It’s been quite a gap since June when I posted the last of my AHPC14 miniatures – Danish artillery 1848. And I had not clocked a pedestal moment since my French cuirassiers appeared in May.
In fact the pedestal has physically moved on to a new home but I plan to keep the post title for now.
Today on parade are some irregular miniatures I painted as part of a challenge I did with John@justneedsvarnish.
The figures are actually 20mm Austrian World War One infantry.
I like irregular’s style of figure which works for the relaxed 3 figures per 40mm square basing I use for my nineteenth century armies
I trimmed the peaked caps and a paint job later I got my 1st Roman Legion (who became the 10th line infantry) of the Roman Republic.
My reference is Ralph Weavers Garibaldi and the Siege of Rome published by Partizan Press. I used his text description which differs somewhat from the colour image in the book.
As I mix old 25mm, 1/72 and 20mm figures from different manufacturers basing sometimes includes height adjustments.
2mm washers help these 20mm figures blend in.
The flag is homemade and the emblems in ink bled when I pva coated them! So that flag will need replacing-one day!
Finally the background tree was a bring and buy find while the two very nice trees to the fore are from “scenics ?”. The cottage is one of my very old airfix models given a makeover during Dave Stones season of scenery this autumn.
Having missed the spring partizan show I did not want to miss the autumn offering.
The crowd descended on Newark in a leisurely fashion arriving half an hour after the gates opened. We expected a shorter queue but no it was still the length of the building and some.
Once inside (fairly quickly as it happens) the place was heaving.
So my first comment is it was too crowded to take in all the excellent displays. I am not sure what you do – if the show is less congested people will feel it’s not thriving etc. I don’t think we will see a return to the two venue set up that saw competition games plus more traders in another hall?
In short maybe it’s me but it felt busier than ever?
So overall a busy, popular and I expect successful show.
The congestion also deterred me from taking as many pictures.
Turning to the retail side – all the usual suspects were there but just maybe a few less new offerings and less 3d print offerings visible?
There were no showstoppers in retail as far as I noticed.
I did throw some dice at Chris Kemp’s NQM game – I failed to drive away the Germans from longstop hill…..Chris uses on board indicators to avoid lots of rule checking and I think the scenes are intended to look congested so it’s abstraction might not suit everyone. The important elements are the variety of components that work together to enable the fighting elements to launch and sustain an attack or defence…….a neat grid game which is now a published ruleset.
Brits under the kosh Bring up the artillery – that was only partially successful Excellent table set up for participation with simple visuals.
So what about the table glamour…….
Omaha was excellent giving some true perspective Not your regular ww2 tank fastOk there were some behind that building I can never resist the kriegspiel style Quirky but popular participation gameOmaha again An engaging gameUnusual subject The game presenters included bramley barn wargamersSome interesting background Some excellent aircraft Early tech on show as well Despite two giant tanks of coffee the allies seemed to make little headwayPaper soldiers-fantastic Best show backdropHobbit warsAnd behind the backdrop useful vertical display space. Popular with Railway Modellers yet not popular with wargamers but here it works a treatYarkshire wargamer with serious amounts of plate on showThose planes again! Kept coming back to this gameMore paper armies ACW this time A traditional? 28mm game seven years war? With some great sceneryThe castle was a gemYep 1-72 Greeks 1941The Greeks holding off the Italian assault Italians make a bad job of itItalian armour about to get pummelled Wonderful aircraft again Plenty of source material on show for a rarely gamed front in ww2?Another excellent aircraft to give period flavour Soon the big guns will open up
That’s it except to say a well organised and enjoyable show means I plan to return.
That however, seemed to reinforce summer as a break.
So if this is now to be the start of my wargames season what’s on the cards for the next twelve months?
Well firstly probably the plan will fail! With that out of the way what might be done if it succeeds?
Painting wise I feel it will be more mid 19th century forces.
Some more obscure units are likely – Jutland sharpshooters 1848
Also nearly mechanised feels like it will get an outing.
My pontoon bridge but John at just needs varnish provided the armour!
Brief summer spells of interest in ancient and renaissance plus Wild West periods have fizzled out in 2024 and I can’t see that changing into 2025.
I guess one wild card could be sci fi which has gained some traction in recent years.
The painting table is more likely to see guns rather than spears it would seem.
Gaming wise I think it will revolve around campaigns and again currently mid 19th century wins out along with nearly mechanised.
Nothing like a map to get the campaign spirit moving
I hope to go to the Other Partizan which I missed last year especially as I missed Partizan this year. Oh and I should manage two out of Battleground, Fiasco and Recon.
One more year…..
Recon will be the last at Pudsey civic hall as the property is being sold off.
