tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50455584242658375022024-03-13T12:01:01.471-07:00Swashbucklers!legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045558424265837502.post-24294176773819481722015-01-13T04:02:00.001-08:002015-01-13T04:02:27.583-08:00Pirates at the Shed!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>A view down the board</i></div>
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<a href="http://shedwars.blogspot.co.uk/">Eric the Shed</a> kindly invited me over to his splendid shed for my first game of 2015. This was doubly exciting as not only was it a pirate game but he let me use my own figures! It is really nice to get an opportunity to play with figures I have painted myself and makes all the long hours worthwhile. I think, in the end, I got all my painted pirates on the table, plus a few of the less Tudor looking Foundry Swashbucklers. A first action for the latter! </div>
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<i>Lovely scenery as always at the Shed. My Black Scorpion pirate girls at left, Foundry Swashbucklers at right and Foundry pirates on the building, Most enjoying their first outing</i></div>
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You always expect a spectacular layout at the Shed but I think this was my favourite so far and included a first game for his new <a href="http://shedwars.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/rocky-escarpments-pyramid-finished.html">modular rocky outcrops</a>. These made the terrain feel rather like the <i>Pirates of the Caribbean</i> online game, which my son and I used to enjoy playing so much before Disney pulled the plug on it, although it is due back soon under new management. </div>
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The game was set in the pirate town of San Pedro where the Royal Navy launched a landing to recover a group of hostages. There were two players, including me, on the pirates side and two players on the naval side. In essence it ended up as two separate games as we took an end of the town each. Although we could see what the navy was fielding, the pirate forces, who all started the game inside buildings, were activated by dice and cards so some of my units were just one pirate while one had eight. </div>
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<i>My first unit of pirates are driven off by the regulars. Lovely clutter, as ever</i></div>
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The rules were a version of Musket and Tomahawk as adapted by Eric. I have played M&T once before at the shed but, as usual, I didn’t remember enough about it to understand some of the finer points. There was, for example, something to do with heroes getting certain extra actions but I couldn’t for the life of me remember what they were. So I played very reactively, as I wasn’t sure what I was doing or what the capabilities of my troops were.
I was worried about getting into hand to hand combat with the regulars but then I discovered pirates were better in melee. If I had known this I would have got stuck in more. As it was several of my groups of pirates didn’t get engaged at all. </div>
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<i>These men were too far out on the flank to get really involved but they were guarding a key hostage so I didn't want to get them too involved in any fighting</i></div>
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I ended up in a lot of shooting duels with the navy but my dice throwing was as bad as usual (remember that these figures, apart from about ten of them, had never seen a game before so they could be expected to be rubbish) so mostly my units were whittled away by the regulars and one particularly nasty group of sailors. Another group of sailors kidnapped all the bar girls at the tavern and when I shot at the sailors I found my musket balls unintentionally whittling away the doxies, meaning the group of sailors took less casualties and escaped. Curses!</div>
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<i>Bad girls in every way. All Black Scorpion figures</i></div>
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In many games you often find a surprising unit doing better than you would have expected and for me it was my small unit of five lady pirates, who were my only unit to engage in melee and cleared a building of a unit of regulars in short order. They then went onto the roof and had some success in shooting. Sadly, later in the game they got caught in the open by a firing line of regulars and only two survived. They deserve reinforcement so I will see if I can find some of their unpainted sisters in the hope they might see another game. My North Star Anne Bonny is nearly finished, for a start. </div>
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<i>The navy having retreated, my pirate girls are left to lick each others wounds.</i></div>
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<i>The girl on the right is the <a href="http://wargamesswashbucklers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/black-scorpion-pirate-girl.html">Black Scorpion limited edition girl </a>from their Cutlass rules</i></div>
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Victory was based on how many points worth of hostages you kept at the end of the game and in the end the pirates took this but we lost the game as Eric had decided that the war artist figure on the naval side had behaved particularly heroically and so the pirates lost by one point. Personally, I think that to have gained these artist points the player concerned should have had to produce a sketch themselves of the artist’s composition (says the person who won a place at art school).</div>
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This was a very enjoyable game indeed and has even got me thinking about building some pirate buildings myself. I think Gary Chalk had a piece in one of the wargames magazines back in the nineties on how to do this. Thanks, as ever, to Eric and my fellow shedizens!</div>
