Tumbling Tumbleweeds…

Hello anyone still following this decrepit dusty old blog!

I’ve been super busy with all sorts of non-wargaming things for the bulk of this year, but recently I’ve been studying for architecture exams, which involves me listening/watching online lectures and taking notes whenever the talking head behind the videos says something interesting.

There are hundreds of hours of these videos, but the positive side of that (other than me becoming a licensed architect) is that painting miniatures is the perfect accompanying activity to consuming the lectures. I have lots of time for painting.

I’m going to be concentrating on finishing up a couple of projects that I started long ago, namely 28mm Napoleonic skirmish forces, and some 15mm WWII. I will try to blog, occasionally, but I’m also giving Twitter a shot. If it proves to be more convenient/engaging, this blog may go (even more!) dormant. If you’re on Twitter, and think you might be interested, I can be found at @arkiegamer.

Here are a couple of shaky, badly lit smartphone camera photos, just to re-break the ice on this hoary collection of bits. Nothing but quality for my dear readers!

M8 Greyhound. I somehow managed to lose the AA MG off the back during the two years this thing rattled around in a random plastic bin. I think I’m going to try to keep my vehicle painting for this project fairly clean, with no weathering. This scout car was simply block painted in base colors, decaled, sealed with Future Floor Wax, and then I applied a filter and wash of oil paints. The oils add complexity, shading,  and a certain luster to the base colors. I like the look of it, anyway.

M8 Greyhound as seen from a descending artillery shell. This is a Battlefront model. 

 

Cacadores the 1st

1st Cacadores in line. No skirmishers.

With unparalleled swiftness (unparalleled by myself, anyway), I’ve completed another battalion for the Lasalle project. Ladies and gents, the 1st Cacadores. This is a four base unit (24 figures) with a couple of skirmish bases. Much like the 3rd Cacadores, they are very brown. And black. With a dash of light blue.

The 1st, with skirmishers out.

This battalion of Portuguese lights completes the core brigade of my Lasalle division. Well, sort of. I’m supposed to have two more battalions when on the offense, and support brigades can be added to flesh the division out.

My additional on-the-attack battalions will be red-coated regulars, if for no other reason than it will put more flags on the table. I may do a brigade of light dragoons for my first support force, but I’m also tempted to do a brigade of Portuguese regulars in their sweet barrentina headwear. Decisions, decisions.

In any case, here’s the infantry portion of the core brigade. The artillery is beyond the hills, still advancing into position.

From left to right…52nd Oxfordshire, 43rd Monmouthshire, 3rd Caçadores, 95th Rifles, 1st Caçadores.

Now with Photoshopped sky!

From left to right…52nd Oxfordshire, 43rd Monmouthshire, 3rd Caçadores, 95th Rifles, 1st Caçadores.

The 1st, with skirmishers out.

3rd Cacadores in line. No skirmishers.

Rifling Through

Arise, arise, blog! Live!

95th Rifles on the Dusty Road. Some bossy fellow points the way.

 

Well, it’s been a minute or two, but I’ve been a-hobbying lately, and have managed to finish off the 95th Rifles for my long-suffering Lasalle Light Division project.

95th Rifles in Line, 43rd Monmothshire advances along the road. Bossy fellows abound.

With this regiment out of the way, I only have to paint up the 1st Cacadores, and I’ll have my core force completed. The 1st is mounted up on tongue suppressors, and ready for priming, so perhaps early September will see the completion of the first, core, stage of this project (there are additional supporting forces to be painted).

The astute observer will notice that I’ve knocked together a miniature terrain board for photographic staging. I used this exercise to try out some new-to-me techniques, including using sifted dirt and tile grout for a ground base. I think the ground work looks pretty fantastic. The finished product is a good representation of an arid area, and the ‘scale’ of the dirt works well with the figure scale. One thing is certain: you can’t beat the price and availability of dirt!

I’ve borrowed/stolen some techniques from Luke Towan’s excellent model railroad YouTube channel. His tutorials are well worth a watch, and are sure to inspire some new ideas, even if the techniques aren’t directly applicable, without modification, to the rigors of a wargaming table.

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading.

95th Rifles in Line, 43rd Monmothshire advances along the road. Bossy fellows abound.

95th Rifles on the Dusty Road. Some bossy fellow points the way.

 

 

 

Huzzah for Hussars!

1st KGL Hussars for Lasalle

I’ve completed another unit for my Lasalle project. This is the 1st KGL Hussars. My Osprey stated that the 1st KGL Hussars were mounted on horses of an “assortment” of colors and markings, and certainly they would have had a variety of horse colors while on campaign, but I kind of wish I’d gone with all one color, just the same.

Next up, I’ll be painting a bushel basket full of 95th Rifles. I’ll be happy to paint something dull, after the cornucopia of color and detail these Hussars had.

Sooooo many details to paint!

Sooooo many details to paint!