And just maybe online painting/modelling challenges will figure given both AHPC14 and season of scenery have seen my output of painting and making increase and diversify.
The 2023/24 ahpc14 haul Testing out a quick build Italian hilltop town for grid gaming during season of scenery challenge
Purchases wise the war chest has been thin of late more because I have what I need so it follows the figure mountain and scenery pit are full.
Books wise purchases have trailed off since 2023. Although 2034 gave me a surprise. But that’s another post.
If I do buy it is more likely targeted. For example I would like some more Irregular Miniatures bell shako infantry as well as some garibaldi men.
Well that seems like the bones of a plan. We will see……
Ancients were my primary interest at the time I encountered blogging and began to follow various sites.
So a couple more blogs that caught my eye and propelled my interests in 20-25mm or 1/72.
First up is Philotep whose 1/72 minis kingdom showed what potential there was in these minis when well painted. Very inspiring.
Second is Parade Ground Again 1/72 going on 20mm this blog also introduced me to Newline figures which I had seen at a few shows in bare metal but never registered until I saw the painted product online.
Ironically blog interest itself resulted in my interests in wargaming changing. My Ancient armies remain largely a work in progress.
John at “just add varnish” blog was having a clear out and thought I might like some between the wars armour. That is ww1 to ww2 so 1920/30’s era.
Thank you John. These were most welcome and have allowed me to dabble in some tank or tankette gaming while I paint up my infantry.
So here they are. A wopping 15 items! Generous John or what.
three columns plus a kit
The John@justaddvarnish inventory
First Column
French AMR33 or AMR35 reconnaissance tank by Early War Miniatures
French Renault NC27 by Shapeways
2 x Soviet FT17 – based on Hat kit
Italian L6/40 by Frontline Wargaming
Second Column
Mexican Revolution armoured truck by Shellhole Scenics
Vickers Light Dragon gun tractor maybe by Early War Miniatures
Laffly W15T gun tractor Paint & Glue Miniatures
1930’s sedan by Frontline Wargaming
Third Column
Morris C8 gun tractor ex Matchbox
6 wheeled Crossley armoured car by FRontline Wargaming
4 wheeled Marmon Herrington armoured car may be by Wespe Models
Japanese type 95 Kurogane Scout Car unknown manufacture
Austin Putilov armoured car (in kit form)
Here are some of them in close up. They show the excellent artwork by John@justaddvarnish
Two fantastic armoured cars – Marmon Herrington to front and Crossley to rearA pair of Soviet style FT17’s These types of armour typify the 1920-30 period between the two world wars. Just what I need for Fauxterre 1930.
Thanks John these will definitely be appearing again in my “between the wars” games I have entitled Fauxterre 1930 and Fauxterre 1930+.
James Fisher has a fascinating blog on Napoleonics. James asked me about Warrior Miniatures. Now I will say at this point Warrior Miniatures and I go back to the mid 1970’s, however my association has only ever been as a paying customer. So any effusive comments about them is simply reflecting my enthusiasm for their products.
So James wondered about plastics and the metals from Warrior Miniatures which I would add, shown here, are from their advertised 25mm range.
Now I have chosen to show the figures randomly arranged. Previously I have posted with some attempt to show exact height difference. Yet I think that ultimately it is the opinion that matters not the maths. So do they look ok?
First up the plastics – L to R Hat Russian Militia, Waterloo1815 Austrian 1859 Artillery and then Strelets 1877 Russian Artillery. Note thin strelets bases probably make between 1-2 mm height difference. The austrians have been on short rations while the green russians look rather too well fed……….The blue strelets are slightly shorter and as they are furtherest from the camera this is enhanced. unless you game with all troops in one neat row view exactly side on then that comparison is false. So my slightly layered approach is more suited to judging if figures will “mix well”. L-R Hat Russian Militia; Strelets Russian 1877 Artillery then Strelets ACW Union in attack converted with Hat stove pipe hats and finally Hat Napoleonic Austrian Landwehr L-R strelets 1877 russians; converted strelets attacking union ACW infantry, Hat austrian landwehr and far right Waterloo1815 Austrian 1859 infantry, again thin strelets bases and they being shorter yet squatter mean they could be easily 2mm shorter. I think it will be fine.Warrior Napoleonic 25mm range L-R irregular spanish, then a sole British Napoleonic Light Infantryman BN10 I think and finally spanish line troops (these are the standard 4 poses you get with Warrior along with a firing pose. To me they are active and uncomplicated – great for gaming pieces – not so good if you are producing perfect rembrandtsWarrior Napoleonics SN8, SN6, SN9, SN5 irregular spanish infantryWarrior Napoleonics Spanish SN5; British Light Infantry BN10 – with shoulder pads!; Spanish Line Infantry SN1 and SN4Warrior 25mm Napoleonics – 4 of the 5 standard poses – firing pose not shownwarrior and waterloo 1815 figures interposedWarrior and Waterloo1815 figures interposedWarrior and converted Hat figures interposed (conversion from kepi to stove pipe has added almost 2mm to top of figure)Warrior and Hat Landwehr interposedWarrior and Strelets 1877 russians interposedWarrior and Russian Militia interposed
Just for fun here are some other figure comparisons – I think hinds and caliver books still run these “retro” minifig/hinchliffe lines. I have posted elsewhere the gross sculpture change Greenwood & Ball did between their Garrison Normans and Vikings. I think the bigger more detailed Vikings shown here sunk without trace – while the older G&B figures were rerun for a time into the 2000’s?
