Sunday 4 November 2018

The Weekly Sitrep....Number 1

As ever in Chateau Crook the weekend has been a busy one. To begin with my daughter and my grandson were home for the weekend and as it is close of November the 5th we headed out to a local firework display on Saturday evening. It was great fun albeit rather chilly - especially when you had to wait around 45 minutes in an open field for it to start. It was good fun though and my grandson loved it.

SWMBO and I made three separate shopping trips over the course of Saturday and Sunday which included the Christmas drink shop. As a result of a special discount (as well as her 20% staff discount we hustled up a dozen bottles of wine of various sorts at rather less than half price - for the nth time I am really pleased that my good lady wife works for M and S!

Sunday afternoon was spent on some gaming related items including the first dry brush on the WW2 ships for my North Atlantic project. I was able to tackle all the ships at this first stage with the second next weekend. I always like this part of the painting at the dry brushing really ‘pops’ the outline of the model. The next step will be the highlighting followed by the decks. As mentioned before the plan is to have these ready by the end of the year at the latest. I also have some forty-odd destroyers to go with the first batch but as these are not essential for the Bismarck operation there is no immediate rush to get them done. 


The two styles of basing under consideration. That on the left will give a closer ‘Kurz and Allison’ look although that on the right looks better.


The other task I undertook was to see what the Spencer Smith ACW figures looked like on the bases. I have been exchanging emails with Bob Cordery about the merits of using his basing system as opposed to what I originally intended using. The standard base I am using is 2” by 1” and originally I was going to have two figures on such a base. My entire infantry organisation was arranged around this so, for example, I could field a 4 strength point unit of four bases each with 2 figures making 8 in total. This in turn means that I will have 6 sub units from my planned 48 figure regiment. So far so good but, the figures look a little too spread out for what I am planning.

When you look at the battle scenes depicted in the Kurz and Allison prints the infantry are always deployed virtually shoulder to shoulder. This is what clinched the decision for me - as well as wanting a uniformity of approach in respect of basing (my Arab revolt collection will have the infantry based in 3s) - and so I shall be using 3 figures rather than 2.


The work station viewed from the kitchen. Lined up are the Germans in the top row with the Royal Navy underneath.



The view from the lounge. 

I figured it was probably about time that I revealed my new, lounge-based work station which has made a huge difference to what I can do and when I can do it. The location is far better than in the loft and also the benefit of being near a radiator, a fridge and the downstairs bathroom!

On a separate matter I have decided that from here on in I shall be writing a weekly summary of what has been going on in my world and so this is the first edition of the Weekly Sitrep. Naturally I will be reporting anything else that happens on an as and when basis.

I hope you like it.



14 comments:

Robert (Bob) Cordery said...

David,

It sounds as if you have been even busier than I have. Yesterday saw Sue and I trying to get to Lakeside ... and we got stuck in a massive traffic jam as a result of one tunnel at Dartford being closed. We eventually got home again ... and I was so whacked that I fell asleep in my armchair for nearly two hours. As a result, I got nothing done that I planned to do.

I think that the three-figure bases look much better than the two-figure ones ... but I would, wouldn't I!

I am most impressed with you new painting station. I wish that I had a similar arrangement ... but at present I am currently confined to my toy/wargame room in the loft.

All power to your elbow with regard to your projects,

Bob

Geordie an Exiled FoG said...

I like the sneak "look inside the key-hole" of your painting Chateau (one feels privileged)
Like Bob I was impressed with the painting set up
Three figures per base gets my vote too ;)

Those ships kinda got me itching to get back to my Navwar 1/3000
There is the Pacific War in WWII and strange corners of WWI as long standing works in progress ;)

Thanks for the inspiration!

El Grego said...

David,

The 3-figure Plan gets my nod also. One issue that I would have though is base depth. The weapons seem to hang over the front edge a smidge, but careful placement will mitigate any problems when the troops are 'up close and personal'.

The natural light at your new painting area is great!

Adelaide Gamer said...

Very neat station. You'll probably have to keep it that way?!

David Crook said...

Hi Bob,

The traffic in South Essex has been awful the last couple of weeks so I feel your pain!

Setting up and putting away the work station takes minutes and the best thing about it is that it forces me to make sure that I only have what I am working on to hand. This is an important and welcome factor for me as it means I can focus my efforts by not being surrounded by distractions. I also have to plan my time carefully which again means that I have to concentrate.

I will still be using the loft as most of my collection lives up there as does my gaming table and for the same reasons it means that when I go up there I have to concentrate on what I am doing and make the best use of the time available.

3 figures a base looks so much better.

All the best,

DC

David Crook said...

Hi Geordie,

Many thanks for the kind words about the painting station old chap - much appreciated!

I am enjoying the process with the 1:4800th scale models and without a doubt for large scale actions they are ideal - which kind of makes a nonsense about what I am doing at the moment as the games will usually be quite small. Having said that as I shall be using quite a small playing area they are ideally sized for the Axis and Allies playing mat.

I am intrigued by your 'forgotten corners of WW1' for your naval adventures - do tell!

All the best,

DC

David Crook said...

Hi EG,

Good to hear from you old chap!

The great thing about the Spencer Smiths is that the advancing pose I am using fits really nicely in two ranks with minimal overhang. 3 figures is definitely the way to go and the base has a lot more 'presence' than the two figure option.

The natural light is very handy and it would even better if next door would do something with their trees!

All the best,

DC

David Crook said...

Hi Adelaide Gamer,

As I have set it up and take it down every time I use it I am hoping that I can keep it tidy. Mostly.

All the best,

DC

'Lee. said...

Hi David,
That's a very neat painting table you have there, I also like to keep myself tidy, not one for these 'pots of paint all over the place' jobs. When I switched from painting upstairs in isolation to painting in the lounge at our last house I found I became far more productive.

I like the tighter basing personally, as you say it does represent the shoulder to shoulder formations of the Civil War, but will require more figures. Btw, have you ever seen the Battle of Shiloh Cyclorama? First time I saw it I was stunned, it almost looked like a photograph, it is incredibly detailed. I think there is also one for Gettysburg.

All the best,

Lee.

Jim Duncan Wargamer said...

My ACW Spencer Smiths are based on 20mm squares and look just right.

Geordie an Exiled FoG said...

My WWI "forgotten corners" and "could have been" include:

The Flight of the Goeban 1914
Von Spee "Tsingtau" versus the Japanese and British HMS Triumph (Hypothetical)
Dardenelles 1915 (OK not so forgotten perhaps)
German Battle Cruisers v GF Sixth (US) Battle Squadron (Hypothetical)
Sweden v Russia (Hypothetical although it nearly happened)
French v Spain (Hypothetical)

War Plan Red 1920 - surely the Americans would never ... ?

David Crook said...

Hi Jim,

I did think about using 20mm but for some reason (and I cannot for the life of me remember why!) I opted for inches.

All the best,

DC

David Crook said...

Hi Geordie,

That is an interesting selection for sure! I have in mind something in support of the Arab Revolt which will be very much mostly the naval equivalent of League 1 rather than the Premier version.

All the best,

DC

David Crook said...

Hi 'Lee,

I was pleasantly surprised at how much more efficiently I could work using a smallish table and solely those models that I needed to tackle. Certainly having to set it up and take it down after use has helped me to focus.

I was not aware of the Cyclorama you mentioned but I shall certainly take a look for it.

The more I look at the tighter basing the more I like it and as a rule of thumb if it looks ok then it probably is!

All the best,

DC