WIP: British Regulars For My Alt-ACW Project

Hello friends:  

With my new clerical job feeling more under control, and with Twitter becoming more unpleasant and weird, I’m deciding to double down on the Old School and blogging more, so this is a head start on my new year’s resolution.

I’m currently working on a regiment of 28mm British redcoats that were gifted to me by an old friend.  As far as I know, these are Warlord sculpts, I think by Paul Hicks, from their Crimean War range.  I think they’re OOP, the Warlord website shows British Crimean War infantry but in shakos, whereas these fellows wear Kilmarnock pillbox hats so they look the part and are compatible with my Perry figures from their British Intervention Force Range.

About two thirds of the way through the Foundry tri-tone paint method, though the shoulder ruffs and cuffs are done with GW contrast green.  I am not aiming for a specific British regiment, I just liked green.  

Fortunately I’m well equipped with wine corks!

Hoping to have these fellows finished by Christmas.

Cheers and blessings to your brushes!

MP+

Canadian Wargamer Podcast Episode 20 Is Out

 

In Episode 20, Mike and James speak with Glenn Pearce, the Dean of Canadian Napoleonic Wargaming. Glenn is the mastermind behind what may be the oldest Napoleonic miniature wargaming group in the world, based out of Toronto, Ontario. Glenn describes how he and his group made a big decision to go small and only game with 6mm figures. We also discuss Glenn's work with Baccus as a rules writer, with one set (Ruse de Guerre) published and another on WW2 divisional plus battles in the early stages. In the second half, James and I talk about a new Napoleonic STL Kickstarter, as well as how darn needy Austrian armies can be. 

 Our Guest: Glenn Pearce, Napoleonic Miniatures War-game Society of Toronto:

Glenn's Ruse de Guerre rules: 

On the Polemos website 

On the Wargames Vault Website

George Jeffreys, Variable Length Bound Wargaming:  

Glenn's Contributions to Our Virtual Library:

Cowpens 1781: Turning Point of the American Revolution, by Ed and Catherine Gilbert 

Napoleon and Grouchy: The Last Great Waterloo Mystery Unravelled, by Paul Dawson, 2017. 

Napoleon and Austerlitz: The Glory Years 1805-1807 (1997), by Scott Bowen  

Crisis on the Danube: Napoleon's Austrian Campaign of 1809 (1990) by James Arnold, 

Battle Tactics of the Civil War, Paddy Griffiths (2014) 

The Anatomy of Victory: Battle Tactics 1689 - 1763 by Brent Noseworthy (1991) 

Other Stuff That We Mentioned: 

Jon Hodgson backdrops: 

Lucas Luber, Alps Aflame Kickstarter: 

Piano Wargames: 

Closing Music: Blue Bonnets Over the Border (Quick March of the Toronto Scottish Regiment) https://youtu.be/j-gaPwPAU7g 

Contact Us (We Love Hearing From You!): 

 Canadian Wargamer Podcast Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/canadianwargamerpodcast Mike: madpadre@gmail.com @MarshalLuigi www.madpadrewargames.blogspot.com 

James: jamesmanto@gmail.com @JamesManto4 www.rabbitsinmybasement.blogspot.com

Canadian Wargamer Podcast is Back

 Fans of the podcast may be wondering what happened.  Sometimes hobbies are fun, sometimes they feel like work.   Sometimes real work intervenes.  Bit of all three these last two months.   Anyway, my friend James and I had a natter and a catch up, and you're welcome to listen to it while you watch paint dry, or cut your nails, or ...   well, enjoy.   

Weekend WIP: Victrix Early Imperial Roman Cavalry

In thinking of ways to get me blogging more regularly (is blogging a lost art in the age of social media?  Discuss), I was going to start a regular Weekend Work in Progress Feature, but now it’s Monday evening, so I missed that deadline.  In my defence, it was a bit of a lost weekend, as I started feeling crummy on Saturday morning, By Saturday night I’d shoved the nasty little wand up my nose and gotten my first ever positive COVID test.   Gradually started feeling better today, just not a lot of energy, a dry cough, and a distinct lack of appetite.   Glad I got the jab and the boosters, I’d hate to think what I’d feel like without them.

Here’s a batch of 28mm Victrix Roman Early Imperial cavalry, about half done.   As I think I mentioned in my last post, the SYW get the maximum effort from my brushes, but these chaps will just get wargames standard from the three foot rule.  I do however want to put some work into getting the horses right.

I am realizing how shockingly ignorant I am of Things Romani and keep asking my mate James for help with niggling details like what colour should this officer’s crest be?

I also realize that other than the fight scene at the start of the film Gladiator, I know precious little about Roman cavalry, their organization, tactics and employment.  I know that each legion had an attached group of cavalry, and I imagine they would be engaged in scouting, escorting supply convoys, line of communications stuff, and so on.  I’m sure I’ll learn more as this project progresses and grateful for any pointers in the comments.

Cheers and blessings to your brushes!

