Monday 21 November 2016

Airfix American Civil War Wargaming

It´s arrived !!!!!!!!!!!! :-)
Considering the Age of the book, it was produced in 1977, this copy is in excellent condition. Slight discolouration on the spine but no dog ears or Scribbles/stains on the pages.
Compared to what some copies are going for on Evil-bay etc,   I got this copy for a song.
Having a quick look through, the memories came flooding back! This and some of the airfix mag articles (when pocket Money allowed ) inspired many a table top (and carpet Level) battle.
On a later post devoted to the "Airfix ACW Wargaming " Project I write up the basing, movement, firing rules for  anyone interested.

And, an update on Smokey. She´s now had a slight Name Change to Ghost..but seeing as she is deaf (she can only very high tones) it makes no difference to her what her Name is.
She´s put on some weight and is more or less settled in.

Saturday 12 November 2016

Airfix ACW Wargaming (Pt2)

All available guns finished. Due to "plastic Rot", I only had enough wheels left to put 4 together and some of those are missing parts of the spokes.
A Union gun Crew. These are some of my  conversions from over 30 years ago.
Top halves from the ACW set and 3 bottom halves from the Airfix Russian infantry set and one (far left) from the Union infantry set. Bases are painted up emerald green "old School"

I´ve now gone and ordered the book American Civil War Wargaming by Terry Wise so when it arrives, basing can start.

Both Crews for the CSA finished
and another Union gun Crew added
All 4 guns with Crews.
Note the twisted and or snapped spokes. The dreaded plastic rot? In some cases yes but some of the wheels are still very pliable and  I seem to remember (way back) that  the spokes on a lot of the airfix sets were twisted.
Right, if anyone actually misses thier target they get thier pay docked!

Tuesday 1 November 2016

Airfix ACW Wargaming (Pt1)

As if I haven´t got enough to do, Hobbywise, the start of Another Project, this one based on Airfix ACW using just Airfix bods.
Why Airfix ACW? Simply cos I´ve got a few bods already finished and......…
..........and a few spares and..

,,,, the Airfix bods are easy to paint and, Rivet Counters beware,  the historical innacuracy of the bods  gives me a good excuse to say, Any historical accuracy is purely accidental.
Obviously they will be painted to represent both sides but I won´t be getting hung up on wether a CSA bod is wearing a tunic of  exactly the right tone of  Butternut Brown or a Union bod is wearing a Kepi or a Hardee hat. As Noted at PSR, these were intended as toys..and toys are meant for games and games should be fun..not a chore.

I´ll also be making some Conversions. I did so way back when I first got into wargaming/collecting but they will be as simple as I don´t want to get bogged down with the Project which usually gets me distracted into doing something else.

Any half decent looking battlefield Needs some bits of scenery  so first up a couple of generic farmhouses.
As this is supposed to be a fun  Old School  Project,  reliant on being cheap, quick  and easy, so everything about it, including any battlefield "decoration",  has to cost virtually nothing, be Basic, no excessive Detail or in depth historical accuracy, if it looks the part it´ll do and lastly,  durable.

Thin Card from cereal boxes etc glued with PVA
Roofing
Ridge tiles
Chimneys made from high Density foam

and here´s a very inspirational blog.  20mm Crimean War Wargaming & Other Stuff
Bob is also doing an Airfix ACW Project called  Project Battle Cry & Airfix ACW.
The look he´s achieved is what I´m aiming for.