Tag: miniature figures

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miniatures painting wargaming

Tangent – Crash Test Dummies

What are 28mm figures good for? Well if your a 1/72 figure follower then they are fantastic to paint!

Or rather in my case to experiment with. Recently Wargames Illustrated ran a contrast paints article while Wargames Soldiers and Strategy dealt with slap chop.

I have been edging towards these products simply because I bought a load on impulse. This is normal behaviour for an Erratic: A solution looking for a problem.

The problem has been I could not bring myself to use them in anger on my 1/72, 20-25mm figures without knowing their possibilities for me including my failures. Clearly they have been a great success for others.

And then there was the Wargames Illustrated article on “what a cowboy”, next minute I dug out some Dixon and Blue Moon figures from the dim and distant past, gathering dust in the great figure vault.

And then “ping” what if I experimented with these new paints and methods (new for me) on these figures?

They were definitely bought at Triples in Sheffield but around 2011!!! I think that means they were on the back burner……..

Anyway this is as far as I got and maybe I might not get much further – back on the painting table……

Big turf out and a surprising number of figures – they were already based and undercoated white. I sloshed cheap burnt sienna over them….
I realised some were prohibition era gangsters while I also found a couple of freebies – Rasputin and Karl Marx. I primed these black. I then did some slap chop white dusting – at least I used a stolen make up brush on the gangsters……it worked quite nicely. Need to buy some.
And then I simply ignored all the video and magazine advice I had gathered recently and got paint on the figures! Which was very pleasing. Note the appalling slap chop white work on Mr red hats arm – never mind.

Well this Tangent may develop or simply become another Icarus episode in the world of the wargaming erratic.

Categories
miniatures painting Vienna Treaty Wars wargaming

The Painting Pedestal 23d – Composite Cavalry

Ok Cavalry has not been my top list item for mid 19th century forces. They don’t figure much in the record and are derided for ineffective battle action as well as being the scout forces that seemed to be missing in action as armies stumbled into each other.

Having said all that they still had colourful uniforms! At the end is an item about the obvious error…….

These figures date to my try a “few of many” period so no vast regiments but squadrons and patrols.

And of course composite cavalry units did seem the order of the day at times.

In this case I have opposing forces on show as well!

  • Central Italian League 1860 – Cavalry Regiment “Guide”*
  • Piedmont Cavalry 1848 – Genova Cavalleria
  • Austrian Uhlans 1860 – Freiwilligen Uhlaren Regiment
  • Austrian Dragoons 1848 – Baron Boyneburg

*I have previously posted about the Warrior Napoleonic Hussars posing as Guides for the Central Italian League.

  • The Piedmont Cavalry are Waterloo1815 French Line Lancers.
  • The Uhlans are by Lucky Toys
  • The Austrian Dragoons are Hat Austrian Napoleonic Dragoons

I have used a range of grasses here over my standard 3 colour (burnt sienna base + ochre dry brush+ yellow/white highlights) painted budgie grit.

  • The Piedmont Cavalry are flocked with Woodland Scenics fine turf
  • The Austrian Dragoons are flocked with Woodland Scenics fine turf with Gamers Grass Dense Beige 6mm wild tufts
  • The Austrian Uhlans are flocked with Woodland Scenics fine turf with Gamers Grass Beige 2mm tufts
  • The Guides also sport Gamers Grass Dense Beige 6mm wild tufts

Which do you prefer?

A – Hussars in the brushwood?

B – Piedmontese on the thin turf?

C – The Uhlans in the small tufts?

D – The Dragoons in turf and brushwood?

Out of interest the painted base looks right when viewed on the games table but not in close up.

Warrior v Waterloo1815 v LuckyToys v Hat figures compared when painted and based

Flock references above and Grasses below

This ends a small flurry of completions for my mid 19th century armies.

The Error

My Piedmontese Cavalry have a helmet “comb” where there should not be one. “No comb” was the mid century fashion for Dragoons and Cuirassiers. Yet I could not bring myself to cut them off as they make this figure…………………..