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legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045558424265837502.post-33571587852911286462014-08-12T10:09:00.000-07:002014-08-12T10:09:52.685-07:00On the Seven Seas figures from North Star: an initial look<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My big order from North Star arrived yesterday. I had, inevitably, ordered all five sets of figures together with the rules which also gave me five other bonus figures for doing so. The figures come in the trendy boxes North Star packaged their IHMN and Ronin figures in but I will dispose of these pretty rapidly as they take up a lot of space. I've only had a quick look at them so far but they certainly live up to expectations. Some of them are very much at the Hollywood end of piratical costumes rather than the revisionist view of clothing presented in the <a href="http://www.ospreypublishing.com/store/Pirate--The-Golden-Age_9781849084970">most recent Angus Konstam book</a> on the subject. These are in the minority, however, and for anyone who wants historical pirates these will be just the job.<br />
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<i>L to R: Foundry, North Star, Foundry</i></div>
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The castings are pretty good with no flash but some slight mould lines which needed some work. Removing these can be tricky given the detail on some of the figures. The ones I received were much better than the IHMN figures, though. Sizewise I was expecting large figures but they are actually pretty much spot on 28mm foot to eye and some are as small s 26.5mm. In contrast, Artizan's recent North-West Frontier British are pushing 30mm foot to eye. Above we have one of the new pirates with two Wargames Foundry ones. Slightly bigger but I would be quite happy to use them together, which is a great relief given how many of the Foundry ones I have. Crucially, the heads are the same size.<br />
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Oddly, the one really tall figure is the notorious Anne Bonney one, at 29mm foot to eye. Here she is with one of the Black Scorpion pirate girls who I always thought of as one the big size. One of the things about the new figures is that they have very thin bases which reduces their overall height when compared with other figures. All in all I will have no trouble integrating them with my existing figures and I am really fussy about different sized figures!<br />
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These are the bonus figures and several of these have much thicker bases but as they are a cabin boy and a monkey this isn't an issue. The casting of the chest had a nasty mould line which was tricky to remove given the detail on the chest and I also needed to do quite a bit of filing on the telescope of the left hand figure too due to a slightly misaligned mould (this is the before filing shot). Incidentally, he is another tall figure at nearly 30mm foot to eye.<br />
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Overall I am very pleased with these indeed and can't wait to get some painted. I have based half a dozen and will start work on them properly once I have finished my Afghans. Next time I will have a look at the rules.</div>
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legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045558424265837502.post-55010265885442302932014-06-10T15:04:00.000-07:002014-06-10T15:04:58.679-07:00North Star On the Seven Seas figures pre-order<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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North Star are about to launch their pre-order for their <i>On the Seven Seas</i> figures to go with the new Osprey rules. Some of the figures are at the more fantastical end of even Hollywood pirates but they all look completely splendid. The Legatus fears he will have to buy the whole deal of all the figures and the rules for £130.99. This includes some extra figures which are not, at present, available separately.</div>
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There are five crews up <a href="http://www.northstarfigures.com/list.php?man=173&page=1">on the North Star website</a> and they are priced at a rather pricey £23 for eight figures (£2.87 per figure) compared with, for example, IHMN companies at £27 for 11 figures (£2.45 per figure). Still, its peanuts compared with GW and they score marks for naming their marines Pugh, Barney, McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grubb (obviously the other twin is missing in action). Many years ago when my sister worked for one of those government organisations that didn't officially exist (actually they reported to the Crown not the government) she and some of her colleagues reckoned that the best way to expose a Russian deep cover mole was to start reciting "Pugh, Pugh, Barney, McGrew..." The Russian, of course, would not be able to complete the list.</div>
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legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045558424265837502.post-48844310643994445942014-05-15T14:33:00.001-07:002014-05-15T14:33:41.807-07:00New North Star Marines for pirate games<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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One of the things I have always wanted for pirate games were some government troops to pitch them against. Today North Star have revealed a marine for their forthcoming pirate range but I'm not sure what to think, frankly. They don't say that he is a Royal Marine and the period around 1700 is not one I know very well but I have never seen a hat like this before! It is very strange! the rest of the figure looks good but the hat? Really not sure!</div>
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legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045558424265837502.post-758493568797332332014-05-06T05:47:00.000-07:002015-01-13T02:24:14.461-08:00New pirate TV drama: Crossbones<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Honestly, you don't have a pirate TV series for decades and then two come along within months of each other. American network NBC is launching <i>Crossbones </i>later this month following on from <i style="text-align: left;">Black Sails</i></div>
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This time the story is based on a real character, Edward Teach aka Blackbeard, rather than the fictional ones of <i>Black Sails</i>. Images of Brian Blessed beards are out of the porthole though as Blackbeard, played by John Malkovich, has a very small beard which isn't black, strangely.</div>
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Set in 1729, the story seems an odd mixture of pirate yarn and Dava Sobel's <i>Longtitude </i>as Blackbeard tries to capture the Longtitude Chronometer from English spy Tom Lowe. </div>
