The Hills Are Alive...

...with the sound of drybrushing! Dreadful, I know, but you will have to put up with it for now! How we went from this, rather twee Christmas Village display base ~

To this, a bespoke creation of the Mountains of Rhanzlistan; home to that most 'loyal' of tribesmen, the dreaded Bhurpas!

Well, to be more exact, to do this you need a 'Phil Robinson' in full 'Slarti Bartfarst' mode! Its a bit like having your own Dobbie I suppose. {I keep him in a garage workshop in Darkest Rawnsley, fed on scraps from the table and watered with coffee occasionally!} You see him here applying the finishing touches to the snowy peaks...

But seriously, what a wonderfully talented chap and stout friend he is. {I'm even almost sorry I won today's WWII Bolt Action game now!} The process started in the last Blog entry took just one week to completion, starting with the painting of the MDF base to counter possible warping during the process; the application of coats of Polytex ceiling paint to the plastic vacuum formed shell of the mountains; repeated over spraying of colours to bring depth to the piece and bring it to life; endless drybrushing; adding rocky texture and static grass and clump vegetation; and finally, adding the green toweling to match our existing tiles here in GHQ and overspraying it to match ~

To say that I'm chuffed to add this piece to my terrain collection is probably the biggest understatement of my wargaming life! Thank You, Phil! You are an ace bloke and no mistake! The Mountains will debut here in GHQ next Monday all being well, when the local Bhurpa chieftains take on the S.P.I.F.F. Pop back to see how it all unfolds next week and to see the mountains in all their glory!

Speaking of Hills...

...a few of my readers may remember this ~

Its a former display item for those cod Victorian houses which are sold in Garden Centres around Christmas time. Sue and I were out for a drive in early January this year when we called in at Mere Park garden centre, near Newport in Shropshire. They had a whole building given over to selling off surplus Christmas stock, amongst which were several sizes of these plastic vacuum formed range of hills. This was not the biggest, but it measures about 44" x 18", and seemed to me ideal for converting into some decent sized mountains for my Bhurpas to inhabit.
Now, only eight months later, Phil and I have begun to transform them for the tabletop in GHQ! The first stage was to acquire some 6mm MDF. Local DIY stores used to cut the sheets for you for free, no more apparently. The local builders' merchant will do this, but they were waiting for a part for the saw! Several weeks passed, cue our friendly builder neighbour Martin {Who converted GHQ very reasonably for me.} who offered to get the sheet and cut it for me. Cost £10.06 to him, as opposed to £24.50 to me ~ more incidental evidence of 'Rip Off Britain'!
Having acquired the MDF our first task was to cut off the lower lip around the form and to pad the interior of the vacuum formed hills to make it more sturdy in a game. For some strange reason I forgot to take any pictures of this stage! Sorry! Its packed with off cuts of polystyrene packing I collected over the year from new electrical equipment, held in place by seemingly yards of gaffer tape and all sealed in with clingfilm. It looked a right mess I can tell you but the hills were really solid when we turned them over to fix them to the MDF.

We fixed the hills to the MDF first with an upholsterer's staple gun and then with a hot glue gun to seal the edge to the MDF. It took four glue stick reloads to do the job! The whole piece of 4' x 2' MDF can now be safely handled for the next stages over at Phil's. The first of these was to paint the exposed MDF boards to guard against warping when the texturing and ground working get underway.

While we are generally happy with the overall look of the piece in its raw form, we did agree that the left hand side was rather too stark and gamer unfriendly, so we added some polystyrene pieces to the board to represent a more accessible approach in a game. {By the way, the holes you can see in the flat areas are for the electrical wiring to light up those houses I mentioned.}

The next stages are to coat the exposed polystyrene pieces in filler to give them the necessary strength and then to coat the plastic form, added pieces and the exposed MDF in Polytex flexible ceiling paint. As you can see, we ran out of filler, which Phil collected another tub of today, so I have no doubt the whole piece will soon be ready for the next phase, adding scree slopes and then spraying the whole with Humbrol acrylic 'Dark Brown' as the base colour to work up from.
This is where we are at now. More news of the Mountains of Rhanzlistan as the project unfolds over the next few weeks. Do pop back when you can to see how it develops.

The Mountains of Rhanzlistan

As it was so pleasant this afternoon, Sue and I went out for a drive and ended up near Newport in Shropshire. We popped into a local garden centre complex for a cup of tea and a wander about, just to pass the time really. In one building they were selling off Christmas stuff at between 30-50% reduction. In the  Christmas Village collection there were several display bases for the village buildings in the style of 'mountains'. They are made of vacuum formed plastic. I thought this one would be great for my Bhurpa tribesmen to swoop down from on unsuspecting Bolshies! As it cost me only £15 I think it was worth a punt! It measures 45" X 15" X 12" but there were others smaller, and one even bigger with a waterfall! I know it will need a lot of work to bring it up to the standard of the rest of the terrain ( cue Phil?) but I'm hopeful it will enhance the table top in due course. I'll keep you posted.

