Boschenberg units, part 3

A brief post, with a pic of some work-in-progress miniatures:

More Ebor miniatures, not nearly complete though.  It is very difficult to see the brown color of the jacket; I might see about lightening it somewhat.

Lesquins, part 1

The first set of miniatures from Warfare/LOA is now primed, and as stated before they are slated to become my first unit of lesquins, or the Half Continent's version of mercenaries.  Here are a few examples:

The details are a bit easier to see now that they are primed.  I am trying grey primer with this unit, as I do not expect the uniforms of this unit to have large expanses of black, or even dark colors.

The variety of poses is impressive.  There are few repeats within the battalion pack which will give the lesquin unit a more relaxed appearance, especially as compared to Imperial troops.  I intend to use the poses in firing positions as skirmishers for the main unit once they are used for a large-scale battle.

Now, to decide what the uniforms will be, and a spandarion as well...

More progress

And just a brief update:

I have completed the 'build phase' on most of the new miniatures - the jackstraws have yet to be opened however.  Priming is next, except for my new big beastie which needs some serious green stuff help with the join of the left arm to the shoulder.

More pics after the primer sets, including some more side-by-side comparisons!

More new miniatures

Well, when it rains it pours sometimes!  One more set of new miniatures have arrived:

Starting from the left is a Reaper War Dog, which will be pressed into service as a proxy for a tykehound or guard dog.  Second from the left is a trio of Mites, also from Reaper, which seem to be a match for the Reaper gremlins I have already purchased, and will also be used as grinnlings.  This will make a total of 11 grinnlings!

Second from the right is a set from Crooked Dice - Corn Dolls, commonly known around these parts as scarecrows.  On the Half Continent, these are called jackstraws, and are a particularly vicious kind of revenant (or undead construct).  Jackstraws are mentioned in the third book of the series, Factotum.  These miniatures will get some modifications, including some with tricorns.

The right-most miniature is a Reaper Troll, and I think it is a great proxy for a large monster.  The miniature is reasonably similar to the 'Swarty Hobnag', which is also mentioned in Factotum.


I will have more pics of these later, after the League of Augsburg miniatures are primed at least!

A few new miniatures...

I think a break from baskets and nickers is in order, so how about this:

This is the better part of my first order of Warfare/League of Augsburg miniatures!  (Technically, I purchased them from Le Roi Soleil Miniatures, the US distributor).

Shown above is pack 'B008 At ease, no pike.'  There is a great variety of poses in the pack which is something that I really enjoy.  14 musketeers and 6 command make up the pack for a total of 20 miniatures, plus the separate weapons as shown.  No flagstaffs but I prefer it that way personally.

Also included in my order was this:

This is pack 'WLOA01 Musketeer firing line'.  The three firing miniatures are all slightly different, in weapon pose and hat variations.

It is my intention to use these miniatures as the first of my lesquin units.  Lesquins are the mercenaries of the Half Continent, known for flamboyant dress and high fees!  Compared to the Ebor WSS troops, they are not so flamboyant, but they are different enough for a start.


And, a comparison pic:

From the left - Wargames Factory, Warfare/LoA, Ebor, Imperialist

The LoA miniatures do have a very thin base, but they match up with the Ebor miniatures very well I think, in stature and style.  The Wargames Factory figures are somewhat taller, while the Imperialist miniature (specifically a Palatinate musketeer) is shorter - Imperialist does bill this as a 25mm miniatures, whereas the others are 28mm.

Monsters, part 3

It has been a bit difficult to get back into the swing of things here, especially as I am working some long hours, and the hobby area was torn apart and re-organized.  But there has been a silver lining to these events.  One, even with the long hours, I am finding that just attempting to relax afterwards by 'Net surfing is not enough, and the urge for painting is returning.  Second, during the organizational drive I found some old miniatures that might work for gaming on the Half-Continent:

The three primed in white are juvenile Growlers from the old FASA game Vor the Maelstrom.  Although they do not fit the usual template for nickers, they will be just fine.  The beasty on the right is an old WOTC Dungeons & Dragons miniature, and could easily pass as a cousin to the Handsome Grackle from Factotum.  I am not certain if it needs to be stripped or maybe I can spruce it up some, but I might try to switch out the base for a round one.

