Perry Miniatures WW2 Western Desert British and Italian Infantry Support Weapons.

I seem to be mad.

I don't subscribe to (or even purchase) the various magazines devoted to wargaming. I don't wargame.  I paint miniatures.... other people play with the miniatures I paint for them. Rick Priestly seems to have manufactured a "crisis" in his latest piece to be found in the recent issue of "Wargames: Soldiers and Strategy". Keith's Wargaming Blog takes up this theme and provides a link to Rick's article. In the comments to Keith's piece on the subject, a number of people express their opinions. One such is Steve the Wargamer, who comments on an article I recently had published in "Miniature Wargames". He decribes me as a "loonatic" (sic) because I used three tones of paint on a Wolseley helmet (well actually it is four if you include the ink wash I applied before the two lighter tones) and I paint in the pupils on eyes. Forgive me, gentle readers (both of you) if I use my blog pages to respond.

Am I mad? Most probably, but Steve the Wargamer, I don't game! I only paint. Every now and again some nice people ask me to paint their miniatures for them so that they can play with them. These chaps pay me to do this and because sordid coin is involved I take a bit of time over them.... just as I did on the miniatures that were the subject of the article. Those Copplestone Tommies now reside with the bloke who asked me to paint them. I have the time to give the painting process because I have the luxury of that time. Others don't. I do not divide my time between painting AND gaming as many do. I fully appreciate that those that split their time between these two processes may not want to spend as much time painting up their miniature armies that can, so I understand, number in the hundreds of figures. It is horses for courses. I agree with you, Steve the Wargamer, given this much lead or plastic and a desire to get these figures on the gaming table as soon as possible painting four tones of paint on a Wolseley helmet is "loonatic". I wouldn't do it either if speed was my motivation. I'd be reaching for the "dip" in a flash.

To conclude, to Steve the Wargamer I send this message. Thank you for your input but I'll do with my (or someone else's) miniatures what I want to do. You do with yours what you want to do. It is a hobby. There are people starving in the world and places where people are killing each other. What we each do with toy soldiers really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. Each to his own. I am happy in my madness. Steve the Wargamer, I wish you joy in yours.

Mind you..... Henry Hyde has yet to pay me for that article.

Great War Miniatures 1914 French Cuirassiers 2.

The two figures from the Command pack. 

Perry Miniatures WW2 Western Desert Italians.

 ITWW5: Italian Platoon Command

 ITWW6: Italian Breda LMG Gunners.

 ITWW7: Italian Riflemen Advancing.

All these chaps can now be seen in the shop window at Perry Minatures. Michael Perry asked me to paint them up for him and I will admit to being rather flattered to be asked. He also has a couple of  images of the two groups I forgot to photograph.

Great War Miniatures 1914 French Cuirassiers.

Back in late June, quietly and without fuss, three packs of 1914 French Cuirassier figures appeared on the GWM pages of the North Star website. I ordered one of each and they arrived last weekend.. There are no images of the figures on the North Star site so here is a picture of the first to be painted up. The troopers are are very similar having swords drawn and held as seen in this example, the only variation being the direction in which the head is looking. The Officer figure in the command set has his sword held down at his side and the trumpeter is pointing to his right (very similar to a Perry Miniatures Napoleonic Cuirassier Trumpeter). In all there are six horse variations (the usual six found in GWM packs) and once cleaned up from mouldworms I find them a very characterful little group. The colour scheme for this example is taken directly from Andre Jouineau's "Officers and Soldiers of the French Army 1914". Here it is from Amazon.