As I grow older I'm finding it harder to find individuals to play some broad games. Avalon Hills made a great number of great broad games. Haven't forgotten about them over the years I recovered them just shortly ago. To name a few B-17, Tokyo Express, Patton and few more. I got lucky to find on Ebay a seller that has all the games on Disc. Here is the link to the seller: Tony Software shop. For 10 bucks I received 8 complete game with numerous articles. On Evil bay B-17 was going for outrageous prices.
Next I discover ASL Solitaire. I never realized how big of a presence this is. Google turn a every large number of sites. Some are dead but many are still going. One that is going very strong is Gamesquad: Gamesquad This is like the mother load of broad games.
Not sure how many people are following my Easy Eight posts. To me this is the forerunner of Too Fat Lardies Chain of Command. So I got very little feed back of that tab.
Currently I'm looking for this. Right now it will cost me a kidney to buy. Hope people are enjoy my blog.
Later.
On a facebook a person posted the he was using Lipstick counter display for his paints. Well this is one heck of great idea. The display holds up to 60 bottle of paint. This one is on sale for
12 dollars. For more info check out the link: Lipstick display
While searching for information on what colors to paint my ECW troops I found this blog. It is a very good blog.
This is what the owner of the blog has to say
Lord Thomas Hawksby's regiment is a ficitional English Civil War Parliamentarian Infantry Regiment of pike, shot and attached company of Firelocks. The regiment will also have attached Artillery. This blog tell of the daring tales, adventures and characters of this regiment in 28mm miniatures, word, photos and pictures.
Found that is a great read and fun to follow. Plus lots of picture of his painted troops..
Archaeologists are likening the discovery to winning the lottery. A Roman cavalry barracks has been unearthed near Hadrian’s Wall, complete with extraordinary military and personal possessions left behind by soldiers and their families almost 2,000 years ago. A treasure trove of thousands of artefacts dating from the early second century has been excavated over the past fortnight.
The find is significant not just because of its size and pristine state, but also for its contribution to the history of Hadrian’s Wall, showing the military build-up that led to its construction in AD122. The barracks pre-dates the wall: the Romans already had a huge military presence in the area, keeping the local population under control.
“The native Britons took an opportunity, when the emperor Trajan died in AD117, to rebel,” says Andrew Birley, who heads the archaeological team. “The soldiers stationed in the north before the wall was built became involved in fighting and were very vulnerable. The evidence we have from this [find] shows the incredibly rich and diverse lifestyle these people had.”
Archaeologists stumbled on the site by chance and have been taken aback by finds in a remarkable state of preservation. These include two extremely rare cavalry swords – one of them complete, still with its wooden scabbard, hilt and pommel – and two wooden toy swords. One has a gemstone in its pommel.
As well as other weapons, including cavalry lances, arrowheads and ballista bolts – all left behind on the floors – there are combs, bath clogs, shoes, stylus pens, hairpins and brooches. Sections of beautifully woven cloth have also been unearthed. They may have come from garments and have yet to be tested.
The barracks was discovered beneath the fourth-century stone fort of Vindolanda. Photograph: Sonya Galloway
There are also two wooden tablets covered in marks made in black ink. They are thought to be letters, but their contents have yet to be deciphered as they were rushed into a conservation laboratory to ensure their survival.
The barracks, which dates from AD105, was found beneath the fourth-century stone fort of Vindolanda, south of Hadrian’s Wall near Hexham, Northumberland. It is one of the site’s earliest barracks. Hadrian did not begin his 73-mile defensive barrier – to guard the north-western frontier of the province of Britain from invaders – until 122.
The artefacts survived because they were concealed beneath a concrete floor laid by the Romans about 30 years after the barracks was abandoned, shortly before 120. The concrete created oxygen-free conditions that helped preserve materials such as wood, leather and textiles, which would otherwise have rotted away.
Birley said: “The swords are the icing on the cake for what is a truly remarkable discovery of one of the most comprehensive and important collections from the intimate lives of people living on the edge of the Roman Empire at a time of rebellion and war. What’s exciting is that [they] are remarkably well-preserved … There is a huge range of stuff – their hair combs, pots, wooden spoons, bowls, weapons, bits of armour, and their cavalry bling.
“Even for us, it’s very unusual to get things like complete Roman swords, sitting on the ground in their scabbards with their handles and their pommels. We were slightly dumbfounded by that. Then, to find another complete sword in another room next door only two metres away, two wooden swords and a host of other cavalry equipment, all in beautiful condition, is just terrific.
“Archaeologists would never expect to find a Roman cavalry sword in any context, because it’s like a modern-day soldier leaving his barracks and dumping his rifle on the floor … This is a very expensive thing. So why leave [it] behind?”
Moments after being uncovered, the strap junction still shines because of the airless conditions in which it was preserved. Photograph: Sonya Galloway
He recalled feeling “quite emotional” over the discovery: “You can work as an archaeologist your entire life on Roman military sites and never expect, or imagine, seeing such a rare thing, even at Vindolanda. It felt like the team winning a form of archaeological lottery, and we knew we had something very rare and special before us.”
Archaeologists lifted up a piece of concrete flooring while exploring the foundations of the fourth-century stone fortress. They were struck by a layer of black, sweet-smelling and perfectly preserved anaerobic soil in an area where it was completely unexpected.
