Tag: VTW1848

Categories
miniatures painting wargaming

Paint What You Got II – better late than never

Unfortunately I bit off my than I could chew entering two painting challenges over Christmas. Dave Stone had kindly let me in to “Paint What You Got” after it started. That would have been fine except I had not bargained for the effect of the library theme at AHPC14.

The upshot is that I have only managed two of my many units on the paint production line before the challenge ended. But I reckon this last unit needs to see the light of day.

The first units completed were the 15th and 7th Prussian Landwehr circa 1848.

And then I did nothing – well I managed to slowly progress one unit and that was my Danish Volunteer Cavalry circa 1848.

These had been started back in January 2023!

They are based on an illustration in Ralph Weavers excellent Partizan Historical Guide on the First Schlieswig Holstein War.

This short war yielded a lot of volunteer units which adds to the variety of uniforms recorded as in being around this time.

The figures are Strelets 1877 Russian Hussars which were the nearest match I could make without modifications – especially as I was looking for raised kepis. Headgear is a bit of an issue in 1/72 plastics. However cut and pin techniques are easily done. Here instead I felt I could ignore the hussar details. further license is the pistols – I reckon the officers have privately got themselves the brand new colts from the USA! Apparently this was quite common in the mid 1900’s. Anyway as a volunteer unit I am assuming the regular quartermaster stores were short for them…..

Increasingly I am using contrast colours in a way I have used washes in the past. As GW citadel seraphim sepia has been very popular I first tried their CC browns. And I have used them here on the horses.

Coat d’Arms horse basic colours were overpainted with Citadel Contrast Gulliman which was a bit of a sudden test on my part. It worked for me although I was already happy with the CD’A colours.

The other use was to cover a very flat and washed out VJ intermediate green with Citadel CC warp lightening green. This darkened and enriched the green uniform more to my liking.

Other than that I just used regular acrylics from Vallejo.

Basing used my standard 3 colour over bird grit tried and tested GW suggestion from many moons ago. And this time I used some tall 12mm gamers grass with a dead wintry/summer look. I have found the gamers grass tufts very effective.

Well that wraps up my Paint What You Got challenge. Better late than never I say. It has been a success because 3 units have moved off the production line – all having started their long journey back in January 2023.

Thanks to Dave Stone for organising and maybe next time I might be a bit more focused.

Where are those pesky Prussians?
Categories
Military History

Support Ukraine

The yellow and blue flag of ukraine first flew in 1848 during a period sometimes called the springtime of nations.

Ukraines rightful march to self determination has a long history.

Categories
miniatures painting wargaming

Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge 2023/24

For some reason this year I decided to enter a painting event in the darkest month and promptly joined two, both before Christmas.

Daft I know.

I have already posted about “Paint what you’ve got“.

In this post you can see my first entries into the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge 14 or AHPCXIV.

Why enter? good question for me – as these events have not really been my thing in the past. I suppose I entered because some other bloggers I follow do it and it seemed they had fun?

I did tip my toe in the water with Dave Stones one where I completed a tower. That was only back in August last year scenery season challenge

Then again I decided it might help me with my painting plans. Quite simply the answer to that has been proven to be a resounding YES. It definitely focused the mind and I have painted more since entering both events.

However I have also deviated from my plans in an enjoyable way.

In keeping with my purpose to increase painting activity my Danish Forces of 1848 have been first to benefit.

I decided to bring forward units earmarked for the back end of the project. First up I chose to paint some Danish Guards and then some Danish Light Infantry.

In my next few posts I will pick up what AHPCXIV has been landing on the Painting Pedestal.

Categories
wargame shows wargaming

Vapnartak 2024

Well suddenly VAP was here and then gone for another year.

I turned up early and got in quick and did a rapid recce including the bring and buy.

I managed one participation game in the end, collected some preordered figures, bought some stuff I had not planned to, but did want, and chatted quite a bit.

