Tales of the Black Crane

The Guinea Company - Irregular Wars: Conflict at World's End

2011-09-24T08:04:00.001-07:00

Surprisingly enough, one of the projects I thought about doing at the start of the year has actually taken off, having read 'The Last Crusaders' by Barnaby Rogerson and been inspired to start off on Portuguese of the later 15th and 16th centuries, the Irregular Wars rules proved to be just the ticket. Designed for small-scale warfare from 1519-1641 across a wide variety of theatres, the ruleset has plenty of character, and the army lists seem well-put together to represent the types of forces one might find in, for instance, the New World, or in my case the East Indies. They also have plenty of capacity for expansion if, like me, you tend to alter systems here and there.

With a spot of tweaking to the Portuguese army list I've thrown together a force to represent the Guinea Company (of a sort at least), to go up against various Eastern Sultanates such as Malacca; some of the companies will also be of use in North Africa with Charles V to Tunis, and on the coasts of India. I'll put up something more of a review of the rules from a few of the games I've tested them with, but for the time being here are some pictures of the Portuguese:

The full company, with two stands of pike and two of shot, I also include crossbows, targeteers and added halberdiers and gentlemen volunteers to the list; the volunteers can double up as ships crews, which I felt might be likely to turn up with Portuguese adventurers in the East Indies

Closer shot of the shot and targeteer stands.

Gentlemen adventurers - who I may replace with a stand carrying the Guinea Company Standard at some stage - in the background, two stands of halberdiers in the middle and some slightly blurred crossbowmen in front.

The pike stands (with a couple of halberdiers substituted for pike for a spot of variety.

I'm currently painting up a couple of stands of mounted arquebusiers who I will probably throw into the Portuguese lists as another horse option, and making a start on some Imperial pikes for Charles V's adventure in North Africa.

The Carlists are back

2011-09-23T07:15:00.001-07:00

Well having said in February I was going to update this blog more often this year, it's turned out to be a singular failure. However, in the interests of giving it at least a new photo or two, here are some Carlist Officers I painted during the summer. Since I decided to hang on to the Militia in the end I think this might be a project I stick with, even if on a very slow basis.

The Carlists are coming...and going

2011-02-10T10:14:00.000-08:00

Another project that has turned into a one-off unit, 28mm First Carlist War; having finally finished the unit I'm reasonably pleased with the results - another first for me, 28mm - Perries and a Napoleonic-style conflict - although admittedly given they are militia I managed to avoid having to paint uniforms.

Anyway, a point to be made is the grass - the stuff I've used previously is a pain, it gets everywhere, there's always a couple of strands which miss being cut, won't stay up unless bunched in very unnatural clumps, and quite frankly it's more trouble than it's worth. However, this version, from Hornby, is a lot more sturdy, and with the gentle aid of prodding from a cocktail stick settled into shape very easily, if like me you dread using scenic grass try out the Hornby stuff.

So there's that done - last thing to add is that the figures are now up for sale, so if interested drop me a note or comment! (Also a note on the WD3 in the Peddling Wares section so can pm me there)

A Napoleonic Sideshow

2011-01-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

In an example of sheer extravagance (compared to a year and a half of no posts), a second post this evening, completely unrelated to my projects for this year but why not?

Something of a sideshow; I've always been drawn to Napoleonics, and always been daunted by the scale and the uniforms - this is my first attempt at AB Cavalry, British Light Dragoons, and I'm reasonably pleased with the result. However, since that project is a non-starter, it's off to the market place with these, still, a fun experiment nonetheless.

New start, new projects

2011-01-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

Well, given my last post was in mid-2009 this will probably come as something of a surprise; on the other hand since I imagine everyone who was reading this, hasn't, since they realised nothing new was forthcoming then welcome or welcome back.

This year I intend to actually use the blog and be somewhat more regular in my posting.

So, plans for 2011?
Well, the latest project is going to be Russian Civil War/Russo-Polish War, and I'm intending to adapt Peter Pig's PBI to the theatre - I think they're going to be getting quite a lot of my custom this year! Current thoughts are either the Polish Front or the Don Cossacks.

Having just finished reading CJ Sansom's 'Heartstone', though, I'm tempted to go for some more 28s and start a Henry VIII in France project. On the other hand, I've just started the Last Crusaders by Barnaby Rogerson, so Portuguese in North Africa is a third option. Choices, choices.

Second, a return to the 6mm fold after something of a hiatus, inspired by the news from Baccus that Ottomans are at last in the offing, so more opposition for my Poles (see below), and motivation to finally get on and finish the Pancerni I've had sitting around for quite a long time.

