Franco-Prussian War 28mm - Prussian 12th Dragoon Regiment

Sometimes having to work away from home for a couple of weeks means having the opportunity to do the only things that you have brought with you in your leisure time.  Fortunately for me I decided to take three travelling bags of paints and tools and a regiment of unpainted cavalry.

These are the 12th Dragoons (2nd Brandenburg) who were part of the Prussian 2nd Army.  I rather like the deeper carmine distinguishing colour compared with red.

The figures were made by Wargames Foundry who still even after over  quarter of a century of having brought out their Franco-Prussian War range, still have one of the most comprehensive 28mm ranges out.  Unfortunately their are many gaps in the range, not least in commanders, but also in trumpeters and standard bearers.  I could have performed conversion work but did not feel inclined to do so - partly because I would then have to do the same for every cavalry regiment.

The figures were mostly painted with the Foundry triad range of paints but with a good smattering of Vallejo and some 'Miniature Paints' -particularly No.81 Leather Brown which all the reins & bridles  were painted with.

 The ground virtually thunders with the weight of the charge of the Prussian Dragoons.  They certainly have a presence about them.

Unfortunately and despite my very best efforts I wasn't quite able to complete the figures when I was away. I still needed about 4 hours worth of touching up of detail and then the basing work when I got home.  As usual with 28mm figures, I just can't stop trying to improve my work. It is no wonder that after starting this collection over 22 years ago, this is only my third Prussian cavalry regiment in my collection.  Future ranges will be in a smaller scale for sure!

In many ways I wish I had started my Franco Prussian range in 6mm (or 10mm). The reason being is that the battles tended to be huge and there seemed to be little in the way of brigade battles as such.  Certainly the English source material only really mention the larger battles, though no doubt there were many skirmishes. There just doesn't seem to be much written up which would provide good material for a Division vs Division action - unless taken as part of one of the large battles. 

I am trying to read what contemporary memoirs I can to try to create some scenarios which would fill this gap.  Although not a memoir, I finally got around to reading Emile Zola's 'The Debacle' which I understood contained detailed and atmospheric descriptions of a Bavarian attack near Sedan.  If you plan on reading this book (and I read the Penguin version), DO NOT read the translator's notes at the beginning - it gives away the entire plot and what happens to all of the key characters including the big twist at the end (which came as no surprise to me as I had read the Translator's notes!).

Also avoid listening to 80's bands such as The Smith's and The Cure whilst reading the book, as it is darned depressing and just swims in a thick sticky treacle of tragedy. A combination of the music and the book cannot be good for one's health.  Admittedly the description of the Bavarian attack is pretty good though!

Having just looked at the photos again, I think that even if I had collected FPW figures in 6mm, I would still have got these figures. There is something about the 28mm Foundry range which is magnificent. From the French infantry in their massive packs to the great sculpts of the Prussian cavalry, these figures inspire the imagination.

As if I wasn't obsessed enough with my painting, I have been making labels to go on the magnetic bottomed stands of my figures.  I used PVA glue to attach the labels then coated a thin coat of PVA over the top of the label to give it strength. This seems to work well and the magnetic base only seems to lose about 10% of it's ability to cling to the steel floor sheets of their box, so well worth doing.

So what next? I am sat here asking myself the same question. I have painted a number of things in the last few weeks which I will post up in due course. But as for what I shall paint next - we shall see- it could be anything!

English Civil War - Artillery

Progress has been immensely pleasing in the last month or so with completed units and models joining their comrades at a great pace.  It is often the inspiration from finishing a unit which acts as the spur to get the next batch of unpainted lead moving through the painting desk.

I have completed these guns and crews in just two weeks.  This is incredibly fast for me.  I painted and based 3 models in about 5 days and then 2 more models in another 5 days.  It was nice to get models out which I had undercoated a few years ago and put aside and finally get some paint on them!

These models are from Bicorne miniatures and are mixture of 'Galloper' guns and Falconets.  Actually two of the Galloper guns are very old Minifigs pieces which I had retired.  They had been painted in a gaudy red and looked dreadful.  However I noticed that size-wise they fitted very well with the Bicorne models, so I would see how a darker hue would look.

The two central models in the pics above and below are the Minifigs Galloper guns, suitably worn from travelling on poor English roads.  I'm really pleased how they have turned out. Now manned by an able Bicorne crew they are worthy of taking their places in the gun lines (or in hedgerows, placed by Sir William Waller, ready to ambush the Royalist vanguards in the lanes of the West Country!).

Paints were a combination of Foundry Triads, Vallejo, Miniature Paints, and even Flames of War.  I am using Foundry Paints probably for 75% of my painting these days. 

There are some real characters amongst the gun crews but I think the Parliamentarian officer above is one of my favourites.

I have just received a much needed set of reinforcements for Waller's army which are just waiting for some paint to go on.  I have been side-tracked by an unexpected project though.  More to follow!

English Civil War - Colonel Sir Robert Cooke's Regiment of Foote

Here we have the finished pike block of Colonel Sir Robert Cooke's Regiment of Foote.  I completed the musketeers a couple of years ago and the pike received an undercoat at the time but were then put aside as other projects took my attention.  Having waited patiently for me, I have now returned to finish the job.

I find there is a limit to the number of 28mm figures that I can focus on to paint as a unit at the same time. The very maximum is 30 if they are straight forward (ie are covered head to foot in mail!).  I can do 24 figures if inspired, for instance if I am painting a really smart American Revolutionary War unit.  Otherwise 12 to 16 figures is about my limit.  I can then paint in a production line method, applying one colour at a time and doing that to each figure as I work down the lines of troops on my painting table.

Thankfully I keep a folder where I jot down the step by step processes and which colours I used for each unit.  If I need to pick things up later to finish a unit (as in the case of this particular regiment), then there is no reason why I cannot match the remainder of the unit. 