MP+

Foundry Prussian Dragoons: Regt. No. 1 (Von Normann)

The next unit to be mustered into Prussian service is Dragoon Regiment No. 1 (Von Normann), the last of my brushwork for July.  This unit is made up of 13 Wargamer Foundry figures, including one based individually for small-scale shenanigans using rules such as Sharp Practice.

As is my method for 28mm SYW figures, these are painted using Foundry tri-tone paints on a black undercoat, in my own rough approximation of the Dallimore method.    The flag is from my go-to guy for SYW flags, Madrid’s Adolfo Ramos.  Four of these figures have been half-painted and lost in a box for the last 5 years, and rediscovering them recently got me serious about including them in a batch of Foundry figures languishing in my Pile O’Shame.   Some of them may actually be Russian dragoons, the labeling on the packages was unclear, but a dragoon is a dragoon, I think.  There are some tell-tale flaws that would tell the knowledgeable SYW game that these are slightly off - the Normann Dragoons had a red pompom on either side of their tricorn, which wasn’t cast with these models, and so I decided to leave well-enough alone.

Otherwise they are lovely figures.  I like how the saddle and equipment is cast on the rider, though occasionally there’s not a good fit between the rider and the horse.

I’ve been very intentional about putting my all into painting my Seven Years War figures.  With other periods, and certainly with other scales, the three foot rule of good enough on the wargames table is fine, and there was a useful discussion of this rule on the most recent Yorkshire Gamer podcast.   However, I want the SYW to be my showcase period, the elaborate uniforms and the colours practically demand maximum effort and as much talent as my aging hands and eyes can muster.  In fact, I went so far on Twitter recently as saying that unit for unit, the SYW is more aesthetically pleasing than Napoleonics in the larger scales.    Feel free to report me to the Heresy Police.  :)

 Here’s a madcap, hell for leather fellow, his tricorn long since lost in the charge and just wearing his protective harness, tearing around looking for someone to bash.  If he survives, I’m sure he’ll attract Frederick’s attention for his bravery and for the shapeliness of his calves.  I’m currently reading Tim Blanning’s biography of DAF, and he sends a lot of time detailing Frederick’s homoerotic tastes, whereas the late Dennis Showalter (bless him) merely mentions in passing that DAF was a bit grumpy towards women. 

With this project done, a unit of Victrix Early Imperial Roman cavalry has thundered onto my painting desk and is getting a more rapid brush treatment.   I hope to have some WIP pics of them here shortly.   What’s your current WIP?

Cheers and blessings to your brushes!  MP+

Seven Years War Prussian Mounted Command

It’s another Alte Fritz!

Continuing with brushwork completed in July, here’s a trio of 28mm mounted Prussian Seven Years War generals from Wargamer Foundry.   The chap in the centre of course, is DAF, though I’m not terribly happy with the degree of facial definition on the figure.  The foot version from Front Rank in my last post is better, in my estimation

On the other hand, I’m quite happy with the finished faces on the two accompanying officers.

Earlier this year I treated myself to the Foundry Horses Paint Set.   I wanted to up my game painting horses, not my favourite task, really, and decided that it would be a good incentive for me.  I’m reasonably pleased with the results.  When I added the two rather greyish highlight tones to the black horse on the right, I wasn’t at all confident with it, but here it looks fine to me.

Several of you were kind enough to rise to the challenge in my last post and take a guess at which map I used as the inspiration for the map on the 3D table I printed for Front Rank Freddie.   No, it’s not the classic Diplomacy map, though that’s a fine guess.  It’s actually the map from the award-winning game Friedrich (Histogames, 2006) which is a very clever and elegant design for 3-4 players using a map that cries out to be used as a miniature wargames campaign setting.   

 Thanks for looking, and for the comments and encouragement.     In my next post, I’ll finish off showing July’s brushwork and some more SYW Prussians for my slowly growing army.  

Cheers and blessings to your brushes,  

MP+

 

Der Alte Fritz! SYW Prussian Command Vignette

Hello dear friends and readers:

July was a busy month with travel and family commitments, and precious little blogging, but a lot of Seven Years War brushwork to show you in this and the next few posts.

Here’s a Prussian command figure, Der Alte Fritz himself!  The figure is by Front Rank, one of a four casting foot command set.  Black undercoat, painted using the Foundry tri-tone paints and system.

I wanted Fritz to have a table as a focus for the command group vignette, and found an STL file from Vae Victis called The Cartographer’s Table which of all the 3D tables I found was the most interesting.

The book (Voltaire, perhaps?), the map and the compass, all point to the image of Frederick as the Philosopher Soldier King.

The sharp-eyed and sharp-witted among you may recognize the map unfolded on the table.   If you recognize it, leave a comment (hint, think of a related board game).

The staff assemble to hear Frederick’s complicated plan (another frontal attack with horrendous casualties?  a flank mark starting hours before dawn through unreconnoitred terrain?  Do tell, Your Majesty).

 

Something about the expression and face on the chap in the blue cape reminds me of Derek Fowld’s character on Yes, Minister.

Cheers and thanks for looking, more Prussians coming soon!

MP+