Blue Moon 15mm Pirates!

Every time I went to the Blue Moon website to buy more Cowboys, I kept seeing their Pirates on their opening screen. Finally I broke down and got some. They are very nice sculpts, big 15mm (more like 18mm to the eyes like the Cowboys) and very easy to paint. The only thing I don't like about them is that the packs don't have as many uniques sculpts as the Cowboys line does.

So far I have the Pirate Captains pack, the Pirates & Treasure pack, the European Captains & crew pack, Artillery guns and Artillery crew packs. I'm now waiting on the Civillians pack and The Pirate Brigantine. I also got some very nice swivel guns from Thoroughbred miniatures and some Black Hat minis Renaissance Spanish Halberdiers and Arquebusiers wearing morions and breastplates. I know they're a little out of period, but everytime I think of Spanish fighting Pirates I see morions and breastplates. :) The Black Hat minis are very nice, and are also big 15mm, but not as big as Blue Moon.

Since I had a bunch of minis I needed buildings, a harbor and ships. Fortunately for ships I already had 2 of the Flagship Games ships which are pretty well sized for 15mm, and 2 Weapons and Warriors Pirate ships I had converted. I've since made 2 scratchbuilt ships in 15mm scale based on Gary Chalk's plans from Wargames Illustrated, and a 15mm scratchbuilt Junk, which is manned by the way, with Rebel Minis 15mm Ninjas. Who says Pirates and Ninjas don't mix. :) Now all I need are Vikings! :)

Well, the Pirate bug just keeps biting, so then I got my son Mark to help me with a Pirate terrain board, based on Gary Chalk's Wargames Illustrated series of articles. The harbor is completed, there's a couple of hills, apier and some docks, a Spanish Adobe Architecture village, a Spanish Church (all ala Gary Chalk in 15mm), small jungle, a small native village with some Peter Pig Natives awaiting painting as well as some more Peter Pig minis for the Spanish colonists. Last build was a 15mm pseudo star fort made from the Hirst Arts Egyptian mold.

Today I'm alternating working in the yard and doing touch-ups on the ships. Here's a few pics:
Harbor view


Fort









Fort guarding the harbor







Governor's compound







Gary Chalk style Spanish Church






Native village in the Jungle:






I hope you enjoy the pics. I'll try to post some more as things progress. I still need to get pics of the minis, but only have one crew painted, so far.

Joe