Black Caped Assasins

Mordhelm is a very unsafe place. The Black Capes are only one of many reasons so many who enter there never return.

Knights of the Realm

A troop of knights ready to do thir lords bidding.

Cygnar Digs In

Cynar Trenchers with heavy weapon support dig in to hold the remains of a farm house.

Snipers are present to assist the foot sloggers.

Conquistadors 1519

Here we have a company of Spanish Conquistador pikeman with crossbow and mounted pistoleer support. A combined arms syle of force that the Aztec Army was ill prepaired to fight. Their tactics and weapons were no match for the professional soldiers of Spain armed with the latest weapons and armor of the day.

Marines have Landed 1898 Postscript

These are part of my USMC project where I am planning on making a platoon strength unit to represent every conflict the Marines have participated in since the Revolutionary War. So far I have completed the WWI group, and started the Spanish American War (this unit). On my work table right now are the first of my Marines to represent the "Banana Wars" of the early 20th Century. More photos will follow as these units continue to take shape.

Marines have Landed-Cuba 1898 part III

Here are the finished Spanish American War Marine command and Colt mg section. All are metal 28mm pieces from Tiger Miniatures.

Marines have Landed-Cuba 1898 part II

Here is part Two of the painting of my Spanish American War Marines.
The basics are complete in the first two shots with hair eyes and finer points on the uniforms worked up.
Most of the drybrushing is done, also note that I have begun the work on the bases in the third photo. This starts with a sand and glue mixture that, when dry, is base painted brown and drybrushed in several layers of progressively lighter colors.

Next up-the unit ready for action.

Marines in the Spanish American War

The Marines I am painting here are in the uniform they started the war with. Later in the campaigns in Puerto Rico they changed into the more serviceable dress of soft hat and working blue shirt. The rifle was the five round clip, Lee Navy Model 1895. At 6mm this was the smallest caliber then used by the US military. The machine gun was the model 1895 Colt MG. The gun carriage carried 1920 rounds of 6mm Lee Navy, in belts of 120. Officers and some men were armed with the Colt .38 cal. "New Navy" revolver. All three weapon types were used by the Marines in the defence of the European Legations in Peking during the 55 day seige in the 1900 Boxer Rebellion.

Marines have Landed-Cuba 1898

Here is a step by step photo study of painting a unit of US Marines. This is a command section and Colt MG unit that have hit the beach in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

1st up is the unit in black primer. Next we have them in their basic blue scheme followed by accent colors, red gun metal,black etc.

More to follow:

Lizardman Warriors on the March

A company of Lizardmen moving forward to protect the sacred secrets of the jungle gods.

DC in the Fall

Here are two shots from my Fall trip to Washington DC with my 8th grade students. The Iwo Jima statue is so moving to see at dusk, we always take the kids here our first evening. I'm including the Washington Monument just because it looks so good in this shot.

Subsurface Vessel Sea Serpent

Here is a submarine style ship I built for sea battles orignally for Warhammer but is more suited for Victorian Science Fiction (VSF) & Steampunk.

Imperial Heavy & Light Cavalry

Squadrons of cavalry & charriots of Shi Huang Di, the 1st Emperor of China, ready to do their masters biddng. Circa 220 BC the king of Ch'in ended the centuries long chaos of the Warring States period and formed the firt Empire in Chinese history. The Qin/Ch'in Dynasty he established is credited with completing the Great War(later enlarged and improved by several later dynasties), formalizing the Imperial style of government,and making social-economic changes that formed the basis of every Chinese dynasty until the 1900's. And yes China is named for him.


These models are 1/72 scale plastics much smaller than the 28mm & 25mm metal pieces I normaly paint.

Vive La France! Plan XVII

With these figures I was going for that forlorn hope look with lots of walking wounded. The Battle of the Frontiers in the first months of the the First World War was brutal on the French,their field armies suffered more than 21% casualties in the first month of the war. French tactics for the battle, Plan XVII, worked to the German benefit and no amount of elan could over come this massive error. Luckly for the French, and their allies, the Germans made mistakes as well. Unfortuantly for the world the failures of all these plans would doom a generation of young men to the horrors of what they would call the GREAT WAR!

If you would like to get a feel for the true scope of the inital battle plans for the war and what went wrong for each of the participants you need to read Barbara Tuchman's great work "The Guns of August." It will blow you away at how many lives these mistakes cost.

Vive La France!

The remnants of a French company of regulars march into the teeth of battle to hold the line against the tidal wave of Germany troops in August 1914. On Ne Passe Pas! (They Shall Not Pass!)

Pfc Wall at Home

Here are some photos of Tom at home in Septermber after Basic Training.