Monday, July 30, 2012

Skirmish at McMartin's crossroads

Dear Lis,

Last week we had our baptism of fire. It was not a happy affair for the arms of the liberty but tnaks God I'm alive and with no injuries.
Our company was ordered to reconnoitre a place called McMartin's crossroads.
We departed in three groups. The biggest one under the command of our captain took the central road as they were on parade. The secondone, under my guidance went on the right and finally, a small group under Sgt. Charles, on the left of the road.
It wnt so fast. It seemed as the rebs were expecting us. They appeared in two groups from our flanks and a severe fusillade started. We stayed sharplly untill a strange thing happened: Our captain's hat was hit and flew some yards back. Believe it or not, He abandoned the fight and fall back to take his hat! and what was even worse, at the last moment, a severe stomach pain atacked him making us to loose some precious time. Fortunatelly, the groups under my command wich had advanced to a hill, fell back in good order amd a crashing volley ordered by our sarge gave us time to fight another day.
Afterall, we oonly had two dead and two captured the others being only lightly wounded. I believe the rebs, altought they got the field, had more losses because I saw their padre working hard.
What is more strange was the behaviour of Captain Francis. Can he be a coward?
I'm sure next time we'll be more prepared. Those rebs are not an easy task!

Your beloved husband

Joseph Waterwell.



















































Saturday, July 7, 2012

Scenery on a budged (II). The woods.

Every wargamer wants a wood that covers the main part of his table.
Sometimes seems that only wood elves or native americans are confortable with woods but the truth is that woods are the most important scenery items.

I tried to buy ready made trees but altough the look terrific, the price is not so good and at the end you end using 5 trees to represent a whole wooded area.

Thaks God, nowadays we have the help of internet an looking through all the blogs, posts and DIY webs I came across with a trully inspiring one.

The gentlemen not only makes his own miniatures but has a lot of good ideas to make really good looking scenery.

I tried to copy his idea of making trees with not so good results but good enough for me.

MATERIALS:

- CD's to use as tree bases.
- green matt used in railroad modelling to cover the cds.
- natural branches, from my brother's in law backyard but you now, you can go to a public park or take them during a family trip to the mountains...
- contact glue.
- kitchenware scrubbers. That green material that is really cheap.
- green paints.
- glue in spray.
- green flock.

In the pictures you will see that my main problem is that my trees look too much "shaped with scissors". Some of them look too unnatural but this will be solved adding more flock and more small pieces of green scrubber to fill the angles.

Afterall, I made 10 tree stands in less than a week and they look really good on the tabletop.