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The trailer displays a typically mannered performance by Malkovich and I suspect the success of the ten part series will be dependent on how much you can stand his idiosyncratic acting style. </div>
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Being an American network show it won't have the naked wenches seen in <i>Black Sails</i>, of course, but at least it is genuinely shot in the Caribbean and looks right as a result. </div>
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The cast's wenches do look rather fine and are led by English actress Claire Foy with her very un-eighteenth century teeth. </div>
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They've built two full sized ships for the show and this one, at least, looks like an authentic pirate ship (seen here in Puerto Rico, where the series is being filmed).</div>
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Let's hope that there is plenty of piratical ship on ship action as, I gather, <i>Black Sails </i>has been conspicuously short of it.</div>
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It should all help to shift copies of Osprey's forthcoming pirate rules and the very appealing looking figures from Steve Saleh for North Star.</div>
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legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045558424265837502.post-48767108759595408962014-01-23T13:52:00.000-08:002015-01-13T03:48:39.788-08:00More pirates for 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-msK9jRbJYyc/UuF8TCoF_yI/AAAAAAAAQKw/jBk28FiNLBA/s1600/IMG_5149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-msK9jRbJYyc/UuF8TCoF_yI/AAAAAAAAQKw/jBk28FiNLBA/s1600/IMG_5149.JPG" height="401" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Completed last March</i></div>
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Pirates are figures I sometimes paint a few of while doing something else and I recently started work on three more of the Foundry ones. I didn't note on this blog that last year I painted a couple of pirates which were included as a freebie included with a Foundry order last year.</div>
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For International Talk like a Pirate Day last September I photographed all my painted pirates and was surprised at how many I had painted. I have a feeling that 2014 is going to be much more of a pirate year.</div>
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Firstly, there is the new Osprey pirate rules by Chris Peers, <i>On the Seven Seas. </i>I have played several of Mr Peers rules which are enjoyable, although tend to have very heavy casualties.</div>
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To go along with these North Star are releasing a new range of pirates. The four they have previewed so far, which are sculpted by Steve Saleh, look tremendous. If they are the same size as his Ronin figures they will match perfectly with the Foundry ones. They are due out this summer. Can't wait! </div>
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Hopefully, and if the cover of the rules is anything to go by, he will do a few lady pirates to go with the Black Scorpion ones I have already got. I treat pirates as a fantasy game so don't worry about the fact that the two most famous lady pirates were so ugly everyone thought they were men. </div>
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One thing which it would be nice to see is earlier period pirates from the time of Henry Morgan, with matchlocks and apostles, rather than the post 1700 style which are seen in virtually every range. In addition it would be nice if someone made local colonial government garrison troops to take on the pirates. I think Brigade Games promised these when they started their pirates range but they never materialised. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PoNZA18uRmI/UuGKo8t0B_I/AAAAAAAAQLk/f7YNdCAUkps/s1600/Black-Sails-A-Starz-Original-Series-image-black-sails-a-starz-original-series-36129769-2926-1951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PoNZA18uRmI/UuGKo8t0B_I/AAAAAAAAQLk/f7YNdCAUkps/s1600/Black-Sails-A-Starz-Original-Series-image-black-sails-a-starz-original-series-36129769-2926-1951.jpg" height="489" width="640" /></a></div>
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Finally, and possibly even more important, is the new pirate eight part TV series, <i>Black Sails</i>, by Starz the US TV station that gave us <i>Spartacus</i>. <i> </i>This is produced by Michael <i>(transformers) </i>Bay, which should be enough to put me right off but such is the man's power in Hollywood that they have already commissioned a second ten part series which is currently being filmed. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ULnq2wTi33Y/UuGKwNl-ThI/AAAAAAAAQLs/6bXn1osAcO0/s1600/black-sails-2014+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ULnq2wTi33Y/UuGKwNl-ThI/AAAAAAAAQLs/6bXn1osAcO0/s1600/black-sails-2014+(1).jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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It has had mixed reviews based on previews. It premiers in the US this Saturday but there is no news about it showing in the UK yet so I'll probably have to wait for the DVD. The producers are making all sorts of claims about showing the real world of pirates for the first time but that just seems like an excuse to include lots of violence, swearing and sex. And why not?</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zYr8wmYZX8k/UuGMHQ0vCfI/AAAAAAAAQME/SJnIt15XJxI/s1600/Black-Sails-e1388337105919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zYr8wmYZX8k/UuGMHQ0vCfI/AAAAAAAAQME/SJnIt15XJxI/s1600/Black-Sails-e1388337105919.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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Set in 1715, it purports to tell the early life of Captain Flint (Toby Stephens)and Long John Silver from Robert Louis Stevenson's <i>Treasure Island. </i>However, I don't recall such things<i> </i>as a feisty lesbian tavern owner from the book! It also mixes up Stevenson's characters with real pirates such as Anne Bonny.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UsfDxOU1B4c/UuGLd_zSI3I/AAAAAAAAQL8/PUlyPnwhxSw/s1600/Black-Sails-A-Starz-Original-Series-image-black-sails-a-starz-original-series-36129771-1200-1800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UsfDxOU1B4c/UuGLd_zSI3I/AAAAAAAAQL8/PUlyPnwhxSw/s1600/Black-Sails-A-Starz-Original-Series-image-black-sails-a-starz-original-series-36129771-1200-1800.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<i>Clara Paget as Anne Bonny</i></div>
