I guess these might be Hinton Hunt but I think they are early Minifigs before they ate all the pies!!!! – I simply can’t remember.
Any how they have a certain simplicity in design that I find very enjoyable.
Tag: wargaming
At Battleground – the wargames show at Stockton on Tees I was lucky enough to see Dave Pengilley and his fantastic 28mm collection of Danes and Prussians for the First Schleswig Holstein War which started in March 1848 and finally ended in 1851 with the Treaty of London.
Dave encountered the main problem with anyone interested in these wars – no figures or rather no complete ranges of figures.
The best comparison I can think of is how much easier the Perrys have made the Portuguese Brothers War circa 1830 for wargamers.
Anyway Dave has done a splendid job showing what an overlooked period this is.
I suspect many people will be drawn to the second war not least because of the TV series and some attempts at a range in 28mm. Also Prussians are beginning to look distinctly 1870 era by 1864 when the second war occurs.
Back in 1848 the war happens on the cusp of giant wardrobe changes. Indeed the Danes do a uniform change as they go to war. This means if you apply shaky compliance and dodgey quartermasters to new order plus supply chain vagaries – then quite a variety of uniforms can be featured alongside each other.
And for the Germans – the confederacy means you can draw on 23 member states, many who were so conservative they were also embroiled in their own home country insurrections and still dressed in a napoleonic style.
Add to that tailcoats, tunics, frockcoats, kepis, shakoes, pickelhaubes and greatcoats means you have much choice if only the figures were for sale.
In a way that variety means for 28mm if you are happy to kit bash then raiding Napoleonic, Franco Prussian, ACW, Crimean and other wars up to WW1 gives you vast choice.
The technology adds in smoothbore muskets, rifled muskets, early breechloaders as well as rockets, machine guns and of course telegraph communications, steam ships, proto-submarines and railways.
Here are some more pictures of Daves excellent “home cast” range – which would meet most peoples requirements if they were on the market commercially. The problem of course is the period is not popular and even then it is dominated by those adjacent Crimea, ACW and Franco Prussian Wars.
So if the big wars are jaded or you simply want an unusual escape then the First Schleswig Holstein War might be just the ticket.
The 176th anniversary of the First Schleswig Holstein War is unremarkable, although with hindsight you can link it to the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings in June 1944.
The Victorians made humour of Schleswig Holstein framing a Question no one could answer. Lord Palmerston famously said only he and two others (a professor gone mad and the prince consort – now dead) new of it and he had forgotten what it was about….
The British might have done better to look closely at this first war, certainly the second war in 1864 and definitely a third war in 1866 that swept away Austria, while they should have worried in 1870 when the French Empire dissappeared. All these wars can be linked to one man – Otto Von Bismarck. Needless to say all this created the climate that ultimately enabled the subsequent two world wars in Europe.
It seems odd that the war which effectively kick started the Second Reich gets little notice today. Perhaps that is because the Germans or rather the Prussians most notably lost. Defeated by a regular mid nineteenth century Monarchy. The Danes were anything but united at the time and yet still managed to defeat the Prussians and the rebellious Schlieswig Holsteiners along with Saxons, Hanoverians and other North German Confederation members.
It was a short war and ended in steps, first Prussia withdrew – capitulating in 1848 – under the threat of a British Fleet in the Baltic (the Danes did not want it there either!) but more importantly a Russian Land and Sea invasion. The Russians sent a squadron into the western baltic to show support for the Danes.
The war then carried on despite conferences, conventions, truces and protocols: The nineteenth century was the peak for treaties and diplomatic events.
Peace eventually broke out and a final protocol was agreed by the major european powers. Crucially the German Diet refused to recognise this 1852 London Protocol, leaving the door open for a rejuvenated Prussia to resume its Danish interests in 1864.
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.
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.
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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
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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It’s VAP week
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.
I use the 20mm ranges with extra washer bases to compliment my plastics which are typically 2mm taller.
The last photo also shows one of my entries into AHPC14!
So I will kick off the painting pedestal slot in 2024 with some more pickelhaubes.
In this case it is some Oldenburgers. These chaps are again a straightforward repaint of Hat ww1 german infantry. The pickelhaube sculpting works to my advantage having a higher crown. This gives a nod to the the Pickelhaube design prior to 1870.
And 1848 was still a time for Shakoes. Another contribution to the German Confederates is this unit of Saxons. They are SHQ Napoleonic Hanoverian’s. I have not been able to track down a suitable officer/musician/flagbearer set as it appears the SHQ ranges are incomplete.
I really like the facial sculpting on these SHQ metal figures. This is notable because with 1/72 plastics the mould line/flash and sculpting often all come up short at the face.
Of course at 3 feet – my normal viewing – this is all academic.
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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.
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.
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.
The figures are based on 4 No. 40mm square bases which allow me to use a variety of wargame 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.
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.
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……
So that journal will repay itself again as I paint that missing figure – when I find it!
I guess the Bavarians are historically often allied to the French against their northern or eastern neighbours.
These figures date from the early 1970’s and are by Hinchcliffe
The Wargaming Erratic 