Boschenberg units, part 2

Slow, slow progress - mostly because I have been distracted by my other blog... However, here is a WIP pic:

I am splashing a little paint on the Boschenberg troops.  Even at this stage, one can see the some of the details of the Ebor miniatures - I really like the faces.

28mm figures, part 4

As I put together my first small battalion of miniatures, I forgot to get the standard bearers ready.  Here they are now:

I added a length of brass tube for the flagstaff.  The actual spandarion will be mounted on a separate piece of tubing.  Hopefully this will aid in the storage of the unit after it is complete.

It is hard to see in the pic, but the chap on the right is resting his flagstaff on a 'rock' just to add some visual interest...

Monsters, part 2

Just a brief update:

I have clipped and puttied the basket, prior to adding a layer of fur.  The arms have also been drilled out and pins added.

I intend to let the green stuff cure for quite a spell before trying to sculpt the new coat of fur.

28mm figures, part 3

Quite some time ago, I received another small order from Ebor, and finally here are some pics...

On the left, WSSO01 Officer of Foot, and on the right, Drummer stood with loose head  WSSSD03.  The head on the drummer has already been glued down.  The pose of the drummer seems a bit awkward from this view but that might be the result of gluing the head down at an angle!

On the left, WSSO03 Officer/Ensign of Foot, and on the right, Officer/Ensign of Foot WSSO02.  The halfpikes are separate pieces.

These figures are very nice; the details on the cuffs and wigs are impressive.  I also enjoy the facial expressions.  Now, to just get some paint on them...

28mm figures, part 2

My Ebor Miniatures order arrived a few days ago, and here they are:

From the left:   WSSMS01 Sergeant of Musketeers; WSSM01 Musketeer stood firing; WSSM02 Musketeer kneeling firing; WSSM03 Musketeer kneeling
                       

From the left:   WSSM04 Musketeer presenting arms; WSSM05 Musketeer marching; WSSM06 Musketeer marching;  WSSM07 Musketeer advancing high porte;  WSSM08 Musketeer marching

From the left:   WSSM09 Musketeer marching;  WSSM10 Musketeer marching;  WSSHM01 Headless musketeer marching;  WSSHM02 Headless musketeer marching

WSSMHS01  Head Sprue

I like the Ebor selection very much.  In particular, the faces stand out in their expressions.  And with the addition of the headless marching versions, there is a wide assortment of poses, however slight, to add life to your units.

Here's a pic with a Wargames Factory musketeer.  There are very similar in height and heft, with the WGF muskeeter slightly taller.  The two biggest differences are in the weapon and the face.  The WGF musket does not have much detail as compared to the one on the Ebor musketeers, and the WGF musket is very slender, delicate even.  The faces are quite different also, with the WGF figures having an odd shape to their eye sockets.  The Ebor faces look much more natural.  WGF does have a wide variety of heads on their sprues, but the recent release of the 'headless' Ebor musketeers along with their head sprue gives a lot more variety in marching poses.

One last note - the sergeant is a two-piece set; the halberd is not cast in the hand.  Also, the headless musketeers do not come with the head sprue; you need to purchase it separately.

28mm figures, part 1

Thanks for the quick shipment from The Warstore, I have a box of Wargames Factory WSS plastic miniatures.  Here is a couple of quick pics:

These do not look too bad so far; I have to admit that I originally planned to use the box just for bits for conversions, but I will put a few together and see how they look.  I did notice right away that the weapons, especially the muskets on the marching miniatures, do look rather thin and might not be capable of much handling.  On the other hand, the amount of pieces on each sprue (12 sprues per box) is amazing.

Getting re-organized

After having taken a 4-month break from this project, the first item on the agenda is to get re-organized.  The rules dilemma for the skirmish games is still milling around and needs to be seen to.  I have an idea that the blending of Ganesha Games' Song of Blades & Heroes and Song of Drums & Shakos would work for small scale actions.  SBH would have material for the nickers and SDS for the troops.  I now realize that I have copies of both of the rules although I do not remember getting SDS (!), and with the long week-end here in the US I should cobble together some minis and try it out!