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The series was, unlike <i>Pirates of the Caribbean </i>which did film in the Caribbean, filmed in South Africa but the few external shots I have seen look fine and aren't like, for example, <i>Cutthroat Island </i>which was filmed in Thailand and looked like it.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHBeyTseyv0/UuGMOtt_P5I/AAAAAAAAQMM/HLde7YIU51c/s1600/BlackSails_Marquee1_1440x651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHBeyTseyv0/UuGMOtt_P5I/AAAAAAAAQMM/HLde7YIU51c/s1600/BlackSails_Marquee1_1440x651.jpg" height="464" width="640" /></a></div>
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As usual, for pirate films, the producers give the crew an enormous pirate ship rather than the smaller vessels most pirates actually used. </div>
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So, a much more swashbuckling year on the wargaming front is envisioned!</div>
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legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045558424265837502.post-86483535176116271642012-06-14T16:20:00.000-07:002014-01-21T04:33:19.951-08:00Black Scorpion pirate girl<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here is my first ever resin figure: a Black Scorpion pirate girl based on the cover painting for the Cutlass rules. She was quite fragile and I soon broke her sword off but it stuck back very easily. Still, it is a shame that Black Scorpion have abandoned metal for resin, especially as their resin is not a patch on Games Workshop's.</div>
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There is nothing wrong with the detail but the figure is very fragile.<br />
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legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045558424265837502.post-66317717632660570532012-04-21T16:05:00.000-07:002012-04-21T16:05:44.137-07:00More girly pirates!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Although most of my "historical" pirates are by Foundry, I have also started to collect some Black Scorpion figures, even though they are considerably taller than the Foundry ones. Some of this extra height is negated by the fact that the Black Scorpion figures are designed for slotta bases which, on the whole, I don't use. So I cut the bar from the feet and glue them directly onto washers.</div>
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So far I have painted four of these figures, all girly pirates, and started some of the undead pirates for a game with my son, who is a big fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean online game, which even I have been known to play on occasion.</div>
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I notice that I have three more of these lady (although they all look quite unladylike) pirates on the workbench at present. One is even nearly done so maybe I will give her a bit of attention this week.</div>
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I bought another four girl pirates today at Salute. These are new and are in the resin that, unfortunately, Black Scorpion has moved to as metal has got so expensive. I didn't notice any price reduction, however, for this "cheaper" material. There is quite a lot of flash on these so they will need some careful work. I might start one this week and see if I can get her caught up with the others I have on the go.</div>
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Apart from, possibly, the bottom one of the four I have done, most of the Black Scorpion pirates look like they have escaped from the first pages of a Penthouse pictorial from the eighties or, perhaps, a particular film I saw on a hotel pay channel in a hotel in Canada a year or so ago. Historical they are not. And, as Barry Norman probably never said, why not?</div>
</div>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045558424265837502.post-40179832855969093242010-10-16T14:47:00.000-07:002010-10-16T15:46:01.134-07:00Real Pirates Exhibition<div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TLon0OFW2CI/AAAAAAAAGDs/UyzV2TIexjg/s1600/TakingTheWhydah2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 397px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528775270637951010" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TLon0OFW2CI/AAAAAAAAGDs/UyzV2TIexjg/s400/TakingTheWhydah2.jpg" /></a> <em>Capturing the Whydah</em> </div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="justify">I have just been along to the National Geographic's <em>Real Pirates </em>exhibition which has just opened at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. This tells the story of the ex-slave ship the <em>Whydah</em> (named after the African slave port Ouidah) which was captured by the pirate Sam Bellamy, rebuilt as a fast pirate ship and took part in many actions before sinking in a storm off Cape Cod in 1717 loaded with 50 sacks of gold and silver. </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TLolyEv_0wI/AAAAAAAAGDM/OHkw12MjQSI/s1600/EXH3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 307px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528773034749448962" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TLolyEv_0wI/AAAAAAAAGDM/OHkw12MjQSI/s400/EXH3.jpg" /></a> <em>Positive ID: The ship's bell</em></div><div align="justify"><br />The wreck is the only pirate vessel whose identity has been confirmed 100% (principally by the dicovery of ship's bell which opens the multi-media exhibition).</div><div align="center"><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TLooXvM0-CI/AAAAAAAAGD0/dyX1hlxgyZ0/s1600/whydah.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 310px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528775880823076898" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TLooXvM0-CI/AAAAAAAAGD0/dyX1hlxgyZ0/s400/whydah.jpg" /> <p align="center"></a><em>Inside the Whydah</em></p><div align="justify">The exhibition contains over 200 relics (from 200,ooo recovered) from the wreck discovered in an ongoing series of dives since it was discovered by underwater explorer Barry Clifford in 1985. </div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TLomOL2d3wI/AAAAAAAAGDU/JWugU-3ON00/s1600/pirates1_lg.