Biblical Camel Archers

The purpose of this post is twofold.  One to show the latest figures loping out from the painting desk, and two, to see if what I discovered about a working solution to the blogroll delay (or absence altogether) is reproducible.

First up, the latest units off the painting desk are two, three camel groups of mounted archers.  These early, tandem dromedary troopers are additions that I have been eyeing for a long time.  Finally, the first two stands are ready for action.  These fellas will see service in some of the Biblical armies.  

Figures are 28mm Newline Designs.  Nice looking sculpts and something different and fun to paint.  I like 'em!  There are another six of these camelry in The Lead Pile.   

Second, this post is a test to see if the forced, work-around publishing to the blogroll seen in my 14th Anniversary post can be reproduced in a controlled and repeatable fashion.  If it can, then I will write up what I discovered and my solution.  If the forced effort fails, well, then you will not see this post unless you come looking. 

Syrian Archers

Sitting down for meaningful work at the painting desk has posed a real challenge the last two months.  May productivity was looking rather grim until I managed to get in some quality time at the workbench this week.  Besides sticking together a bunch of Perry WotR plastic figures, these Syrian archers emerge from the production line.

Out from the desk today march 22 Syrian archers spread across three BMUs.  Two stands comprise massed archers and the third musters out as a skirmish stand.  Figures are 28mm Newline Designs.

These figures have languished in The Lead Pile for a very long time.  Finally, I decided to pull them from the bin and push them into the painting queue for a change up in period.  Glad I did.  I really like these sculpts and painting them was enjoyable after having produced a number of 18mm units.  Still more 18mm FRW units in work but this was a welcome change.  Seeing these Syrians emerge makes me want to push some more Biblicals into the painting queue.  First, though, I have my eye on WotR and Reconquista figures.

With these fellas coming out of the production line, thoughts turn toward bringing Biblicals back out onto the table.  Before that happens, I expect a return to Samurai battles. 

Babylonian Archers

A variety of finished units continue to muster out from the painting desk.  Today's offering sees a return to Biblicals with 18 Babylonian archers.  These 18 figures are positioned across two stands for use as massed archers in Impetvs or, perhaps, To the Strongest! if I ever return to that ruleset.

Figures are 25mm Newline Designs.  Having painted a number of these figures, these are nice sculpts and easy to paint.  More Newline Biblicals are in the painting queue but not Babylonians.

This week has seen a distraction from figure painting.  On the workbench is a 1/48 armored kit given to me as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago.  I figured it high time to pull the kit off the shelf and make the build.  What is the kit?  Well, it is Tamiya's 1/48 Matilda.

Now, I have not built a 1/48 model for many, many years. I think the last such model built was 1/48 Sherman for use in Chain of Command.  That Sherman is still yet to see any tabletop action.  When Scott gave the Matilda, he said that my British infantry ought to have some armored support.  He is right.  Perhaps having a little armored support will prompt me to bring the 28mm WWII collection out for a game or two?  Gosh.  That collection has not even been out for an inspection in more years than I can remember.  With the allies having armor support, can German armor support be far behind?  We will see if these troops make it to the table.

More Hittites

With summer just kicking off and the month of June winding down, activities on the hobby front are seeing signs of renewed life.  From May's low figure count in the Painting Log, June will see a marked uptick in output.  Not quite a hundred figures will pass out from the painting desk but it may be close.  Still one week to go before closing the books on June.  

With two games last week and one game yesterday, gaming is starting to work its way back on track too.  All three games were refights of the WotR Battle of Mortimer's Cross.  The first was a F2F game chronicled here.  The second was a remote game with Peter and the third was a four-player remote game with the Rejects.  Games 2 and 3 are yet to be chronicled.

Mortimer's Cross with the Rejects

Anyway, back to the painting desk.  Mustering out today is another body of Hittite spearmen.  These fourteen figures are mostly Wargames Foundry with the odd Newline Design figure tossed in for good measure.  A return to the SYW/WAS may be out next from the photo booth. 

