I was left alone to get on with things today. I.E. for much of the day I did nothing but watch TV. I caught the second half of a doc on Maxmillian Schell, and watched 3 hour-long episodes of Robson Green walking Hadrian's Wall*. How's that for a segué!
* I never realised how short the remaining sections are. Miles of it has been plundered by the locals over the centuries.
During the latter programme I finished off the earthen parapets atop some of the Jenga-block walls and painted the Leven castle walls. A quick calculation of the total length of wall made me realise I'd probably hadn't made enough - I'm looking for a total of about 800 yards and I've got about 500. So a quick order to Mr Leven was made. I've got quite a few Jenga blocks left but I reckon I need a good number of those to stand my foot bases on.
I'm also waiting for the baking foil roll to run-out as I plan to use the cardboard roll as the basis for some low, round towers.
So almost ready.
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| The 'turf' on the earthen parapets looks a bit too long. |
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| I think the paint job on the Leven castle sections works quite well with the stone paper. I used the base paint (3 successive dry brush layers) from the Baccus basing pack. |
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| Ships guns and wall pieces bought from Stonewall. The y are really meant for early 19th C ships but they'll do for me. The guns are on taller carriages than the ships guns from Irregular so I think they look better as fortress pieces. |
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| I need to look in the spares box for some suitable figures for the gun crews. I'll probably mount the guns and wall pieces on smaller MDF bases than I would use with field guns. I've got some smaller guns which I'm hoping are not too big for my 6mm figures. |
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| These walls are meant to be more run-down than than the sections represented by the Leven pieces. Here they have been allowed to become somewhat overgrown with vegetation. I might add some earthen parapets to these, with maybe less 'flock'. |
Also a pack of 3mm thick polystyrene insulation board arrived today. My daughter's employee discount saving me enough for a pint in a pub chain owned by a Brexit supporting millionaire who can no longer recruit enough staff. The plan is to use the polystyrene as the 'filler' for the walls of the BEPAF** that I plan to make next. Last time I used this stuff must have been c 1978-9 when I slavishly followed the WRG rules for hills in the 1685-1845 set.
** Blackpowder Era Permanent Artillery Fortification, or 'Vauban fort'.
They look great, will be interesting to see how you handle siege games.
ReplyDeleteAre they perhaps part of the 'Red Wall', or the 'Blue Wall'?
Good question. It seems both amount to the same thing these days. Unless you’re talking about the Wales supporters!
DeleteSiege games ‘processes’ referred to in a previous post. Don’t know whether they will work yet. But the beauty of solo wargaming is you can adjust the rules as you go along.
Like here:
Deletehttps://horseandmusketgaming.blogspot.com/2021/04/ideas-for-developing-solo-siege-campaign.html?m=1
You’ve just inadvertently given me inspiration for a name for the campaign. The Siege of Wokefield.
And the following post
DeleteThanks, I looked at those earlier posts, very interesting, you are really thinking it through, I like the idea of making a siege into a campaign, rather than trying to get it all on a tabletop!
DeleteYou have been busy and it is all looking great. Never realised that about Hadrians Wall either, what a shame.
ReplyDeleteThanks. It didn’t take too long.
DeleteLooking good.
ReplyDeleteCheers Tony. Your scenery and figures really deserve a wider audience.
DeleteThey look very good:).
ReplyDeleteTook your advice about the poorly maintained walls, and used it as an excuse not to ad battlements.
DeleteThe inner ward will be made up of Leven pieces though, so that’ll be the ‘well-maintained’ section.
Top stuff matey. Good solution to the problem. It’ll be copied!
ReplyDeleteIt would look really good with your WoFun figures. You could even do it card backed to keep in with the 2D vibe.
DeleteYou jest…and yet you might be onto something there. Mmmm.
Delete‘Twas no jest sir!
DeleteThose grass topped walls look just like the ones in the old Britains Floral Garden sets.
ReplyDeleteI’ve never seen those before. In my pre-woke days I wouldn’t have even looked at them.
DeleteGreat looking walls,I'm at Pendennis Castle and the walls look like these!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Well the supplier is in Cornwall….
DeleteI’m jealous of you being at Pendennis. Was there a couple of years ago but didn’t go inside.
Wow, from your early musings to this! They look so good Peter.
ReplyDeleteRegards, James
I'm not sure where I got Peter from, I had my blogs mixed up! :)
Delete😄 No worries James. If you’ve got me mixed up with Peter from Grid Based Wargaming, I’m flattered. I get inspiration from his model making skills.
DeleteNice work on the fortifications...look forward to a siege game soon
ReplyDeleteThe walls were made from Jenga blocks? Would be interested to know how you painted and finished them!
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer. The main element was glueing paper walls on them. The paper comes with scaled down photos of walls printed on them. Sourced from a railway model supplier.
DeleteI left the ends exposed and painted them with acrylic burnt umber which I normally use as a base layer for my figure basing.
I didn’t want the bother of making crenellations so I’m representing these as poorly maintained medieval walls which are a bit broken down by the 17th century. I’ve added turfed, earthen parapets as makeshift enhancements. These are made from modelling clay, given a coat of burnt umber, then a coat of fine sand glued on with PVA. Then 3 successively lighter earthy highlight colours dry brushed on and topped off with ‘grass’ scatter material. The odd sprinkle of ‘grass’ in other parts to add to the unkempt appearance.
The proper castle walls are painted with a black sprayed undercoat then the same three layers of earthy paint dry brushed. Final touch with dry brushed grey in some parts.
The bases of the soldiers stand on Jenga blocks to bring them to the right height. The blocks are small one (4.5x1.5x1cm). The troops are 10mm.
The walls are looking great.
ReplyDeleteThanks Peter.
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