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 292px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528773517691969282" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TLomOL2d3wI/AAAAAAAAGDU/JWugU-3ON00/s400/pirates1_lg.jpg" /></a> <em>Recreations of some of the real-life crew of the Whydah: including young John King</em></div><div align="justify"><br />The most poignant are the sock, shoe and fibula of an 11 year old boy, almost certainly one John King who, when the ship he was on was captured by the pirates begged to join the crew. He was so inistent that they let him.</div><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TLoms47CS1I/AAAAAAAAGDc/H5LQsbMZMSE/s1600/pirates3_lg.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528774045186804562" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TLoms47CS1I/AAAAAAAAGDc/H5LQsbMZMSE/s400/pirates3_lg.jpg" /> <p align="center"></a><em> Recovered pistol and silk ribbon: wrapped around the butt to increase grip and tie the weapon to the belt</em><br /></p><div align="justify">Exhibits include weapons, a leather cartridge box andfour recovered cannons and an impressive display of pirate coins which, the exhibition organisers claim, are part of the only genuine pirate treasure ever recovered. They even have a few pieces of coin you can touch so you can make your own direct link with real pirates of the Caribbean. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TLoncNQlccI/AAAAAAAAGDk/wxpXVavf82E/s1600/pirates4_lg.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528774858099749314" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TLoncNQlccI/AAAAAAAAGDk/wxpXVavf82E/s400/pirates4_lg.jpg" /></a><em> The recreation of the stern of the ship</em><br /><div align="justify"><br />The exhibition does well in treading the path between what interests children and what appeals to adults and is beautifully presented; including a full sized mock up of the exterior and interior of the stern of the ship itself. </div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TLoliW8CwuI/AAAAAAAAGDE/5Vzl1ll4Oj8/s1600/pirates2_lg.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 259px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528772764753904354" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TLoliW8CwuI/AAAAAAAAGDE/5Vzl1ll4Oj8/s400/pirates2_lg.jpg" /></a><em> The pirates capture a French ship</em></div><div align="justify"><br />There are also some evocative paintings used as backdrops which will definitely make you want to start painting pirates again!</div><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TLoogfMGrsI/AAAAAAAAGD8/wVk44dmrYcw/s1600/TheWhy4.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 270px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528776031143898818" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TLoogfMGrsI/AAAAAAAAGD8/wVk44dmrYcw/s400/TheWhy4.jpg" /></a><em>The Whydah<br /></em><br /><div align="justify">The exhibition will be touring around major museums in the USA for the next few years and is defintely worth catching</div></div>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045558424265837502.post-940422224173052512010-06-06T06:53:00.000-07:002010-06-06T07:19:32.164-07:00Sea Dogs' cannon<div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TAuotuzv-qI/AAAAAAAAFwg/safEULGJRp0/s1600/P1020548.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 193px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479658875239004834" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TAuotuzv-qI/AAAAAAAAFwg/safEULGJRp0/s400/P1020548.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify">I bought these two gun crew and cannon off eBay a month or so back. I always liked Mike Owen's characterful Swashbucklers for Foundry but, like so many ranges, they were terminated half done when all the best sculptors left the company. </div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TAuo2L97JqI/AAAAAAAAFwo/fiqFl0e7-90/s1600/P1020552.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479659020505261730" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TAuo2L97JqI/AAAAAAAAFwo/fiqFl0e7-90/s400/P1020552.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div align="justify">They are big chunky figures and, unfortunately, the chunkiness sometimes looks ridiculous, as is the case with the sponge here. Likewise, the shot would never go into the cannon but they are just what I need for my swashbuckler landing party as they put in to a wild bay in Africa, the Caribbean or South America looking for water but finding trouble.</div></div><div align="center"><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TAupLSd-krI/AAAAAAAAFww/BJsaX9jpiok/s1600/P1020570.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 137px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479659383027569330" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TAupLSd-krI/AAAAAAAAFww/BJsaX9jpiok/s400/P1020570.JPG" /> <p align="center"></a><em>My whole sea dogs force so far</em><br /><br /></p><p align="justify">My little boy, Guy, is very keen on the whole Spanish Armada period so what we need now is some opposition for these stout (literally in many cases) chaps. There are three things I have been considering: African natives (for which I could use my Congo tribesmen), Amazonian indians (they sell the Copplestone castings ones in Orc's Nest) or the Foundry Afro-caribbean renegades. I have some of these but haven't painted them yet.</p><p align="justify">For rules we would use Legends of the High Seas or, possibly, the Blood and Swash/Thunder and Plunder rules which have different sets of rules for small scale and larger scale battles.</p><p align="justify">Of course, what I would really like is some dastardly Spaniards to pitch them against as they try to relieve the Dons of a mule train of gold; a la The Sea Hawk. I am sure that some of the new Spanish Century figures from The Assault Group might do but I suspect, looking at their Swedes, that they would be far too small.</p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TAutdLW_8VI/AAAAAAAAFw4/WeiqoFGKNCc/s1600/sea+hawk.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 305px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479664088403407186" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/TAutdLW_8VI/AAAAAAAAFw4/WeiqoFGKNCc/s400/sea+hawk.jpg" /></a>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045558424265837502.post-59624385019379452962009-09-19T02:01:00.000-07:002009-09-19T02:09:27.904-07:00International Talk like a Pirate Day!<div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SrSfaogy6wI/AAAAAAAAE0U/AMhfbfuQDTc/s1600-h/pirate+girl+7.