Five Paratroopers and an Injun....

Just to prove I've not been I complete slacker here are a few things I've completed recently (very few).

Woodland Indian

Fallschirmjager with FG42

Fallshirmjager with Kar98

US Airborne with M1A1 carbine

The Woodland Indian is from Conquest (now available from Warlord). The Fallshirmjager are Artizan and the US Airborne trooper is from Bolt Action (aka Warlord).

The Bolt Action US Airborne are absolute beauties. Packed full of detail, in fact so much detail it is easy to miss some of it. But they are full of character. Mr Hicks did a sterling job on these figures and I'm only now getting round to painting them.

I have actually painted more than this and I'm still working on a project which I intend to complete before posting anything on here. More to follow....

An Apache a Day-Day Four

And finally.

So that's four Apache's in four days. Not a great out put compared to some, but kept me interested for the few days.  I did use a lot of the Foundry Paint Palettes on these models and they certainly helped. I also found that working to a deadline meant I had to stick to a colour scheme I chose for each figure rather than 'experimenting' as I like to do, once I've started painting.

Anyway here is the four of them together.

Now back to the 15mm Afrikakorp after that short interlude.
  

An Apache a Day-Day Three

An Apache a Day-Day Two

An Apache a Day-Day One

Right with a few days off work (four to be precise). I've set myself a little challenge of painting an Apache for the Legends of Old West games on each of the days off. So above is the first one.

A good way, me thinks to, get some more painted and an achievable target I believe.  Plus a little break from 15mm.

Model is a Foundry Apache, as will be all of the others.

Ambush at Pa' Randalls Trading Post

The wagons creaked and groaned under the weight of the cargo, but the destination was in sight, the journey almost over.

Pa' Randalls Trading Post, a run down, collection of frontier buildings, abandoned long ago by homesteaders, know occupied by Pa' Randall, ex-scout, ex-thief, ex-drunk.

Safety and shelter were at hand. Rumours abound of Apache Renegades, who had attacked Big Jakes Ranch, scalping men and defiling women . Soon the travellers could enjoy hot coffee, a plate of beans and secure walls around them for tonight. But what was that just beyond the trees to the right? Ole' Bill shifted his rifle nervously in his hands. He glanced back to his partner. Had Nat seen it? What was that moving in the trees? Apaches.....

Victorio and his warparty rushed towards the wagons. The warriors released a volley of lead towards the white eyes . Dahana would be avenged. Victorio felt the butt of his rifle strike his shoulder, and saw the bullet strike his enemy.

Nat fell, his life blood darkening the ground. Ole' Bill panicked rushed for the scrub. His wife 'Two Barrel' Annie shouldered her twelve gauge and ran behind the wagons to seek cover.

The folks accompanying the wagons did like wise. Discretion was the better part of valour.

Victorio let out a howl of pleasure. Victory was assured. The Apache rushed to close with the enemy.

At the Trading Post Pa' Randall, ran out of the hovels he called home, alerted by the sounds of gunfire and the screams of terror. In the near distance he espied the Renegades. Hunkered down behind his wagon, he raised his rifle and took careful aim.

But Victorio was a wily old fox. He personally lead one half of the band towards the wagons, whilst Uday lead the others to cover to exchange fire with Randall.

Victorio was a man on fire. His repeater spat death towards his foe. Ole' Bill, a veteran of the war in the Black Hills, twisted and fell as the bullet ripped into his chest. 'Two Barrel' Annie urged the wagon masters to greater effort, they could still reach safety.

Uday and the other braves traded shot with Pa' Randall. Time and again the Apache cursed in frustration as their bullets tore chunks of wood from the wagon behind which the ex-scout cowered. Then.....

Uday's aim was true. The Trader collapsed behind the wagon. His throat torn through.  A cry of victory cut the air, but not from Uday...

Victorio had reached the wagons. Yuma seized the bridle of the last team, and began to turn the wagon to the South. The other Apaches poured murderous fire onto the hapless white eyes. Many of whom abandoned the wagons and fled to some dilapidated buildings. Now they had to turn to 'Two Barrel' Annie for protection.

The feisty dame stood her ground and from the scrub turned her shotgun towards the Apache. Both barrels roared. But in her haste the buckshot found only empty air. Time was running out.

Even stone was not going to save the recently widowed Annie now. Victorio's bullet found its mark. Even before she had struck the ground, Vasco's arrow hit the fleeing Pedro in the back, he was never to see Mexico again.

Yuma began to lead the captured prize way. Ulzana having looted the body of Nat would not have time to liberate Ole' Bill of any of his possessions, for in the distance could be heard the rumble of hooves.

Capt' Jack had arrived but too late, too late. Victorio's warband was going to slip away again.

But would they reap the whirlwind in their next encounter?

So ended the second part of our ongoing Wild West campaign. I must inpart a big thank you to the Secret Wargamers Friend for putting on a great game. Terrain and most of the figures (except the Apache of course) are his.