Speaking of minis, there is a post on the Grimsby Mariner blog about more WSS minis coming out soon.  I have to admit I am not too interested in the new Foundry range - although if some nice infantry vignettes are produced I could change my mind.  There is a new range of minis coming from Ebor Miniatures - check their blog post about WSS minis.  Very nice!



And the ships - I am working on replacing the masts - originally made of plastic, to be replaced with brass.

25mm minis, part 2

I ordered a pair of test packs of 25mm Old Glory 'Age of Reason' minis from Grandiosity recently, and here are some examples:

MW-2 Marching, collarless coat

MW-3 Advancing, collarless coat

The Marlburian Wars packs are packaged a bit differently - 10 minis per pack for $14.50, not 30 per pack for $32. Grandiosity has them for a bit less, and purchase of the Old Glory Army card brings a big savings. Each pic shows the variations that were included in my packs.

However, I am the type of hobbyist that needs to be inspired by both the subject and the minis. Although these are good figures, and would look magnificent en masse, I will be starting out with skirmish size encounters and working up from there. These minis are just not inspiring me to paint them. Also, there is not much variety in the packs, and I think that I would like a bit more. This implies no fault to OG; it is just my view. Plus, I will note that the pics are not the best. I might take a look at their artillery when the time comes.


There won't be any more purchases for the rest of the year - I have spent far more this year on all of my gaming projects that the past two combined - so my planned purchase of the next set of samples, probably Front Rank, will need to wait until January or February 2011. So, until then I plan on working on the ship minis and searching through (and hopefully posting links and pics) other manufacturer's minis that will work with the Half Continent setting.

25mm minis, part 1

The first order of 25mm minis, from Imperialist Enterprises, arrived a while ago but I am only now getting to take a close look at them. I ordered a wide variety of minis as a sampler in this small order, as I have never seen them up close before.

Left: MO-1 English officer, button hole lace Right: MO-3 English musketeer, on guard

The spontoon on the officer is a separate piece. I like the drawn sword, although it is a bit thin for a sword, more like a rapier.

Left: MO-5a English musketeer advancing, plain coat Right: M-12b English grenadier, marching

Left: M-18 Austrian musketeer, advancing Right: PO-1 Palatinate Musketeer, marching

Left: FO-1 French musketeer, advancing Right: FO-4 French flag officer

The French musketeer was a freebie thrown in by Mr Hagerty - thanks!

F-15a French dismounted dragoon

H2 - Heavy horse, running

Imperialist offers five different horses: 3 heavy and 2 medium. When one orders mounted figures, the choice of mount is yours.

M23b Austrian cuirassier, drawn pistol, tricorn

The saddle is cast with the rider as one piece.



So far I like the selections from Imperialist. All of the minis in this order measure 25mm from sole of foot to the forehead. There are some differences in sculpting, with some being smoother and some being more detailed. My favorite is the Palatinate musketeer, although all of them will be used in one fashion or another.

The plan, altered

I am finding lately that no gaming plan goes unaltered after I start it... and this one is no exception.

I have found that I really do not like to paint 15mm minis. I had not painted any for many (10+) years but I thought to give it a go but it is a struggle. My wife pointed out to me that I was 'avoiding' the 15mm's, and mentioned that I had tried to paint 6mm and 10mm minis in the past - at least I tried, but 25mm seems to be the winner. And it has the approval of the missus which actually is a big benefit! There are some pros and cons in the switch however:

PRO:

1. No duplication of effort in the minis for the skirmish and mass battle ranges - I intend to use these minis for both.

2. No duplication of effort for terrain of different scales.

3. Hopefully 1 and 2 will mean a bit less in monetary outlay!

CON:

1. Mini selection will be more important - the 15mm minis were more forgiving in their appearance for specific HC details.

2. Bigger surface needed for mass battles.

So, more info later as I continue to peruse mini selections...


On a brighter note, I have doodled up some preliminary drawings of a HC naval vessel...

Slow progress

Small steps toward getting the first battalion done!

1. The minis are about half-way done with painting. I am finding that, for the mainly darkly-colored units, white primer is not such a good choice. The second battalion will be using black gesso for primer.

