Birthday Yeti!

My latest passion is a return to favorite adventures of yesteryear.  Not only am I rereading classic novels such as The Lost World and Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, but I am also reliving the adventures in miniature on the dining room table.  The rule set In Her Majesty's Name is ideal for heroic adventures in the Victorian Age or an imagined Steampunk genre.

Honorable Son #5, who also prefers skirmish games like In Her Majesty's Name presented me with a fine birthday gift.  Lo and behold!  A yeti from Reaper Miniatures Dark Heaven Legends range which will fit in nicely in upcoming adventures

The yeti is cast in two parts, the left arm is separate but easily attached.  This is my first experience with Reaper Miniatures, having only seen images of their figures on the web.  I was surprised, based on reputation, on the amount of flash that was on the figures - mainly under and around the arms, the tips of the claws and underneath the base. The flash was easily removed and a few moves of a file removed some small, hardly noticeable mold lines.

Visible flash under the arm and I had to lean him against another figure due to excess flash underneath the base.

As I mentioned earlier, the left arm was easy to attach in place with super glue.  I thought at first I might need to fill in the gap between the arm and the shoulder but I later reconsidered as it is hardly noticeable.  I attached him to a Games Workshop 60mm round base and was pleased with the imposing stance and animation of Mr. Yeti.

"Are you looking at me?"

The yeti measures 50mm from his feet to the top of his hairy head.  I applied a coat of thinned down Vallejo black to prime and bring out the features.  Next stop will be to finish this fine looking beast.

Thanksgiving Blessings

Surely this was a blessed year.  I was out of work for 4 months due to a corporate restructure but God never failed to provide.  I am most thankful for the sacrifice of my lord Jesus Christ and the cleansing of my sins. I've been blessed with my Beautiful Bride, Honorable Sons #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, my two daughters-in-law and my daughter-in-law to be.

Give thanks to the Lord!

Psalm 138

Of David.

¹ I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
    before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
² I will bow down toward your holy temple
    and will praise your name
    for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
    that it surpasses your fame.
³ When I called, you answered me;
    you greatly emboldened me.

⁴ May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord,
    when they hear what you have decreed.
⁵ May they sing of the ways of the Lord,
    for the glory of the Lord is great.

⁶ Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
    though lofty, he sees them from afar.
⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
    with your right hand you save me.
⁸ The Lord will vindicate me;
    your love, Lord, endures forever—
    do not abandon the works of your hands.

Happy Tanksgiving!

As we celebrate Thanksgiving in the USA I thought I would share some tanks that myself and my Honorable Sons have painted:

Lord Saye and Sele’s Regiment of Foot WIP

The last unit for Phase 3 of my English Civil War project. Lord Saye and Sele's Regiment of Foot was of Essex’s Army raised by William Fiennes, Lord Saye and Sele but led by Sir John Meldrum until he was sent North and replaced by Colonel Edward Aldrich.  The regiment entered the New Model Army under Col Walter Lloyd.

All figures from Warlord Games Hard Plastic English Civil War infantry and they will be mounted for the excellent rule set Victory Without Quarter.

 Pikemen converted to ensigns

 Musketeers

Pikes!

Sergeant

 Muskets and Command

English Civil War Update: Life Interrupts!

Yes life can interrupt. My boss called on a Monday, I was flying toward my destination on Tuesday . . . and now 6 weeks later I am back.  Until I fly back again for another 4 weeks . . . but home for Christmas!

I started my English Civil War project in January of 2013 with the discovery of the rules Victory Without Quarter written by Clarence Harrison. I now had the perfect set of rules for what I wanted to do with gaming the English Civil War in 28 mm.  Even better the set of rules only cost the price of printer paper and ink.  Yes they are free! 

Victory Without Quarter is a card driven, element based, Warmaster/Blackpowder kind of game.  Clarence clearly states that he has liberally used ideas from various sources in his rules to create a game he would enjoy playing that was not too complicated yet realistically portrays the challenges and outcomes of this pivotal period of military history.  Most infantry regiments are generically based with two stands of musketeers and one stand of pikes based as "elements" on 60 x 60mm bases. Aesthetically this looks really good on the dining room battlefield and looks right to me.  Cavalry are organized as troops with two stands 80 x 60 mm bases that can be combined into cavalry regiments.

Standard basing for Infantry: 1 stand of pike and 2 stands of musketeers.  Note the casualty markers.

Typical Regiment of Horse being led by their Brigade commander, the War Poodle 

The rules give basing sizes for the other common units and some ideas for units that different ratios of pike to shot.  Markers can be used for various states and casualties which add to the fun of the game.

 Highland Clan casualty markers

 

Reload Markers

 Phase I of my project is complete and consisted of 5 regiments of English foot, 2 regiments of English horse, 1 regiment of cuirassiers, 2 army commanders and 4 brigade commanders.

 King Charles I

 

Phase II of the project (though not planned for at the beginning) is also complete with 2 regiments of Royalist Irish foot, 3 units of highland clansmen and 3 more brigade commanders.

 Irish Regiment of Foot

Phase III, which would have been complete on the original time line, is to consist of 5 regiments of English foot and 2 more brigade commanders; 4 of the regiments are complete.  The last regiment is approximately half way finished and the 2 brigade commanders are primed. My new goal for completion is January 10th, 2016.

Part of Phase III: The Green Regiment of the London Trained Bands

Phase IV will be the addition of 3 more regiments of horse while Phase V will be the additions of 2 artillery guns with crew with a projected completion date for all by December 31st 2016.  Eventually I want to add 2 regiments of dragoons but they will have a "to be determined" as there are other projects and figures I may be painting.  More to come!

Veteran's Day 2015

November 11th is Veteran's Day in the USA and Armistice Day in other countries. 

I proudly have the 1st Armored Division on my right sleeve.

 

Me with Honorable Son #2.

Younger me on my Bradley "Audacity" with the 1st Armored Division.

My brother Shawn and his lovely bride Mary.

My lovely bride and my sister-in-law Allison (a retired colonel who is still my favorite Blackhawk pilot!).

My brother Brian.

 

My Dad.  He was "Doc" to the Marines during 2 tours in Vietnam.

Not pictured is my father-in-law Jim who as a 19 year old 1st Lieutenant starting flying B-17 bombers with the 8th Air Force in 1944 and ended the war as a captain.  My grandfather Sylvester was a Gunner's Mate on a destroyer in the US Navy during World War 2. My grandfather Mike served as a civilian civil engineer during World War 2 building railroads in Persia. My Uncle Gus who served in the Army as a Vietnamese language intelligence specialist and my Uncle Glenn who served in the US Navy.