The show seemed as busy as last year but maybe emptied out a bit quicker? These thoughts are subjective as it depends what your doing and when – you don’t notice stuff going on if your immersed in a game or a conversation.

Overall I had a good VAP24 and the queue seemed to move promptly at ten with plenty of attendants present: Last year there was a slow ticket purchase process which delayed entry obviously causing a deal of grief for the punters.

The reenactment vikings entertained the front of the queue – not sure it was appreciated as people often use the queue time to chat. It was a neat idea though.

Onto my purchases

Ubiquitous pendraken bases and some neat spears
I kept meaning to buy some extra road and of the flexible kind – these are from early war miniatures
Plus a curve
At Irregular miniatures I picked up my preorder of two packs of colonial British in bell shakos which will give two battalions each of Danish infantry 1848 and a Tuscan regiment along with some 1848 danish artillery in bell shakos

I participated in the Lance and Longbow Society game – this time it was 1177 and the crusades. Modified Lion Rampant and 1/72 plastics in abundance. It was fun.

Lance and longbow society game – Saladin attempts to halt Baldwin, but it was not his day. Loads of 1/72 plastic miniatures on display and no heavy lifting!

I went with three gamers. We puzzled about whether the show was busy or different compared to other years. It felt like another transitional VAP reflecting hobby developments.

This Venice game shows how scenery quality has really been transformed by the industry offerings in the hands of talented wargamers

2022 felt the benefit of post covid and lockdown ending while 2023 felt that some changes were afoot. In 2023 we said goodbye to the likes of SHQ Miniatures and Magister Militum (in the past MM had been a significant stand at VAP).

Harrogate Wargames’s club offered the battle of ferrybridge – a wars of the roses action in 28mm

It felt though that there were less games this time. The normally crowded ground floor had some big spaces, mainly around the York Club game tables.

Then again it felt like more use had been made of the upper floors to give people more space for circulation. Frankly in previous virtual scrums were a big deterrent in reaching some traders.

Overall this extra room was a really good thing. And accessibility was improved as a result.

1866 kepis in Europe – once again Garibaldi is up against papal forces and losing?

I reckon there were 65 tables all up this year (all types of activity) compared to 57 in 2022 but it seemed many were smaller offerings: For example Helion Books were absent. But their space was used by a smaller vendor.

And the bring and buy seemed to have less turnover – I went at the beginning and some sellers were still there much later on.

Which ever way you cut it VAP is still a great show to meet the hobby, throw dice and make some sound buys.

Roll on VAP2024.

Categories
miniatures painting wargaming

Paint What You Got

Once again I have belatedly found a painting challenge. This one by Dave Stone started at Christmas and is about getting stuck into your figures backlog – assuming you have one?

This is my first contribution.

15th regiment

These figures were prepped and on painting sticks on the 10th January 2023 according to my painting journal. A year in production is not uncommon in the Erratics world. I had made more progress by November with the main colours done when I stopped all existing production to do some new acquisitions!!!!!

Finally I have finished them complete with gaming bases.

For many years I did not record my painting activity or maybe kept random notes until with lockdown I decided to consolidate my notes and eventually opted for a handwritten journal. It has stood the test of time and has repaid the effort as I have added duplicate figures and simply dug out the recorded paint guide.

These figures are Hat 1/72 World War One German Infantry who have simply been given a paint job. I decided the boot detail was fine at even close distance. This then magically turned them into the 7th and 15th Landwehr Regiments of 1848 who marched into the First Schlieswig Holstein War.

7th regiment

The bases use my standard technique taken from Warhammer Ancient Battles – birdcage grit on PVA followed by Burnt Sienna, an Ochre dry brush and a yellow white highlighter. I then use a Javis mid green turf to finish. Bases are from pendraken.

Cockades were popular

The figures are based on 4 No. 40mm square bases which allow me to use a variety of wargame rules.

