Pike and Shotte for our monthly club meet. Testing a scenario for the Broadside wargames show. Only all the buildings and one army to paint! Also talking about Salute this year. A few months out but a good time to start planning the shopping list and end the no new miniatures ban!

Back to something smaller with 2 Medium guns and 3 mortars. Benefits of the English Civil War is that these could be used by both Parliamentarians and Royalists!

Given the wind and rain here is the opposite of perfect priming weather, this weekend will be most building kits! A Tiger 1 done this evening. Always hesitated having such a big tank for a platoon sized game, but given there’s a couple of battles in Sicily they could be used for gave me an excuse!

Some support weapons for my British platoon. 6pdr fun and crew by Rubicon, pretty sure the Vickers is an old 8th army model I had lying around from Artizan. Different sculpting styles so interesting to paint them at the same time!

A Humber armoured car finished up to join my British force. Always love the chunky look of British armoured cars, and the Humber is as ubiquitous as you get!

Yesterday we had a refight of Talavera, a battle in 1809 between the the French and the British & Spanish. The French objective was to seize the hill the Spanish battery was on, and cross the road the British were defending. The Anglo-Spanish needed to prevent this. (Points also for destroyed units)

And my #FestiveTankChallenge is complete, a Sherman from 4th Armoured Brigade ready to fight through Sicily into Italy. Always fun to paint a tank around Christmas.

After binging on great food and drink, Christmas number 2 is now done. Among other gifts, I was luckily to receive these all to help my Italy/Sicily collection. No work until the 5th Jan, and two gaming days lined up as well as lots more painting - there’s still a Sherman to finish!

Good progress on the #FestiveTankChallenge today, built and primed early this morning, armour base coat on this evening. Hoping to get more basecoats on tomorrow.

In what’s starting to be an annual tradition, it was a wargames themed secret Santa and games day together with my mates. Got some great units for my upcoming Germans in Italy platoon. I also ran a very enjoyable, and festively silly home brew RPG. Now, best get started on that Sherman!

Defenders against Royal Tyranny or cursed rebels? All a matter of perspective! Parliamentarian commanders for Warlords Epic Pike and Shotte range. Also first time I’ve needed orange for a historical model!

The AK paint pen is working a treat for labelling the bottom of unit bases. Previously I’ve used white fine liner that rubbed right off

While I’m sure something fantasy or sci-fi will win (it’s a numbers game after all). I’ve put in a forlorn vote for plastic Austrian-Hungarians to compliment their World War 1 range. It’s great when Wargames Atlantic fills in holes for less games historical periods!

Start of a passion project! Ukrainian infantry for the ‘Russian’ Civil War. Gorgeous figures by @hicksy.bsky.social , lucky to find his sculpts for such an obscure topic!

Fresh from the Osprey Sale. A good example of ‘I wish Wargames Atlantic would make plastic Austrian-Hungarians’!

Been a while since I painted something small, so back to Epic Pike and Shotte for Phillip Skippon’s Regiment of Foot! Chipping away at the pile of sprues from the Push of Pike box

Officers, PIAT team and 2” mortar to complete the core British Platoon

Fantastic day at the RE Play show at the Royal engineers museum. I was lucky enough to play in a huge battle of Hastings. I commanded the right flank of the Anglo-Saxons. Might have committed the classic blunder of charging down the hill but the flank held and we carried the day!

Does anyone else feel like 2025 has been a year chock full of new rulesets? Particularly Medieval and WW1… Just seen that Gripping Beast have come out with/are supporting a new WW1 game, which like many others are focused on the 100 days Offensive

Third and final section for the British in Italy platoon. Just the platoon leaders and support weapons to go.

Section No.2 for my British in Italy platoon. Luckily only a 3 section platoon so just one more to go!

Harold Godwinson and his two brothers for my SAGA collection. A nice break from WW2 uniforms

First section of my British platoon for the Italian campaign compete! A nice blend of Khaki Drill and Battledress

I took a punt on a Bolt Action mystery box and worked out how much you actually save from it. Worked out for me as I had a plan for boxes that I wasn’t fussed about, but I don’t think a mystery box is for everyone! youtu.be/u_LgYQBpGwM?...

