Hello all. Just over a week ago, I started on my 'Donnybrook Diaries', and I wanted to let people know about the progress since the last post. Well, not so much painting, but lots of 'admin' type of stuff going on!
Here's a couple of bases that a friend cut out for me on a bench saw, then I sanded them down. They are for some Hudson & Allen Highland buildings, that I picked up at the Vapnartak Wargaming show, a few years ago. The models are available from the US, via Vatican Enterprises.
http://www.wargamescenics.com/products.html
Here you can see them glued on to the bases with the hot glue gun, and looking mighty fine as well! I can't wait to paint these up, and they'll fit in with the Highland/Scottish theatre for my games very nicely. Last Saturday saw the family popping over to the 'Hammerhead' show, at the Newark Showground. It was the first time the event was held there, moving from its traditional location of Kelham Hall, and having visited both venues, I have to say I quite liked the new location. Apart from the fact that it was a little crowded, the whole atmosphere of the show was very pleasant, and I picked up one or two bits and bobs.......Dave Thomas saw some of my money, and I bought the last of my Scots forces - some mounted dragoons, and some more musketeers and pikemen - and this now means that both of my Donnybrook factions are complete, ready to be painted. Good times indeed! I also bought some barrels from Ainsty Castings, for scenery purposes, some more round bases from Warbases, and a whole bucket load of dice from Coritani....... realising that I was desperately short of D12's, D10's and D8's.....kinda essential for Donnybrook!! I got a little bit anal over these, and purchased enough of each dice, both in red AND blue, different coloursfor each side. Think the other half was very bemused by this.......
Here are the buildings all based up, ready for some paint.
I've also slapped on some more paint onto the New Model Army pikemen, as you can see, so hopefully they'll be on their way soon.
Finally, I had a go at making a trial 'Reload' marker, following on from the success of the activation cards. A 4 cm diameter circular base from Warbases, with 'Reload' printed onto the same background as the cards, then covered over with Sellotape and stuck onto the base. This was then covered in the usual sand and PVA glue mix, painted up and flocked with static grass. The finishing touch was some off-white soft toy stuffing to act as smoke. I quite like this, so I'll make some more for each 'firing' unit in my Donnybrook factions ( including characters), and also some 'Shaken' markers as well, maybe with casualty figures, or abandoned equipment on them. Again, maybe a touch too much, but I like 'em! I can also use these for other rules sets. Right, I'm off..... until my next post. By the way...... it involved unpainted figures and dodgy half finished crude terrain, but I've had my first games of Donnybrook!!!....... don't tell anyone else, and I might just share my thoughts next time.....let's just say I had fun!!
The colour schemes for the Scots' uniforms are based on the suggestions from another blog, the excellent Project Auldearn 1645 Blog, http://auldearn1645.blogspot.co.uk/2008/01/painting-covenanters.html, which has loads of information about the different armies that fought in Montrose's campaigns between 1644 and 1646. It was a real find a few years ago, and has been really inspirational. I love the colour schemes and Wargames Foundry paint palettes that have been suggested, and have borrowed them shamelessly! Thanks definitely go to the creators of Project Auldearn blog - It's brilliant!
