SOTCW Compendium now available

Now as most of you know I am the editor of the SOTCW magazine "The Journal", we wanted to help commemorate the start of WW1, so Russ Phillips and I coordinated and collated all the articles and scenarios related to WW1 into a special compendium volume.

This is now available in both e-book and paperback editions. Please note all profits from the sales are going to the Royal British Legion.

Available from this link (you may have to cut/paste into your browser) -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-SOTCW-World-War-Compendium/dp/0992764858/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405938407&sr=8-1&keywords=ww1+compendium

Mexican 18th Infantry Regiment

A month or so ago, Paul Thompson of Early War Miniatures stayed at our guesthouse, he was kind enough to give me some samples of his newest figures - French Poilu c.1914. Now i don`t do much early war, I did consider painting them up as colonial blanc troops for Morocco, but then stumbled across a coloured sketch of Mexicans of the 18th Federal Regiment fighting against Pancho Villa, the uniforms were similar, so I rounded off the kepi and painted them up in suitable colours.   

 I added the mule to moving MG team, I really like it :-)

SCW Guardia Asalto

I`ve never really been tempted to game SCW, the politics are interesting; many of the characters fascinating, but gaming the whole thing is complicated. 

Still I already own a substantial "Nationalist" force with mu Legionnaires and Regulares from my Rif War project, so the opportunities are there. Before Christmas i bought a load of  SCW figures on Ebay and now have finally started painting some of them.

Minairons Bilbao armoured car 

 Guardia Asalto

A mix of Bandera and Irregular Miniatures with some minor conversions and head-swaps 

Saharienne mountain gun

Way back in June 2011, I built this camel packed mountain gun to add to my the Saharienne unit of my early C.20th French Army

 I`ve now finally finished it, with a deployed gun (built from various parts) and crewed by Tumbling Dice gunners (head-swapped) 

 I`ve added to the camel train too, the lead rider is a Hat plastic and the rider with rifle is from Early War Miniatures (British Camel Corps), both head-swapped

French Naval infantry (Syria, Madagascar Franco-Thai War)

These are a mix of the wonderful Elheim Colonial French mixed with some odd Raventhorpe WW1 sailors (both British and German) I`ve had for ages. I head-swopped the sailors using Raventhorpe (tom o shantar) and Tumbling Dice (Bachi) heads to get the suitable French look.

The Elheim figures are superb some of the nicest, crispest castings I`ve handled in ages, the level of detail is truly brilliant, I really enjoyed painting these. 

German bi-cycle recce platoon

German bi-cycle recce platoon

Walking figures are from Underfire Miniatures, the riding guys are Raventhorpe, extra bikes from Raventhorpe too, I`ve added extra stowage bits to all the bikes to give them a "lived in" look 

Rif War (new stuff)

20mmZone Ft-17 TSF (radio/command tank)

The Spanish had 2 of these in Morocco

 

Force20  Mehalla 

Painted here as normal Riffi warriors, though of course they can be Goumiers or irregulars in our Tunisian games too

 

 

 

 The quality of the castings is fine except the guns (very crude), I was forced to change the Hotchkiss for a better one from Early War Miniatures

Last bits for Tunisia (at least for now)

20mmzone Renault AGR truck (very nice all white-metal model) here with a resin "truck load" by Value Gear (also pretty good)

This vehicle could be used either by the French (though I`m pretty sure they didn`t have any in Tunisia) or 10th Panzer in her supply column.

 

 

 Hobby Den resin Sdkfz 247 with added stowage and a crew for SHQ and AB Figures

Only 58 of these 4 wheel armoured command car were built by Daimler-Benz between 1941-42. Used by German reconnaissance units and served in several theatres, some survived up to 1944 and there is a photo of one in Normandy. 21^st Panzer had one in Africa which eventually was surrendered to the Allies in Tunisia.