Experimenting

I've acquired some more 40mm Napoleonics and am using the wash technique again. I really must admit that I like this way of painting but I'm not sure I can translate it to smaller scales. 

I've got a few Baccus 6mm FPW figures as I want to do this era but again am not sure if the scales right for me. I think I'll paint up a few bases then have a go at the 15mm ones I got at Crusade, before seeing which I like more.

The 20mm El Cid figures are painting up nicely and I've gone for 2 on a 40x20 base, as I've lots of these and can go 40x40 for the cavalry. 

I got some bases that I think will be perfect for Blucher but am not sure what size troops to go with. The more I look at the rules I feel that 10mm might be best to give that massed ranks feel, and have 1 base per regiment. 

The state of the hobby

It's now mid March and I realised I had not blogged for a while. In my last post I said I'd lost my mojo and that's pretty much the same thing. I've been buying stuff and so should be inspired but there isn't anything new that grabs me.

I went to Crusade with Tom, and it was as I feared. The number of traders was down and the choice of stuff even further reduced. If you ignore war machine and hordes, and GW stuff then the choice was really slim. I picked up some 15mm FPW figures although I think I'll probably end up doing this era in 6mm to get the big battle feel. I also got some of the em4 ACW figures as at £5 for 20 you can't really go wrong, even if the thought of painting the folded flags fills me with horror. I might have to drill out the premade flag in some of them. 

I've also expanded into 20mm ElCid thanks to EBay and this might be the thing that gets me going again. The chance to paint simple block colours including purples and oranges is very tempting. I've got a job lot so should have enough for a decent Arab army. I've decided on 2 figures on a 40x20 base for the infantry and probably 2 on a 40x40 base for cavalry. If I use some movement trays I can then go with either Hail Caeser or Clash of Empires. 

Next week I'm away with work so no painting then and then it's the Featherstone weekend! The only thing I don't know yet is if I want to be the Paras or 30corps!

No mojo

We've moved out of our house for a short while as there are building works going on. This means I can't paint:(! I was looking through the lead mountain and realised that given last years stats it would take me 3 years to clear and I haven't had my 28mm winter wars stuff yet. 

Crusade is at the end of the month, and to be honest if it wasn't that the boys want to go, I wouldn't bother. Looking at the list of traders it's less than last year. I might be able to get some 20mm Napoleonics but with no Dave Thomas my chances of picking up any more WSS plastics is low.

2014 a year in review

I've managed to total up my paint in stats for this year and thought I'd share with he world.

936 28mm 

500 15mm and 19 tanks

42 40mm

118 20mm

So as you  can see I've had a fairly productive year despite losing my mojo for part of the year. New eras have been 28mm Landsknechts and 20mm Napoleonics. I'm hoping that I've not chosen the wrong scale for the latter and that with the 200th anniversary of Waterloo coming up, Will at Plastic soldier will release 20mm Napoleonic figures,  but knowing my luck he'll only do 15mm!

I think that this year may also see the ongoing rationalisation of the collection and I'll post as it continues.

Napoleonics are go

The week at the Wargames Holiday Centre has come and gone. How was it? Well the company was great, another great set of guys to chuck dice with. The after hours socialising was good but not excessive, although we did outlast the night porter at the hotel one night!

The battles were Smolensk and Borodino, using the "in the grand manner" rules. It was the first time I'd even seen these rules and they are not for the beginner. However, if you use Napoleonic tactics you get a Napoleonic result. I spent a happy afternoon charging my light cavalry against a square before it broke on the last turn of the day!

For the refight of Borodino I was assigned Junot's Corps which was redeployed to attack Borodino village. As this is separated from the rest of the battle by a stream it worked out that I and my opponent could just get on with our own battle as it had no impact on the larger conflict. I played three versions of this battle, once as the Russians, and twice as the Westphalians. I managed to loose all three times, so some things never change.

More thoughts

My recent lack of posts is more to do with being too busy painting than anything else. After the Landsknechts I needed a break so I moved onto a job that I've been meaning to do for a while - rebasing my Anglo-Danish army. It means that from one army I've created 4 factions for Saga - Anglo Danish, Viking, jomsviking, Anglo Saxon and Welsh; especially when padded out by a box each of the Gripping Beast plastics. This means I've got enough to start a campaign with the boys if I can get them interested.

I've also picked up a box each of the wargames factory AWI figures hoping they'd fit in terms of size with the Spencer Smiths. Sadly they are too tall by several millimetres so I think they have to be based singularly for Muskets and Tomahawks.

I'm off to the wargames holiday cente this week for a grand manner napoleonics game. I still want to get back into this period but knowing my luck the minute I decide to go with 10mm then Will at plastic soldier will come out with a range in either 15 or 1/72nd

More Landsknechts

Another 16 Landsknechts have crossed the painting table. These were from Foundry and are bracing their pikes. I've got enough now for a little force and I'll probably add to it as time goes on; especially if pro Gloria have a kickstarter for their plastic range.

I got the new crusade Saga rules this weekend and am looking longingly at the gripping beast plastic Arabs. Again my magpie nature is revealed as I've just sold a 28mm Arab army that I hadn't painted in years!

Another new addition is the Rebellion supplement for BP. It really is what you want for a codex type release as it goes into uniform details and orders of battle for the major engagements. Plus it's full of lovely pictures of Perry figures. Although I'm doing the Awi in spencer smiths, I'm almost tempted to get a box of each of the Perry plastics to do musket and tomahawk (the skirmish rules from the makers of Saga), but after the success of the 40mm Napoleonics I'm tempted to go this scale for the FIW.