Does anyone know if the larger Empress Miniatures Russian Civil War range is delayed or shelved? I know they came out with some lovely Ukrainians a few years ago but also found these previews from 2023 that don’t seem available.

More US armour rolls off the painting desk. 3 Priests and 4 M10 Wolverines. Crew took a little bit of time but worth the effort!

Great days gaming today, as one of my mates put on a 6 person Hail Caesar game, using Epic figures he’s painted over the last year. The game was a ‘What if’ following Trebia, and the Roman Remnants succeeded in holding on long enough to give Rome some hope!

It’s a soggy morning here in Kent, so a good time to share my latest video where I go through my Home Guard army and hoe to use it in Bolt Action with the new Armies of Great Britain. Operation Sealion is my favourite ‘what if’ of WW2 by a long way! youtu.be/Z5o114RHfZk?...

First batch of tanks for my Americans done! You do have to start with Shermans after all..

After finishing my Italians I’ve been bouncing around for my next project, and then I found this Flames Of War starter set in the loft. With nearly everything for a US army for Rapid Fire, I’ve decided that by documenting the project I might actually paint it all! youtu.be/GhP-uotso1E?...

The answer is yes! A slow start but when it came down to the push of like the royalists gained the upper hand.

17th Century action today, can the Royalists reverse history at Nantwich?

One of my big projects for the last year was an Italian Platoon for Sicily, and to celebrate finishing it, I’ve made a YouTube video going over the army, and the choices I made with it. Not the best video by any means, but I appreciate anyone who watches it! youtu.be/H00S2rH6QKc?...

Finished the Royalist Commanders for my ECW collection. Impressive amount of detail on these models at this scale. Went for the black enamelled armour look on Charles himself.

The Western Desert project rumbles on, just finished most of a battalion of Bersaglieri! Majority Battlefront figures with a QRF AA gun

All set up at Broadside, Battle of Gela 1943! Really chuffed, culmination of a year long project

Now the Sicily ‘43 project is finished and ready for the Broadside show this Saturday, time to begin a new project - 15mm Desert. Two bases of Italian Bersagleri complete as ‘tests’ rest of the battalion is WIP

Made up some casualty markers for the English Civil War collection. Used milliput to create a depression where a small D6 can sit. I’ve always enjoyed creating markers that blend into the battle board a bit more

Heads up for 15mm Early War fans - battlefront have said they are delaying their new Early War range due to a factory move. It’s a shame, but they showed off some painted examples. Will be using these for Rapid Fire! youtu.be/5lsT1h_kgE8

A unit of commanded shot done for the ECW epic collection. These chaps would often accompany cavalry to increase their firepower. Played around with a less uniformed look given how poor logistics were in the 17th century!

Tried out Pikeman’s Lament with Epic ECW Figures. Given that the rules work a lot on units being more than or less than half strength two bases to a unit worked very well. Another game for a weeknight club game, with Pike and Shotte for larger weekend games!

The last piece of the Italian force, two more R35s. Missing the rams head decal as I had ran out but good enough for the table. Nice models by @paintandglue.bsky.social, and that’s the project complete!

Well, let’s see what this is all about!

Some test figures for an upcoming project - El Alamein in 15mm

Fnatastic news, this is a great resource for wargamers of the period

It's back! bcw-project.org.uk At the moment the Project part of the site is back up and running, a few bits have been turned off for now (you can't donate to the running of the site, or contact us yet). The Wiki might take a bit longer I'm afraid. 1/3

Last few bits for the Italians, the new officer pack by Warlord and an Empress miniatures 75mm gun. They seem to match in quite well!

The final game of our SAGA ‘Harrying of the North’ mini campaign. My Anglo Dane warlord was slain but took so many Norman’s down with him that it was a victory for the Anglo-Danes, and the north has been saved from the Norman yoke!

I ran my first Wargaming event today, ‘Operation Littlebourne’ a casual Bolt Action tournament. We had 12 players, and 6 of whom this time last year had not played a historical wargame.

Fantastic day of gaming, a Bolt Action bash on my nearly finished Italy board, followed by a game of Silver Bayonet ahead of a group event tomorrow. Can’t beat an afternoon of rolling dice.