The Residency at Byklabad

As I said on my main blog, I've been up to South Queensferry for a long weekend break coinciding with the Claymore wargames show in Edinburgh. The break enabled me to meet friends and family and to take in the show along the way. Before we went up 'd started work on a building complex to represent a superior location, hoping it would double as the Governor's Residency, the Headman's compound or even a Missionary church! I finished it off this morning so I thought that you might enjoy a peek ~

The Residency

The building, or more correctly buildings, are from the Mutineer Miniatures resin range for the Indian Mutiny. The walls are from the Ainsty Graveyard Walls set. I've yet to sort out what I'll do for a gate, the etched brass one provided might serve, but I may make a wooden gate using coffee stirrers in due course. Warbases kindly cut the 3mm MDF bases to my specification. I painted the Residency and the walls of its compound to match the other buildings you have seen in photos here before, with the exception of the roof tiles and stairs which I painted a shade of blue to represent more expensive tiling. The dome I painted in Bronze, just for a change and to mark out the building on the table. Enough waffle: a few pictures with figures to get a better idea of the building in a game ~

The Byklabad Horse depart for the front with RA support.

The Governor takes the air after Tiffin perhaps?

The Governor receives Prince Kasim and his entourage.

 

Well, I hope that the pictures give some sense of how the building will come alive in a game. When that will be I can't exactly say right now, as real life seems to have dealt a bit of a blow to my gaming chums of late. Later in the month perhaps if things in that direction improve?

 









Bhurpa Super Weapon

I bought this set on a visit to the Wargames Foundry HQ towards the end of last year. Its from the little advertised Han Chinese range. I thought it would make a nice antique 'super weapon' for some Bhurpa chieftain. After all, weighed down as they are by British taxation, surely nothing gets thrown away. If it still works, we'll use it must be the guiding principle I feel ~

I see it as crewed by some militant Buddhists who have fled to Rhanzlistan to avoid the depredations of the roving Chinese warlord, Wun Ung Lo ~ see Phil's Blog for his exploits! The terrain pieces its photographed on I picked up at the North Midlands Model Expo the other weekend. They are hard foam prepainted and flocked pieces I got for £5.00. I'm on a bit of a roll with similar pieces of late...

Tall Tales from the Raj

As I mentioned in a post last year, I've written a piece for Wargames Illustrated on the Rhanzlistan project which Phil and I have been engaged on for several months now. Dan came over to GHQ and spent a whole day taking numerous photographs for the piece as I showed in a previous post too.
Interested readers will be able to rush out and buy the issue at the end of the month and read it for themselves. How do I know? Well, when I came back home the other morning from collecting Matt's tickets for the Johnson's Paint/Football League Trophy final ~ Walsall v Bristol City ~ the magazine was on the door mat! Dan very kindly sent me a copy as soon as they came back from the printers; what a sterling chap he is,eh! Its a six page extravaganza, illustrated with twelve of the photos he took {with many more due to make an appearance on the magazine's website it says}. Here are another sample or two to wet the appetite of the enthusiast ~

Any fan of the Back of Beyond or C20th Colonial themes will be more than happy with the issue, as it contains more than just my modest piece from the genres. The overall magazine theme of Civil Wars will also be pleasing for many folk, as will the articles on scratch building terrain and buildings please the enthusiasts with fewer thumbs than me!! An excellent issue all round I think. Not that I'm biased of course ~

Just how I felt after several hours as photographer's
dogsbody and backdrop holder!

Anyway, back to football matters to close. My team, Walsall, are making their first appearance at Wembley in their 127 year history next month and I can't be there. I shall be in New Zealand on holiday! So Matt gets to go in my place and I have to be content to catch the match on TV, if I can, or on DVD later! Still, perhaps we'll be back at Wembley for the League 1 Playoff Finals in May? Well, a man can dream, can't he....?