1970 era Hinchliffe persian, Greenwood and Ball Garrison Viking, Minifig ECW, Hinchliffe Assyrian and Minifig 7YW french musketeer – minifigs tended to be shorter and fatter1970’s metals interposed with strelets russians1970’s metals interposed with Austrain Landwehr Hat figures1970’s metals interposed with Russian Militia Hat figures1970’s metals interposed with strelets ACW conversions1970’s metals interposed with Waterloo1815 Austrian 1859 infantry
Here is another oddity – again a short life production from Minifigs
a persian horseman for the Cyrus the Great era who dwarfs a standard 1970’s minifig horse which was all that was offered then! The figures were completely oversizing the existing ranges when they came out. again I think they sank without traceI quite liked the figure at the time – but they never got beyond my by then favoured black undercoat and some block paintingmagnificant helmet comb……….with skirts – they deserve painting one day……….
Now I have dug out a later 25mm 1700 grenadier – I think its a foundry chap with practically no base.
base starts at 10cmeyes at 28mm and grenadier cap tops out at 34mmso how does he match up?Warrior examples with two 25/28mm figures – the chap on the left is more 25mm but still above 25mm foot to eye.Bulk is one issue – warrior are campaign figures so half starved whereas most 28mm figures are obviously garrison based and well fed warrior napoleonics alongside minifigs 7YW musketeer and 25/28mm grenadierwarrior napoleonics alongside hinchliffe assyrian and 25/28mm grenadierwarrior napoleonics alongside hinchliffe persian and 25/28mm grenadierwarrior napoleonics alongside Greenwood and Ball Garrison viking and 25/28mm grenadier. I actually think the vikings cut the mustard in the 25/28mm sector but 45 years too early!warrior napoleonics alongside minifigs ECW and 25/28mm grenadier
Now some finished and based figures to compare against
Warrior Napoleonics and minifig austrian 7YW very very fat figures – the frei corps figure I hated even painted as it turns out and still don’t like even today. Yet they have done good service on the gaming table.Warrior Napoleonics and Hinchliffe Bavarians who match well for campaign slightness while height is fine in my viewWarrior Napoleonics and Zvezda 1/72 Great Northern War Russian Infantry in some inexplicable uniform from the mythical world of Fauxterre of course. With thinner bases the Zvezda figures are physique wise taller. Zvezda have produced some significant variations in their historical ranges which puts certain figures in the 25/28mm categoryALL Warrior Napoleonics and their french counterparts with painting 45 years apart! clearly there is a very stiff breeze blowing……Warrior Napoleonics and Tradition 25mm Russian Guard. Slender style matches and as guardsmen they are just a bit taller to eye level.Warrior Napoleonics and early minifig french napoleonic line infantry
To sum up, when it comes to height, I have become ever more tolerant and actually it is anatomy which jarrs my view. This is why I struggle with Perry figures – they are just so perfect. Which shows you just can’t please some people.
Some beautiful plastic 28mm Perrys from my stalled Wars of the Roses project with a metal tumbling dice norman (1/72) thrown in
Finally a book which started my wargaming in earnest and is a celebration of fantasy gaming – I kid you not!
This books celebrates fantasy gaming
I leave you with this image from that book – published in 1967 – when it really probably was bad form not to have the correct facings or turnback colours etc. Lawford and Young said “play fantasy” and in the game photos they showed that scale was not a big issue. These look like 30mm figures rubbing shoulders with 45mm figures?????
The lancers smallness is offset by their horse size while the bearskin wearer looks almost 20th century parade dress with a decididly 18th century chap next to him…. who cares….the game was a cracker.
Above all if it looks right to you then it is fine – play* away.
*tournament players will not be so lucky methinks.
Having got the 1/72 strelets Normans going, I decided to search out my old 20/25mm metal figures from long ago. The idea was to see whether they could be used alongside my plastics.