2. Bases - I forgot about the bases when I placed the order for the minis. So, I sent off an order with Litko - hopefully they will arrive later this month.

3. Rules - The delay in ordering bases corresponds with my indecision on a rules choice. In the end, I am going to try a modified Impetus set. Miniatures Wargames #322 has an interesting article on a conversion of Impetus to the AWI, which I am using as a starting point.


I'll post pics when I get something done!

15mm minis, part 2

After quite a delay, I have taken another small step towards getting my first unit done.

One of the important parts of a soldier's harness (uniform) in the Half Continent is the baldric, as this is an important means of identification for the soldier. The baldric is tinted in the colors of his realm's mottle - a specific combination of colors and patterns unique to each realm. The baldric on most Half Continent troops runs from the right shoulder down to the left side of the waist. In my limited searches, I did not find any 15mm (or even 28mm) minis with such a baldric. So, I need to make my own.


Here the troops, the first battalion on the left and parts of the second battalion on the right, with their new baldrics. I made them with blue/green two-part epoxy - the same material that is used to sculpt most minis. I had never used the material before but it is not hard to use at all. It is a bit sticky but I found that if I left it cure somewhat it is much easier to use. Using just a pea-sized bit of epoxy, I rolled it out between a small piece of waxed paper to flatten it, then waited a few minutes for it to start to cure. Then, I sliced strips off the 'pancake' of green stuff and stuck it to the mini. Easy!


If you look closely, you will see that over time the baldric is more defined. The minis on the left of the pic were first, and are not as good as the later troops.


The drummer did not need a new baldric, as the strap for his drum is just perfect. Now, I need to let the epoxy cure for a day or so, then the real fun begins - painting! But, I will need to decide what realm will have the honor of the first unit...

15mm minis!

The first package of 15mm miniatures has arrived for the H-C project!

This first order, from Minifigs, was really just a sampler to figure out which minis would work for the plan. I ordered one pack of 24 minis each of French, Dutch, and Russian troops.

Here are the pics:


The Dutch unit is in groups on the right, with the Russians en masse on the left. I was very surprised to find that the miniatures for the Dutch and Russian units are exactly the same - I do hope that it is intentional and the uniforms of the time for each nation were similar. But, since they are the same I now have two usable units for the collection. The French are a bit different which I will explain a bit later.

And, the first unit glued up to some nails and ready for painting - almost:


18 musketeers, 2 drummers, 2 standard bearers, and two officers.


A close-up. I did not realize until I was nearly finished with cleaning and gluing that the troops will need a slight modification. If you look closely, there is a strap for the ammunition pouch running across the mini from the left shoulder. But, there is no baldric running across from the right shoulder. So, I am going to try and add a baldric to each mini using Green Stuff epoxy... should be exciting!


Here is a close-up of the two officers. Originally, each mini was the same as the one on the right. But, I took a little time to change that. I clipped off the tip of the spontoon and flattened the shaft. With some carving and filing I think I have a reasonable sword for the commander.






This is a pic of some of the French troops. There minis are different from the other two, with the troops carrying their musket on the right, instead of the left. Not a huge difference but I really want to have the units appear similar, at least for now. Meanwhile, the French unit will be pressed into service as the test models for my attempts with green stuff, to make the baldrics.



Now, this is some actual progress! I still need several different pieces of the puzzle - Green stuff and some more paints (on order); bases; and of course many more minis!

Finally some activity...

Today, I have ordered the first of the minis I hope to use for the mass-battle games for the Half-Continent.

Not knowing exactly which ones to use, I ordered three different 15mm sets from Minifigs - Dutch, French, and Russian musketeers with tricorne, in the classic March/Attack pose. A pic of the Russian minis is here. I am hoping to be able to use all of these, perhaps as differing factions in my battles.

Also, I have back-tracked in my choice of rules. Previously, I had wrote of a desire to use a historical set for the mass battles, but I have switched back to using a fantasy set, namely Fantasy Rules! by ChipCo. It is a simple yet flexible system that does need much for rosters or markers. If this fails I could always use a variant of Command & Colors, provided that I get a suitable hex grid...