Argentinian Pre-Dreadnoughts Finished

Argentinian Pre-dreadnought Painting Progress

Some really good progress with the 1/2400th scale pre-dreadnoughts over the weekend, means that I only need to paint the bases and add a varnish to finish them off, bar the base labels. They've turned out alright and will really beef up the Argentinian fleet, apart from the Chilean Blanco Encalada obviously! I'm going to aim to finish them off tomorrow before I start preparing my half term holiday project....which is very much in the same vein but in a smaller naval scale. 

Argentinian Pre-Dreadnought Blocking In

After a brief intermission due to work I'm now cracking on with the Argentinian Pre-dreadnought additions to my 'What If?' project, starting with blocking in the hulls and upper works in a base coat of matt white. This will be followed by the decking and then a top coat of Vallejo Medium Flesh Tone on the funnels and masts. The two Ansaldo designed battleships were a pain in the bum to paint due to the tumble home but I think they will be pretty nifty when I'm finished. 

Chilean Pre-dreadnought Fleet Review

The additional ships and torpedo boats that I've been painting up for the Chilean pre-dreadnought fleet are now finished, apart from the recently converted model of the Blanco Encalada. I've now got a decent cruiser squadron to deploy, as well as the compact but powerful Swiftsure class battleships and some nippy torpedo boats to discombobulate the Argentinian opposition. I'm quite pleased with this lot and I'm looking forward to some more solo games in my ongoing Broadside and Salvo campaign.

Chilean Chop Shop Cruiser Conversion

A quiet afternoon for a change meant I could take some time to convert a Tumbling Dice Yoshino into the Chilean protected cruiser Black Encalada. This involves quite a lot of filing, cutting, filling and fettling, but I'm pleased with the end result, although it's not exactly an accurate reproduction. I'll base it up and undercoat, then add it to the Argentinian pre-dreadnoughts now sitting on the workbench for painting. 

Argentinian Pre-dreadnought Painting

I've now finished painting the Chilean pre-dreadnoughts, which just need base labels and a magnet strip applied, so it's on to the Argentinian ships this weekend. These consist of the two armoured cruisers that were sold to Japan and the two proposed Ansaldo designed fast battleships that were never built, based on the Regina Elena model from the Tumbling Dice range but with twin main armament in both turrets. The first thing to do is to block in the hull and superstructure in Vallejo Cold White, mixed 50/50 with Warpaints White for extra coverage. 

Chilean Pre-dreadnought Painting Final Stretch

The 1/2400th scale Chilean pre-dreadnoughts are now nearly ready for the final base painting, varnishing and labelling, which I'm very pleased about as I can then move onto the Argentinian ships. I just need to dry brush the bases, add some wakes and now waves, then varnish in two stages before I can print and attach the labels. I'm actually thinking of sprucing up the labels on the test of my models, as they've seen some action and are looking a bit tatty! 

Tying Up More Loose Ends

Too dark 

I'm getting there slowly but surely with my Chilean and Peruvian pre-dreadnoughts and have been thinking about the next one of loose ends to tidy up. I've been meaning to repaint the bases on my War of the Pacific ships for months, if not years, so that job is a strong contender for a weekend in the not too distant future. I've repainted bases before and it's a relatively simple, if slightly fiddly job, but it does make them match the sea cloth I use to a far better effect. I'll make a start as soon as the current Chilean pre-dreadnoughts are finished and while I paint up the Argentinian models.

Chilean Pre-dreadnought Painting Progress

Some decent progress on the blocking in today, with the matt white basecoat applied to the models, ready for a Vallejo Medium Fleshtone top coat tomorrow once it's all dry. After that I'll do a quick tidy up around the edges before applying the usual wash, which helps to add some definition and shading. These are all actual Chilean warships and torpedo boat destroyers, apart fron the two 'What If?' Swiftsure class battleships, Libertad and Constitucion, which were never delivered.

Blanco Encalada

Blanco Encalada 

Blanco Encalada

Yoshino

As part of my Chilean Pre-dreadnought fleet expansion, as it is a bit under equipped, I'm going to have a go at converting the Tumbling Dice model of the Japanese protected cruiser Yoshino into the Chilean Blanco Encalada. These were both archetypal Elswick cruisers and almost exactly the same size and layout, except for the position of the bridge, foremast and funnels, all of which can be relocated with a bit of effort. If it works, I'll have another cruiser to offset the relative strength of the Chilean navy against Argentinian armoured cruiser dominance.

Chilean Pre-dreadnought Progress

I've re-booted the South American pre-dreadnought project today with the Chilean 'What If?' battleships, Libertad and Constitucion, the armoured cruiser Chacabuco, the obsolete central battery ironclad Almirante Lynch and, last but not least, four Capitan Orella class TBD's. The latter are actually Arab class TBD models with the funnels cut down, so not exactly a match but good enough, as I suspect no one will know the difference? I'm going to paint all of these in the same black, white and yellow ochre scheme as my existing Chilean squadron, so that there is a consistent look to the Chilean naval forces. 