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 276px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383102734514973442" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SrSfaogy6wI/AAAAAAAAE0U/AMhfbfuQDTc/s400/pirate+girl+7.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Aaargh! Sink me if it ain't Talk Like a Pirate Day today, by the powers, an choke me with a rammer! </div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SrSfnk3UrYI/AAAAAAAAE0c/CXr51AFF2BY/s1600-h/pirate+girl+11.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 306px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383102956874018178" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SrSfnk3UrYI/AAAAAAAAE0c/CXr51AFF2BY/s400/pirate+girl+11.jpg" /></a><br /><div>I be mortal glad to have at a pirate figure today or scupper me with a marlin-spike. The sands in the glass be runnin', so to the bench me hearties and damn me for a Spanish crustacean if we don't deliver, devil a doubt!</div><br /><div>Aar!</div></div>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045558424265837502.post-38712359986021246792008-11-03T13:40:00.000-08:002008-11-03T14:36:39.350-08:00Legends of the High Seas: X marks the spot!</p><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SQ93eAzEbsI/AAAAAAAADb0/x2751omSJ0k/s1600-h/crew+1+a.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264557846913380034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 151px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SQ93eAzEbsI/AAAAAAAADb0/x2751omSJ0k/s400/crew+1+a.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>My gallant crew!</em></div><em></em><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Well, I actually managed to get along to Guildford and play two games of <em>Legends of the High Seas</em> with Mike. We played the <em>X marks the spot</em> scenario where you lay 6 numbered cards face down in the middle of the board, which is supposed to be an island. You have to throw a dice to see which number will be the treasure chest and then, during the game, move your figures into contact with the six possible sites to see which one is the chest. </div><div align="justify"><p></p></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SQ93rzr_8oI/AAAAAAAADb8/AC7l1KiuEQ8/s1600-h/x+marks+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264558083912233602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 296px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SQ93rzr_8oI/AAAAAAAADb8/AC7l1KiuEQ8/s400/x+marks+1.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center"><em>Into the jungle</em></div><p align="justify"><br /></p><div align="justify">Once you have had a figure next to the card for a move you can turn it up and see whether it is the chest or not. It then turns into a sprint to the edge of the board where, in theory, your ships lie.</div><div align="justify"><p></p></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264558449031918882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 301px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SQ94BD3UNSI/AAAAAAAADcE/aUlM1XGYVXI/s400/x+marks+2.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><em>One of my musketmen opens fire..<br /></em><br /></p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264558848537550930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 254px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SQ94YUI4YFI/AAAAAAAADcM/_ld8Tj6tQWw/s400/x+marks+3.jpg" border="0" /> <em>..and actually hits!</em><br /></p><p></p><p>In the first game I split my crew into two lots of four but Mike found the chest very early on and towards his edge of the table. He got his crew up forward quickly and I couldn't chase him down before he escaped off the board with his chest (or in our case, a small boy, as we didn't have a chest model -something I need to rectify before the next game!).<br /></p><p></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264559430580113362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 270px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SQ946MapD9I/AAAAAAAADcU/BLVg6BllyQc/s400/x+marks+7.jpg" border="0" /> <em>Mike's crew make off with the boy through a stand of banana trees as I try to outflank the hill<br /></em><br /><div align="justify">In the second game I split my force into four teams of two and got some to check the chest sites whilst trying to get some others far across the island to try to cut off Mike's escape route. Having thrown dreadful dice in the first game I did a little better this time and soon had Mike down to half numbers (he had ten figures to my eight but I paid for higher grade crew). This meant that he had to pass a courage test every time he wanted to move a figure. This slowed his men esacaping with the small boy enough for me to just get to him as all his crew ran away having failed their courage tests!</div><p><br /></p><p align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SQ95cOeg-UI/AAAAAAAADcc/FeWgRQdDE9c/s1600-h/x+marks+8.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264560015248783682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SQ95cOeg-UI/AAAAAAAADcc/FeWgRQdDE9c/s400/x+marks+8.jpg" border="0" /></a><em></em></p><p align="justify">Only three of my crew left and my gallant mate, Nicole, who led the flanking move was killed off at the last moment. Never mind women are ten a penny in old Tortuga so I'll just get another one! Actually, I need to find someone who makes pretty female pirates. The Foundry ones (no doubt accurately) look like old dogs!</p><p><br />I had to leave early, otherwise we could have played a decider but as its actually the first game I have won for over 18 months I was quite happy to get away whilst I was winning!</p><div align="center"></div><div align="justify">My little boy thought it sounded good so we will try and do a game over Christmas. I must make some treasure site markers and find a chest from somewhere (I could probably make one). </div>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045558424265837502.post-88453555905484462202008-10-31T06:24:00.000-07:002008-10-31T07:11:54.643-07:00Legends of the High Seas<p></p><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SQsMP-FLsYI/AAAAAAAADa8/ZmcCjSyLXqg/s1600-h/Legends+of+the+High+Seas+Cover.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263314058014863746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 293px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SQsMP-FLsYI/AAAAAAAADa8/ZmcCjSyLXqg/s400/Legends+of+the+High+Seas+Cover.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em>Good rules, ghastly cover.