In line for a variety of rules

The flag is from Warflag (They are certainly worth a donation or a few) and I have opted for plain flower arranging wire flagpoles with the paper flags glued to recycled covid testing sticks – the hollow sticks fit the wire just right. I am still deciding on how to arrange them – whether to give them caps to set them at the height I want. Right now they just drop onto the figure.

Ok so pistols were only just arriving in 1848 but I like the figure as is…

The only difference between regiments is in the shoulder strap colours. The 7th are yellow while the 15th are light blue.

My reference book is Ralph weavers armies of the first Schleswig Holstein war 1848-1851 published by partizan.

Brilliant guide by Ralph weaver

You can also see a glaring mistake – one base incomplete with only two figures. Quite simply back in 2023 I managed to miscount the figures being put on sticks and never checked again until basing them! This was a puzzle as I used all 48 figures from one box to paint 4No. 12 man units……

Oops one of my men went missing

So that journal will repay itself again as I paint that missing figure – when I find it!

Categories
wargame shows wargaming

Battleground -on -Tees

Stockton on Tees and nearby Thornaby played host to a very friendly and inviting show I had never previously attended.

Located in a Sports Hall on the University site I was a bit late arriving so only just got a parking space in the adjacent carpark, although in fact there is plenty of parking around the site generally. The Railway Station at Thornaby is 800 yards away plus there are bus services to be had according to the well detailed Pendraken Show website. It even has pictures of the road junctions you will encounter on the way in.

And I have not even talked about the event itself!

I found the venue bright (something I struggle with at the Fiasco black hole in Leeds). There was less catering than many shows but enough – coffee/tea and snacks plus an outdoor food wagon. With a big shopping centre nearby you were not going to starve.

But it was the wargaming we had all come for in terms of food for the brain.

This is not a big show in the sense of a Salute or a Newark. However it has some particular aspects which make it a rich experience. Quite a few reenactors, living history groups were dotted across the show – I guess the point here being a lot more than you might normally see.

Then there were two talks in a dedicated room – one about the spanish civil war and one about anglo-scottish border warfare. I failed to get to either simply because there was so much I wanted to see elsewhere in the show.

The Sponsor is Pendraken and entry was not only free, you also got entry into a prize draw – some 20 odd prizes being offered.

So what about the show – traders, games etc.?

In that respect you would be right to say it has the same sort of mix as many other shows.

Here are some selected photos

The Schlieswig Holstein War (the first one!) Demonstration caught my eye and I will post again about that encounter.
This RPG horror in Venice had some impressive paper buildings
The theme of paper was to the fore with these “flats” – a massive Spanish Succession Wargame
Paper Buildings plus some humour all made for an engaging demonstration
Naval interests were also to the fore with this galley action being hard to miss
And this medieval naval battle was equally vibrant and a participation game into the bargain of which there were I guess 50% at the show
No daylight but a well lit arena and the viewing area allowed people to easily sit out for a while
The usual traders plus some local and regional companies were present. Irregular Miniatures have a stand which itself is veteran class yet I still love to examine figures in the flesh like these 20mm metals which have character. Sorry despite the infinite ranges of newly printed 3D they seem to be too accurate for my liking when compared to say Irregular’s metal sculptures.
Irregular do lots of basic ranges in lots of scales complete with guns and wagons.
Late on I found this participation game I had missed several times
I have only ever dipped a toe in the 6mm water below 15mm scale but these League of Augsburg 10mm figures were quite enticing
The show was celebrating 10 years in its various forms
Needless to say no564 did not win any prizes

All in all a very enjoyable day out (that was prize enough) and a show that will be on my list for 2024.

Next week if all goes ok I plan to go to Recon 2023.

I did not go to Battleground with a shopping list and as it happens none of my usual interests drew my wallet out. However I did pick this book up at the bring and buy – yep I don’t do desert war in any scale!

