Friday, 28 June 2013

Gunboat Diplomacy: HMS Unlikely


I scratchbuilt a gunboat to support the British Army in the Sudan.

When you make a vehicle for a game where 16 soldiers equals a battalion you are obliged to place fast and loose with scale. The boat only has one gun, representing a battery and hence one gun crew. Also the vertical and horizontal scales of the models are different. A 1/72 figure is about 22mm high, although it varies enormously from manufacturer to manufacturer. However the battalion in line occupies a mere 160 by 40mm.

To make this work you have to squash the gunboat's scales, especially the horizontal. The cartoony-effect sounds strange but it works rather well on a wargames table.

The model is made of foam board, plasticard and metal tubes. Figures are HaT (gun & crew), Escii (British infantry) and Waterloo 1815 (Turko-Egyptians).

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to relieve Khartoum.

Hang on Gordon, I'm coming.


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8 comments:

  1. Phil28 June 2013 at 16:01

    Nicely done!
    Phil.

    ReplyDelete
  2. John Lambshead28 June 2013 at 17:19

    Thanks Phil

    ReplyDelete
  3. Da Masta Cheef28 June 2013 at 18:14

    lol, love the name!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John Lambshead28 June 2013 at 22:12

      I had others but they were'nt suitable for public display.

      Delete
  4. lrqan28 June 2013 at 19:21

    Simple and effective. Well done.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John Lambshead28 June 2013 at 22:12

      Thanks. I am not a great modeller so I have found it pays to use KISS.

      Delete
  5. Zzzzzz28 June 2013 at 19:21

    There's a quite lovely book entitled "Mimi and Tutu go forth" which I think you might like, John.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John Lambshead28 June 2013 at 22:13

      It doesn't have too many long words does it?

      Delete

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