Over the years I do change technique but as long as the basic colours are used then all is well. I merely update my methods and over-staple the new sheet over the old ones - I can track my own change of styles and techniques this way too.  I find it strangely interesting - especially my change from white to black undercoats.

This regiment served in Sir William Waller's army during the Western Campaign of 1643.  In some books the Colonel is noted as Edward Cooke, but Edward appears to have been a Colonel of his own cavalry regiment.  Sir Robert died in 1643.

I have made guesses at the uniform coat colour and the flag colours as they appear to be completely unknown for this regiment.  I chose these colours simply because I liked them and the coat colours differed from previous paint tones used.  I have red coats on some of my units but I wanted more of a faded russet for this one.  Foundry terracotta shades seemed to work perfectly. 

Sashes have been painted in yellow shades to reflect allegiance to Sir William Waller.  There is no definite evidence that I have found that regional commanders had their own sash colours, but orange was associated with the Earl of Essex and Waller was no friend of Essex.  Having his men wear Essex's colour would probably have been hard to bear.  I have read that it is now believed that the New Model Army and Fairfax's men wore blue sashes, though I wish I had made a note of where I read that.

The figures are from the very fine Bicorne Miniatures.  The flags are from the very talented GMB Flags.

As usual I have based the figures on MDF with magnetic sheet at the base to hold the figures safely when in their box.

I don't normally go for marching poses, but there was something about these that I really liked.  I thought that one regiment marching surely wouldn't do any harm.  I have moved the officers to the front from my usual mid-formation position.

Amusingly (or painfully!) when I move the figures I just have to remember that the pikes are now facing my hands!  I do run a metal file over the tip to remove some of the needle-sharp qualities of these steel pikes to attempt to prevent serious injury though they are still sharp enough to dig deep (as my camera lens found out 3 years ago when I last photographed pikemen close up!).

...And here we have the rest of the regiment joining the pikemen.  I like my ECW units to have some depth and to look impressive.  40 figures are my usual for ECW 'standard sized' foot units.

Sir William Waller's army are on their way to being fully represented for the Western Campaign of 1643.   I will have to do work on the Royalists again soon.

Anglo-Zulu War British - 24th Foot

So, it happened again!  The change to a new historical period, messing up plans of completing other armies, and yet an exciting and interesting change that enlivens the hobby and keeps it ever interesting. 

I blame the new period on getting to fire my Martini-Henry rifle at the range for the first time last month.  I have owned it for about 3 years but never got around to getting the ammo or the kit to make the rounds up. When I finally had made some ammo, off to the range I went...and I don't think the smile left my face for a week!

So enthused in spirit I purchased a copy of the Warlord Games 'Zulu!' book for their Black Powder rules.  I have to say how impressive these are too.  Each scenario seems to have a completely different approach to the game, from using small sections for Rorke's Drift to companies for Isandlwana and to battalion units for the final large battles.  I really like the thinking behind it and it got my imagination racing even more.

I placed an order for Perry's Anglo-Zulu War British Infantry and I have to admit to stopping another project on my work bench to throw myself into making and painting these.  I even took the figures with me to construct and start to paint when I had to spend a week working away from home.

I have started with a 16 man unit instead of my usual 24 - the idea being that I can now downscale the number of Zulu's I need by 1/3rd on this ratio.  There are already going to be plenty of Zulu's but I do want some room on the board for figures to move! 

As usual with plastic figures from the Perry's, the troops were a joy to construct with not too many parts and nothing especially weak.  A couple of bayonets did get clobbered by my clumsiness during construction, but nothing broke or bent.  There are 38 figures in the box including casualties which gives a great mix.  I'll make and paint the standard bearers at a later date. They are in the box too along with the Colours for four regiments on the printed sheet supplied.

The commander of this unit (for it will be a company or battalion depending on scenario) is not of the Stanley Baker/Michael Caine clean shaven appearance but has the full 'eating a bear' beard popular of the time.

As a small digression I should mention that these are the first 'proper' colonial period figures that I have...which amazes me! The history of this period is just so incredibly interesting and the redoubtable British Soldier was active all over the place with his trusty Martini-Henry.  I do have Esci 1/72 Zulu War plastic figures in the attic but it has been a long long time since they were painted and saw daylight.

I used the Foundry Triad colours particularly useful using British Napoleonic colours mostly and the French Dragoon greens for the cuffs and collars.

 

I really wasn't sure how to base the troops and gave this a lot of thought.  The casualties were always going to be based on Warbases casualty stands which give space for a small dice to be placed to show 'excess' casualties, as well as a numeric dial.

To give the greatest flexibility I decided to use circular single figure stands, again from Warbases, but in addition I purchased 4 man skirmish type movement bases and 5 man close order bases. 

I chose the bases which could be fitted with their 'rare earth' magnets.  These little magnets are great fun on their own! Prising them off each other was a great challenge and trying to drive two opposing tiny little magnets together was a real test on something so small!  Amusingly when setting these photos up I discovered that one magnet was the wrong way up.  The figure was ejected from the movement tray to my bafflement until I realised what I had done!

I had never used the magnets before and wondered if they were sufficient to hold the figures safely in their movement bases. I can safely say that the figures are well held. As a test I held the base upside down and shook it and there was no movement whatsoever from the figures.

It took me 6 weeks to get these chaps painted up. This involves research and doing lots of other things at weekends and I am now ready to paint something else!  In my early enthusiasm I ordered a huge battle set of Rorke's Drift from 4Ground with many boxes of Warlord Games Zulus. I decided that I would keep this box as my gift to myself at Christmas so I have yet to open it!  I am sure I will be ready to paint more British Infantry then...and Zulus........... 'Tharsands of 'em!'