Well it’s officially the most depressing day of the year! It’s too far from New Year to remember and it’s too long until Easter to wait. As the Western World is grinding to a halt and the search for meaning in life continues unabated….


Some may seek the answer in fitness, yoga or assertiveness training. Here we offer a far simpler yet more holistic answer; artillery. It’s amazing how a few miniatures can help you block out the nasty world outside. Perhaps because it’s Scottish artillery that is making the difference. It takes a real man to set a torch to something that may in equal likelyhood blow himself up!

Perhaps it has to be massed artillery to really cheer the heart. Napoleon may have gained fame from clearing the Parisian streets but think of the skilled ginger gunners of these monsters. The ability to destroy an opponent from a long way away, does have its attractions. Would the modern politician be so keen on foreign wars if they were putting themselves at risk? I doubt it although auld King James’ fondness for gunnes was famously his undoing.


Some De Bellis Antiquitatis competition organisers used to ban artillery from tourneys. Just too good in relation to the other chaff. In most rulesets artillery is quite a rarity but in To the Strongest you can have two batteries in a Medieval Scots army and therefore dominate about a third of the table. It’s a little cheesy but the Scottish spear were never up to much against longbows, and as pikemen they were worse. So two batteries it is and if the Blues are still lingering then there is……


Highlanders! Not French accent time travellers but archers for God’s sake. I added a few ginger hair mops to get that authentic Shortbread feel. No, I ‘m joking of course. In order to dispel the blues I’ve painted yet more guns!


Nevermind “States-rites”, these badass boys are ready to force the good ol’ boys to head back to the South. So with dreams of easy victory, I bid you a happy Monday! Massed artillery; the ultimate mood changer….


Stay tuned for the full story of how buying more metal does actually count as ” finishing off projects” ( honest!)

Best wishes

Miguel

23 responses to “Blue Monday? Wargaming has the answer!”

  1. Nice guns! 🙂 Reminds me that I’ve always got artillery to paint, well, OK, tanks as well! And trucks etc.

    Liked by 4 people

      1. Haha! 🙂 NO! No more bicycles.

        Liked by 4 people

      2. Belgian dog drawn machine guns???

        Liked by 4 people

  2. Nice Post. The answer is definitely buying more hobby stuff that’s for sure! 🤗

    Liked by 5 people

    1. I seem to have collected loads over the years but not enough specialist units that ‘finish’ off armies eg highlanders, Islemen and arty for Scots. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it anyway!

      Liked by 4 people

  3. Nicely painted miniatures! Will Cartman be acting as a memeber of the crew? I think he would do well as a commander as you have to respect his authorita! 🤔

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Got to love Cartman! I’ve based my whole attitude to life on him!

      Liked by 3 people

  4. I really like the bases of paired guns- excellent work.

    Cheers,

    Pete.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Thanks Pete- should help the Scots actually win a game?

      Liked by 3 people

  5. I’m ahead of you with the Belgians! 🙂 I already have WW1 Belgian and Austrian dog-drawn machine gun carts which, combined with my WW1 German medical search dog and WW2 USMC war dog, constitutes all of my 20mm dog collection (six dogs)!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Russian exploding anti tank dogs!!!!!! I’ve got Roman flaming pigs!

      Liked by 4 people

      1. Who doesn’t love a Roman flaming pig?
        Death on the battlefield followed by a pre-cooked lunch – marvellous!

        Liked by 3 people

      2. If only an eBay ‘bargain’ hadn’t included forty of them! And six elephants that are more difficult to light of course!

        Liked by 4 people

      3. …and probably not as tasty!
        Looking forward to seeing a post about all those ‘flaming’ animals 😃

        Liked by 4 people

      4. Under coated and ready to sizzle!

        Liked by 4 people

  6. I agree fully, that wargaming or modelling is the answer to relief stress. Might be our version of mindfulness.

    The artillery is well painted, really like the colour choices (even though those are surely due to the historical reference).

    Liked by 5 people

    1. Thanks very much! Always steered away from multiparty equipment but renewed my love! The AcW guns are done with contrast paints so a bit cartoony but I do like that green!

      Liked by 4 people

  7. I really like the artillery. I have a falconet in my painting queue – and looking at yours is making me wonder if I should have used any brass bands in addition to wrought iron ones on the makeshift gun mount. Oh well, it’s too late now! And as for dogs, you know about mine!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. A few more arty pieces couldnt hurt !!! It would certainly make those Aztecs nervous!!!!! War dogs are so a 2021 must- have!!!!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. When will you get some war dogs?

        Liked by 1 person

      2. You know me, I never need encouragement! I’m getting your rules and a whole army of Spanish liberators in 28! I’ve got some dogs that the Alans guarded their camps with, an Alsatian for my Late roman general and some 15mm ones for my medievals. 2021 can be the year of the dog!!!

        Liked by 1 person

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