Some painting done!

My painting schedule has gone hopelessly awry in recent months. Plenty of excuses, but little output.

A show is always an incentive and Claymore provided the push to get at least a few of the newly arrived Song of Ice and Fire figures on the table to supplement my conversions.

Here is Clegane 'The Mountain'. Yes he really is big, even allowing for the heroic 28mm proportions of these figures.

Then some knights of Casterly Rock.

Led by the Mountain to show how big he is.

Before these figures arrived I was getting some long standing bits and bobs out of the lead pile. So I finished these WW2 28mm personality figures this week. Kenneth More, playing the Beachmaster in The Longest Day was a Salute giveaway in 2014. Winston and the Bren gunner were freebies with long forgotten purchases.

And finally some Blue Moon German spies etc that I bought for my Very British Civil War games. Another system that deserves some dusting down.

Having got the painting bug, I have made a start on my 'moderns' project. Watch this space.

Glasgow Green dry run

We did a cut down version of our Wappinshaw display game, Glasgow Green 1938, at the club on Sunday. Waves of Government forces attacking the frame of what is shaping up to be a very good model of The People's Palace.

The Communist units holding the sandbag emplacements were wiped out, but the workers militia in the building just about hung on. A few tweaks to the Bolt Action rules plus some new event cards, and we should have a very good game.

More Bolt Action

We had another go at using the Bolt Action rules today for a Very British Civil War battle.

Just under 1000 points a side which gave us 5 infantry squads a side plus supporting tanks and armoured cars. Mostly woods in the centre of the table which meant lots of close combat. The rules regard an attack within 6" as a surprise attack and that means no defensive fire. Big advantage for the attackers as they go first. Close combat is very bloody with the losing side destroyed.

My copy of the first Bolt Action supplement, Armies of Germany, arrived this week. The army lists are laid out like the ones in the rules, but with more detail. Beautifully illustrated with Osprey colour plates and models. Just what I need for the Tito raid project we are planning for next year. More details will follow as the project takes shape.

I will leave you with a couple of photies of today's opponent the Solemn League and Covenant. This first is the League command unit and the second is the Boys Brigade squad. These are from Iain's collection with his own great flags at Flags of War.

Clydeside reinforcements - T26

I returned to the Very British Civil War today at the club. This time using Bolt Action rules with 1000 points a side. My Clydesiders against Iain's League of St Andrews.

My Clydesiders received some fraternal reinforcements this week in the form of a T26 tank from the Soviet Union, with 'volunteer' tank specialists. It did very well in its first outing, knocking out an enemy tank and supporting the final push to victory over the bourgeois posties, Covenanters and others that make up the League.

Scotland is not of course the first time the T26 has been exported. It first arrived in Spain on 12 October 1936, when a force of 50 landed in Cartagena commanded by Brigadier Krivoshein. They were quickly in action in the defence of Madrid. The T26 was not a very robust design and most were out of action being repaired by December. After that they were husbanded for special operations, although infantry cooperation was abysmal throughout the Spanish Civil War.

Despite these difficulties the T26 was probably the best tank in the Spanish Civil War, at least until the BT5 arrived. The Nationalists captured so many that one was attached to each of their Pkw I units. The 45mm main gun outclassed anything the fascists could supply. Around 281 were supplied in total. The T26 remained in Spanish army service until the 1960's.

The model comes from the Empress Miniatures range. Painted a neutral green with dry brushing earth and a coat of Devlon Mud. While it is an excellent model, the parts are not a great fit and needed a lot of work to get them to fit, particularly the gun barrel. At £19 a go they could do better. Some instructions wouldn't go amiss either. I would have struggled without the excellent Osprey, Spanish Civil War Tanks.

Bolt Action rules worked well for the game. Although we will probably add some chance cards next time.

Naval mutiny!

The navy has mutinied in Glasgow and joined the Clydeside Brigade. useful reinforcements as these are trained troops in the best Battleship Potemkin tradition.

These are First Corps figures supplemented by some villainous looking Blue Moon characters. Oh and one of Simon's converted steam lorries that I picked up at Falkirk.

VBCW - Flags and Facists

The Clydeside Brigade is looking good with the latest arrivals adding to their strength. Fascists beware! However, something was missing - flags.

