First Truly Great Italian War: The Battle of Pasticceria Pass

With the previous War of the League of Aspico concluded, new powers enter the game that is late 15th/early 16th century Italian politics. (The real life reason behind this is that I was able to get more wooden blocks for the armies.)

However, here we meet old enemies, King Robert I Le Puant and his Papal condottiere opponent. The Fransicans made landfall and are threatening the open lands of the Lomagna.

If you are not in the know, for each battle I make a random roll and select a scenario from the excellent One Hour Wargames book, this is #10. Two Papal units of six are deployed with delayed reinforcements on the way. I kept the 15-turn limit, but changed the rules so that the first two Papal reinforcing units arrive when I draw a '3' for that side from the activation deck as the turn's first card, and the second wave arrives three turns from then on.

Above, the Fransicans deploy. Papal arquebusiers are arquebusy (see what I did there) in the woods, and a stern-looking pike block occupies the objective.

Risk Napoleonics: The Austrian Army

I completed the first part of my major project for the second half of the year, an Austrian Risk army for the Napoleonic Wars. By now I managed to accumulate three full boxes' worth of the stuff, and supplemented it with some - surprisingly matching - Warlord Epic figures.

Basing is as follows:

Cavalry - 4 figures per base

Infantry - 8 figures per base

Artillery - for big batteries 2 per base, close support on single bases

Light infantry - 6 per base

All standard bases are 50x25mm plasticard sheet.

A unit is either one or two bases, depending on the type of game and the figs required.

Carp to Gold Ep.8. - Don't Take Your Guns to Town, Bill

The stacks and air vents are finally applied, but the decks still look bare. What's missing?

Oh right, the guns! Can't have a cruiser without guns.

La Reale

An absolute chance find on Vinted, I've been scouring webshops and ebay for this kit for a long while (since about starting my 1/350 Renaissance naval project). It is an old and opened box, but it contains everything I need.

I'll complete her as a waterline model and of course I'll replace the ungainly plastic sails with printed ones, and add crew to the deck. Nominally 1/450 scale, the model is rather large, a little bit larger even than my Lanterna.  So she'll either be an Ottoman or Imperial flagship instead of a Royal French one. 

With limited hobby time on my hands, it is way easier to focus on these one-offs than anything larger. So I might just purchase some Revell Santa Marias and Airfix Mary Roses as well. They are all good for my Block Galleys rules or Galleys & Galleons.

Painting Tally, September 2026

This month saw some painting progress on the Risk Napoleonic front, but nothing serious.

Completed - all 15/12mm

8x Warlord Napoleonic Staff

12x Warlord French Cuirassiers

4x Warlord Austrian Cuirassiers (from the plastic french carabiniers)

48x Risk German Allied infantry

16x Risk German Allied cavalry

Primed - the same

4x Warlord French Light Cav (to be painted green and used as Aus Chevauxlegers, Russian Dragoons or Württemberg light cav)

8x Warlord Prussian Uhlans (to be used as Austrians)

This brings the month's total PU to 652, which is respectable, if not stellar.

Purchases: crew and rigging for the Aurora, plus two boxes of 1/72 Orion Janissaries to kickstart a Turkish Wars collection (some fellow named Eugene might be lurking in the bushes on the southern frontier)

I might need one or more boxes of Risk figures (bought on the cheap ofc) to bolster the collection somewhat, including one with the tricorn figures for 1806 Prussians and early Peninsular Spanish.

Golden Hind, Textured Like Sun

 

I finished this Zvezda model recently, although it sat in my cupboard for a while. It usually takes more time to finish one of these 1/350 scale models, because each step in the build requires a different kind of focus.

Carp to Gold Ep.7.: Mast Deck It Out

The bad puns are never-ending with this one. The hull varnished and (mostly) cured, it was high time to apply the main wooden deck pieces.

For this, first I made a cradle from leftover EPS foam so I wouldn't rub off anything or get nasty fingerprint marks.

Then I sliced up the deck into smaller sections, followed by a lot of dry fitting and trimming before finally placing them. The self-adhesive material was reinforced with some PVA glue at places.

Painting Tally, July-August 2026 + A Very Important PSA

July has mostly been about finishing the home renovation project, as attested by the previous post about our kitchen.

This was important because I had a deadline to meet, as on the 15th of August my daughter was born. Both mother and daughter are safe and healthy. In a few years I'll have an assistant for my hobby projects!

INWarD 2026 after action report

We managed to play - with two years of delay, due to me not finishing the models - my Denmark Strait scenario, and the results are in. My wife commanded the RN and I the dastardly Germans.

Above, Prince of Wales starting the day with a fire on board, which was quickly put out (still better than four of ten guns not working properly).