I'm back

Hello everyone, after some time off to deal with life I am back in the swing. Unpacking models, trying to work out where I was up to and painting! Such sweet sorrow, so much lead! I've decided already I need better storage for my models. Its already on the list for the kids to get me! But onto other news, I really want some of the new AB 15mm dismounted French Dragoons, dreams of Iberian skirmishes!

Dismounted French Dragoons and command

I have also decided to start undercoating in white again. I have been using black for years, but I am not really happy with it. A blog post by AB himself on painting was the inspiration. Check it out here.

New Direction

Well, not so much a new direction as a new purpose. I have decided to make a new army for wargaming. Now, I already have a bunch of British, Spanish, Portuguese, French and then some Prussians, Saxons, Bavarians. I bought a new group of Austrians the other day, four battalions of foot, regiment of cavalry, general. But they have mysteriously disappeared! Very annoying. I suspect the box they came in was thgrown out by accident by one of the kids (or it might just reappear!).

Anyway, so I was looking around and noticed the LaSalle packs at Eureka Miniatures (AB) and at Warmodelling. That got me looking around and then I remembered I had already looked at the Lasalle Honour website of Sam Mustafa. So I grabbed a copy of the PDF for aus$16. I like it. Then I remembered I had a copy of Blackpowder. So I got it out as well. I was also looking over the latest copy of Miniature Wargames and they had a good article based upon a reader survey of the most popular rule systems for the different eras. Black Powder won out for Napoleonics. So looking over the two rules systems it seems as though you could make an army that would work for both. So I have to look at this more closely and see if I am right.

On an aside I recently subscribed to Miniature Wargames on my iPad newstand. I think it is aus$5.49 a month. Pretty good, about half the price of the hardcopy and it can be hard to get (I travel a lot, never remember, blah blah blah). They have free a free trial edition over there too. Any thoughts on other useful magazines?

Here is my painting tray, one of three I made to make it move around the models I am working on. I just got some of the the new Citadel paints and some of their brushes. Two new textured paints, a bright green I like and a wash.

 These are the some Polish Lancers and Italian guard. Not too close so you can't see my shame!

 Seeing all the interesting results from using Army Painter and watching a video from Vallejo and Victrix on their washes I have been thinking of giving them a go. I have found a Army Painter distributor in Australia (bit pricey!), War and Peace Games, so fingers crossed on that front. My local stockist of Vallejo, don't have the 200ml pots of wash, but I have a small one. I emailed Vallejo about who imports them but no luck on a reply yet (they have responded on another question several years ago, so I think they wil