It’s that time of year in the uk when the short days encourage indoor hobbies like wargames and there is no better way to improve your figure painting volumes than by joining a challenge or simply painting with friends online or face to face.
This years “paint what you got” has me trawling the paint queue rather than the metal/plastic mountain.
So first up are these Danish Guardsmen in their 1848 finery.
By 1849 they had swopped the late napoleonic style red coatees for dark blue tunics following the fashion set by Prussia and Piedmont in the early 1840’s. However they kept their bearskins.
So these figures show the twilight of the “Napoleonic style”.
I used British grenadiers from Strelets Crimea range. These are 1:72 plastic injection mouldings. The style is squat and bulky – note Strelets figures vary by sculptor.
Generally plastic injection figures look far better painted so don’t be put off by your visiting plastic soldier review. Indeed the reviews are candid but then again Pauls Bods blog https://paulsbods.blogspot.com/2021/03/vikingsaxon-shield-wall.html shows you that even the most unpromising figures can be transformed through a decent paint job. Pauls Bods site has numerous plastic examples of exemplary painting.
Finally strelets are an Ukraine company and continue to produce a vast range of figures and have done so throughout the Russian invasion.
So as we approach yet another unwanted anniversary go buy some Strelets, preferably at your nearest bricks and mortar model shop.
I have just discovered that Ron Kay of Irregular Miniatures has died at the age of 98. He was full time on the team until 93, casting figures for all us hobbyists. He carried on as a part time member of the team still handling the big and complex castings. “Hats off” as they say.
I did not know Ron personally but seem to remember him at the Irregular stand at wargames shows.
I can do best by sharing some of my Irregular Miniatures collection and sending my condolences to Ian Kay and the Irregular family.
Irregular have provided me with some great 20mm figures that helped me build my 1848 forces.
1848 Danish Infantry repurposed from Irregulars colonial range1848 Duchy of Parma artillery Duchy of Modena Dragoons which were Neapolitan Dragoons 1848 Rumanian infantry which were ww1 Austrians 1848 Roman Legion which were ww1 Austrians Colonial British posing as 1848 Danes1848 Garibaldeans in red and blue shirtsNeapolitans posing as 1848 French1864 Dane’s which were ww1 Austrians 1850 Dane’s which were ww1 Austrians Grand Duchy of Tuscany Infantry repurposed from the colonial range
Last week York was inundated with cameras as its annual flood season reached its peak.
Anyway if in doubt get a coffee. You can view Irregular Miniatures figures in the gifts section at the Alma cafe on copper gate
And Irregular Miniatures will be at VAP on the racecourse site so here are some of my buys over the last few years.
Austrian ww1 infantry repainted as 1850 danish Ww1 Austrians repainted as 1864 danish British colonial infantry repainted as 1848 danish British colonial infantry repainted as 1848 Tuscany troops 1859 range Straight painted garibaldini for 1848Their 1848 French opponents stolen from the 1859 Neapolitan range
I use the 20mm ranges with extra washer bases to compliment my plastics which are typically 2mm taller.
Last but not least danish artillery for 1848 although the piece is suspiciously looking a later rifled version – based up these 20mm chaps have no problem with their plastic cousins
The last photo also shows one of my entries into AHPC14!
The Wargaming Erratic 