Mesr Wars Materiel

Two Veudeni battleships in a lovely green color and a Jackewlinese airship for the coming game. These pre-dreadnought ships are of an older design, sort of the test phase before the historical ships of late.

The airship is made of balsa, pine and thin plasticard. It sits on a steel wire and a coin base. I used green stuff to sculpt the waves on the base and finished it with a glossy varnish.

Yellow Knight and retinue

As I have told in the previous post, my formerly stripped medieval collection is slowly reaching its numbers again. It is the well-known feeling in wargamer circles that urges one to switch to another project - the same thing happened to me.

During the days of my internship I had less hours to do something, especially that I worked on Fridays which are otherwise free days on university most of the time. So I took with me a handful of figures each week to work on, from home to the university dormitory I dwell in, plus the pots of paint and brushes. I have a quite nice travelling hobby pack now.

But on to the figures, they are all Zvezda from various sets (peasant army - HYW English knights - HYW English infantry - HYW French infantry). The centerpiece is the mounted knight, with two foot knights, a handful of men-at-arms, archers and peasant levy, As seen before on the pages of this blog, these groups are perfect for skirmish actions.

My Little Pre-Dread': Funnels Are Magic

I think I made reference in the original balsa build posts that the large ships are not suitable to fleet actions. Even with half a dozen ships, things become complicated, like the requirement of a 10x10 meter playing area. The solution is scaling everything down.

This is the Jackewlinese North Fleet's main battle force, three cruisers and four battleships.

The hulls are made of plasticard, the other bits of match sticks, kebab sticks of two different girth, and broom bristles. A ship takes about 10 minutes to build.

This Rhealla-class ship is 1/3 to the original, so about 1/1800 scale. The simplicity allows me to mass produce these, so expect more, even some larger scale battles like NotTsushima.

The Greyhounds

Lord Moledurssan hired a group of mercenaries for his fight against the Green clansmen of Shailvascq. These men are proud of not being affiliated with any of the four clans, and wear dark grey/black clothing to emphasize that.

Lord Moledurssan and retinue

During the Methorin wars in Jackewline, an equivalent of the medieval era, the four Jackewlinese clans were effectively ruled by the eight great houses. During the wars, two rival houses, the Moledurssan of the blue clans and Maered of the greens went extinct. But at the start of the war, House Moledurssan was going strong and they launched a large (in contemporary measure) offensive against the Green castle of Shailvascq.

I am currently gaming this small campaign using Inter Arma as the rules allow a super fast setup and play. I'm always playing out a story and allow the luck factor of combat direct it more or less. 

Jackewlinese Abyssal Guard / Strelets WW1 KuK Infantry

These were just dipped on bare plastic, thought of changing them. Your average early modern - steampunk figures (bought an old alarm clock and demolished our printer so I've got plenty of clockwork pieces around - wonder what to do with them). Strelets figs have a distinctive style of sculpting - not nearly as proportionate and elegant as Zvezda which is methinks the top of 1/72 production. 

These figures paint up very well.

Finished Jackewlinese knights

With the remaining 8 knights finished the Jackewlinese heavy armor is complete. 

Ready to kick some... unarmed peasants back to their huts.

A closer view of the command with the King and standard bearer.

WIP - County mansion, Maered-style

When working at an IT company's warehouse this month (practically last month... it's September already?) I've received some gifts from the staff, one of them was a pretty nice plastic flask - and its box seemed useful for a new building. I've added a small tower to one side; it's a simple two-storey mansion.

Matches well to 1/72s I think. Well not perfectly but it can be reasoned with the less space taken on a table. Added paper 'bricks' to the ground floor with spaces for the windows. Basecoating and windows/doors to come, then something added to the base as well... Will keep me entertained.

Posting these WIP images has a second reason: to welcome two new 'followers', TamsinP and Olivr: thank you... 36 followers! 

Finished - Jackewlinese foot knights

These are the finished ones complete with basing. 

