Bamboo Huts

Back in 2004, the editor of Minitaure Wargaming dot Com created two 25/28mm size bamboo huts with burned out versions.  You can find the article here: http://www.miniaturewargaming.com/index.php/mwg/comments/bamboo_hut_paper_models/ which includes a download link for the pdf files.

I had downloaded the files but had not done anything with them for a long time.  Then Lori Brom announced the theme for Colonial Barracks 2014 as "And Two Battalions of Marines."  So I thought, dust off my Between the Wars "China" Marines and see what sort of scenario I can devise.  I decided on a rescue mission as the Marines go in to help some missionaries fleeing from a notoriously unstable warlord.  For that scenario I needed a trading station along a river as the end point in the rescue.  Ah ha! I'll use those bamboo hut models.  Crank up the printer and pull out the glue, let's get building, boys!

The two bamboo huts were quickly printed and construction began.  I used artist's matte board sandwiched between the outer and inner walls to stiffen them.  The walls, floor, and roof were all printed on 110-lb card stock.  The outer floor supports were made from Q-tip sticks (cotton buds for my European readers).  The smaller hut (3" x 3" roughly) would be the traders' living quarters and the larger (3" x 4" roughly) would be the trading post itself.

The smaller hut with the walls all glued together.  I made two sets of walls and glued one inside the other to have a passable interior.  The white box underneath is part of the foundation and will be painted to disguise it.  The two figures are 28mm Foundry Darkest Africa explorers mounted on washers that have been glued to 1" square 3mm bases.

The foundation has been painted and the outer floor supports are installed.

Glued to a masonite (hardboard) base and some added scatter for grass.

The larger hut is not quite as far along as I ran out of time before my game to test the scenario last Saturday.  It has a stair added and will get an overhanging front roof section to provide cover for the trade goods.

The trading post along the river with a docked steamboat and a beached amphibious plane.  The smaller hut is to the left and the larger to the right.  The steamboat is one I made from plans in an old Foundry article.  The amphibious plane is a actual 1936 Keystone Loening amphibious plane that was issued as a coin bank.

Here's another view of the smaller hut with the Keystone plane (and an unusual visitor!).  The plane is very useable for all sorts of Between the Wars and Pulp settings.

I made the roofs on both buildings removable so figures can be put inside.  At some time I think I'll make corrugated metal roofs for both so I can vary their appearance.  These were easy to construct and look very realistic.  More later as I get the trading post building finished and the bases with better scenics.

Some Yuletide Painting

My painting has been going slow these last several months.  I just finished a new unit for my Very British Civil War forces and am working on a new unit for my French and Indian Wars forces.

Very British Civil War

First Section of a company of the Liberty Bell Legion

 The Liberty Bell Legion was formed in the mid 1930s as an adjunct to the more progressive wing of the American Democratic Party.  Initially they were used to raise funds to ensure the election of progressive candidates to the US Congress and to state legislatures.  But when the constitutional crisis broke in Great Britain and the Fascists began to influence the British government, many members of the Liberty Bell Legion traveled to the British Isles to offer their services to oppose the Fascists in the British government.  Organized into independent companies, these volunteers quickly went to various places where more socialist Anglican forces were in control.  One place was the Anglican League command at Bury St. Edmonds, where the 1st Section of the 3rd Liberty Company soon arrived.  The rest of the company are still getting outfitted (painted) and will join them before too many days are past.  They will soon see action as the Spring campaign commences.

These figures are from Falcon (US) Miniatures' Boxer Rebellion line and are US Marine officers and enlisted.  I've had these figures for a number of years.  The impetus for this unit was a flag that Leics_Gamer posted on the Very British Civil War forum of the Liberty Volunteers from New York state.  That was quickly morphed into the Liberty Bell Legion and, as they say, the rest is history (or alternate history, rather).

Banner of the Liberty Bell Legion to be carried by every independent company

I only had enough figures to form 9-man sections instead of the 10 I wanted, so if any American readers of this post have some these Falcon Miniatures Boxer Rebellion American Marines in the advancing pose, please get in touch with me.

http://colcampbellsbazaar.blogspot.com/2013/12/looking-for-few-good-men.html  Thanks.

French and Indian War

The other figures that I am painting are some of Der Alte Fritz's incomparable Fife and Drum American Revolution militia.  My war gaming buddy Lord Sterling picked these up for me at Historicon back in July.  I finally began painting them.  Although I'm not far along, they are looking rather good.  I'll be using them for a colonial American unit fighting against the dastardly French deep in the backwoods of America.

Part of the militia unit in progress

I hope all my readers have a very nice Christmas holyday and a happy new year.

Thinking about "A Very British Civil War"

After reading several blogs and battle reports about the gaming genre known as "A Very British Civil War" (VBCW), I thought that I would look further into this, to me, fairly new bit of imagi-nationing.

My first step was to get a copy of Paul Eaglestone's A World Aflame: Interwar Wargame Rules, 1918-39 published by Osprey.  My dealer friend (and Army comrade) Rudy Nelson of Time Portal Hobbies was finally able to procure a copy for me.  I finished reading through it today and have been intrigued by the possibilities of not only using this for VBCW, but also for our Back-of-Beyond China armies.  Usually we use Larry Brom's The Sword to Adventure, available from Sergeants3.  But AWA will give us a more "granular" game than TSTA.

