The 1/2400th scale Chilean pre-dreadnoughts are now nearly ready for the final base painting, varnishing and labelling, which I'm very pleased about as I can then move onto the Argentinian ships. I just need to dry brush the bases, add some wakes and now waves, then varnish in two stages before I can print and attach the labels. I'm actually thinking of sprucing up the labels on the test of my models, as they've seen some action and are looking a bit tatty!
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| Too dark |
I'm getting there slowly but surely with my Chilean and Peruvian pre-dreadnoughts and have been thinking about the next one of loose ends to tidy up. I've been meaning to repaint the bases on my War of the Pacific ships for months, if not years, so that job is a strong contender for a weekend in the not too distant future. I've repainted bases before and it's a relatively simple, if slightly fiddly job, but it does make them match the sea cloth I use to a far better effect. I'll make a start as soon as the current Chilean pre-dreadnoughts are finished and while I paint up the Argentinian models.
Haven't played X-Wing in ages....gave my collection to the sprog, who is now living back home with us, so should really dig it out for some weekend games!
Some decent progress on the blocking in today, with the matt white basecoat applied to the models, ready for a Vallejo Medium Fleshtone top coat tomorrow once it's all dry. After that I'll do a quick tidy up around the edges before applying the usual wash, which helps to add some definition and shading. These are all actual Chilean warships and torpedo boat destroyers, apart fron the two 'What If?' Swiftsure class battleships, Libertad and Constitucion, which were never delivered.
I've been farting about with some ideas for strafing in Algy, as it is conspicuously absent from the rules yet very much an aspect of air warfare, especially in 1917-18 for trench strafing sorties. I'm starting with the existing rules for firing but adapting the process by altering the firing arcs, dice roll modifiers and firing factors, along with a simple table to assess results for different ground targets. It's nothing too complicated but rear gunners do need to be factored in, both for firing and also for the use of hand held light bombs or hand grenades. It's a work in progress but I'm fairly confident that something simple but consistent with the existing rules can be designed.
After a little over one year, the Algernon Pulls It Off! Facebook group has hit the four hundred member mark, which is quite an impressive total and really encouraging, considering how old the rules are and how little visibility they have compared to other, more up to date systems. I'm hoping that this momentum will continue but it will really need some more input to keep things moving forwards. I recently raised the possibility of a revised, updated and improved version of the rules as a potential Lard Mag submission, so I had better start thinking about having a go at this if it's actually going to happen!
As Paul Sulley put a lot of time and effort into expanding the 1/600th scale French range, it is only fair that I order some of the models and paint them up! I've ordered some packs of Breguet XIV bombers and SPAD VII scouts, which I will paint up for late 1917 in the distinctive, but simple scheme before three tone camouflage was adopted, so a nice and easy job. I've also ordered a pack of the Morane Saulnier N 'bullet' monoplane scouts, which will be painted as RFC machines of No.60 Squadron, with bright red engine cowlings and spinners. Tally Ho!
I spotted this lot on eBay a couple of days ago and put in a speculative bid. Lo and behold, I now have fifty quids worth of 1/2400th scale Tumbling Dice Mediterranean Renaissance warships for only fifteen quid, postage included, which is a bit of a steal. This assumes that I actually do something with them, of course, otherwise it's just more lead lined loft insulation!
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| Blanco Encalada |
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| Blanco Encalada |
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| Yoshino |
I've re-booted the South American pre-dreadnought project today with the Chilean 'What If?' battleships, Libertad and Constitucion, the armoured cruiser Chacabuco, the obsolete central battery ironclad Almirante Lynch and, last but not least, four Capitan Orella class TBD's. The latter are actually Arab class TBD models with the funnels cut down, so not exactly a match but good enough, as I suspect no one will know the difference? I'm going to paint all of these in the same black, white and yellow ochre scheme as my existing Chilean squadron, so that there is a consistent look to the Chilean naval forces.