Tying Up Some Nautical Loose Ends

I was on a long road trip yesterday down to Plymouth and back, so had time to reflect on my lack of progress this far this year. I've started two or three projects with the best of intentions but these have all fizzled out due to a lack of focus and a failure on my part to get over my perennial painters' block. I'm also lacking the drive to play any actual games, perhaps due to having played a lot last year for the Algy scenario project. 

To rectify this but keep up some forward momentum and get some useful stuff done, I'm going to do what I've done before in this situation and finish off some loose ends. These are all nautical and include my Argentinian and Chilean 'What If?' pre dreadnoughts, the re basing of my War of the Pacific Chilean and Peruvian fleets to match my sea cloth properly, and possibly the ships for my very old 1864 Second Schleswig War naval project, which are all assembled, based and basecoated.

I think this will be both productive and also a way to dust off a couple of old but much loved naval wargaming projects for a few small solo games before the summer holidays in three months time. 

Summer Solo Naval Campaign

Every summer holiday I usually run a short solo naval campaign of some sort, occasionally interspersed with an air wargaming effort. This summer I'm planning to do the same and have three potential options:

1. Napoleonic Naval 

This would use my respectable collection of 1/2400th scale French, British and Spanish fleets, the latter being the only thing I'd need to paint in the run up. The rules would be Far Distant Ships or Grand Fleet Actions, so this would be for games with squadrons rather than individual ships, although a few frigate actions might well be in order.

2. WW2 Coastal Forces 

This would be a mini-campaign using Torpedoes and Tides, probably set in 1942 or thereabouts on the East Coast convoy route or along the English Channel. For this I'd need to re-base and tart up my existing 1/600th scale models, paint a merchant convoy of shipping and some German convoy escorts. A bit more work required but lots of potential for some narrative campaigning.

3. South American Interwar 'What If?'

A favourite theme of mine, as evidenced by a previous pre-dreadnought campaign, is a fictional yet feasible conflict between Chile, Argentina and Brazil. This time I'd be using the 1/3000th scale Navwar fleets for Argentina and Brazil, with the Chileans possibly making an appearance too. I would need to order some additional models from Navwar, now that it is up and running, as well as painting up everything required. I'd use Find, Fix and Strike for this campaign.

Rising Sun, Falling Dragon

Having done some proof reading for David Manley's new campaign supplement for the Sino Japanese War, I was chuffed to recieve a complimentary copy of the rules via Wargame Vault. This is going to be my naval project this year, once the Malta Bag the Hun thing is finished, with some Tumbling Dice model assembly and basing scheduled for the Easter holidays.  It really looks like an excellent campaign system and, as it's designed for Broadside and Salvo, I already know how the rules work, which is always a bonus. Thank you David. 

Projects and Plans 2026

Up, Up and Away...or more likely Kaboom!

It's that time of year again where I set out my projects for the year ahead in the hope of actually achieving some of them. Last year I decided to focus on the First World War as my principal theme and, with a few minor and inconsequential diversions, I managed to stick with it, with a specific focus on Algernon Pulls It Off!. I have really enjoyed this and ideally would like to carry on, so...

...in order not to let this fizzle out, I will be continuing my Algy project into 2026, with a focus on the French Aviation Militaire, subject to Paul at Tumbling Dice putting the new models I requested into production (this is very likely but just a question of time...as always). I will be writing more scenarios, rules additions and possibly a follow on article for next year's Lard Mag, who knows?

In other air wargaming news, I am planning to re-visit a couple of Bag the Hun projects in the shape of Arctic Eagles and the mothballed Finest Hour campaign that I started organising a few years ago. I have done quite a lot of the spade work for both of these and it would be a shame not to get at least one of them ticked off in 2026.

As far as naval wargaming goes, the plan is to add the long overdue Spanish fleet to the 1/2400th scale Napoleonic naval project and, if I have time, the Americans or possibly some other minor power as well. After that I may well do something with 1/2400th ironclads again, quite possibly revisiting the Second Schleswig War and Battle of Jasmund, or perhaps finally get round to a new pre-dreadnought project, the Sino Japanese War being a hot contender using Broadside and Salvo. Who knows?

Finally, the ever neglected land wargaming aspect of the hobby will get some attention. This is always my Achilles heel, as I hate painting figures and have a particular aversion to 28mm. Not to be put off by this affliction, I have been encouraged by my eldest son, now back home from university for at least two years (!), to do some samurai skirmish games in 28mm. I am also planning to finally get round to some medieval semi-skirmish wargaming, with both Lion Rampant and 'another set of rules' as a focus. 

As a final footnote to all of this wishful thinking, I may even get a Through the Mud and Blood 15mm First World War project underway in 2026.....just don't hold your breath!

2025 Review - Painting Things

I painted quite a lot of very small things this year, most of which were 1/600th scale aircraft but there were some 1/2400th ships and 1/600th scale tanks as well. I've also refurbished the bases on two 1/3000th scale Cold War naval fleets for the Indonesian Confrontation, so have bundled them in as well. All in all, not a bad effort and quite a lot of the stuff has seen some table top action too, so a fairly productive year of painting things.