C19th Horse Drawn Utility Cart, 4Ground

Costing £3.50 this is a small kit, this time from 4Ground, that I would consider to be in the pocket money range of purchases, such as this [chicken coop]. Although the label states it's a 19th century utility cart I don't think it looks entirely out of place for my ECW games and even medieval set ups.

Utility Cart

Relatively simple to put together (each kit is individually rated indicating the skill level required) I would recommend reading the instructions before popping out all the pieces from their board. Another recommendation is to dry fit all the pieces before gluing them in place. 

Yet another thing I would recommend is to paint the wheels and side of the wagon before gluing the wheels in place as it is quite awkward trying to paint them afterwards - as I discovered. A simple error to make but one that I will avoid in the future. 

Utility Cart

The model was given a rudimentary paintjob given that will only ever appear on the table top as a terrain piece.

Cattle, Irregular Miniatures

These models were bought loose from a stand at a show last year. I think they may be from Irregular Miniatures but I'm not sure as I couldn't find any reference to them on the company's website.

The miniatures are painted to represent White Park cattle, a rare ancient breed, hence the black ears etc. More details of the these particular animals can be found [here].

Skeletons, Games Workshop

My brother spotted these figures in a local toy shop, suggesting that they could be used for Dragon Rampant. I'm assuming these are relatively old as I can't find any reference to just plain old skeletons from Games Workshop anymore. There are only five models but from what I've read the game doesn't always require six and twelve models per unit. I have a few Mantic skeletons which may be useful to bolster this unit. 

Front View

Rear View

Box Art

Sprue front detail

Sprue Rear Detail

Unusually for a Games Workshop product there are no alternative head or weapon options available. You only get enough to make five skeletons armed with spears and shields and no head options.

I wanted to give the impression that these skeletons could have existed for centuries. To achieve this I added the rust and verdigris effects more generously than I would normally. 

With the film 'Jason and the Argonauts' firmly in mind I may buy a few ancient Greek hoplites for these to spare against, but that's another project for another day.

Wilko Dragons

My brother first spotted these dragons wondering round one of my favourite stores Wilko. For non-UK readers this is a British high-street chain which sells homewares and household goods, formerly known as Wilkinson before a big re-brand a few years ago. The store often provides a great source of items for gaming and modelling, basing and terrain material, lighting etc. Wilko also often stocks items (i.e. toys) that can be real bargains. 

With the recent release of the Dragon Rampant rule set I have been keeping an eye out for fantasy based items/figures so when I saw these models I had a closer look. There are numerous different types and colours available. Other examples can be seen on the [Wilko website].

Expecting the model to cost £5, such as the nearby plastic dinosaurs, I was surprised when the till registered the price as £2. Note the size of a relatively large Warlord Games Scot figure in comparison, you can see that you get an awful lot of plastic for your money. Showing off my new purchase in my local gaming store the owner, Vince, went out and bought one for himself. At £2 it would be wrong not to! 

Pottering around another Wilko store I decided I had to buy another one (just in case of emergencies). 

I will probably clean up the model, there are a few mould lines that need tidying up. I will also give it a new paint job. It isn't really necessary but I'm curious if I can improve it slightly with extra detailing.

I thought I'd let any UK readers that may have an interest in fantasy gaming know about these bargain models in case they fly off the shelves (pun intended) or are discontinued any time soon.

Plans for 2016

First may I wish all the followers and readers of this blog a belated very happy and successful new year. Although in a previous post I stated that I wasn't going to predict forthcoming projects I've changed my mind. After the long Christmas break I had plenty of time to ponder (generally in the pub) and I'm going to try and focus on the following:

English Civil War (ECW) - 'The Pikeman's Lament'

With the forthcoming 'The Pikeman's Lament' (TPL) rules from Osprey (written by Dan Mersey and Michael Leck) I have a pretty good incentive to paint some of the remaining ECW figures I still have.

In particular I have been working on a number of dragoons and a unit of clubmen. These contain a large number of modifications that I will detail in future posts. I'm pleased how most of these have turned out and I hope you will enjoy seeing them.

Medieval/Wars of the Roses - Lion Rampant Rules

As I generally play games were I provide all the figures (such is the nature of thing when you play relatively obscure periods) I'm going to keep chipping away at my WotR figures. This is a long term project which I need to spend some time on, if only if it means completing a unit of figures. This will probably be a unit of the Earl of Warwick's men: relatively local, easy to paint and quite eye-catching on the tabletop. 

Black Powder/Colonial Rules

With the release this year of 'The Men Who Would Be Kings' (TMWWBK) rules, also from Osprey and also the pen of Dan Mersey. I hope to paint up more figures for units representing forces for The War of 1812, Sikh Wars and the American War of Independence. This will be another slow burn project with figures painted as and when. 

Fantasy Skirmish - Dragon Rampant Rules

This will be more of a filler project in the sense that I'll drop onto this whenever I get historical figure fatigue. I've already bought and painted a small number of figures and pieces for this some of which from an unlikely source.

Terrain

I hope to complete more terrain pieces this year if only because it improves the look of the game. The aesthetics of a well laid out table appeals to me so I'll be trying to work on this aspect of the hobby.

This really is a memory aid which I can use later in the year to remind myself what I would be working on.

You may have noticed that all these involve playing skirmish games. Please don't expect whole new armies being presented on this blog. I aim to complete single units of either six or twelve figures as and when (although using TMWWBK this isn't the case).

Another thing I hope to achieve this year is to post a few more game reports . This will be done in a minimal way unlike other reports I tend to see on the web. This is because I don't want to give away too details of unreleased rule sets plus I have a terrible memory unless I take notes. As I'm generally too busy enjoying playing (or more accurately losing) don't expect detailed accounts of very dice roll and figure movement. The reports/batrep will probably consist of a couple of photographs and a few words to describe how I managed to lose once again.