The next step was to see what sort of troops I could throw together from what I have on-hand.  And actually I could get a nice little force, from East Bergholt, Suffolk [edit - location changed].

The Squire of East Bergholt and his cronies (and cronyettes) of the East Bergholt Hunt Club.  The Squire has done his share of hunting in Africa and has surrounded himself with like-minded hunters and huntresses.

The East Bergholt Civic Guard is composed of some of the Baron's retainers and respected citizens of East Bergholt.  They have great loyalty to the Squire and to their small village.

And finally, the East Bergholt constabulary, led by Detective Inspector Foyle.

That's all for now.  We'll see how things go.

Final Painting of 2012

Yesterday I completed a small batch of disparate figures that had been sitting around my painting desk for far too long.

First some Miniature Figurines American Revolutionary War figures:

An American general, using the MiniFig General Washington figure, painted from scratch.





And a Hessian general, using the same figure.  This was a repaint of a previously painted figure that I purchased.



New figures for Bland's Dragoons (American).  I previously had inherited a unit of nine of these from my friend Doc Ord.  With the acquisition of three more, they are now part of a six stand regiment.  The newly painted figures are the officer on the front stand and two of the four figures on the back stands plus three of those four horses.  I think I did a fairly decent job of matching Doc's paint job.

And the whole regiment together.  They will be used to help oppose my British cavalry - 17th Light Dragoons, Queen's Rangers, and the Loyalist York Dragoons (an "made-up" designation).

An Old Glory Darkest Africa figure:

This is the leader from the Old Glory bearers set.  I needed a senior leader for my Zanzabari units and he seemed to fit the bill perfectly.  He is a slightly taller figure than the rest of my Zanzabari so he'll stand out as their leader.



My Chinese Back of Beyond forces needed some additional leaders so I added the Pulp Figures PYG-14 Chun King warlord command pack.

The warlord in the center and the standard bearer will lead the entire Chinese force.  The two figures on each end will join one of his warlord infantry units to replace some leader figures who are getting promoted.  The bald-headed guy in khaki will lead my German uniformed Chinese forces.  He's armed with a submachinegun and looks rather nasty so he'll be a good guy to keep them in check.  The basing details correspond to the units that are already done to which these guys will be added.

And my early 20th Century "Pulp" forces got some additional stalwarts to increase the strength of the "Knights of the Cresent Moon."



Three Tommy Gun toting "Knights" from the Brigade Games line of figures.  They'll join the ones I already have painted.



To make a fairly heavily armed band to help protect the treasures of the Near East from those ravenous "tomb raiders" who plague that part of the world.



And finally, Bob Murch's Pulp Figures of "The Sergeants Three and Gunga Din."

Those three brave and rogueish sergeants plus the bugle tooting Gunga Din.  The bases aren't completed yet but they are ready for adventures.



German-Equipped Chinese Troops

After a dismal month of painting in January, I got motivated and completed my two dozen Brigade Games China at War figures.  They are six of the eight packs available from that Brigade Games line.  I've divided them into two 12-figure sections, each with an officer, a sergeant, eight soldiers, and a two-man light machinegun team.

The "Red" Section, led by the senior officer (in soft cap), are mainly in firing and other stationary poses.

The "Gold" Section, led by the junior officer (in helmet with pistol), are all advancing/action poses.

The light machineguns are Czechoslovakian made, while the machine pistols and rifles are all German made.

I think that this unit will make a formidable opponent for their Anglo-American opponents in my Bayou Wars (June 2012) convention game.  They will also "double" as German-allied Central American warlord troops in another Bayou Wars "pulp fiction" game being run by my friend Bill and me.

I've started on my American Marines (also Brigade Games figures) and hope to have them completed before the end of February.

Between the Wars British and Chinese

Over the Memorial Day weekend, I completed my Between the Wars British "flying column" and also added some heavy weapons to my Back of Beyond Chinese forces.  All of these figures are Copplestone, from their Back of Beyond range.  Please click on the pictures for a larger image.

The flying column commander, a major, and his colour sergeant

Another view, showing the hand painted crown and chevrons on the colour sergeant's arm

The 1st Rifle Section, commanded by a captain, with a sergeant, corporal, Lewis gunner and loader, and seven riflemen

The 2nd Rifle Section, commanded by a Second Leftenant, with same other ranks

The machine-gun section with section sergeant and two Vickers .303 water cooled machine guns

The attached Ghurkha Rifle Section, commanded by a First Leftenant with his Ghurkha sergeant and corporal, British Lewis gunner with Ghurkha loader, and seven Ghurkha riflemen

I've had the Chinese heavy weapons for a while after purchasing them from Bobe's Hobby Shop when they were getting rid of many of their historical miniatures.  While I was painting the British, I took the opportunity to get them painted as well.

Chinese heavy machine gun team, with team commander, gunner, and loader

Chinese heavy mortar team, with two "active" pose crewmen and a "leader" (?) eating rice

Another view, showing the large mortar shell being held by the loader and the "leader" (?) enjoying his bowl of rice

These figures will see their baptism of fire in my friend Bill's game at Bayou Wars, our Gulf States regional convention.  Bill will be running his game at the Jackson Gamers table on Saturday afternoon, June 11.