Back for more!

Work and work have kept me away from here for a little while lately, but then again it's not everyday that you get the opportunity to combine your hobby with your real life work and to design and make very same the toys you have always been playing with since you can remember.

Thanks to Lluis of Minairons and Defiant Pricipality fame, I got the chance to make the T-26 tank for Minairons Miniatures.

So I have been kept busy turning this...

...into this!! :)

Thanks Lluis and here´s to many more of them tanks rolling off the production lines. Remember we have to beat the original 11'000 that rolled out of them Soviet factories ;)

Campaign Map Started

Using trusty google on it's relieve map mode, I made some screen shots of the campaig area.

And using the hexographer free mapper, convert this to a hex map for the campaign.

Next up placing cities rivers and roads!

Mercenaries

Since the campaign will include various nations (Poland, Saxony, Russia, Prussia.. Sweden?), I am planning to make some country specific units and then also some mercenary units, which can fill the gaps in army size, as well as give different characteristics to the any specific army.
I have freely inspired myself on different historical units to bring these into my campaign, each with their own special quirks and habits.

First up, "La Legion Noire" based on a French Revolutionary Wars unit, a unit of diehard mercenaries, maybe deserters from the never ending wars of Louis Whatshisnumber, who work for the best price on the day... they fight hard, but for whom!?

Next the Neuenburger Regiment, obviously based on the Swiss Regiment of Napoleonic fame, transported to the Lace Wars period.  Steady, loyal and with superior firepower, this unit will get platoon fire advantages.

And last a small German princeling unit, hired out for a campaign. Based on the Nuernberger Bürger Kavalerie, here they are as a humble foot unit, fighting for the honor of their prince.

Flags and basing still to come for these units.

20 questions - some answers

1.  Favourite Wargaming period and why?
Napoleonics- it's got everything uniforms, countries, characters
ACWtoo much Gonewith the wind and North nd South
GNW lesser known Lace Period... more room to play!:)

2.  Next period, money no object?
Europeans Vs Maharattas, or a LaceColonial war on a last continent... Dinotopia maybe?

3. Favourite 5 films?
3 Musketeers, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, The man who would be king, Saving Private Ryan, Steiner the Iron Cross,   Kellys Heroes, 1612, Tara's Bulba, Last of the Mohicans,....

4. Favourite 5 TV series?
Game of Thrones,  Band of Brothers, Southpark, How things are made, Animal Biopsy, North&South (ACW-version)
     
5. Favourite book and author?
The Trilogy - Henryk Sienkiewicz
Lord Of the Rings- Tolkien
Swords around a Throne - better than fiction!

6. Greatest General? Can’t count yourself!!
KarlXII - consistently beat larger odds than his own

7. Favourite Wargames rules?
1648-1845, Black Powder,

8. Favourite Sport and team?
Rugby - and of course All Blacks

9. If you had a only use once time machine, when and where would you go?
19 November 1700 - Narva. to see 5000 swedes charge 40'000 Russians, dug -in with 200 guns, in a snowstorm... and win!

10.Last meal on Death Row?
A 25 course degustation menu by Gordon Ramsey. With any luck by course 12 they hang him instead!

11. Fantasy relationship and why?

Magdalena Miecarz - Tara's Bulba

then again Charlize Theron in Aeon Flux...

how can you ignore this woman in a catsuit?!

12.   If your life were a movie, who would play you?
Terence Hill

13. Favourite Comic  Superhero?
Asterix

14.   Favourite Military quote?
"Battles are always fought at the junction of two maps, on the side of a hill, in the rain"... can't remember who said it. I think an English General in Burma WW2

Field Marshall Montgomery commenting to General Bernard Freyberg, "I notice your troops are not saluting me." "Ah, yes," replied Freyberg, "but if you wave to them, they'll wave back."


15.   Historical destination to visit?
Hadrians wall

16.   Biggest Wargaming regret?
Having stopped for so long

17.   Favourite Fantasy job?
- getting paid to design figures and vehicles
- benevolent dictator of my Imagi-Nation :D

18. Favourite Song Top 5?
More than songs I'll put in bands/composers
· Fat Freddy's Drop
· Tchaykovsky
· Hans Zimmer (and his 500'000 sound tracks)
· Spotify's Top 100 of the moment
· ...

19.   Favourite Wargaming Moment?
Moving my guns up into range and upon a spur of the moment decision, moving them a little more than caution would dictate. My oponent, seeing this, starts retreating away form "The charge of the heavy gun brigade"


20.   The miserable Git question, what upsets you?
Not being able to answer this question! Who wants to be upset anyway, huh?

Going slightly off topic...

Saw this on one of my favorite design blogs the other day and couldn't help but think that you guys would be just as inspired by it.



this little  flying quadrotor helicarrier from the avengers got people asking on a russian forum, if it would actually work...


The  S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier challenge was posed to a longtime user called Native 18, who just couldn't resist... more about this after the jump ...

Redoubt Nº1

Upon reading the tutorial for a 15mm recoubt here, i felt the same technique can be applied for my 6mm guys.

So without much further ado, I present Redoubt Nº1;  result of my first terrain making adventure in many years!!

the finished works

which imediately has it's first group of tennants

an enterprising battalion of Russians!!!

 The matchsticks used look a bit over sized to me, or maybe the trees on the russian steppes grow a bit more sturdy! Maybe that should give it an extra advantage when facing Ottoman heavy guns?!

Mission to Podolia

Warsaw, March 23, 1696

Wilanow palace, Warsaw

Crown Prince Jakub was outside his fathers quarters, waiting for Doctor O'Connor to leave. His father had been unwell these last years and lately had been receiving intensive treatment from the Irish physician.

The door opened and the physician steppe out. To the anxious questions of the prince he could just give a chagrined smile and said to him, "Your father is waiting for you."

Jakub Sobieski

Jakub entered the king's chambers. The king was in his bed. Far from being the impressive hero figure the king has since his victory in Vienna retired from active campaigning due to health problems.

"Fanfanikiem,  come here." The ruler called his son over to his bedside.  "You know i have been ill for a while now, but things are coming to an end..."

"But father, the doctors have been predicting your iminent death for the last 2 years!!!" cried the Prince

"Shhh, quiet son. I won't leave today, nor tomorrow, but my health is also not improving. In fact it is getting worse" 

"You know we have been trying everything to improve your chances of getting the crown after I am gone, but as things stand, you will still need to get elected for this honor."

"As you know there are factions at court that still clai you have no right to the throne, being the son of a Hetman, not born when I was king."

"There are many pretenders to the throne. Lubomirski and Potoki are already with Hetman Jablonowski.  And they know just as much as we do, how a good military victory can improve ones chances to being elected King" said the King with a gleam in his eye.

" I have just received a report from Podolia, showing that the Emir of Lehistan, Kemik Kiran, is readying his forces for a spring or summer campaign. He is amassing troops from Crimea, Rumelia and the desert Nations. Rumours have it he is even recruiting chinese archers... at least he is bringing chinsese arrows!?!"

Kemik Kirans Horde amassing with Delis, Tartars, Janissarys, Bazi-bazouhs, and the mysterious Chinese Arrows...

"Son, I am asking you to take our troops and those loyal to us down there, assist the Hetman, but make sure that when the crushing blow falls, it is your hand that is guiding the mace! Crush them before they can crush us! And if you can win back Podolia, the crown will be yours for sure.

Go to Oleska. Rotamaster Krefeldski is already training and assembling some banners of Haidjuks and Dragoons, that will come in usefull in the hilly region you will be operating in."

The King gave his son a parting embrace.

"Good Luck!"