Gordons and Gunners

I'm a bit of a 'Billy No Mates' at present as far as games are concerned, with both Phil and Jon being mired in more pressing real life issues. As a result I've had a little more time to paint than I might have otherwise enjoyed. The product of this unexpected extra time has shown itself in part as welcome additions to the Rhanzlistan Field Force in the form of an 18lb field gun and crew and the first of the Gordon Highlanders.
The 18lb gun is made by Great War Miniatures and sold by Gripping Beast under their Woodbine Designs label. The six gunners come with a choice of different heads sporting all sorts of appropriate head gear. Mine have Wolseley Helmets of course ~

The Gordon Highlanders are my default choice when it comes to kilted chappies in any of my armies, a kind of 28mm homage to my chum Kevin who served with the regiment earlier in his life. The figures are by Pulp Figures, although you will search in vain for these in the web site's catalogue, as Bob only makes them in tin helmets {for some reason I really don't grasp, given all the other Brits are in Wolseleys!} But, his range, his choice I have to say. I might of course have chosen the new Empress Jazz Age highlanders but I felt, nice figures though they are, the slightly bulky look of Pulp Figures better fitted in with the rest of the RFF, being mainly Pulp Figures, Copplestone Castings and Brigade Games figures. I removed the heads carefully, using a jeweller's saw I picked up once on a visit to the Birmingham Jewellery quarter, and drilled out the neck of the tunic to take the neck stem of the Woodbine Design heads I had purchased at the same time as the 18lb gun. I think they look quite acceptable, with perhaps one minor exception which I'll get to in a minute. The most difficult decapitation was the piper, where the pipes were partly moulded on the head, but I don't think it turned out too badly myself even so ~

The enlarged photo following shows the figure I am least satisfied with {on the right}, as well as my poor kilt painting skills which I thought I ought to confess to now before folk pick me up on it. The head just does n't ring true for the portly look of the torso does it? Green stuff double chins are beyond my paltry modelling skills and I used up all my credit with Phil on the radio mule set conversions of the previous post. Perhaps its just that I know what the original looked like and the casual observer would not notice? I don't know, but you can perhaps judge for yourself.

I have the other nine figures in various stages of production so I hope they will all be posted to Rhanzlistan before Dan pops over from Wargames Illustrated to take the photos which will accompany my most recent offering when its published in a future issue. So, back to the painting table go I...

The Life and Times of Herbert Hardly-Standing VC, No1

Inspired by a thread on the Loose Association of Wargamers forum, a scene of daring do from the NW Frontier: Herbert Hardly-Standing saves the brigadier's life, again, from the unwelcome attentions of three swarthy Bhurpa warriors ~

The Bhurpas are from Britannia/Grubby Tanks, Herbert Hardly-Standing is a Copplestone figure and the Brigadier is from Pulp Figures. On a different note I've added something to the baggage and backstory theme of our games, a unit of RAMC on the move ~

The mules are from Askari, a firm from the USA who I've not seen before, while the casualty is from Redoubt's Zulu War range and the two Medics are from Pulp Figures. I thought the mules were poor sculpts but as they were a gift I'm not complaining! They are from the French Foreign Legion set I believe. The Redoubt casualty figure is obviously too large for the stretcher I've put him on, but I can live with that. I'm working on a mule born radio team now though,so hope that will appear here in due course.

Returns From Rhanzlistan?

As any of you who visit my main hobby blog, Tales from GHQ, will no doubt know, real life issues have been somewhat disruptive of our little group's gaming in recent weeks. This means of course that I don't have any new games to highlight in our Rhanzlistan Campaign, but I do have a considerable number of mini projects reaching the top of the Lead Pimple's painting queue, so I thought my occasional visitors here might like to see what will be added to the Rhanzlistan games over the winter months.

Awaiting deployment to the Rhanzlistan Frontier

Two new figures for Brigadier Tubby Bykleigh & his Batman, Robinson.

Pulp Miniatures by Bob Murch of course,

Three recruits for the Shropshire Yeomanry. Brigade Games figures of course.

An 18lb gun and crew from Woodbine at Gripping Beast.

3 new officers, 2 Copplestone Castings & 1 Pulp Miniatures.

Recruited from the Highlands and Islands? Probably the Gordon Highlanders I expect they'll be in the end.

Pulp Miniatures with steel helmeted heads removed and replaced by Woodbine heads in Wolseys.

A closer look ~ the heads look quite OK I think on the bodies.

Medical Transport team ~ mules from Askari, Pulp figures, Redoubt casualty.

Mule born radio communications ~ Tiger Minis mules, Pulp Miniatures figures.

Phil is making a radio and battery set for me when he gets a moment.

And finally, though perhaps somewhat inappropriate for Rhanzlistan service ~

Royal Navy deck crew from Pulp Miniatures




 

 

Royal Navy Shore Party

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An 'oddity' for the Bhurpas from Wargames Foundry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, I have to say that I'm not sure when these will be painted if I'm honest, but I hope they will all be completed by the middle of next year (DV). This is just a section of the 'Lead Pimple' of course, you will be able to see the full extent over on the main blog later. Thanks for dropping by!

