First post of the year - Desert defences.

First post of the year and as the news tells me we can expect a weather bomb due to Storm Goretti and with snow outside.... the perfect time to throw up some trenches for the Western Desert.

Having been gaming for over 35 years, it's inevitable that as some point long and trusted traders would likely be looking to get out and retire. December saw John over at Ironclad Miniatures decide to call it a day.

Great news they have been saved and sold on to Leon over at Pendraken.. John held a retirement sale - just the excuse I needed to grab a few more trenches to help bolster the Vichy defences for Operation Exporter or perhaps Torch?

Great castings and the prefect balance between playability and sculpts.

Not a bad start for 2026.

Dispatches from the front XXXVII - Last post of the year.

It's been a while since the last dispatch from the front....... 

Time for an end of year review and some annual awards to dish out..... :-)

Unit or Unit of the Year.

Looking back over this years painting efforts I thought it would be interesting on which units where the most enjoyable to get on the table. 

The paint count this year was not to bad at all.

Over 150 15mm Foot Figures, 24 Cavalry, 220 28mm Foot, 30 28mm Mounted Figures and around 20 buildings and Terrain pieces.

The winner has to be the men of Massachusetts. 

At the time these 10mm Pendraken miniatures were far too many in one go... but 10 months later and reflecting on the overall output it was great to get 5 units on the table in one go. 

Rule set of the year.

It has to be Lion Rampant - They are so flexible and have provided numerous well balanced games. The Outremer games have kept the paint table ticking over.

More next year that's for sure.

Game of the year.

This was a tough one, but based on the look, feel and challenge playing VC forces against a mobile well armed US force it has to be La Drang Valley - Dust, Tears & Dice: Ia Drang Valley 1965 - Force on Force. We played using Force on Force which gave a great feel for the period.

Book of the Year.

Saul David - Tunisgrad a great read that takes you from the trenches to the generals map table. Inspiration for future games that's for sure.

Near miss.

This was a fun one... Projects or Rabbit holes that almost resulted in another project - Inspiration can come from a range of things. A weekend trip to Barcelona and a sense you had seen this building before. 

Several years ago I completed a Nationalist Spanish force - I was almost tempted to build an CNT Militia force I put it down to too much sangria.

Find of the Year.

Blitzkrieg Workshop - Printed and Painted WW2 vehicles - Items for sale by blitzkriegworkshop | eBay

£22.50 for a ready painted Tiger I

Now that's good value for money.

Save from the brink.

I must be getting old but the past 12 months I have seen several trusted brands wind up or retire. It was great to see Pendraken acquire Ironclad Miniatures and keep them in the market they had a great range of figures and terrain it would have been a shame to see them disappear. 

It's been a productive 12 months it was good to finish off the American War of Independence project with more than enough completed for most encounters especially using the Rebels and Patriot rules they play really well and have resulted in some great games - This year finally Lexington and Concorde over a couple of days.

The Crusades project is almost complete definitely a project that got out of hand.... so many cavalry. I bloody hate cavalry. With two more Arab units to go... the aim is get these done before the return to work on the 5th.

So what for 2026

The Christmas haul is a hint.

The occasional Aztec project continues with some additional cavalry, more Japanese for the January project more on that below and some US Rangers for Operation Torch - Curse you Saul David.

I have taken my first dip into 3D prints, having purchased the occasional mini this is the first major army purchase. I can't see myself buying a printer especially as there are lots of people popping up with print on demand businesses. Good to get a friendly local supplier who I can chat to about purchases and get them picked up within a few days. 

A couple of shots of the work in progress.

With an eye for the lesser known periods I fancied some Chinese for WW2 I already have plenty of terrain for the Far East and Japanese troops already painted they seemed like the perfect choice. There are some great files available for the Chinese army in a mix of headgear and supporting armour from Panzer II's to French FT17's.

These are the first batch a mix of the 88th Division in German kit.

Plenty more in British Issue helmets.

