Drive-by Update

Proof that I do still work on miniatures…

Crappy iPhone photo of the 52nd Oxfordshire (half of them, anyway). 18mm AB Miniatures from Eureka. Flags are GMB, of course.

I painted these guys many moons ago, and had intended to use them for skirmish gaming along the way to building up forces for some Neil Thomas style black powder wargaming, but the skirmishing has moved to 28mm, and the Thomas project is dead, so I’ve decided to do something different with them.

I’ve started re-basing for Lasalle. 6 figures per base (bases are 40mmx25mm). The 52nd will be a large unit, in Lasalle terms, so they get 6 bases. I need to order another 18 marching light infantrymen, so I can finish the unit up.

The skirmishers in front are used as markers, and denote the unit’s skirmish value. Strangely enough, 3 bases equals a skirmish value of 3. There’s no real attempt by the rules to simulate skirmish formations on the battlefield space. The three bases of skirmishers in the back are for the 43rd Monmouthshireshireshireshire.

On a side note, I based the color scheme for these figures from an Osprey on Wellington’s light troops in the Peninsular War. Now that I’m an older, and more sophisticated (*snort*) wargamer, I realize that this ‘all buff’ color scheme is pretty much totally wrong. Only the facings, and possibly the backpack straps should be buff. Am I going to repaint 24 miniatures? H to the ell no.

The perceptive among you will notice that I’ve gone mad with the grass tufts! I acquired these from Scenic Express for a reasonable amount of money. They are a variety of 4mm Silfor tufts. MUCH better than drybrushing static grass.

That’s all for now. I’m going to paint up the figures I currently have for 18mm Napoleonics (half a battalion more of light British infantry, some RHA batteries, and a battalion worth of French lights), then earnestly get to work on filling out a couple of forces for Lasalle.

The Campaign(s) Continues

No big news, but there’s been positive movement on both the ACW and 6mm WW2 fronts. Unfortunately, I’m fighting a four or five front ‘war,’ but there’s no one to blame for that, except myself.

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First up, some terrain progress with the 6mm WWII IABSM 3 (that’s a lot of acronyms. TALOA, everyone!) project. I painted up two small houses, a barn, a cottage, and a manor house, all by GHQ. These buildings paint up so easily, and so nicely-a little paint, drybrush, a sepia ink wash, and you’re set! They look even better in person, where every little flaw isn’t exaggerated by zoomed in digital camera. By the way, I discovered that if you use future floor wax as a component of your ink wash, applying Vallejo matt varnish by brush afterwards reactivates the wash, and swirls it around in a not-unpleasing, but still alarming and unintended, manner.

Cottage and Villa

This is the Villa de GHQ

Dilapidated barn and two small houses. Here’s where you see how incredibly lazy I am about cleaning up flash and mold slippage. It’s a little annoying that GHQ puts their trademark on the outside of the buildings (grey house, right side), but I’ll forgive them.

Houses and barn from above. My road is way out of scale.

I have 10 Sherman tanks about 80% done, crops to plant on the terrain board, and a few British infantry to paint up, and this puppy will be ready to go. Unless I decide to base the buildings and make little vignettes out of them. Which I might.

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On the ACW front, I’m still mired in the long process of finishing up my Confederates. I completed a couple of limbers, disored/silenced markers, wrecked gun markers, and out-of-ammo markers, but still need to paint up an ammo wagon and an ambulance. It’s neverending! I also need to base up a brigade of the famous Danish volunteers of Texas. Oh, and I have a regiment of cavalry to paint. Woe is me! Our next scheduled game is the 15th.

Is it strange that these dead horses and wounded men make me feel a little uncomfortable?

These wounded Confederates are the first Blue Moon figures I’ve ever painted, and I have to say, I really love them. The anatomy isn’t quite as good as the best of the AB, but the poses are just fantastic. The wrecked gun markers (dead horses with caisson wheels) are all Blue Moon, as well. The wrecked gun ‘diorama’ style bases are kind of bugging me, now that I’ve done them. They don’t look particularly naturalistic. I’m sure it’s a skill that will develop with application and time, though.

A better shot of the wounded.

The Blue Moon casualty pack includes a few accessory muskets, which is a really nice touch. Really, those figures made enough of an impression on me, that I plan to do quite a few Blue Moon figures when I switch over to paining Union troops. Oh, that unpainted 15mm resin house in the background is by JR Miniatures. Cheap, but it’s a real pig-bad flashing and pock marks everywhere. Maybe it will look ok painted.

Ok, that’s all for now. I’m going to try to finish up my Brits for IABSM in 6mm next week. Also, there’s some new stuff coming down the pike, that may be of interest.