Clan Gobelin les ecumeurs des oceans

I currently have a mint set of "the sea scum" up for auction of EBay. This amazing set of Rackham produced goblin pirates is very rare. Rackham stopped making them a couple of years back, and then destroyed the moulds. These guys are notoriously hard to paint well as they are caricatures rather than just miniatures. The set I'm selling is 100% complete with cards, counters and books.

There will be a link to the auction listing in the top left corner of this page, while the auction is still active.

Not tonight Josephine.....

...because I'm playing Napoleonics with Paul and Shaun.

I'm really getting into Napoleonic wargaming now (as well as WW2). This is mainly due to finding some local players, who are easy to get on with and have the patience with teaching me the rules etc. Thankfully they both have lots of painted miniatures I can use, so that I don't have do a rushed paint job to get my own army on the table.

For anybody who thinks Napoleonics is just a pitched battle of attrition with evenly matched firing lines, its not. For instance the British infantry have a higher ballistic skill than the French. Then again the French can change formation without it reducing their rate of movement. (Something I personally witnessed this week when about 100 French language students tried to negotiate the ticket barriers at Brighton station, and then tried their hardest to queue single file for the bus).

I've just ordered myself a box of Victrix French Old Guard. There are 60 in a box, so I can practice more painting with my new glasses. In the meantime, here's a couple more pics from last nights game. Pay special attention to the advancing single British column with a casualty in front. That was the first kill of the game....and it was mine!

India Rifles

Well, I finally got around to finishing them. (Although they need a little more inking and basing). I can't say more about them at the moment, except they are for my Seaford project. I can't tell you about the Seaford project as its top secret and I'd have to kill you if you found out. OK, I'll throw you a teaser.....

These are a WW1 retained India unit, that will fight on the south coast of England in WW2. There are other clues elsewhere on this site......hint: South coast?, WW2? Also think of a war film with Michael Caine in it (yes I know that doesn't narrow it down much).

All will be revealed....slowley, over several postings.

Slow going!

I started to paint the India Rifles for my Seaford project. This is the first time (apart from some tests with night goblins) that I've tried painting since my eyes got damaged and subsequently "repaired". Progress was slower than I expected. I also realise that I will need to change my painting style. I got as far as base-coating and a first layer on the 28mm stuff. As usual, I have mitigation (excuses):

• I was still jet lagged from the Miami work trip
• I was using a Citadel brush that turned into a loo brush after 2 minutes
• I was using some awful Foundry paint (or it could be green clay?).
• I initially forgot to put my special new glasses on

Anyway, I still enjoyed myself and found it relaxing. I have a little problem painting mid-to-dark colours on black base coats. Its OK on the bigger 54mm miniatures, but I can't see the detail on 28mm, and I can miss bits out! - hence the green base coat. I may have to start with white base-coats and use heavier pigment colours in future. My optician says it may take a few goes to get used to the glasses, so perhaps all my problems are temporary. If not, I'll adopt my style, perhaps to something more caricature using a 4 colour method (stuff like blending is definitely out for now).

At the end of the day, I'll do whatever I need to as long as I still enjoy it. If it all goes wrong, I'll just train a small monkey to paint the 28mm models, while I concentrate on the 54mm stuff. Hopefully I'll get the first lot of India rifles done this week. In the meantime, my thanks go out to:

• Specsavers
• Virgin Atlantic - for the free upgrade to Upper Class
• Various totally unqualified people who gave advice about eyesight
• Clint, for telling me to watch a film called Minority Report which contained a possible solution for my eye problems (So sick it actually becomes funny)
• Sheila, for telling me about green base coats

Considering that just a couple of months back I was very ill, I think things are going rather well!