1st KGL Hussars for Lassalle

Tazewell II: The Shellackening

 

Me and the Scarlet J convened for our first miniatures game of the year on that blackest of weekends: Valentine’s Weekend (I kid. Sort of.).

We replayed the Battle of Tazewell, a small engagement in Tazewell, Tennessee during 1862. I’ve described the particulars of this excellent small (and, more importantly, quick) Potomac Publications scenario in an earlier post. Go read it, if you’re interested.

In the meantime, here are some captioned pictures for your enjoyment.

State of play at the beginning of the battle: A lone Union regiment, watched over by a section of Parrot guns, is deployed in extended line just in front of a woods line. Two Confederate regiments are just out of musket range.

View toward the initial Union deployment.

Union reinforcements begin to file in by road column. In the distance, Brigadier de Courcy watches over his men.

Starting off with a bang (or a shout and sound of bayonets being fixed). I take advantage of my early advantage in numbers and charge the single Yank regiment in position to fight. The two Georgia regiments push the bluebellies back into the woods for the moment.

Elements of Rain’s brigade push into the woods, only to be met with fierce Yankee resistance.

Rebels massing for the charge.

 

Defending agains oncoming Yankees. For once my artillery gets the best of the Bluebellies, and managed to damage all three sections of the northerner battery.

Lots of shooting, as the Yank battery retreats to safety. Notice the disordered Greycoat regiment at the bottom of the screen-they’ve taken 70% casualties, but have somehow managed not to flee the battlefield.

The Yankee brigade charges en masse from the woods, making contact all along the line.

The charges do not go well for yours truly. TSJ managed to roll no less than three (3!!!) 10s in a row, while I rolled a 1, 2, and 3. Dismal! That Tennessee regiment toward the top has been flanked, and is in serious trouble.

For some reason it always lifts my spirits to damage Zouaves.

The remnants of my line.

TSJ having to remove casualties. A rare sight, this game!

The lone bright spot at end game for the Confederate forces. Brig. Rains and a North Carolina regiment capture a wooded hilltop, but wonder where the rest of the brigade has melted off to!

My brigade essentially ran away after the big Union charge. Here we see the humiliating disparity in casualties!

Obviously this was a major Union victory, and illustrates what a disaster a streak of bad luck can be when receiving a mass charge from the enemy! Despite being bled white by The Scarlet J, I had a good time. This is a challenging, fun, and quick scenario, which is an excellent combination!

 

52nd Oxfordshire

The 52nd leads, 43rd in the middle, 3rd Cacadores in the rear.

For my first post of the new year, may I present to you the 52nd Oxfordshire? The 52nd is a large elite unit for the Lasalle project, consisting of 6 bases of close order infantry, and 3 bases of skirmishers.

 

Deployed in line.

In line, skirmish markers deployed.

Ross’s Battery: Fully Charged

The Napoleonic project wheel advances a cog! I’ve completed Ross’s Battery, which involved painting up a howitzer, and three limbers. I’ve done my limbers in a manner similar to the ones I use for Regimental Fire and Fury. I really couldn’t see painting up the full 6 horses and three riders that come with each limber pack from Eureka, so thankfully Rob at Eureka kindly obliged me by selling me one full limber pack, and a couple of extra limbers so I could divide the hoss-flesh up amongst them.

I must say, I was quite confused on whether the various cannon should be bright brass, or as I’ve painted them. Some paintings (and lots of figures) that I looked at on the internet had brightwork, but the examples from museums that I saw were dark. Feel free to tell me I’ve screwed the entire battery up. I won’t cry too much.

In any case, here’s the whole bunch.

Working the new howitzer

Stand fast, you worms(eye view)!!

Limbers

Close. A little TOO close

I’ll be finishing up the 52nd Oxfordshire (I’ve already painted and based half the unit), next, and then I’ll have to face a major hurdle and paint up the 95th rifles from scratch. This will all be happening in December. November is going to be a very busy time for me, so there will be a short hiatus from game-related activities.

Progress Report

I haven’t been super productive over the past weeks, but I have accomplished a few things. See pictures below.

Test basing for Spearhead (1/285 microarmor)

Microarmor bases for Spearhead

The Spearhead bases were a lot of fun to put together. I’m using the direction the turret (or fixed gun) is pointing to indicate the front of the base, which gives me quite a bit of freedom to run roads and other terrain features against the grain. Should keep things from getting too samey. The towed Pak-40 is too ambiguous, in regards to front-of-base; it was a dumb idea to point the prime mover directly at a corner.

Based a few of Thomas’s Essex figures for Regimental Fire and Fury command stands.

Leader stands for Lasalle. Divisional commander on the left, and a sub-commander on the right.

I’m supposed to be working on finishing up my battery for Lasalle, and have, in fact, painted limbers and a howitzer, but I’m dragging my feet on painting crew and horses for the limbers. I don’t know why, exactly, but painting artillery is my least favorite part of horse and musket gaming.

