Deadlier than the male......

Steve the Wargames blog highligths an interesting point here http://steve-the-wargamer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/that-more-intelligent-sort-of-girl-who.html, IMHO ther article in the times misses the point. But then again it doesn't as the point- in this case is to fill the paper and for the journo to get paid. Anything else is a bonus.

That being said it strikes me that some chaps are afraid to grasp the nettle lest they be thought misogynistic beasts in these so called enlightened times. Now for myself I have not and have never had any objection to female wargmers or lady wargamers as we used to call 'em back in the Dark Ages of the 1980s. In my ECW re-enactment days Female musketeers were far from unknown. I once had command of an entirely female gun crew at one event.- I led the Royalists that day. Even the odd female pikeman was encountered- though this was rare and unusual . In those days a pike push was a punch-up with sticks- bruising was common and blood injuries far from unknown , not to mention the occasional exploding musketeer. Yet no-one thought that the girls should not do these things if they wished or simply be "wenches" if they wished. That was almost 25 years ago so its not new. When it comes to miniature Wargaming- as distinct from the full size sort outlined above- then ladies, women , Females or " wimmin" are thinner on the ground but not unknown- I've played with girls... (badly put that but sometimes you just have to) . Steve's blog covers the salient points so no need to repeat. However I do tend to find the idea of a separate Wargames Group for Women a little bit offensive- in these days of supposed diversity and equality. I'd find a Wargames group for Black people just as offensive or indeed to cite my own case one for the poorly sighted- you could shove THAT where the sun does not shine and I'd help by pushing very hard.... No where such pigeonholing is not necessary for safety or equal competition - such as many- but not all physical sports then its just daft and divisive. I accept that both men and women may feel more comfortable separated in this way  and to be sure  in our group some of  Jimbo more "robust" humour  wouldn't suit mixed company- to be old fashioned about it but then I remember a time when I did a lot of bar work when certain hen parties not only made me blush  but made me worry for my moral well beingand yes that was 25years ago too.

 After all if I set up a Man only group I'd be accused of sexism .

Nice one... Henry.

Recieved my copy of MW362 the other day- the second issue under new mangagement and to be honest I was pleasantly surprised. Especially after the patchiness of the previous issue. There is actually stuff to read in it. Indeed from a personal point of view there was more in this issue than all the BGs I have put together. To be sure the layout is a bit annoying with the Front cover in white looking a bit like an Essex slappers high heels and the strapline at the top of each page with its little red highlight label to remind you you are reading a feature or a column- as if to imply that you can't tell by reading the actual article..... However that being said the articles were useful and interesting - A nice ECW campaign a couple of useful think pieces the Whose History one being particulary interesting- though I'm not sure the analogy bewteen modern historical art and Game design holds water the basic premise does in that Game designers are far more abstract and need to give much more info...show your working lad- as my maths teacher would have said. Mind you I did giggle- there is a picture of 10 rulesets- all Napoleonic or ACW. I own 2 of them - niether of which are my favouites- the rest I've never seen or only marginally heard of..certainly never played. Perhaps I'm just not as obcessed with rules as some of the blikes out there. Hate reading 'em can't see the point of many of 'em - other than to earn a few bob for the writer. However i used to tinker- much more than I do now and would dispute that a game designer knows more automatically about a given period than I do . Now don't get me wrong I know bog all about Ancient Chinese Warfareand precious little about several other periods. The author opines that gamers hate debates about accuracy and that all they want is (here it comes thinks I ) FUN(yep there is that dread word again) Debate of course can also be FUN discussion is what greases the whells - at least I hope so. The other think piece was equally thought provoking- though as someone who has used the "holistic" appraoch since before the term was coined there wasn't that much new there- except for the 12 points at the end- not so much the points themselves but the way they were stated. My argument would be - well I simply don't get into a period that way Rules first perish the thought.

So just for the recoerd here is how I usually get into a period.

First its a matter of inspiration- this most usually is a good book or sometimes one of those now despised "taster articles" in one of the glossies- rare now these.. I might be a range of figures or even a game. What it won't be is a set of bloody rules. The Ilkley lads game at Triples may make me dig out my Landknects. A book called "Target Basra certainly started off my Modern armies last July . Peter Young and HCB Rogers and a few years reenactinf did the ECW for me. and so on and so forth . I ALWAYS do both sides one army is as much use as 1 beer- how do you get a proer taste? However the point about overcrowded tables is well made I've seen it time and time again likewise nice painting and crap basing. I've always thought that the so called "Holistic" approach is the only way to go but nevertheless the piece was well put together and too the point.

There was also a nice piece on paintin MASSES of Swis pikemen. In 15mm yetand without black undercoat. There is life out there... and hopefully not to sound patronising by a female writer well done Miss Piper. - Bloody good painjobs too - me I'd have packed it in after abnout 50 .

All in all a good mag.

New modern Masters

Well here I sit waiting for a shipment from the USA and Lo - its not here- to be delivered tomorrow say UPS-some kind of admin cock-up doubtless- the shipment was actually in Donnington when the computer said Gateshead... So to while away a wasted afternoon here are a few pics of the soon to be released new 15mm Modern vehicles.

these3 pictures show Jackal (4 wheels) Coyote(6 wheels0- and A Toyota Hilux- for the up and coming insurgent!!

These will of course have 50cals and GPMG added where appropriate

Shinyloo 2 - diversion again.

Back in the Shine or What a load of Shine!!!

Back in July last year I wrote a post called Shinyloo and showed some retro figures deliberately painted in a retro style. I maintained at the time that this was an "occaisional diversion" . So it proved, other stuff , not least my 15mm moderns project- of which I had almost nothing back in July - has mushroomed into 2 forces fitt for the table. So fit in fact that THIS year we, that is the TWATS, will be using them at the Durham show.

However I digree , back to the point. Here therefore are a few more Shiny Dudes

Here we see the Emperor Napoleon Shinyparte and a couple of his staff. Stadden and Willie figues .

These 6 are old Hincliffe Nassauers- so will fight on the Allied side

"Missed Me you Bounder! Wille Officer Stadden Old Guard and Minot British wounded figure.

Close up of the British Officer- Sir Ronseal Yatch-Varnish. Very suitable for a chap so SHINY

I've set myself a few rules for this project- which of course I'll bend or break when it suits me.

1/. Figures should be 30mm or thereabouts- no matter what it says on the packet.

2/. Out of production figures are used where possible. So waiting in the wings I have a bundle of Minots.

All figures to be based singly on round bases. For this project I want a retro look but of a better standard than many of the games from that time.

Nevertheless its still simply a small diversion from the main periodsand I paint 'em this way not because its a fashion or because I'm a memebr of the OFW set but simply becausev it amuses me to do so. Right now back to those 15mm Moderns...