Categories
metal miniatures miniatures painting wargaming

The Painting Pedestal 23b – 1850 Danish Infantry

I bought some Austrian WW1 infantry from Irregular Miniatures – I thought they might work for mid 19th century forces. The peaked cap was my interest. The lower leg bindings were not desired and the baggy trousers equally did not look promising. Also the front peaks were a bit obvious.

I put them aside way back in 2020.

And then just before Xmas 2022 I had another look and decided they might work as fill in for my mid 19th century Danish tests.

In this case I had a go at painting away the errors. The only mods were to slice off the hat top and add a sliver of tapered plastic. One original test with a tall “wood” mod cap can also be seen!

Here are some 1850 infantry fresh from defeating their German adversaries.

At the start of the war the Infantry sported Red tunics and Bell Shakoes. My previous post for such a unit is here.

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wargaming

What a mess!

The log jam
Some progress

2023 has proven to be one of thin pickings wargame wise when it comes to painting.

I managed a few games and I have started on some permanent grid boards – now half abandoned!

Yet Painting which has been a mainstay over the last few years has dried up.

Well until yesterday when ignoring the paint queue I started some new figures…..madness this way lies…….

In the queue are mid 19th century Dane’s, French, hannovarians, Austrians, Piedmontese, with some zorn painted ecw figures from 2021 plus 1970’s Vikings to add flavour!

So now I have added more – Prussians, Bavarians, Danes and wagons.

This latest madness stems from the battle of standard and me looking for a medieval cart – queue I find my half prepped danish and Prussian horse plus some newline Prussians earmarked as 1848 Bavarians.

No medieval cart but more painting log jams

Enter the wargaming painters gorge at your peril

Hey ho.

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Mid 19th Century Wargaming miniatures painting wargaming

The Painting Pedestal: 22e 1859 french artillery

My current preoccupation is mid nineteenth century warfare. You can’t travel far without meeting the resurgent French Empire. Here is my offering on french artillery around the time of the Franco Austrian War of 1859. Being a few years before the American Civil War it can be argued that conflict obscures the war which inflated French self belief and probably contributed to their Prussian undoing by 1870.

I opted for individual basing plus I went with my pale grasses again.
This second shot shows some back figures in focus including two riflemen complete with blanket rolls
The men all carry moustaches – whiskers were a trademark of the period.
Here are the 14 figures which allows me four per gun plus the two riflemen.
The figures are from the Strelets Russo Turkish War of 1877 range. They have some great animation as long as you like the chunky style.
Categories
metal miniatures miniatures painting Vienna Treaty Wars wargaming

The Painting Pedestal: 22d – 1848 Tuscan Infantry

In 1848 the Tuscan Army headed north with other contingents to join Piedmont in expelling Austria from the Italian Peninsula.

Their uniform was really a throwback to Napoleonic times. Unlike some other troops the soldiers wore a Shako – bell shaped. With white tunics and blue trousers there was a nod to Austrian influence.

Like the Danish Infantry in Painting Pedestal 22c, these figures are 20mm metals from Irregular Miniatures. They are sold under their Colonial range as Regular British Infantry serving in India.

This unit is part of an occasional series that aims to paint many of the units described in Osprey Men At Arms No. 520 Armies of the Italian Wars of Unification 1848-1870 (2).

The flag is homemade using dried out lens wipe paper and permanent marker pens – very quick. Well the Tuscan rebels like most had to rustle up their armies in quick time.

The bases use my standard three colour (burnt sienna+yellow ochre+ pale yellow white dry brushed) with on this occasion some pale gamers grasses
Bases use 3 figures to a base promoted by both Peter Pig and Piquet
I generally use 4 bases per unit which might scale up as a battalion, regiment or brigade depending on rule set used.
The Tuscans fought in 1848 but were defeated alongside their Piedmontese and other allies
Categories
garibaldi wargaming miniatures painting Vienna Treaty Wars wargaming

The Painting Pedestal: Brigata Milano

Brigata Milano was part of Division Turr being formed before crossing from Sicily to the mainland. The figures have good animation I think.

