The Ancible issue 17

In this issue:
- Tale of Three Painters
- Mercs review
- Freeblades review
- More thoughts on Empire of the Dead
- Watching paint dry: Painting Infinity Miniatures
- Dark Young model (Black Ball Games) Review
- The Last Word with Uncle Bomber

Link: The Ancible

Thanks for reading.

New look.

After almost three and a half years I gave my blog a complete new look and layout. In the past I did made some changes to my blog but each time when I changed something it were only minor changes. One of the things that never changed in those three and a half years was the yellowish and camouflage background. But lately I did get bored by this background and found it was time for a new (fresh?) look. A more modern but simple look.
The first thing I did was to make the blog bigger, creating more space for the posts and bigger pictures. Next was the colour. It had to be dark but not too dark and certainly not black. After some tinkering I came with the result you see now. The only thing I kept is the header picture because this one is fairly new. It only became bigger and I changed the look of the blog name.
Personally I am pretty happy with the result how it looks although I have to get used to it after looking for three and a half years at a camouflage background. I hope you all like the new look too. Let me know what your opinion is of the new look, positive or negative.

Thanks for reading.

WIP All-Terrain Towed 105mm Artillery Battery.

At the moment working on my All-Terrain Towed 105mm Artillery Battery for my early war French Escadron de Reconnaissance company. The 105mm C mle 1935B guns are all painted just as the motorcycle and sidecar.

The guns. I went for a "dirty" look. For this a used a black wash and no "bright" colour for highlighting. When the guns are based they will also get a muddy look.

The motorcicle. It was horrible to put this one together. The handlebar with hands is a separate piece and before painting I had to dry fit everything to make it fit when it is painted and put together. Same "dirty" look like the guns. The mud effect will be added at the same time when I do the rest of the platoon. Also have to rework the skin-tone and add some details.

Next will be the gun crew, staff team, command team and observer.

Thanks for looking.

Something different. A Roman Roadmap.

Although this blog is all about my Flames of War army's and other WWII related subjects, I once and while post about something completely different. This is one of those few times.
What a lot of people don't know is that I also have interest in the Roman history. Not as much as I have interest in WW II but I always like to read about.
Recently I stumbled on a great website that I want to share with you all and specially with those that also are interested in the Roman history: OmnesViae: Roman Routeplanner
It is a reconstruction of an antique Roman roadmap with the use of modern internet technology.It is based on the Tabula Peutingeriana, also know as the Peutinger map, which is a medieval copy of a Roman roadmap from around 300 CE. The reconstruction is mainly based on research by Richard Talbert. For more info you can click on the Reconstruction link on the website.
What can you do with this map? You fill in the place from where you want to go and the place where you like to go to and the map shows you the shortest Roman route.

Click on the picture to enlarge

OmnesViae: Roman Routeplanner (OmnesViae.org) is an initiative by René Voorburg.

Thanks for reading.

I know I said I wouldn't start a new FoW army but.....

Yes I know I once said and promised to myself that I won't start a new Flames of War army. That was until I re-read the Battlefront Dieppe Forces PDF, BTW the PDF is not updated by battlefront yet so it is not a V3 Approved briefing, and all things changed.
Count up with this the fact that today it is exactly 70 years ago that the Dieppe Raid took place. And I was sold.

Now all I had to do was to decide which company to take: The Infantry Tank Company Dieppe, the Rifle Company Dieppe or the Commando troop Dieppe.
After some thinking my choice fell on this:

Infantry Tank Company Dieppe

Headquarters
CC Churchill I and 2iC Churchill I

Combat Platoons
Infantry Tank Platoon: 2 Churchill III and 1 Churchill II
Infantry Tank Platoon: 2 Churchill III and 1 Churchill II
Flame-Tank Platoon: 3 Churchill I OKE

Divisional Support platoon
Commando Company: 1 Commando section (HQ section (Command Rifle/MG team), 2 Commando squads (6 Rifle/Mg teams))

A 1500 points list that is a) Easy to paint and b) the most important part Relatively cheap to buy.
A negative point is that I have to convert 3 Churchill I to 3 Churchill I OKE Flame-tanks and if there is something I ain't good at it is converting.

I probably will start with this company after I have finished the French Reconnaissance Company.
But then I also like to buy some new stuff for my US Airborne Army.

Thanks for reading.