Happy Wargaming……

Categories
Mid 19th Century Wargaming miniatures painting wargaming

The Painting Pedestal 22g Sardinian Infantry 1848

When the Kingdom of Piedmont and Sardinia went to war in the 1st Italian Independence War in 1848 they had been rapidly mobilising their forces.

A shortage of materials and equipment meant that new units were equipped with a simpler uniform. Tunics were single breasted instead of double breasted. The shako was a different design as well.

These figures represent soldiers in these rapidly mobilised units.

They are are made from two sets of figures.

  • the body – Hat US ACW infantry
  • the head and back packs – Hat Dutch Napoleonic infantry
US Infantry in Attack 2 by Hat are the base figure with a cut down dress makers pin driven in to take the new head.
Hat Waterloo Netherlands Militia make the sacrifice to provide heads and back packs
I ended up with some wacky head positions as accurately driving the head on the pin spike was a lottery. Everything was super glued which seems to work best.
The Guard Infantry shown here betray the shoulder pads and white waist/shoulder belts missing on the US figures. But even so I think my chaps pass for that rapid muster of new units who would be defeated by Marshal Radetzky’s Austrians in a matter of months and then again a year later in 1849 at Novarra which effectively finished the 1st War.
Categories
Mid 19th Century Wargaming miniatures painting wargaming

The Painting Pedestal 22f – The Milan Guard 1848

The Milan Guard caught my eye, I like green uniforms which are often reserved for light troops
The figures are Hat and were napoleonic russian militia.
I have used my standard 40mm square basing of 3 figures with a 3 paint layer over budgie grit. For a change I have used winter grass – seems to work.
Categories
metal miniatures miniatures painting Vienna Treaty Wars wargaming

The Painting Pedestal: 22c – 1848 Danish Infantry

So far this year the Painting Pedestal has been a bit wonky with some units not even reaching the pedestal

  • Milan National Guard 1848 – here
  • Battaglione Bersaglieri di Vignola 1860 – here

So belatedly my third offering this year finally makes it to the pedestal.

The First Schleswig Holstein War was fought between the Danes and the Prussian driven German Federation – aka the Holy Roman Empire. The Danes won but the Prussian steamroller was just getting going – in 1864 the 2nd war with Danish defeat, heralded the misery of 80 odd years of German led mayhem across Europe. However it is reported, you can argue it was weakness on the part of France and the United Kingdom to stand up for territorial integrity, that condemned Europe to decades of Prussian agression.

In 1848 the Danish Infantryman was clad in red tunic and blue trousers with a bell style shako plus white belts and straps. The bell style shako had evolved from the Napoleonic era shako, both of which were also to be seen in civilian fashion changes on the journey from tricorne to bowler hat.

Almost as soon as the war started the soldiers ditched their shakoes and donned their fatigue hats – bright blue kepi’s. Add in the new all dark blue uniform with black belts and straps gets you a soldier looking not out of place in the American Civil War that was raging 15 years later.

This Piedmont unit from 1859 gives you a rough idea of the transformation in 1848 danish military uniform. The Danes led the way, not just the Prussians.

The metal figures are from Irregular Miniatures. Being 20mm they are at the small end of 1/72 so they get some extra basing to reduce the height disparity with the many 1/72 and 25mm figures I have.

Irregular Miniatures sell them under their Colonial range.

Here are some more views of the unit.

The units are set up for Piquet rules – 4 bases equals a unit.

The 3 figure basing was an idea I picked up from an article in Lone Warrior – magazine of the Solo Wargames Assocation. The article was a cost cutting exercise for DBA armies where the advent of element basing undermined the need to consider figure scale and to have full ranks. Peter Pigs Conquerors and Kings also advocated 3 figure basing as did their Bloody Barons medieval ruleset.

I am quite taken with this unit so will probably add to this force.

I will probably use Neil Thomas’s book – European C19th Wargames which gives you rough army lists to play his rules and scenarios from the book.

For the basing I used my standard three colour paintwork (burnt sienna + yellow ochre + very pale yellow/white dry brush all over budgie grit/pva. This time I have gone for paler washed out grasses. And I am quite pleased with the result.

