I will use the surplus cuirassier figures, the old cuirassiers will probably go on ebay.

An early Christmas

With just days to spare I managed to acquire the much desired new releases from Strelets

Thanks to Models2U for their great service at this time of year

Restocking the stash

With the latest releases from Strelets available I thought it was time to restock the stash with these
Here is a list and my current plan

• Mars 72123 German paras tropical (RR&M) x 0.5 - heavy weapons for my German FJ
• Pegasus Mission Indians - Oxen for my Spanish limbers and the monks
• Strelets 176 Japanese Type 38 75mm Field Gun - start of my Japanese force for Battlegroup
• Strelets 238 British Cavalry x 2 - enough to finish Palme's brigade and adda couple of French cavalry units
• Strelets 239 French Royal Horse Grenadiers - missed these from the last order
• Strelets 243 British Artillery - The next piece of the jigsaw for the WSS, though I'll probably use some Zvezda GNW bits as well
• Strelets 244 French Artillery - as above
• Strelets 254 French Dragoons in skirmish - will wait till Strelets release their mounted counterparts
• Strelets 275 - Nap. Austrian Uhlans - a gap in my Nap collection + the nice civilians
• Strelets 276 - Nap. Russian Hussars in reserve
• Strelets 277 - Nap. French Guard Chasseurs
• Strelets 292 - WWI French Field Kitchen - every army should have one
• Strelets M081 - WWII Afrika Korps desert patrol x 0.5 - I just like the figures
• Strelets M114 WWII Japanese Troops in Tropical Uniform - start of my Japanese force for Battlegroup
• Strelets M115 Japanese Army in defense - start of my Japanese force for Battlegroup
• Strelets M121 Imperial Japanese Army Heavy Weapons Team - start of my Japanese force for Battlegroup
• Strelets M151 - WWII Moroccan Goumiers - A cool unit for WW2

The postman knocks thrice

It's been a busy week for the postman with three seperate deliveries
First was a ebay win of some TYW artillery, as I need the limbers for my War of Spanish Succession armies. It also came with a set of old Esci WW2 Japanese that will come in useful when I get around to Battlegroup Pacific.
Next a batch of PSC kits from Models2u, I had tried getting them from PSC in their sale, but they weren't covered by the sale and they charged 10% for delivery. Models2u gave a 10% discount and free delivery for the amount I ordered so a no-brainer.
Finally and delightfully, an ebay win of some Linear-A figures. To my surprise the seller DH follows this blog and added some extras to amuse me and they certainly did. There are quite a lot of useful bits and pieces and the temptation of some Caesar WW2 Chinese. Quite a lot to keep me busy and thanks again DH.

Latest purchases

My latest acquisitions are mainly newly released figures.

My plans are

• More French Infantry for the WSS - I've now get enough for 10 units
• British Infantry for the WSS - It wouldn't be fair just to do the French and I can also use them against my Jacobites for 1689 and 1715.
• British winter tank crews - Not sure I'll bother with snow on the bases, maybe try some mud.
• Volkssturm - something to add the the mix for Fall of the Reich games
• NVA and VC - yet more to add to my Vietnam mix
• Mounted musketters and cardinal's guards - to go with the foot versions I have already got
• Ukrainian Cossacks - enough to complete units of Polish Pancerni and Imperial Croats
• Roman/Crusader Transport - mainly bought for the Oxen, which I need for my Napoleonic Spanish

Normality resumes

Just been in the hospital, had an X-ray and seen the consultant. My fractured collar bone has now fixed itself enough for me to discard the sling and gradually restore the full use of my right arm/shoulder. No heavy lifting or cycling for at least 2 weeks, and I've got a lot of physio to do. Found a nice bag of books waiting for me on my return

A strong hint of work to be done on the early 18th century. Now to start painting.

Christmas came early

Unexpectedly my pre-order of the new Strelets figures arrived yesterday.

Covid reading

Got a delivery of books yesterday from Naval & Military Press, as my reading pile was getting low and they had some interesting and useful titles in their Easter sale.