With a mix of uniforms ranging from Blue to Khaki they will certainly look that little bit different on the table... Not overly bother by Rules at this stage - Perhaps Chain of Command, Bolt Action V2 or even Xenos Rampant (Tweaked for WW2)

Having gone all in and purchased enough for 6-8 squads plus supports it will be a refreshing change from the Crusades.

Have a great new year everyone.

The Battle of Germantown 1777 - Rebels and Patriots.

Club game from a few weeks ago and the Battle of Germantown, the scenario is taken from a old edition of Wargames Illustrated. Played using Rebels and Patriots and the first outing for the Germans.

British forces under Howe face off against Washington's continentals. We had to scale the table down to 10mm which left a little bit of room to place the units on the table.

The US player attacks on multiple fronts hindered by the fog one brigade approaches Luken Mill securing 4 victory points if they can seize it. Additional bonus points are awarded for each unit destroyed or routed and -1 point to the owner of the lost unit.

On the far right the main force approaches Chew House also defended by British regulars.

The Crown forces defending Crew House awaiting the advance of the Americans. The British and Hessian main force is in Germantown will need to gather their forces to support the defenders.

The Continentals reach the outskirts of Chew House and line out preparing to assault the building if they can secure it, it will be worth 6 Pts. 

British reinforcements crest the hill and poor fire into the advancing mounted militia, driving them backwards.

Back at the mill the massed ranks of the militia succeed in driving back the original defenders, but fresh troops in the shape of 2 companies of Light Infantry start to make their presence felt. The Americans press forward.

Meanwhile in Germantown the Hessians advance towards Chew House as the attackers are making slow progressing in forcing the British out.

Finally multiple bayonet charges forces the British to withdraw, but casualties are mounting on the American side making activations more difficult.

Chew House is finally in the Hands of the US and in the same turn the Mill is seized. The victory points are balanced at 10 points each (10 for Germantown firmly in British hands.

But the Crown forces are now fully deployed in front of the Crew House and it feels only a matter of time until it is back in British Hands.

As the game draws to a close it's a victory for the British 16 points to 14. The US simply lost too many units in their assault on the main house.

A cracking afternoons gaming with some real back and forth between the two sides. You really need to prepare your attack stepping into close order and preparing a volley to break the British line, all to often the US opened up at long range which did limited damage to the Brits with the advantage of hard cover in the buildings.

We added in chits for each brigade which gave a random element to activations which made for an interesting challenger for each commander.

Next up.... Lexington and Concorde hopefully over the Christmas break....

17th Light Dragoons - AWI Cavalry.

A couple of take nights but I was determined to get these finished whilst the calendar still said September :-)

The last of the core troops for the AWI project and the 17th Light Dragoons from Pendraken Miniatures. Based 3 to base for Rebels and Patriots.

Given most of the cavalry of the period seems to have been deployed in small detachments 3 units of British cavalry should be fine for most engagements of the war.

A little bored of the mass of scarlet, I thought I might sneak in a unit of British Legion in green. I know the head gear is wrong, but it's 10mm so I can barely make out which way round the infantry are so head gear is not a major concern.

Really pleased which how these have come out.... Now to get them on the table....

AWI Logistic Corps....

Another batch clear the paint queue for the American War of Independence Project, these could be used for both sides of the conflict and will be useful for ammo markers or niche scenarios.

Two supply wagons and 4 mule trains should be enough for now.

Continuing the mounted theme I dug a few dead horses from the spares box, these will be perfect for extra shock/pinned markers for Rebels and Patriots.

Two days of the month to go, just enough time to finish the last of this project and the British cavalry..

No pressure....

American War of Independence - Hessians

Later into September than I would have hoped for and a determination to complete the last of the 10mm American War of Independence project.

First up Hessian Grenadiers whilst their are lots of choices amongst the German regiments deployed in the colonies, I opted for the classic feel of German Infantry. Painting up the regiment pack from Pendraken gives you for units for Rebels and Patriots, together with an officer base.

