Distractions

I have to admit that I’ve become slightly distracted from my AWI project. That’s the price you pay for being ahead of schedule. I tend to slacken my efforts and my time has gone into other things. Part of the reason for being distracted is the fact that I played Black Ops with the guidance of its author, Guy Bowers, at Poldercon. A fun and fascinating game that has infected my hobby group as well. Even Yuri, the most enthousiastic but painting-wise most challenged member of my group, has been slaving away on insurgents. The game is set for the 8th of April. I have to admit he paints better than me, albeit at a snails’ pace.

Particularly funny, for me at least, was the toy car my company gives out on occasion. It’s is a Toyota pick-up truck that my colleagues use to secure the highway in case of accidents. It is now firmly in the hands of the insurgents of Somewheristan and will be used to fight of the capitalist infidels. As the SAS I have painted do not have any anti-vehicle equipment this will probably be a challenge for them. The figures are all by Empress and they are to be recommended. The rest of my painting time was spent on gaming. One game of Black Ops, which we set in WW2 Italy, with British commandos successfully blowing up an Italian HQ and a radar station, and another of Chain of Command in which my British paratroopers managed to snatch defeat out the jaws of victory. Note to self: do not let Fallschrimjäger gang up on you! Particularly if your gaming pal is managing to throw double six on four(!) consecutive command rolls. And especially when he has interrupted your turn with a CoC die just before that. Suffice to say, 1st and 3rd squad are no longer with us.

Another fun game of Black Powder, refighting the 2nd battle of El Teb, was held in Utrecht at the B.O.D. HQ, the venue where Poldercon was hosted in February. The British won this time, as is historically correct. The Fuzzies were victorious on the two previous occasions we played this game. The reason for these three games, apart from a desperate need for the Brits to prove they could actually win this thing, is that we’re going to demo the game at the Impact show on the 3rd of April, I’m very curious to see how it works out. So, everyone, come visit the Impact show in Eindhoven on that faithful day and say hi. And perhaps, lead a charge!

But, back to the American revolution. I did manage to make some progress with Tarleton and his British Legion cavalry and they are now waiting for the details. I noticed that I tend to paint all the colours first, but not very neatly. I miss spots, make spots and trow the models around a bit so that the metal shows through here and there. So far, I have been unable to paint the models in one go and I find that the painting process now inevitably includes a correction process as well. Not a very ‘lean’ way of doing things. But it works for me. Usually, painting is done in the evening, with very little light, and tiredness makes me forget things apparently. I do hope I’m not the only one suffering from self-inflicted mistakes. I sometimes even find a mistake when the model is already fully painted, based and varnished on the gaming table!

As my boy Banastre Tarleton was prominent in earlier blogs, I put in some extra effort on him. Or them, I should say. The model I got from Five & Drum, sold as Tarleton himself, has some striking similarities with the officer you can find in the Perry blister. Both have their arms raised as though they are signalling the troopers to advance and both have the same dress code: fancy pants and a white scarf to top off the splendid looking uniform. As the models are not interchangeable I had to mount the different brands on their own separate bases. This means I now have two British Legion units of six cavalry each, but they will act as one during the game. The smaller ones will probably be hiding behind the larger figures. I might tell myself that the smaller ones are off in the distance. Yes, that will be a nice self-serving narrative. Forced perspective and all that… 

The Fife & Drum miniature will go with the trumpeter on a special command base and the Perry figure will be demoted to officer status. Leading the troops in the front rank, but will also get his own trumpeter.