I've started on the "Moscovy's Soldiers" as it might guide me in painting my Soldatski and in deciding which of the new Redbox cavalry to buy.

It must be Christmas!

There's snow on the ground and when I got back from the warmth of the Canaries last night I had to spend 10 minutes de-icing the car. But today my order from models2u arrived with lots of goodies so it's very like Christmas should be.

Another tempting delivery

All the way from Poland this time, a bulk order of First to Fight kits for myself and Andy at the club.

Thanks Santa

A reasonable selection of gifts this year

The sailors will be used to crew some Renaissance galleys, so scratch building those will be one of my projects for next year.

It's Christmas

and I've been good again, so a nice selection of presents were under the tree

So what do I plan to do with them:

• The Stradioti will provide Light Cavalry for the wars in the Balkans against the Turks and potentially for a future Italian Wars project (but I'm not starting any new periods)
• Roman Senate - will be used for civilians and also have potential for some sort of skirmish
• Tecumseh - more reinforcements for my woodland indians
• Red Army of the Winter War - reinforcements for my WW2 Russian winter forces now I have created more than enough Axis.
• Romanian Infantry - I had forgotten these when I created my winter Axis forces
• Soviet Assault Group - Engineers for my Russians, I've only got a few so far
• Honours of War - Has had good reviews and I'd like to try them with my SYW forces
• Fighting Sail - buried away somewhere in the stash is a large number of Napoleonic ships, hopefully this will inspire me to get them out assemble, paint and use them.

Christmas presents 2014

Not a lot of wargaming related presents this year, but an interesting bunch

• The Schutztruppe, Askaris and Ruga-Ruga will be used to replace my aging German East Africa forces for WW1
• The Huns, well I haven't decided yet, whether to use them as Huns with my Ancients or use them as Tartars with my Renaissance, I'm more tempted by the latter.
• Turkish Cavalry and Artillery is sufficient to round off my Egyptian forces for the Sudan
• The spanish army book should allow me to create some Spanish units for the AWI
• Finally there is an Edwardian print of some fighting in Africa, my guess is Algeria in the 1840s, can anyone make a better guess?

Thank you Santa

Thanks to my family really as I'm a bit too old to believe in Santa


A nice selection of figures and kits

Triples - the purchases

Despite being short handed on the L&L stand I did manage to acquire some "essentials"

• Three more Airfix Grants from Steve E to complete the number required for the Alam Halfa scenario in "Monty's Battles"
• A copy of the new "Pike & Shotte" rules, so my ECW figures should get an outing shortly
• A pair of radio equipped kubelwagens from Skytrex for my DAK units.  I know they are metal, but it's far easier than converting them from a plastic version, and cheaper too.
• A second hand Airfix Bren carrier kit as I still need another 6pdr.
• A old Esci French Artillery set - as I use the guns for my SYW forces.
• The new German Heavy Weapons from Plastic Soldier, just because they look nice and I now plan to use the 81mm mortar teams for my DAK forces.
• A grab bag of plastic figures off the B&B  (see below)

Of course I would have liked more time to peruse the stands and I'm sure I would have bought more if I had.  I did discover that Javis has changed the colour of its Autumn static grass to a much browner colour.  Now I need to find something else to put on my desert bases.  Also heard that the reason for various Skytrex decals not being available is that the printer they used has shut down.  Grubby/Britannia were also a disappointment as yet again they didn't have what I needed, apparently they are struggling to keep up with demand, so I'll have to pre-order before my next show at Phalanx.

As for the grab bag?  It was full of surprises about 1000 figures in all from all periods except Napoleonic so that has blown my chances of keeping the stash under control.  About half the contents are not of interest so they will go to trade/sale.  The rest are all useable to some degree.  I'm particularly tempted by the Caesar Germans in Winter Gear as I already have similar Russians painted and I was wondering if I'd ever get around to doing the opposition.  The AWI Indians would not be something I would have purchased a second set of, but now I have them I'm tempted to paint them up so I can try the "French & Indian War scenario in Last Argument of Kings" and so it went on as I worked through the bag!