I threw in a couple of casualty/shock markers to make them a standalone formation. The flags are from Maverick Models to complete the formation.

Painting all four units in one go was a stretch, but 2 colours and night picking out the rifles, straps or boots and suddenly they are done.

Next up the British cavalry.... assuming all goes to plan.....

10mm Native American Tribes - AWI

The last post of May another batch of troops for the American War of Independence Project, I had a pack of Native Americans which might come in handy as scouts etc for campaigning North of New York.

Based for the Rebels and Patriot rules, Natives come in a unit size of 12 figures as a warband, they are not slowed by difficult terrain and may counter attack if charged by Infantry.

They only have a fire range of 12" in the rule set and my only Skirmish, not using the Fire action.

At a cost of 4 base points there is an option to increase their number to 18 for an extra point, you can also make them aggressive for a further point or taking them down a point by a point making them poor shots. So plenty of choice depending on the tribes.

Heading into June.... it might have to be yet more Crusaders as I still have around 7 units to complete the backlog, but with reading material for the Chinese in WW2 or Aztecs it might be time for a switch.... 

10mm American Colonial Buildings - 1776 Lexington & Concorde.

Limited game time but an opportunity to get some additional buildings on to the gaming table, a mix of Pendraken and Timecast Models.

The stone walls are from Timecast and will be useful for walling a few of the properties on the approaches to Lexington and Concorde.

Next up Hancock - Clarke House, the guys at Things from the Basement in the US have released a range of 15mm MDF models, which come with an historical reference for each. I have borrowed their paint design for my variants and their descriptions.

Based on The parsonage, located in Lexington, MA, was originally built for John Hancock I, the grandfather of the patriot John Hancock in 1737. Subsequently, the house was occupied by Jonas Clarke and his family. It was built on what later became Hancock Street. On April 19, 1775, just after midnight, Paul Revere arrived on horseback to inform John Hancock and Sam Adams that “the Regulars are out,” not the commonly known phrase, “The British are coming.” John Hancock and Sam Adams, leaders of the colonials, were guests at the Hancock-Clarke house at this time.

Hancock's House and Barn in the background. Next up Jacob Whittlemore House.

Located on the Bay Road in Lexington, in 1775 this house was home to Jacob and Elizabeth Whittemore as well as their daughter, Sarah, her husband Moses Reed, and their three small children. Neither Jacob nor Moses fought with the Lexington militia on April 19th, although Jacob had trained with it and Moses would volunteer for other Revolutionary War campaigns. Instead, Jacob and Moses carried Sarah Whittemore Reed, who was still recovering from the birth of her third child 18 days earlier, and her children to the relative safety of a nearby woodlot just before the battle reached their home. To the west of the house, Captain John Parker led the Lexington militia in engaging the retreating British Regulars. The Whittemore family lived in the house from the time of its construction in 1716-1718 by Jacob’s father, Nathaniel, until 1780 when it was sold by the family.

A selection of smaller huts and out houses, these were from the Pendraken Russian range but will be a useful addition to bulk out the table.

Next up AWI Woodland Indians.

10mm Terrain - Time Cast Models

It's terrain week, I had hoped to get a game in for Lexington and Concorde back in April but needed some more fields, walls and buildings to flesh out the table. But real life has conspired of late seriously hindering both game and painting time, so some quick wins sprucing up some of the Time Cast latex fields and marshes to day.

First up another obstacle for the British to cross a light bridge surrounded by swamps.

I had a bunch of static grass which when added to the swamp pieces gave them some density to the terrain piece.

US militia cross the bridge, by pure coincidence the basing for the units for Rebels and Patriots are fit the width of the bridge.

Next up a whole bunch of fields, two packs from Time Cast, some of them have plough rows whilst others are plain, I picked up some super sticky crops/grass from Geek Gaming Scenics these bring the fields to life a little and are not to high when compared to the figures. 

Not a bad afternoon's effort and some good extra's to bulk out the table and the extra buildings currently being undercoated.

A few more weeks and I should be game ready.