Weather has been good on the Palouse and outdoor cycling has picked up accordingly.  While my lingering and annoying cold/flu bug has forced continued workouts on the indoor trainer, mileage outside increases.  Late spring and early summer are colorful times with the bright yellow blooms of rapeseed blanketing the landscape.  Seems many more fields of yellow this year than in recent years.  Nice contrast to the blue sky and the green, forested hills. 

Next time, hopefully a battle report!

The Dirty Dozen

Actually, the very dirty fourteen!

Being knocked back from illness the last week and having to wipe away a couple of games from this week's schedule, I am surprised at how much more I feel motivated to paint.  The absence of any games to plan, host, and write-up, has given me more time to think about activities at the workbench.  More accomplished than simply thinking about painting activities.  I have gotten down to business with a few meaningful painting sessions as my recovery allows.  I even managed to stick together a dozen Perry WotR mounted men-at-arms.  Glad I don't need to field masses of these mounted horsemen.  Short bursts may be all I can muster, for now, but good progress is made on a number of projects.    

Off the painting desk today is the first of two bodies of Hittite spearmen.  Figures are mostly Wargames Foundry with an odd Newline Designs' figure tossed in for good measure. 

These fellas look a bit dirtier and more campaign-worn than usual.  I may have applied the stain a touch too liberally this time or may not have wiped away quite enough.  Anyway, these dirty warriors join the ranks of the Hittite Army.

For now, back to the painting desk.

Babylonians on the March

 

With heads barely peeking over the tops of their large tower shields, a body of Babylonian infantry is on the march out from the painting desk.  These 28mm Newline Design figures are some of my favorite sculpts from the Biblical range and I have many.

The shields these fellas carry are so large that they obscure the figure almost entirely.  Great figures and a pleasure to paint.

With Mother's Day coming up this Sunday, it is time for the crabapple trees to be in bloom.  Right on schedule, they are!

Weather has been pleasant and cycling has kicked up over the last few weeks.  River is running high from snow melt and recent rainfall.  The Lower Falls sees a complete inundation by the torrent of water.

South channel of the Upper Falls is much the same!

I close out today with a big red barn from a recent ride.

A Look at Some Akkadians

While time at the painting desk seems at a premium of late due to other distractions, work continues albeit at a slower pace.  What time I find, continues to be monopolized primarily by SYW/WAS units.  Still, my attention is turning back to Biblicals and today's entry illustrates one such diversion.

Out from the workbench today are 24 Akkadian spearmen deployed into two units.  Figures are 28mm Newline Designs.  Superb sculpts.  These Akkadians march out to reinforce the Sumerian project.  Remaining in The Lead Pile are enough Akkadians to form two more such 12-figure units. 

What other Biblicals are working through the painting queue?  Well, there are two bodies of Babylonian spear in progress at present.  Two dozen Hittite spear are being prepped for undercoating.  I would like to work more Biblicals into the painting queue in 2025.  Off to a good start in the New Year but the pace really needs to increase if March production is going to come anywhere close to totals seen in January and February.

Working up rules for an upcoming Wars of the Roses game is taking away time at the painting desk as I prepare to bring the WotR collection to the table for the first time.  Still, much to consider and refine as I wrestle with building something (hopefully) useful, enjoyable, and challenging.

More Sumerians and a Bit of Shopping

Close upon the heels of last week's Sumerian reinforcements (see Sumerian Reinforcements), a similarly sized batch of Sumerian javelinmen departs from the painting desk.  This dozen light infantry is split between a four-figure stand of skirmishers and an eight-figure stand of light infantry.  Figures are, again, from Newline Designs.

While attention at the painting desk has turned toward projects not Sumerian, I did dig out a pack of two dozen Akkadian spearmen to prep for pushing into the painting queue.  First, though, more FPW Prussians are on deck as is a return to the SYW/WAS project.  Time at the workbench has actually increased over the last two weeks and progress is being made on the painting front.  I may reach 900 figures painted by year-end.  We will see.