Lasalle Project: 3rd Cacadores

3rd Cacadores in line, skirmishers deployed.

I’ve completed my second full battalion for my Lasalle project. These fellows are the 3rd Cacadores, who were brigaded under Beckwith with the 1/43rd Monmouthshire and portions of the 1/95th rifles, at the time of Bussaco (the order of battle I’m loosely basing my Lasalle division on). All figures are AB 15/18mm.

The Cacadores (cacadore means hunter) were Portuguese light infantry trained after the Portuguese army was reformed. They were trained in the manner of British light infantry, and would prove reliable troops over the course of the war. Cacadores were largely armed with smoothbore muskets (particularly early in the Peninsular war), but would usually have at least a company of sharpshooters who bore the famous Baker rifle. I’ve depicted my skirmishers with said rifles-you’ll notice their hunting powder horns, as well. A truly superb article (and by superb I mean it has everything the lazy wargamer needs to know in one place) can be found at academia.edu. I have no idea how long the article will be up, so get the information while you can!

They’re really brown.

The 3rd had black facings. Black facings, along with the black trimmed hussar-style jackets, and dark brown uniform make for an extremely dark battalion! In the pursuit of contrast, I lightened and warmed my base brown color considerably (Vallejo German medium camo brown, mixed with about 30% bright yellow), but unfortunately I can say I erred on the side of caution. I’ll probably shoot for the tone of chocolate milk for my other battalion of Cacadores (the 1st), and hope that they don’t come out so dull. It may be hopeless.

3rd Cacadores, with their friends in the 1/43rd.

I’ve acquired limbers, and a howitzer, so I’ll be finishing up Ross’s A Battery next, as well as painting high ranking officers (Black Bob Craufurd, himself, Beckwith, and a dashing Aide-de-camp).

3rd Cacadores eating dust (note poorly painted blanket roll straps)

Once the battery is complete, I’ll be faced with painting up a large battalion of British rifles, made up of an amalgamation of the 1/95th and 3/95th. This will require 36 figures in close order, and I’ll need 6 skirmish bases, as well, because in Lasalle, large battalions with a high skirmish value can be split into a half battalion, and companies of skirmishers that can be distributed as desired throughout the division.

That’s all for now. Thanks for casting your eyeball this way!

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Edit: I’ve painted this battalion incorrectly for Bussaco. The Cacadores had yellow chest cords, and the 3rd had yellow facings, until a change of uniform that occurred in 1811. Bussaco, of course, occurred in 1810. Whoops. That’s brown egg on my face! Rather than try to repaint these guys in-situ, I’ll switch my Light Division OOB to Fuentes de Onora. Theoretically, this would add the 2/52nd to my second brigade, which would break the Lasalle generic OOB structure, that I’ve been trying to adhere to. I’ll have to ponder how (or if) to incorporate this change.

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Edit the Second: Well, now I’ve realized that the brass badges at the base of my cacadores plumes should actually be red and black ribbons. I’ll get this fixed on my figures, but wanted to leave a note here, in case anyone is trying to use my efforts as a painting guide (a dubious prospect, at best).

1/43rd (Monmouthshire) Light Infantry

To celebrate Labor Day, here are the fruits of some of my labor: my first completed battalion for Sam Mustafa’s Lasalle! Ladies (yeah, right) and Gentlemen, I give you the 1/43rd Monmouthshire.

Skirmishers out! That’s the 1/52nd, with their fancy-pants mounted colonel, approaching in column, and a bit of Ross’s Battery is off to the 43rd’s left.

In Lasalle terms, this unit is a “normal” four stand regiment, with a skirmish value of 3. The skirmish value means that the unit is capable of fighting as irregulars (useful in BUAs and woods), and can be completely broken down into skirmish bases to be distributed among the players forces as supplementary skirmish points. Each base has 6 figures, for a total of 24 redcoats in the unit. As you can see, the 43rd had white facings. A practical note for you Lasalle players…18mm AB figures barely fit on a 40mm base, especially when they’re marching with their muskets in trail. Stick with figures with shoulder-arms (is that right?) poses.

Line formation

I’m basing my force, which will eventually be a division with attached elements, on the Light Division under Bob Craufurd at Bussaco. At this battle, the 43rd was brigaded with the 3rd Cacadores, as well as four companies of the 1/95th Rifles. They were lead by Lt. Col. Sidney Beckwith. Interestingly, depending on how I approach the attached brigade that is part of the standard Lasalle force, I could end up with a British ‘army’ with only two battalions of redcoats.

Form square, lads!

I’m going to concentrate on finishing up this brigade, which means I’ll be painting Cacadores, or rifles, next. Probably Cacadores, as I already have the figures!
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The Scarlet J has decided to join me in this project (huzzah!), and will be building a French force. We’ll start giving the rules a workout, once we have three or four battalions and some artillery to put on the table.