In fact here is the great man himself, contemplating the game and what to do next. Cheat maybe?

          

Ghost Walkers (An ongoing story of survival in the Old West)

Dawn , Texas, February 16th 1881. The cowhands, maids, and cooks start work in the pale morning sun light at Big Jake's Ranch. Another day of toil and drudgery.

Suddenly a blood curdling war cry shatters the calm. From the surrounding scrub, Victorio's renegade Apache warband race towards the homestead.

Victorio himself, leading one half of the warriors, rushes towards the corral eager to seize the horses from the white eyes. Ulzana leads the others towards the stone walled cattle pen; food is needed to feed the hungry warriors and their families. The women folk and children of the ranch scatter for cover.

The warrior Yuma takes careful aim and strikes down one of the fleeing women. The lust for revenge for the injustice heaped up his people clouds his vision, all are enemies here.

Having reached the corral a fierce gun battle enrupts across the paddock has the homesteaders fight hard to defend themselves. Then disaster strikes...
 

Yuma falls knocked senseless by a lucky shot.

Ulzana's half of the band is more successful. The warriors have seized the cattle and begin to lead them away. In the far distance the warriors Nana and Kuruk give covering fire to drive off more of the white eyes who have emerged from the buildings.

But are they to late to stop the Apaches? Meanwhile at the corral the gun fight is getting desparate. Neither side is able to gain the upper hand.

Dahana using the rail fence as cover draws closer to his enemy. Gripping his prized Winchester rifle tightly he opens fire on the enemy and one bullet flies true.

The cowhand crumples into the dust never to fight again. But then the thunder of hooves can be heard fast approaching.

Prospectors have heard the sound of gunfire and ride to the aid of the beleaguered defenders. Or perhaps they are motivated more by the chance of collecting a bounty from each Apache scalp they take? Now it is the Apaches who are under pressure.

Out numbered brave Dahana is gunned down in a hail of bullets, never to rise again. But the stubborn battle at the corral has not been in vain.

Ulzana and his warriors have taken the cattle, and retire into the surrounding scrub. Victorio mourning the loss of his brother warrior, leads his men away.

The white eyes sensing an easy victory give chase but their bravado comes too late to stop the warparty escaping.


This was the third game in which my Apache warparty have taken part in. The first saw a minor victory to the Apache, the second was a close run thing, from which Victorio and this warriors just managed to escape from a party of scalp hunters, after giving them a blood nose. My opponent 'The Secret Wargamers Friend' has decided to draw up a campaign of sorts with a certain element of role playing. He will be DM and my actions across the game map will determine the next encounter. This was the first official game using the campaign map, so the first one documented.

Rules used 'Legends of the Old West', figures by Foundry, Artizan, Dixon and others. Terrain bought and scratchbuilt. 

Woodland Indians

A while back I posted a few pics of some Eastern Native American warriors or Woodland Indians. Well I have completed  a few more for my French & Indian War project (which is sputtering along).

My recent involvement in a AWI campaign sparked my interest in the period again, plus I decided I needed a break from painting WW2 (couldn't face doing any more splinter camo just yet).

Four more.

  With the original two.

I've used mainly GW colours on these with some Vallejo and Foundry. I've also simplified the paint schemes opting for more natural 'buckskin' for clothing and accoutrement's, rather than spending time painting ornate schemes on the bags etc. to represent the decoration of bead work etc.

These figures are Conquest Miniatures. But these particular figures are no longer available unfortunately.

Return of the Apache

I've managed to add two more Apache Warriors to my small but growing war party, for use in Legends of the Old West.

 Both of these warriors are armed with Winchester repeating rifles, and will add much needed fire power to the Apache posse.

These look a bit garish since I had to use the flash. I need to invest in a halogen lamp which I've read should be used to assist in lighting figures if the natural light is poor.

These models like all others are from the wargames foundry range. 

Yet More Apache!

Two more Renegades to add to my small but growing Apache warband. These models are proving quite fun to paint, and I'm limiting the colour palette to spend up the painting. This is made easier due to the fact that I can give them white shirts and trousers, historically the Apache adopted these garments following contact with the Mexicans.

I actually finished these about a week ago but have been completing another little project since then. More on that later.

More Apache

Here we have a couple more Apache, completed over the past week.



This warrior is particularly well armed with a repeating rifle and a six gun! Wearing a traditional war cap on his head.

This warrior is holding in his left hand a flop head club, or traditional war club.

The reasoning behind starting the Apache was to use them in 'Legends_of_the_Old_West'. Quite a few of the usual club attendees, have Old West figures and the indomitable Capt. Nolan has a large collection of Cowboys, Mexicans and a very nice set of frontier buildings. The Apache fought against the Americans (Anglo-Americans) and the Mexicans, so it made sense to paint up a force of these Native Americans.