On the writing front, 'Tales of the Black Crane' is about 25,000 words in, and has been sitting there for a while, this year I intend to get the first draft finished.

Finally, my current painting is a Perry Carlist Militia unit, almost finished and undoubtedly going on ebay when it's complete, I'll post pictures of the finished figures when they're done.

Isn't January great, all these plans, all that optimism...I'll believe it this time next year!

Reinforcements

2009-06-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

Another shot of the Russian GNW force, this time of the Moskovski Dragoons, dismounted. The next trick will be to take some shots of the mounted dragoon regiments.

No Swedes yet; I have several battalions painted, but based in a different style, and unfortunately embedded in milliput, so it's looking like having to start all over again with the Swedish infantry.

The cavalry are based on the same square bases as the Russian cavalry and dragoons, so it will just be a case of taking them up from the bases, giving them a treatment with Nitromor and then repainting & rebasing. A project for the summer I think.

What's next?

2009-06-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

Well, the entry has been sent off, so I can stop thinking about that until December, when, hopefully, I will be given a rather large cheque...

Anyway, last week the wordcount on the next novel rose by another 4000 odd words, with the introduction of a couple of new shady characters. This of course will mean nothing to you at the moment, unless you've somehow got a copy of my draft. However, that is beginning to tick nicely. I will work out how to post sections of it somewhere on the blog eventually.

BBC National Short Story Award

2009-06-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

In case anyone is wondering why nothing has appeared in the last few days, have no fear, I haven't forgotten the password again, rather I'm working on an entry for the BBC National Short Story Award. Cunningly having forgotten about this, I realise the closing date is the 15th June. Which doesn't give me long to write something world-beating.

Mind you, for a £15,000 first prize, it's probably worth having a go.

http://www.theshortstory.org.uk/news/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/national-short-story-award/introduction/

The Russians are still coming

2009-06-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

In an effort to get the link to the larger version working

The Russians are coming

2009-05-31T11:20:00.001-07:00

The Russians are coming, just rather small ones

The Seminovski Regiment (GNW) advancing

The Moskovski Regiment lining the edge of a 'village' (or posing for the photographer)

My horse...when I bestride him I soar

2009-05-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

You might be fooled by the title into thinking that this is about riding, technically it's not. Nor does the post have anything to do with Henry V, despite my having pinched the words from the Dauphin's mouth for the title of this post. I am, rather, indulging in a little military history, and finally showing off some of the painting.

First up, the Polish Hussars, in this instance without wings...

Of course, any talk of the Poles wouldn't be complete without the Winged Hussars

For those in the know...the figures are Baccus 6mm, I'm just waiting for the Ottomans to appear!

The Age of the Dragon...and apparently a hobbit quiz team

2009-05-31T10:59:00.000-07:00

A piece of short fiction has recently appeared in the University of Southampton's creative writing magazine - Friction - concerning the wisest course of action to take when faced with mystical towers full of straw, halfling quiz teams and gnomes fishing stone humans from ponds. In my defence, I was in a tongue-in-cheek sort of mood; when I work out how to, I'll add it as a note here.

Shattered Souls

2009-05-31T10:56:00.001-07:00

Shattered Souls was my first novel, published in late 2008 - you can click the picture on the left to go to the amazon site. It started as an alternate history; the Greek City states in an industrial era, and became a 'sci-fantasy' but without the futuristic technology or mythical creatures. Rather a tale of warring city-states, assassination, betrayal, and intrigue and the idea the everyone has an agenda. Though I say it myself, well worth the reading!

A new dawn, a new day

2009-05-31T10:22:00.000-07:00

Technically, this is my fourth post; there was a slight hitch with my original blog involving the forgetting of the password which has led me to this point. Fortunately, I forgot the password after only three posts, so it's not really all that much of a wrench...

Anyway, I've got experience now.

What are the Tales of the Black Crane? You may be wondering. Well, they aren't written yet, there may be a tale regarding a black necked crane, I would be surprised if there wasn't, especially in Bhutan. However, for my purposes, the Tales of the Black Crane will be a series of novels I have begun work upon. I am currently writing the first - Days of the Black Crane - which I expect to have finished sometime before the end of time, but look out for teasers and snippets as the blog progresses, I daresay I'll put some of the current version up here soon.

Aside from this, the blog is something of a creative outlet, so other writing, the odd bit of painting and doubtless a few musings will appear. In the spirit of creativity (and family solidarity), might I suggest you wander over to my brother's blog, it's jolly interesting! (See the link on the left).

So there we go, you still don't know what the TotBC are (it's shorter than writing the whole title each time), but hopefully that will have you coming back to check every now and then!

P.S. I hope to remember the password this time - I've even written it down.