Specifically I was looking for some small Garrisons Normans. These were bought in the late 1970’s. At the time it was Garrisons new 25mm Viking’s which caught my eye. I bought the Normans at the same time all on impulse. They were actually for dungeons and dragons gaming as well as skirmish gaming. Big battles were in theory Macedonia versus Persia although the armies were never completed.
Garrison Vikings painted plus their Normans bought together in the late 1970’s
So it just happened that the Garrison Normans were shorter than their new Viking mates. I think this was the moment when 20mm, 1/72 and 25mm were going their separate ways. Well 20 mm had already stayed where it was while 1/72 and 25mm just about lived with each other yet 25mm was getting taller. But in these photos you can see the height, bulk and style difference within the same makers existing ranges. There is nothing new under sun – least of all scale creep!
The norman figures came with loose weapons and the design seemed to lend itself to less flash.The vikings were more open although the Norman spearman was far less contrived yet still a classic stance. The vikings did have one weakness – they were quite two dimensional – good as they rush forward but again probably designed to help the casting
For my money the garrison Vikings were up there with Citadel castings. Top notch on detail. And probably heading towards the few well painted skirmish figures collection or D&D idea.
Spot the citadel knight and yes mounted vikings – just what you need for D&D – our games ranged over the countryside fairly early on!I really like the citadel horse, less so the Garrison oneAs you can see I had primer confusion going on. Actually I painted my horses in artists gouche or washed out enamels over white. I used black for the predominantly armoured soldiers.These have made it to a painting stick a mere 40 years late! I might even finish them although sadly the vikings will just not match up with the strelets plastics. I might do better with the normans.
The normans though were from the mid seventies figure style – a good wargame figure for army games.
ok so I can’t explain the soldiers being in different primer styles!These chaps will make it into a unit as giants amongst their strelets cousinsok these two axemen look classic 1970’s – slight bodies with large heads. And whats that monster on the right – yes its a Lamming Norman – but thats another story.I really will have to sort out the priming………….
As it happened the Vikings never made the D&D games while the Normans were parked after undercoating. My wargaming days ended – well for about 15 years.
When I returned in the mid 1990’s it was all DBA, acrylics and 15mm.
Do bases matter that much when it comes to miniatures used in wargaming? By current standards they clearly do with plenty of trade offerings available and a wealth of DIY advice online.
Also the preference for elements without individual figure removal permits more imagination to be applied around a base. Perhaps the exception is skirmish gaming but even here you have the option of sabot bases providing the individual figure movement while retaining the convenience of the larger element base which can still be given varying levels of decoration.
My basing journey has been pretty basic. Back in the dim and distant past I painted desert or green paint onto cardboard bases. I still have them and they work after a fashion. The figures are 25mm. They look a bit tired though.
I think this figure is a citadel adventurer from the 1970’s when my painting hand was patient and my eyes still worked! note the ageing gloss varnish.
Then I started a 15mm phase and actually paid for painting including basing. The quality was good but somehow they did not grow on me. They look accurate but……
15mm Essex Byzantines professionally painted with matt finish and understated basing!
I did some of my own and I was even less happy!
And then I caught the plastic fantastic bug and returned to simple painted bases for some 1/72 scale figures.
Zvezda Russian Cavalry cruise past some positively ancient 20mm minifig french napoleonics and giant 25mm tradition russians
In the middle of this phase I moved into 28mm figures and thought they needed something extra. As it happened despite all the wealth of offerings and advice in all the various magazines and books I had collected, I stumbled across the humble warhammer guide in one of their rulebooks – maybe shieldwall – where they recommended simply gritting the bases, basecoating and drybrushing once. Somewhere I found a suggestion to use budgie grit. I tried it and painted it up, except no dry brush, but added some static grass and…… I was still underwhelmed. There is no pleasing some people.
Perrys 28mm Continental Burgundian Pike on DBA bases
I then had another surge of plain painted bases when I reworked more of my old 25mm metals.
You can see them next to the Zvezda Russians above – Minifigs French circa 1972? and Tradition Russians from the mid 1970’s. The bases they replaced were very dark green painted airfix box card – the figures have been transformed in my view, although unbelievably garish – they cheer me up!
And then I decided to do some mediterranean normans. Coincidentally I had watched both British cycling, Le Tour and La Vuelta races and the penny dropped. All my scenic basing had generally used dark green/dark brown earth (or grey brown for 15mm) colours – and I had not recognised why I liked the bright green bases beyond their simplicity. British cyclists rode through dark earth countryside with bright greens but La Vuelta cyclists went through fantastically bright coloured soils of many hues and even with brighter green shrubs and trees on top. (well except in the picos mountains in the north).
So I got my paints out and started experimenting – and so I have now found what I want for my Normans. Well until the butterfly lands on the next flower…..
The Wargaming Erratic 