</em></div><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /></p><div align="justify">Mike (of Black Hat Games <a href="http://www.blackhat.co.uk/">http://www.blackhat.co.uk/</a>) and I are going to have a go at Warhammer Historical's <em>Legends of the High Seas</em> on Monday. I've never played this before so I am sure there will be much rule checking during the evening, but it is based on the <em>Lord of the Rings</em> rules which I <em>have </em>played (although not as much as Mike!). We have played a couple of pirate games before using <em>Blood & Swash</em> (which is really designed for fights in a tavern) and the larger forces variant <em>Thunder & Plunder.</em> </div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SQsQIdiyouI/AAAAAAAADbM/LNUlFpYeHiQ/s1600-h/claudia+cardinale+in+the+professionals.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263318327068107490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 319px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SQsQIdiyouI/AAAAAAAADbM/LNUlFpYeHiQ/s400/claudia+cardinale+in+the+professionals.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a><em>Claudia: would make a good pirate wench.</em><br /><br /></p><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">I remember winning the first game and getting massacred in the second game when the young lady I tried to rescue turned out not to want rescuing at all (rather like Claudia Cardinale in <em>The Professionals</em>). </div><br /><div align="justify"><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SQsRb_3Y7rI/AAAAAAAADbU/cc0klJeSm-Y/s1600-h/pirates_1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263319762210451122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 178px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SQsRb_3Y7rI/AAAAAAAADbU/cc0klJeSm-Y/s400/pirates_1.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a><em>Some of my Foundry Pirates.<br /></em><br /></p><div align="justify">I have about two dozen painted Foundry pirates and another forty or so unpainted. I will sit down and plan my force tonight and see if I need to paint any more figures over the weekend. I suspect I might be a bit light on ordinary seamen. I suspect I will need to look at a good range of weapons as well.</div><br /><p>Maybe I will even get the chance to take a few pictures. Perhaps I'll take my palm trees in!</p>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045558424265837502.post-19755448582856254082008-09-19T03:04:00.001-07:002008-10-31T07:14:04.452-07:00Talk Like a Pirate Day</p><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SNN-LibmSRI/AAAAAAAADTs/aEyKtIic7KE/s1600-h/rnewtljs.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247676727502981394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SNN-LibmSRI/AAAAAAAADTs/aEyKtIic7KE/s400/rnewtljs.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">It's international talk like a pirate day today so I felt I should mark it on this, one of my least loved blogs. I need to do more here as I have actually played a couple of pirate wargames! </div><br /><div align="justify"><a href="http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html">http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html</a></div><br /><br /><div align="justify">Of course much of the "shiver me timbers" view of pirate speak originated in the completely over the top performance of Robert Newton in <em>Treasure Island</em> (1950), Blackbeard the Pirate (1952) and Long John Silver (1954). Newton was from Dorset and so the accent was an easy one for him to develop. Edward Teach (Blackbeard) was also a West Country man so Newton's interpretation is justifiable!</div><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SNN-wJFHVRI/AAAAAAAADT8/xoIU1ZgAEvc/s1600-h/ljsbird_50k.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247677356352951570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SNN-wJFHVRI/AAAAAAAADT8/xoIU1ZgAEvc/s400/ljsbird_50k.jpg" border="0" /></a><em> "Pieces of Eight!"</em> </div><br /><div align="justify">I also remember the very piratical (and Newtonian) "Old Jamaica" chocolate bar ads on TV.</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SNOBG1u98XI/AAAAAAAADUE/Tml70njQy5A/s1600-h/old-jamaica.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247679945320034674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SNOBG1u98XI/AAAAAAAADUE/Tml70njQy5A/s400/old-jamaica.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a><em>"Don't ee knock it back all at once!"</em><br /><br /></p><div align="justify"><br />It's only recently, with the Pirates of the Carribean films, that other accents have emerged from the "Aargh!" school of piratical pronunciation.<br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SNN-ktRGvZI/AAAAAAAADT0/umsxbl02VxQ/s1600-h/pugwash2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247677159908490642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SNN-ktRGvZI/AAAAAAAADT0/umsxbl02VxQ/s400/pugwash2.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a>"Tottering turtles!"<br /></p><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Personally, my favourite pirate accent belongs to the much more refined Captain Pugwash. </div>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045558424265837502.post-88409853905630932232008-07-27T14:01:00.000-07:002008-10-31T07:14:21.467-07:00Some more Sea Dogs</p><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SIzkg5Wne0I/AAAAAAAACTU/AiT5Ow3UOwI/s1600-h/swashbuckler+red.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227804521272933186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SIzkg5Wne0I/AAAAAAAACTU/AiT5Ow3UOwI/s400/swashbuckler+red.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">I finished this figure a few weeks ago and he joins 18 other Foundry sea dogs I have painted over the last few years. These figures were sculpted by Mike Owen, now of <em>Artizan </em>fame, who has always been able to put an amazing amount of character in a face only a few milimeters across. I painted some of these before I got my glasses which explains some of the "impressionistic" paintwork. I have a few more under way and hope to make a better job of them!</div><div align="justify"> </div><br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SIzk-nnxttI/AAAAAAAACTs/QQa8jBQTcA8/s1600-h/P1010664.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227805031909144274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SIzk-nnxttI/AAAAAAAACTs/QQa8jBQTcA8/s400/P1010664.