I bought this a while back and it arrived just before I left to go on holiday, so I've only just had time to give it a flick through. It's obviously destined for some Bag the Hun scenario ideas or perhaps a variation of the Whispering Death convoy attack rules that are designed for 1/600th scale models and participation style multi-player games, so perfect as a potential club project. I'll try to find time to go through the text and photos properly over the weekend.
Jim's Wargames Workbench
Welcome to my blog. I have upwards of 100 projects in various stages of incompletion or total abandonment, so you may well find something of interest if you rummage about a bit. I concentrate on solo air and naval wargaming but other 'skirmishy' things quite often pop up out of nowhere, only to disappear again after something else grabs my attention. I even finish the occasional project now and again!
Thursday 18 April 2024
Wednesday 17 April 2024
Broadside and Ram Club Game
I'm dusting off the mid-Victorian ironclads for a game of Broadside and Ram at the club next week. This will either be a simple fleet action or possibly a scenario from the archives, either the Battle of Audierne or the Battle of the Six Roads being likely options. Whatever it is, I haven't played in a while so will have to brush up on the rules over the weekend and tart up the modified quick reference sheet.
Monday 15 April 2024
The Fighting Temeraire
I was on dad taxi duty tonight, so in and out of the house like a yo-yo, with some hanging about time in-between. To make the most of it I assembled another 98 gun second rate ship of the line for the Royal Navy, the celebrated HMS Temeraire. I have one more on the ASN3 100 gun models which I may build as either HMS Neptune or even HMS Victory.
Sunday 14 April 2024
AK47 Competition
This month's competition over on the AK47 Facebook group is to scratch build a river crossing of some sort including at least one Peter Pig figure, vehicle or accessory. I may well have a go at this if I can find the time, with a watering hole, river ford, footbridge or something similar, as there's loads of potential for some unusual twists on the theme.
Friday 12 April 2024
Knights of the Sky 1918
There's a Knights of the Sky multiplayer game at the club next week, which I'm hoping to be able to play in, depending on work. It's a late 1918 game with plenty of planes to borrow but I may bring one of my Fokker DVII scouts in the fictitious black and white scheme of Jasta 84, which was formed in October 1918 but never became operational. The last time I took to the skies in one of them it ended up going down in flames, so it may not be such a good idea!
Thursday 11 April 2024
Frigates, Sloops, Brigs and Schooners
I've never played Black Seas and don't intend to start but I am interested in the smaller unrated models up to and including the fifth rate frigates. I bought the starter set here in France last year and acquired some extra frigates and brigs from a friend (thanks DC!) to go with them, then moved on to other projects. Today, I spotted this bargain on eBay to add to my plastic pile of shame. The plan, if you can call it that, is to use them for some French Revolution of early Napoleonic channel action, using a suitable 'skirmishy' set of rules, to which I'm open to suggestions. Just don't hold your breath!
Wednesday 10 April 2024
White Russian Nieuport 17
I have a few 1/48th scale plastic kits I could build for my Back of Beyond White army but, like books, red wine and ammunition, you can never have enough. This is the latest acquisition via eBay, an old Testors kit of a Nieuport 17, complete with horrible engraved insignia and a very spindly upper wing Lewis gun, both of which will be removed when I build it. I've actually made one of these kits before for a fellow Back of Beyond player and it's not half bad, even given the dodgy details. The decals are lovely too, which is a shame as I won't be using them!
Tuesday 9 April 2024
Napoleonic Naval Update
Some fair forward momentum today with five third rate 74's and a fourth rate 64 blocked in with white, then tidied up with matt black. The aim tomorrow will be to block in the last three third rates then get at least a couple of the frigates done as well.
Monday 8 April 2024
AK47 500
I'm really pleased to say that the AK-47 Republic Facebook group I started a couple of years ago has popped the 500 members mark, which doesn't sound like much but is quite a lot of people for a rather old set of niche wargaming rules. It's a lot to do with an excellent, enthusiastic team of admins and experts, as well as some active participants who always get involved. Thanks chaps. Brilliant!
Sunday 7 April 2024
A Change of Tack
With only three days of holiday left before we pack up and go home, time is running out for me to shift the 1/2400th scale Royal Navy Napoleonic fleet further forward. To achieve something I've slimmed down the number of models to block in by about half, concentrating on the third rates and less than half of the frigates, the objective being to have all of the white blocking in completed and tidied up over the next few days. It's more of a squadron than a fleet now, which is a bit more realistic and should be doable given a fair wind and plain sailing?