5-5 green, red and blue, 4 yellow (the whole bunch is lacking two painted earlier as singles).

More knights

Finished two more of the Zvezda HYW set. These are painted as a House Maered (green and white colors) and House Maquirech (green and black colors) knight. I'm slowly working on a banner/color combination for each greater and lesser House (as well as some names) for a Jackewlinese setting.

From the rear. I've spent quite a lot of time doing these two, more highlights etc. on both the figs and the horses. Really like how the white half of the coat came out, also the horses are really great.

Finished units- Jackewlinese green Mounted Chasseurss

Well these were finished a week ago but as I already mentioned I forgot the photos. Second batch of the Italeri Prussian Garde du Corps - the green clans' Mounted Chasseurs are considered as heavy cavalry.

Definitely less shading on these, still need to find the correct amount to use.

Finished - Jackewlinese yellow/blue artillery crew

The only problem is... I ran out of coins for bases, so these are cardboard circles cut out with a knife. When mounted on the base of the gun it's not that horrible though.

Yellow first, three per gun, 15 in total.

Jackewlinese limber team + Stable

Well, first things first. This is a rather, how to say, primitive way to model a stable. Well, this is what I got.

It's made from one of the spare kit boxes (a Zvezda one, I think), just some raw plans on the paper and it's done.

Also, a bit out of topic before moving on, but it seems from my latest acquisitions that Italeri re-issued some of their first series, just bought #6001 Scots Greys and #6004 Highlander Infantry (both being among the first 1/72s they've ever produced), the box stating they've been crafted in 2011, which is very good news! These re-issued sets come in boxes with yellow stripes (and a 'Wargames Approved' stamp on them), there were a bunch of early Russian grenadiers as well which I should use sometimes later.

And a warm welcome to Grimsi Grogs as a regular reader.

Finished units - yellow heavy dragoons

Almost lost one fig when mounting them, but he's come around in the end, so everything's fine. These are the Italeri Prussian Garde du Corps figs painted as yellow clans' heavy dragoons.

The only problem with these guys is the fact how rare they are, ordered them from the US. Another batch will be painted as green heavies.

Finished - Besberg Chasseur regiment

Along with some WIPs, I finished the first batch of the HäT Landwehr figs (27 to be correct) as the blue clans' Besberg chasseurs. I have actually overdone the dip (especially that the vests are white) and they look much ragged than usual.

Bases are dark gray drybrushed with a lighter gray tone. The static grass is also painted to look brighter.

Finished units - Red clans' Fesselsorwillon heavy cavalry

This style of painting makes them look terrific I have to admit. Will fix new pennants on the lances.

Forming a wedge here (looking epic).

Jackewlinese/Dorroseani staff rebased

Jackewline on the left, Dorrosean to the right. Each clan has 2 figs, they're one of my first attempts at this sort of stuff. The bases make them look more proper.

Jackewline command, all four clans are represented.

Finished units - Jackewline marines

...or Streltsi were they, hadn't it been for the different colored hats (depicting clan allegiance).

This is the last batch painted up and based, 11 figs in skirmish poses.

Macro of the same.

WIP - Jackewline green Guard Cuirassiers

Not really a diary post but a few pics of the Zvezda French cuirassiers set painted up as the Jackewlinese Royal Bodyguard heavy cavalry, a presitigous veteran unit.

The figs still need working on, a very basic block painting is finished.

Coat of arms

Maquirechs of the house Dirongarten

An ouverture for something medieval-alike I'm planning. Yes, medievals, knights in shiny armors. So many great stuff going around the interwebz lately, I just can't resist.

The Maquirech family of the northern green clans originates from Maquir (hence the name) and Gartenskelt, the Isle of Dirongarten near the eastern coast of Kap Nauyvard. Their bloodlines drive back to an Antidguri laborer called Assug Q'tlain, who was between the first men of the Tidguri fleet setting foot on Jackewlinese soil (or at least they say so), hence the scythe. The sword is an obvious reference to knighthood, while the book is both for scholarship and law.