Paints, plots and plans

The Arab conquest of Sind - the diversified nature of the army can be readily seen but the troops could just as easily be Ancients Persians

It has been a very busy few days on the domestic front with much going on that has had to take priority over gaming and model making. I have managed to fit in a few small tasks though which have served to keep me relatively sane.

To begin with, I managed to touch in the light blue on the four 109 Es I currently have on the table and so I hope to have the masking tape on tomorrow for the green splintered upperworks. The most difficult part of the paint job will be the frames on the cockpits or more specifically, the glass itself. The models come with the glass painted mid grey - Mr. Fox has repainted his in a light blue shade - but I am undecided at the moment. I am leaning towards a lighter grey but will experiment and see what looks best.

Operation Seeadler is moving along nicely with both Admirals making plans and hoping to catch each other out in the grey wastes of the North Atlantic. There has been much frenzied plotting and urgent queries directed at the umpire for consideration (and sometimes dismissal out of hand!). Obviously I am unable to go into details (naval operations are currently hightly classified) but I can reveal that something is about happen, probably, well maybe anyway.

I have also had a mess around with some unit labels for the ancient block armies for use with the Ancient Portable Wargame. Whilst doing this it suddenly occurred to me that many of the advantages of the horse and musket and modern period block armies I have assembled  - the variety of forces that can be represented being the main one - could equally be applied to the pre gunpowder era. At first glance using blocks for some 3,500 years of history may seem to be a  step too far but in actuality there is no reason why not. I take the view that a close order spearman would functionally work in the same way regardless of being a Greek Hoplite, a Byzantine Skutatoi or a Yari wielding Ashigaru. As ever, the background to the game being played will serve to provide the mental imagery that conventional model soldiers would ordinarily provide - at least that is how I look at it!

One thing the whole Ancient Portable Wargame Block Army extravanganza has served to prompt though is the prospect of gaming two particular periods I have never tried but would dearly like to - the Arab Conquests and the early Ottoman Turkish wars - up to the fall of Rhodes.

Much to ponder then methinks or rather, once more unto the breach, dear friends....;-)