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SIzk1YAVATI/AAAAAAAACTk/cKRCZwBLxgw/s1600-h/swash+8.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227804873098330418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SIzk1YAVATI/AAAAAAAACTk/cKRCZwBLxgw/s400/swash+8.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SIzksbINUVI/AAAAAAAACTc/v1QBuNVfsHU/s1600-h/swash+arquebusiers+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227804719317864786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SIzksbINUVI/AAAAAAAACTc/v1QBuNVfsHU/s400/swash+arquebusiers+1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p> </p><p align="justify">I think the only problem with the figures is that they all look English and I need some dastardly Spaniards for them to go up against Unless I put them up against some Darkest Africa natives or maybe some Amazonians (not strapping girlies but Indians from the Amazon)!<br /></p>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045558424265837502.post-84002139723667205072008-04-23T14:15:00.000-07:002008-10-31T07:14:35.189-07:00I've painted a figure!</p><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SA-o47x1gnI/AAAAAAAACB4/-aQ-5GE6AVQ/s1600-h/foundry+halberdier+4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192554591454331506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/SA-o47x1gnI/AAAAAAAACB4/-aQ-5GE6AVQ/s400/foundry+halberdier+4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><br /><div><div><div align="justify">It has taken me an inordinant amount of time to do my second post but here it is. For no reason I can fathom I decided to finish this Mike Owen sculpted Foundry swashbuckler which I started years ago. In Elizabethan times halberds tended to be reserved for fighting on land rather than at sea. This is probably because with one swing of this you could cut down all the rigging of your own ship by accident!</div><br /><br /><div align="justify">I bought all of these I could find as pre-releases and have painted eighteen in all. I have several more and am tempted to pitch them against some Darkest Africa figures initially, in a game. Some of the <em>heaviest </em>28mm historicals you will ever find, these! </div></div></div></div></div>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045558424265837502.post-19355183147060315712007-09-08T13:32:00.000-07:002008-10-31T07:14:50.469-07:00A swashbuckling blog!</p><div align="justify"><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/RuMOC-1rE3I/AAAAAAAAAwg/P2ZhFXgBmYo/s1600-h/captain_blood.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107941846758921074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/RuMOC-1rE3I/AAAAAAAAAwg/P2ZhFXgBmYo/s400/captain_blood.jpg" border="0" /></a> Yes, it's time for yet another blog but this one will be very much of the occasional variety. </div><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/RuMZ4O1rE7I/AAAAAAAAAxA/VJ-DT0MKiDM/s1600-h/The+black+swan.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107954856214860722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/RuMZ4O1rE7I/AAAAAAAAAxA/VJ-DT0MKiDM/s400/The+black+swan.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">I have always enjoyed swashbuckling films from the golden age of Hollywood (thanks to my mother; who told me all about films such as <em>Captain Blood</em> and the <em>Black Swan</em> well before I had the chance to see them). </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/RuMXLe1rE5I/AAAAAAAAAww/oGZW-MPYzU0/s1600-h/swash+7.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107951888392459154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/RuMXLe1rE5I/AAAAAAAAAww/oGZW-MPYzU0/s400/swash+7.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">I first became interested in this period for wargaming when I saw the lovely Foundry swashbuckler figures for the period of the Elizabethan sea-dogs (done by Mike Owen, I am pretty sure). </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><p align="justify"><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/RuMXY-1rE6I/AAAAAAAAAw4/TM7N1eQ3-k0/s1600-h/swash+6.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107952120320693154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/RuMXY-1rE6I/AAAAAAAAAw4/TM7N1eQ3-k0/s400/swash+6.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />I painted quite a few of these with really no idea what I would use them for other than some vague idea that I could send them to Africa to fight my tribesmen. </p><p><br /></p><p align="justify"><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/RuMNS-1rE2I/AAAAAAAAAwY/A2dWd2J_Guc/s1600-h/pirates2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107941022125200226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/RuMNS-1rE2I/AAAAAAAAAwY/A2dWd2J_Guc/s400/pirates2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Then I got some Foundry Pirates and, amazingly, have actually played a couple of Games at Guildford with these using the enjoyable <em>Blood and Swash</em> rules by Buck Surdu.</p><p><br /></p><p align="justify"><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/RuMM8e1rE1I/AAAAAAAAAwQ/gQRe8w0FMvo/s1600-h/conquistador+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107940635578143570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/RuMM8e1rE1I/AAAAAAAAAwQ/gQRe8w0FMvo/s400/conquistador+1.jpg" border="0" /></a> Lastly, I bought a Foundry deal of Conquistadores (I even painted one- <em>above</em>) and then bought a few TAG Aztecs. Latterly, (and despite having flown in from Mexico today) I have decided I can't face painting so many complex figures for such one sided actions so, again, I think my Conquistadores are destined to end up in Africa or, possibly, up the Amazon being chased by some of Mr Copplestone's Indians.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/RuMP5e1rE4I/AAAAAAAAAwo/eTleLo_GIMU/s1600-h/D%27artagnan%27s+daughter.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107943882573419394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_UqsRf118B2I/RuMP5e1rE4I/AAAAAAAAAwo/eTleLo_GIMU/s400/D%27artagnan%27s+daughter.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Now, I am very tempted by Brigade Games new musketeers (partly because of all their rather spiffy ladies - there's nothing like a girl in tight britches, boots and brandishing a rapier - especially if it's Sophie Marceau!) and have bought the <em>Gloire </em>rules as well. </p><p align="justify">En Garde! </p><p></p>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com2