In steps Iain, a new club member at GDWS who runs Flags of War a supplier of 28mm wargames flags. As you can see below the Clydeside Brigade now has it's very own flag and company level ones as well. Many thanks Iain!

I don't claim any objectivity when it comes to the 1930's, hence my choice of unit. However, they need someone to fight other than the Scottish Government forces. So Moseley's British Union of Fascists have crossed the border. Lets hope my red dice roll well!



VBCW - Clydeside Brigade recruits

The New Year brings some new recruits to the Clydeside Brigade.

First we have a shipyard rifle platoon. They have taken the Covenanters as their inspiration, hence the blue bunnets.

Then we have some more workers militia.

These figures are mostly from the Musketeers Miniatures range.





VBCW - Duchess Hussars

A bit of an indulgence this but I couldn't resist these figures and A Very British Civil War was just the excuse.

May I present the Duchess of Argyll's Hussars. Historically the great lords in Scotland all had their own private army. That all came to an end with the Jacobite rebellions etc. Although there remains one legal private army in Scotland, the only one in Europe, at Blair Atholl. The Atholl Highlanders number around 100 men and are today a ceremonial tourist attraction at the estate.

Back to the VBCW. With revolutionary activity all around the great, and not so great, lords started to recruit private armies once again. The problem being manpower. The clearances and other economic change meant the landowners no longer had large numbers of tenants to call upon for military service. The Duchess of Argyll came up with a solution. She recruited her friends and their staff into an all female hussar unit. Anyway that’s my story!

The figures are from the Hinterland Miniatures range. They do a wide range of figures and support weapons on this theme. Visit the gallery section to see how collectors across the world have used these fine castings.

VBCW - The People's Armies

Picked up a nice booklet on the Very British Civil War theme called The People's Armies. This is available from Solway Miniatures.

This booklet describes the various Worker's Defence Corps, largely based on trade unions, that sprung up around the country to resist Moseley's Blackshirts.  My own Clydeside Brigade fits in with this idea very well. Plus Anarchists and the Communist People's Assault Columns.

The text covers the type of unit together with their weapons and uniforms. Poorly equipped compared with government forces some French and Russian equipment started to arrive together with some foreign volunteers. Similar to the Spanish Civil War.

The booklet has some nice photies of available models and excellent 'Osprey' style colour plates by Peter Barfield. The naval figure is particularly good and an order has been dispatched to 1st Corps who do a suitable figure. These will make a new platoon to add to the Clydeside Brigade. All very Battleship Potemkin!

Very British Civil War starts

Got the new units onto the tabletop for the first time today.

The scenario involved a Clydeside Brigade attack on a Scottish Government outpost garrisoned by a Territorial Company. The workers militia were tasked with this assault while the Communist Company advanced on the right flank to protect the attack from the expected relieving force of regulars.

The militia attack soon ground to a halt. Insufficient troops and firepower to get through the sandbag defences. The Territorial's rifle fire was pretty impressive, just wished I could roll as many 5 and 6's in competition games!  The regular company then arrived very quickly and dispatched a platoon of the Communists. However, the second platoon fought them off and the action ended in a stalemate.

I used Warhammer Great War rules and they worked very well. Once I remembered the key elements the game moved quickly. The one irritating aspect of these rules is that they are badly presented. Key rules are hidden away and the reference sheet is possibly the worst I have ever seen. Whole sections are simply missing. Must see if someone has done a decent one, if not, add to the must do list.

I don't think I have mentioned the trucks before. They come from Simon at Solway Miniatures. He does a great range of conversions.

Clydeside Battalion

The next unit for my Very British Civil War project is the Clydeside Battalion.

These are better trained troops financed and organised by the Communist Party to stiffen the ranks of the workers militias. Not quite regulars, but very committed to the cause and more likely to stand up to any fascist or regular army units they may come up against. Red Clydeside rises again!

Workers Militia

Just completed the first unit for my Very British Civil War project. For those not familiar with the concept it is an alternative historical take on the events of 1936-38. Civil war grips Britain with a range of armies seeking control.

My units will mainly be Clydeside Workers Militias, formed to defend Glasgow and the West of Scotland against the Fascists.

A range of figures including Musketeer and Anglian.