Half Term Fleet in a Week: Basing

It doesn't look like much but the Chilean Interwar fleet has now been based and undercoated in matt black, ready for the bases to be blocked in tomorrow. I've also added an oil tanker to the line up using a Japanese tanker that is not too far off the actual Chilean fleet oiler Rancagua. 

International AK47 Wargaming Day 2026

As you are no doubt aware, today is International AK47 Wargaming Day! I was planning to run an al fresco game using the classic rules this afternoon but the weather has gone into meltdown and it's just too hot to be outside in the sun. Instead, I have organised a parade of the Zubuto Army of the People, featuring the 'elite' but otherwise bog standard red beret para-commandos, the armoured units of the regular ZAP mobile brigade, the local tribal militias and some shady mercenary types, as well as a fly past by a helicopter gunship and a fighter bomber. Hip Hip Hooray! 

Half Term Fleet in a Week: Assembly

O'Higgins (converted Asama) 

Almirante Latorre (original / modernised) 

Chacabuco (Takasago) 

Almirante Williams / Serrano

Libertad / Constitucion

Almirante Cochrane 

It's flipping hot today so all DIY has been cancelled, giving me a free afternoon to assemble the 1/3000th scale interwar Chilean fleet. I added brass masts to the models as I had some new 0.3mm rod that I ordered by mistake, but which is ideal for the top masts. I also converted the Navwar Japanese armoured cruiser Asama into something not unlike the Chilean O'Higgins. The next thing to do will be to base the models with acrylic paste, which is a different approach compared to my other 1/3000th stuff but which I use successfully for my 1/2400th scale models. 

Half Term Chilean Interwar Fleet in a Week

 

A slight change of plan after I realised that painting the Royal Navy for the Norwegian Campaign might be a little ambitious in one week? Instead, I'm going to paint and base almost the entire Chilean navy c1937-38 for an Interwar extension of my ongoing 'What If?' Chile vs Argentina naval campaign. The models are all from Navwar with some new additions making it a feasible project, along with a couple of 'might have been?' extras, including the dreadnought battleship Almirante Cochrane as converted into an aircraft carrier. I'll get cracking today! 

Half Term Home Fleet in a Week

It's the May half term holiday next week and I thought I'd have another crack at painting and basing a Fleet in a Week. I've done this before and it's a really good challenge that helps to shift a lot of lead in the right direction. This time I'm probably painting the early war Royal Navy warships for the Norwegian campaign, to add to the ones I have already done. The 1/3000th scale models are all prepared, so I can start painting straight away, which is a bonus. I may well add one or two more battleships to the mix and possibly another carrier. 

War of the Pacific Base Repainting

I've been meaning to repaint the bases of my 1/2400th scale War of the Pacific models for a while, as they don't match my other ironclad ships and are too dark compared to the blue sea terrain cloth that I use for games. This is a relatively simple task but does require some precision to avoid getting paint all over the models. The base labels will be replaced with new ones printed on more durable thin card, so I don't need to worry about splashing blue paint all over them. It'll be a good job once done as I'd like to run some more games with the Chilean and Peruvian fleets, having really enjoyed the scenarios I devised for Dahlgren and Columbiad a few years ago, although I might dust off Iron and Fire instead? 

Argentinian Pre-Dreadnoughts Finished

Argentinian Pre-dreadnought Painting Progress

Some really good progress with the 1/2400th scale pre-dreadnoughts over the weekend, means that I only need to paint the bases and add a varnish to finish them off, bar the base labels. They've turned out alright and will really beef up the Argentinian fleet, apart from the Chilean Blanco Encalada obviously! I'm going to aim to finish them off tomorrow before I start preparing my half term holiday project....which is very much in the same vein but in a smaller naval scale. 

There She Blows! Up?

It was the Partizan show in Newark at the weekend, which is just a bit too far for me to go but seems to be probably the best wargaming show on the calender these days, even knocking the juggernaut that is Salute off its over inflated perch. Despite not being able to attend, I was delighted to see that my scratch built armoured train was in action with the League of Extraordinary Kriegspielers, for a stunning Back of Beyond themed game based on the absolutely barking Mad Baron himself. It looks as though it blew up in spectacular fashion, however, which seems to be par for the course. I really should make a replacement version for my Back of Beyond collection some day, with the Chinese Warlord or White Russian lead pile in mind?

New Colonial Wargame Rules

 

As Kipling once quipped, and I paraphrase, "a gentleman can never have too many books, too much red wine or too much ammunition" or colonial wargaming rules for that matter. This is a newly published set of rules that caught my eye and as it is currently discounted to a tenner, I have purchased a copy for a closer look. The author is well versed in the subject matter and has devised the system over many years, so it is well grounded in both historical and mechanical terms. It draws upon rules like The Sword and the Flame and The Men Who Would Be Kings but is a distinct system with a very interesting card based mechanism. I don't know if I'll do anything with it but it may be a stimulus to finish off  my 28mm Beja army or even excavate my old 15mm Patrols in the Sudan lead pile, who knows?