Hidden in this soil, they went on to find, were the timber walls and floors, fences, pots and animal bones from the abandoned barracks. To their astonishment, excavating about 3.5 metres down, they uncovered eight rooms, with stables for horses, and living accommodation, with ovens and fireplaces.
They believe that the base was home to more than 1,000 soldiers and probably many thousands more dependants, including slaves. The Romans had covered over this early barracks with concrete and heavy clay foundations before building another above it. At Vindolanda, garrisons would arrive, build their forts and destroy them when leaving.
Birley said: “We have got successive barracks above them, some of which are also cavalry, but they’re much later and not preserved with anything like the range of material that has come from within the anaerobic conditions. What you’re seeing here is the full range of stuff, and all those little details that normally rot away completely.”
Cavalry swords are very rare, even across the north-west provinces of the Roman empire, he said, partly because they are so thin. “They’re very light, a couple of feet long, designed to slash somebody as you’re riding past, with a wickedly sharp blade and a point.”
Reenactors at Hadrian’s Wall: it is believed up to 1,000 soldiers lived at the 2nd-century garrison. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images
Other finds include copper alloy cavalry fitments for saddles, strap junctions and harnesses. They are in such fine condition that they still shine and are almost completely free of corrosion. The strap junctions are preserved so beautifully, he said, that they have all their alloy links – incredibly rare survivals.
Much of the pottery has graffiti, from which the archaeologists hope to work out the names and stories of some of the people who lived here.
The discovery is all the more emotional for Birley, as his archaeologist father, Robin, headed the team that discovered the famous Vindolanda writing tablets in 1973. The new tablets may give further insights. They are letters either sent to, or written by, the people living in those buildings.
Birley said: “So, as a collection of stuff, it doesn’t really get better than that. Some of the documents will hopefully give the names, the characters, what they’re thinking about, what they’re doing.”
Quite why so much valuable material was left behind has yet to be discovered. One theory is that the barracks was abandoned in a hurry. Birley said: “There was strife. This is the precursor to Hadrian coming to the UK to build his wall. This is the British rebellion. So you can imagine a scenario where the guys and girls at Vindolanda are told: ‘We need to leave in a hurry, just take what you can carry.’ If it’s your sword or your child, you grab the child.”
More views of our newly completed reimagining and recreation of the princely 7th century Mercian / Anglo-Saxon helmet from Benty Grange, Derbyshire, excavated in 1848 and now brought back to life. #HelmOfMercia
These photos show the structure of the helm, which is formed by the moulding and riveting of ox-horn plates over the internal iron framework. The joins of these segments are then hidden by the addition of horn strips, running directly above the iron framework, held in place by rivets capped with double-axe head dished silver caps (in this case sterling silver). This structure was identified early on by the man who excavated the barrow, evidenced by the length of the rivets, and preserved "herringbone texture" of the horn in the iron corrosion products.
Additional lines of expanded corrosion (which occurs where the iron of the bands expands between two horn plates) on the front of the iron remains, and additional rivets on the lower edge of the headband suggest that horn did indeed extend down below the headband, likely forming a cap-shape more reminiscent of this helmet's most immediate cousins: the boar crested helmet from Wollaston, Northamptonshire, and the helmet from Coppergate, York. Following these designs, it follows that the Benty Grange helmet may have indeed had cheekpieces and neckguard fashioned entirely from organic materials, perhaps making use of the numerous small buckles found in association with the helmet remains. The cheekguards here are each fashioned entirely from a single piece of horn, edged with leather, and attached with leather hinges (like those on the Sutton Hoo helmet). The neckguard is an entirely organic- leather and horn- emulation of the neckguard from the Sutton Hoo helm, and corresponds to the designs on the silver pressblech foils shown.
Almost all exposed horn edges have been edged with thin leather stitched in place with linen thread, to protect them from delamination.
This helm is the culmination of 5 years work and collaboration by members of the Thegns team and close colleagues. Reinterpretation and design by Æd, iron work by members Æd and Alex Thompson, horn work principally by colleague Tony Lewis and Æd, jewelled elements by members Æd and Andrew Thompson, and leatherwork and neckpiece by member Andrew Thompson.
I believe I can make a Tiran 5 out of the new T55's from PSC. There is too much to do to make one. Below is a picture of the Tiran 5.
First major modifications of T-55. Additional stowage boxes and jerry cans added to the turret, solid metal front fenders over tracks replaced with half black rubber ones. Loaders hatch replaced with one that opens towards to the rear, not towards the front like the original.
A pintle-mounted .30 cal Browning Machine Gun in front of the loaders hatch and a new antenna mount were added.
First major upgraded of the Tiran 5 and further captured T-55 in the 1970‘s. Most noticeable change was replacing the Russian 100mm main gun with a 105mm rifled license built American M68, which was a licence built British L7 used on the M60 Patton tank.
Recognition of the Tiran 5Sh, the main guns fume extractor is now in the middle of the main gun, not at the end like the old Russian 100mm main gun.
Looks like PCS id getting into more modern 15mm miniature... How about modern Soviets. Looks like they will be giving Battle Front a run for their money.
I have been a little slow on post more of the Easy Eight Battle ground stat sheet. If anyone is interested in a certain sheet let me know. This way I can post the stat sheet. Digging thru my rules I found most of my battle rules. Not sure where the rest are. As my wife puts them in a safe place that I can never seem to find.