The Bhyklabad Horse II

I've painted the remainder of the figures from the Brigade Games Indian Cavalry, from their WWI ranges, which I have deployed into the Rhanzlistan Field Force. They are known locally as  "Aston's Scouts", but more properly as 'The Bhyklabad Horse'. Here is the full strength unit, commanded by their newly promoted Major, John Roberts ~

A close up of some of the figures, always a risky choice given my standard of painting, but there you go ~

In addition to the 13 figures of the Scouts, I painted an extra two up to represent Brigadier 'Tubby' Bykleigh and his personal escort ~

Of course, its compulsory for our hero to be mounted on a white horse! I'll probably replace the lance pennon with a Union flag, when I can find out where I put the sheet for safe keeping! I hope that they'll soon be in action to help expel the S.P.I.F.F. from Rhanzlistan, or at least give those darned cossacks a run for their money!

The Bhyklabad Horse {Aston's Scouts}

In most games we've played so far in our 'Tales From Rhanzlistan' campaign I've found myself seriously outnumbered in respect to the cavalry arm of the Rhanzlistan Field Force. Phil's Bolsheviks have always been able to use their cavalry superiority to cause me real problems. The sole unit of cavalry, the Shropshire Yeomanry, were made up of Brigade Games figures from their WWI ranges, some of which I got as a gift from friends in the USA and some I picked up off Colonel Bill 's webshop. I had thought to add some mounted Bhurpas from the excellent Empress Miniatures Jazz Age Hill Tribes, but browsing the net one morning I lighted on the Brigade Games Indian Cavalry from the same WWI range to supplement those Dave Paddock had sent me recently and on the same Colonel Bill 's webshop of course. I now have 14 of these stout fellows to paint, so I made a start this week after a week's holiday in Cornwall. Here are the first of the Bhyklabad Horse, known locally as Aston's Scouts, under the command of Major John Roberts ~

Add caption

I was inspired to attempt the coloured turbans, even though they would not have been worn on campaign against either the Bhurpas or the Soviets of the S.P.I.F.F, by seeing a wonderfully painted Indian cricket team on the VBCW game at Partizan in the Tent! Sadly, my efforts are very second rate by comparison...

The yellow central stripe does n't show up too well in either picture I've found, but I hope you get the idea at least from one or other of the pictures. I suppose its the limitations of my iphone camera, but I have tried to edit the pictures without being able to bring up the yellow any more clearly. Whatever, I have another trooper well underway to add to the unit, leaving just ten more to work through, hopefully by the end of the next week. In the meantime though, I'm off to a matinee performance of The Pirates of Penzance, very apt really after last week's sojourn!

American Adventurers sighted...

...in Rhanzlistan. I went to the Great Barr Table Top Sale last month with Jon ~ he anted to buy some prepainted 20mm WWII Russian troops and vehicles ~ not really thinking I'd buy anything. I was surprised to see one chap selling heaps of based and undercoated Pulp figures from any number of manufacturers. I bought five, very disciplined I thought, and the two shown below have gone right into he Rhanzlistan back story.
I see them as two American Adventurers, seeking the lost kingdom of Bhladi Bhla, where they might find fame and fortune, although getting it back home might be a problem, you really can't trust those Bhurpas any further than you can spit into a gale! For no other reason than I like to name figures in these Pulp style games after my friends, I decided to call them Joe Paddock and Davy Moore. Any resemblance to living chaps is of course accidental as they say. Here they are ~

Joe Paddock & Davy Moore

They are Copplestone figures of course, although which sets they are from I can't say off hand. They will be setting out on an adventure later in the month I hope.

Bhurpas Add New Firepower

A recent game here in GHQ underlined the Bhurpas' lack of firepower, relying as they did on an ancient muzzle loading monster, The Great Gun Of Bhyklabad. In part it was due to Empress having sold out of the Jazz Age mortar set at Vapnartak! The situation was happily rectified at WMMS last week and here is the proof ~

I use a very limited palette when painting up my figures for the Bhurpa tribesmen: mainly the Foundry range of White, Black, Conker Brown, Madder Red and Russian Green for the clothing. This helps to give the figures a unified yet varied look on the table I find.
The pack also includes a 'bomber' wielding a Molotov Cocktail ~

I find painting things like bottles has its own issues. I generally paint the bottle grey, highlighted with Boneyard Light. For the liquid in this instance I used a careful wash of the old Games Workshop Brown Ink. Its a shame the picture is a bit washed out, you'll just need to trust me on this occasion, it looks fine here in front of me. Look out for both to make their debut in a game in the near future.