Here's to 2014!

A very Happy New Year to all that pass by the pages of '28mm Victorian Warfare', here's to a fabulous 2014 and whatever it may bring you.  For yours truly, the immediate focus will continue to be the '4th Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge' and the pursuit of much needed points to reach my self imposed tally.

Of course this can only happen if I manage to put away this wonderful Christmas present - wonderfully distracting! 

Thank you!

It has been a lovely Christmas, this year spent with the Saintly Mrs. Awdry's family and as I take stock of the festivities, I do feel the need to publicly thank my 'Secret Santa' and 'Santa Claus'; both events were conceived by Ian of 'The Blog with no name' fame and very efficiently organised by his lovely wife Cath.  

My secret Santa, scored a perfect result with these splendid Matabele warriors from the North Star Africa range; hopefully they will form part of a future entry for the  '4th Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge' in the New Year.  What was particularly lovely was the chaps at 'North Star' entered into the spirit of the event with the addition of this illustration on the box.  

This curious cracker shaped parcel has been under our tree far a while now and I was thrilled when, on Christmas morning, I opened it to reveal these delightful examples from 'Black Tree Designs'.  The Heliograph team and Chaplain George Smith are very welcome additions to my collection; I shall certainly look to have them based up as a priority! 

So to you both, thank you very much indeed, it has been great fun to be part of and if Ian and Cath are willing then I would certainly consider taking part in one or other again next year.

I have to confess that I have been very fortunate indeed this year, with plenty of hobby related gifts including some rather lovely additions to the lead pile that I shall keep secret for another day!  It would appear, however, that my nearest and dearest have taken note of my interest in all things prehistoric and included in my stocking were these splendid gifts; after all everything is better with dinosaurs!  

Happy Christmas one and all!

Just the briefest of posts to wish all visitors to '28mm victorian Warfare' a very Happy Christmas.  I must thank all of you that have visited and followed but in particular a huge thank you to those of you that take the the time to leave comments.  The encouragement  this engenders is immeasurable and not only maintains the enjoyment but helps to build the sense of community that has been an unexpected, but wonderful, by-product of 'blogging'.

Happy Christmas

Blood Bowl...

…a new distraction?

Having only just submitted my first entry to the '4th Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge' is was time to dry off the brushes and avail myself of an incredibly generous offer to to join 'The Dark Templar' and 'Bullcher Feb' for a day of Blood Bowl action!  

Now it has to be said from the outset that I have very little experience of this game other than what I have picked up from ogling the outstanding creations on David's 'Laughing Ferret Lab' and catching up on Paul of 'The Man Cave' and Right Stuff's outings Down Under - that, I'm afraid to say, may have to change! 

Having braved lashing rain and howling gusts on the journey up to Bull's (the last time I went it snowed - is it me or are the dice Gods trying to warn me away from the Dark Side?), I fell into the usual manly trap of convincing myself that I knew exactly where I was going, promptly heading off in the wrong direction, only to arrive later than planned and soaked through - great start Michael! 

It is not my place to comment on the games in this post, I will leave that to the Gentlemen in question, but would most certainly encourage you to visit their respective weblogs, but I do need to say that more convivial surroundings, one couldn't have wished for - vitals and laughter abounding as I witnessed, what can only be described, as some of the direst dice rolling ever - six ones and two double skulls in a row! 

When it came to my turn to run the undead team for a half, I was already hooked and so you can imagine my excitement when in turn two I launched the ball towards an unmarked Ghoul only inches from the end zone only to see him fumble the ball - no doubt too busy picking the rotting flesh from his teeth, resulting in Bull's Goblin, 'Yakstick Sticky Hand', running the length of the pitch to score at the other end - this I understand, encompasses the vagaries of the game and what made it huge entertaining to me.

And so it is that I must thank both Gentlemen for allowing me, once again, to gatecrash their day's gaming and equally curse them both for the seed that they have planted in my already distracted mind!  Clearly I need a team to call my own, but what would it be?  I have already spent an evening looking at the varied options open to a chap, but would happily entertain suggestions - a Victorian Gentlemen's eleven perhaps?

