Ambassador, you are spoiling us....

or you must need the box for something!

A slight bit of R&R today with just enough time to catch up with my Zvezda backlog. Well, not all of it but at least the vehicular element.

Spot the new guys.......

Nice new Matilda I and II by Zvezda to join my A&A Miniatures Matilda II. Quite a good match. Arras era heavy tank platoon.

Another A13 for the  cruiser tank platoon. Again, for Arras. A Crusader hiding at the back and pretending to be a cruiser.

A good job I got some Ferrero Rocher for my other half at Xmas. Especially since I have also acquired 2 KV1, 1 KV2 and a new Tiger I. All of these for my Plan B rules.

Tank park nicely installed. 
  

Hey, there's room for more. Quick, pass the credit card!

Personal self-satisfaction announcement 

Well, I don't make many of these so I must be due one about now! This weekend, after a year of on-off staggering around the countryside trying to get fit I have passed a personal milestone. I have successfully run two 5ks, one yesterday and one today. Due to a major bit of uncertainty about plans I did not manage to do the Sport Relief 3 mile run today, although I had assumed I would not be ready for it just yet.

The satisfaction lies in the fact that I am nearing 58, have had a serious back operation and developed diabetes type 2. I'll now celebrate with four pints of Stella and a nice curry. The best thing is that I enjoyed both runs, I had got my pace right, breathing spot on and my brain in the right sort of neutral (which doesn't happen often). I'm therefore very chuffed. Will I give up wargaming and take up sport? Not bloody likely. However, I think the exercise should be just the ticket to keep an old bastard on the road to Moscow for a good few years yet. Hurrah! 

Free game and ....

New Weasel stuff 

I keep wanting to do the old joke about the difference between weasels and stoats, luckily for everyone I just can't bring myself to write it down! Hobby time very strictly limited at present but I am keeping myself up to date on a few things which are worthwhile sharing more widely.

Waterloo Squares

A neat little print and play game on a 10 by 10 square grid by Eddy Sterckx covering the whole of the battle of Waterloo. Uses a card system for command and combat. Very nice. Its free and available from BGG here. This was designed for the 2015-16 BGG wargame PnP competition. More information about this year's competition and the games is here.

The Weasel stuff

First up up is a beta set of 19th century rules covering Waterloo to Mons (that sounds like a book I've got). They are described as:

From Shako to Coal-scuttle is aimed at a game with 8-12 units of infantry or cavalry, each 4 stands strong, supported by a few artillery batteries. It should be playable with any figures you already own, whether you are gaming 1815 or 1915.

Its a beta version so unfinished and, as a result, you can get them on a pay what you want basis from here. 

Second up is a really very cool tool for the new Five Men at Kursk rules. It randomly generates missions, forces and even the map. All you need to do is enter some details about the year and combatants etc and there you go. By the way, when I say really very cool I mean absolutely brilliant in case you thought I was being halfhearted about it. Check it out here.