The flag was an afterthought. I suddenly realised I had the flagstaff from Irregular with no flag! Now I could probably have bought a Danish flag online. But I had started to make crude flags from dried out screen wipes (basically I bought some wipes and found that they had lost their alcohol content). The end result is a rough paper that takes colour easily. I simply used some permanent ink colouring pens. Marking out was the longest task. So very quick – but I suspect I will change them if I get a chance.

So that is the 1848 Danish Infantry unit ready to march!

Categories
Mid 19th Century Wargaming Military History Vienna Treaty Wars

Huzza as the Giro goes Hussar!

The Giro (The Italian Pro Cycling Annual Event) started in Hungary this year and I had been wondering how to weave some music into this blog – more of that later – or you can rush to the end piece except you miss charging Hussars and cyclists.

Either way you get two sets of Hussars………one red and green and one in black.

First up was the stage 1 run from Budapest to Visegrad via Esztergom. A pretty flat stage across the rolling countryside west of the Visegrad Mountains with a 4km uphill finish at Visegrad just beneath the Castle that dominates the Danube Valley at this point.

Visegrad is located at the turn of the Danube where its easterly journey suddenly turns south for Budapest. This knuckle of the Danube, north of Budapest, has forever been militarily important. Esztergom slightly to the west of Visegrad was a Roman Fortress.

So what has a pro cycling race in Hungary got to do with this erratic wargamers military ramblings? Well of course I am erratic so sometimes my stories are a bit odd. In this case though its fairly straightforward. The Hungarians chose to race some Hussars with the cyclists!

In the middle of the race up pops some Hussars doing circles in a field

But they are by the road…………

These chaps are the black uniformed variety – no idea the unit or uniform era although with all that shako braiding it looks mid 19th century – the Hungarians revolted from Austria in 1848………

And then they start to form a column…….

and here come the cyclists…..

who wizz by………

but wait the horse gather pace……..

and one Hussar draws his sabre…….

and is joined by a colleague more interested in not falling off………

The sabrer is away……….

And he is now galloping faster than the cyclists can ride…….

a few Hussars have straggled……………….

And to finish this section a bit of live action………

The Giro and for that matter the Tour and Vuelta races all showcase a lot of castles and stage 1 of the Giro offered up some Hungarian gems…….

Now roll back to February 2019 and the castle hill in Buda for some different Hussars and a piece of music

Not sure which unit was taking part but back in 2019 I was in Budapest. As it happened Hungary was hosting a NATO discussion on Russian medium range missile developments – at the time that seemed rather boring. But what do you do when a few dignitaries rock up at your big castle on the hill in Buda?

Roll out some Hussars……

The man with the tash and a short handled broom was the collector of Horse muck……

A military band and the Hussars were paraded for the Dignitaries inspection……

Lay on some martial music, a band and some hussars. The music? well Hector Berlioz composed the choral music – “damnation of faust” which includes the same music as Liszt’s Rhapsody No15. Both probably drawn from the Nicolaus Scholl composition of 1820.

Are you ready?

I will go with Berlioz as his piece was first performed in Paris in 1846 on the eve of the Revolutionary wars that exploded across Europe at the time Marx and Engels were publishing the Communist Manifesto (1848). The Italian Wars of Unification were spread between 1848 and 1870 and were replete with Hussars although it should be noted the kepi wearing horseman was to grow rapidly in popularity.

These Hussars wear a stove pipe or tapered shako popular from the 1820’s and a likely precursor to the kepi all courtesy of the French wars in North Africa.

The Hungarian March is a near contemporary of the Radetzky March composed for the great Austrian Victory in the Po valley against Piedmont and her various Italian allies. It was a period of some very famous military music even if the historians didn’t rate the armies of the day compared to those of Napoleon, Wellington and others.

Not sure whats up next… maybe some more on Budapest.