The Bersaglieri wore a green uniform with red facings. This chap has lost his feathers courtesy of lucky toys casting!
The soldier on the right sports a cloak and pointy hat so probably came on the boat from Uruguay or has copied those that did. The soldiers wore white uniforms with red facings.

The bugler has a kepi – all the rage at this time (1859/60). He has acquired some Piedmontese uniform trousers.

I have again used the fine words and black and white pictures of osprey MAA 520 Armies of the Italian Wars of Unification 1848-1870 pt2.

You can find out more on the Garibaldini troops Garibaldi took to Sicily with him and those that followed on in my recent postings.

Finally you may notice the easter egg style basing!

Categories
anglo saxons miniatures painting wargaming

More Progress with Anglo Saxons

elements of impetus having received their red brown base colour

My anglo saxon army is growing with the addition of many more bases. I am settled on 80mm wide impetus style basing where the idea is to inject a little variety into figure presentation. This is quite easy with strelets who produce a reasonable pose mix with each set they make. In the case of the anglo saxons it gets even better when you buy they big battle sets as I did. The stamford bridge set is the only one currently available though.

Bases have the red brown base coating applied in foreground and plain budgie grit in background

I decorate the base with budgie grit on pva glue (games workshop idea) and use a three colour painting technique. Dark red earth base colour with heavy dry brush of yellow ochre over it followed by a light yellow/white top dry brush. I am looking for sandy and dare I say summer like conditions, no green green grass of home for my troops.

peco grass to the fore and little big man shield transfers

I used some little big man shield transfers for 28mm anglo saxon bucklers on a few of the figures. They blend in ok I think.

I finish with some foliage. In this case I am using Peco Railway scenics which are autumnal or greenish brown grasses.

This unit is actually going to be also the start of my ottonian/lotharingian or very late Carolingians. More about the red/green colours in a later post
although I have not based the figures for shield wall as described in various historical records my anglo saxons still look good en masse.

So thats it for now, next up on show are my first “el cid” Hat 1/72 figures posing as Italo-Normans.

Categories
wargaming Wars of Louis XIV

Not just infamy being launched!

As much as I like too fat laddies productions and no doubt infamy will get the thumbs up, other manufacturers and scales are doing business.

Minairons have just dipped their toe in the 1/72 scale market. It is a test of the customer base and unlike kick starters you could say this is a rolling start production even if the roll is barely perceptible to start with.

They have opted for the back end of the baroque, or great northern wars or malburian or as they have called it – the war of the Spanish succession.

Starting with some skirmish troops their low key announcement showed the figures contrasted with the splendid zvezda great northern war swedes.

These look fantastic and very tempting……

Categories
anglo saxons miniatures painting

1/72 Strelets Anglo Saxons

After what seems like an age my latest painting efforts are nearing completion. This dark age group is the largest I have painted in one round and that has taught me a lesson. Small is beautiful as in 40 odd figures take a while to get completed. Volume means quicker painting but overall completion is longer. I like the idea of completing one or two bases and then starting over again. That feels like a better painting cycle.

40 figures will yield either 5 medium bases of 8 figures each or I could stick with loading up 10 figures and get 4 bases of heavy infantry although these sculpts dont lend themselves to a shieldwall
Some of the figures are a bit awkward like the grey clothed spearman with his back to the camera – it feels like his spear is upside down but you might think he is just lifting it to his shoulder for forming a shield wall – then his pose makes more sense. Sometimes I think the strelets sculpters are underrated.
I like the three figures standing ready. The man with his axe to his shoulder is particularly good as is his detailing. Again the cloaked axeman to his left is a nice sculpt of a standing figure. The other figure in this trio holds his left hand high while resting on his axe. All in all three nice figures.
Overall I am very happy with these figures. Some of the white shields will receive transfers otherwise they just need varnishing and then basing.