Under Canvas!

Now, being a relatively slow painter and one that's prone to changing his mind as often as the humming bird flaps its wings, I am here to report that chaos has ensued at the beloved homestead!  I was hoping to take advantage of a couple of days of relative calm to notch up my first entry for the 'The 4th Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge' and all was going well until a bout of the aforementioned indecision struck!

Having foolhardily asserted that I would enter a miniature for each of the bonus rounds, I assiduously started to prep these and this is where the problem started.  Within a matter of hours, I had such a wonderful assortment of shiny, (oh so very shiny miniatures!) on the table that I was transfixed, rabbit like, to what lay before me.  

Fear naught, dear reader, there would be no close encounter with a Michelin tyre for this bunny, in fact I have to confess that this is all a rather wonderful experience.  I have long claimed that my primary factor for indulging in this most wholesome of hobbies is to have fun and fun I am having.  Yes, I may have wandered from the prescribed path, starting miniatures that are for entries planned early in the New Year, but I do so with a smile (or was that a maniacal grin?) on my face.

In many ways this was inevitable and foreseen, which brings me, albeit tortuously, to the subject of this post - the tents!  Some simple terrain pieces for the St Trinian's board, that originally starting out as 'Renedra Plastics' Dog Tents, with a copy of added patches and a lurid paint job.  I imagined them left, unloved and quietly gathering mildew at the back of the 'Duke of Edinburgh' stores, offered here by way of a filler until I actually finish something for the challenge!  

The Challenge Begins...

As of six o'clock this morning we were 'good to go' for the challenge here at 'Awdry Towers', there has been much prepping, priming and posturing in preparation for the challenge, but now, my friends, it has begun!  Yesterday saw me clearing down my little corner of the dining room table in readiness for what I hope will be a productive first week before the Christmas festivities take over.

It was always my intention that the winter challenge would see a return to all things historic, particularly after a long summer of zombie and dinosaur related posts, but then Curt went an threw a curveball with the themed rounds this year.  These are the sort of distractions that I find so very difficult to resist and while I had hoped to resist the temptation to buy any new miniatures for the challenge, I just felt that I had to have one or two late additions - purely for variety you understand.

The challenge itself is a hugely enjoyable and rewarding event to participate in, the added theme rounds bring an additional element that should enhance the experience further, but if that wasn't enough we also have the addition of side challenges and duels.  It would seem that I have managed to get myself embroiled in two such battles, the first to make an entry for all the themed rounds that include,

December 22: Non Combatant(s) 

January 5: Villain(s) 

January 19: Vehicle

February 2: Hero or Heroic Group 

February 16: Casualty / Casualties 

March 2: Favourite Character 

March 16: Last Stand

As for content in these rounds, I am afraid that will have to remain a closely guarded secret for no other reason than to prevent me the embarrassment of failure if one doesn't submit as planned - so see it is all about fun with me.  

The second to battle it out against PhilH and GregB to see who can accumulate the most points in painting Victorian-themed entries.  As luck would have it most of the preparation has been based around this very theme, but as the crack from the starter's pistol reverberates around the quiet, grey streets of our little village, I am shocked at just how much there is still to do!  So here is wishing my fellow contributors the very best of luck and please feel free to follow the fun by clicking the button at the top of the right hand side-bar.  So without further ado…

'Let's Go...'

Tengu Miniatures Kelly & Hal

As we edge ever closer to the start of the '4th Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge', there is just time to for these two 'Tengu Miniatures' to shuffle of the painting table.  Not finished in time for 'Zomtober' and as not eligible to qualify for the 'Challenge' as they already had paint on them it seemed like a good opportunity to get them cleared away before the madness ensues.  

Tengu Miniatures really are tremendous sculpts to work with and these two are no exception.   Great fun to do, but it's back to prepping and priming for me!