While figure purchases have remained very much at a minimum this year, recent sales on books and games have dented the wallet slighty.

Helion recently offered a Black Friday sale with 25% discounts and free shipping to the USA.  An offer I could not refuse!  The two books shown above are part of the order.

In similar sales and preorder releases, the following games dropped into my mailbox of late:

I know, these annual holiday sales can be so difficult to resist.  While 19th Century Miniatures always holds a Christmas sale on 15mm Old Glory figures, I am resisting in order to keep my 2024 Figures Purchased tally in check.  Since the sale runs through 04 January, I can place an order in the New Year after the counter resets.

On the gaming front, one more First Battle of Azukizaka is on deck for a Tuesday game.

Sumerian Reinforcements

Over the last two weeks, I have actually made some progress on the painting front. If you glance at the counter on the right sidebar, the counter shows that I have painted 834 figures in 2024. November was a very good month compared to some others and just over 100 figures passed across the painting desk. While December may not see such productivity, I am off to a solid start.

Off the painting desk today (well, in November) are two units of Sumerian Javelinmen.  One unit is a four-figure skirmisher stand and the other is an eight-figure unit of massed, light infantry javelin.  Today's offering is the first of two such pairings in work.  Figures are Newline Designs. 

Besides the Sumerians, lots more in work.  FPW Prussians, SYW Bavarians, and WAS Spanish are all making progress through the production line.  As is often the case, painting production picks up as the year draws to a close.  Once the books are closed out for 2024, I plan to revisit the painting seasonality analytics to see if this year saw unusual painting activity.

On the gaming front, Monday witnessed a four-player refight of the 1542 Battle of Azukizaka with Postie's Rejects.  Very good game, hotly contested down to the last charge.  Great fun!  Details another time.

Back to Sumeria

After wallowing in painting 15/18mm horse and musket figures over the last five months, something different finally pushed across the painting desk.  That something different sees a brief return to Ancient Sumeria in 28mm.

Today's offering shows 26 figures in four units.  These units comprise two stands of four skirmishers and two stands of nine massed bow.  Figures are all 28mm Newline Designs.

The brief Sumerian distraction will be followed up by more FPW Prussians and the first of SYW/WAS British cavalry.  Yes, looks like I finally begin work on a British army for this period.

On the gaming front, today sees a return to the very long-running AWI campaign with Matt as he rolls out the Battle of Bennington.  Matt and I have experienced a very long hiatus in this campaign so it will be a welcome return to old.  Monday sees a rematch of Shiloh in a remote game with Postie's Rejects before I clear the table of ACW and plan for the next series of games.  Since the 15mm Feudal Japan armies have not seen action in a very long time, that period is where I am headed next.

Finally, a panoramic photo of the Spokane River Gorge, the Monroe Street Bridge, and the Lower Falls taken on a loop walk on a mostly sunny and warm Saturday afternoon.

Now, time to refresh my memory on Rebels & Patriots before this morning's action with Matt.

Back to Biblicals

While armies were engaged in a heated, yet collegial, battle on the table yesterday on the field of Bassignana, today sees a return to the painting desk.  The painting desk also sees a return to mustering more Biblicals in 25mm.

Out from the painting desk are two stands of Chaldean archers, each of nine bowmen.  Figures are Newline Designs.  I enjoy painting Newline figures for their understated simplicity and quick to field nature.  When I want to pick up the production and get some bang for the buck, I pull out a handful of Newline Biblicals.  Always a pleasure to paint.   

Speaking of picking up the pace at the painting desk, painting sees an uptick in output with May benchwork making an attempt to push more lead across the work desk.  Currently, there are 46 18mm WAS Genoese just about to ready for basing.  Whether these figures make it into May totals or slide into June counts is still in question.  If finished today, May numbers will look quite good.  If not today, well, I have a good jump on June. 

I leave with a teaser photo from Thursday's Bassignana game.