Rebel Cavalry Reserve

I have finally finished the remaining Pax Britannica/RSM 95 ACW figures. A restrained pose for the Southern cavaliers I think. This marks the last of the commission work and so I am able to say whatever comes next is all for me...hooray!

I will start by adding to the 1914 British and will probably not return to the "War Between the States" chapter until the New Year when I pick up on those Western theatre 10mm figures started in the Spring. 

German Gun Line 1914

Ready to pound the BEF...

 I have managed to fix the problem with the back to front gun shields and we now have a suitably impressive looking gun line to support the Kaiser's infantry. Once again, figures from the lovely Tumbling Dice "Old Contemptibles" range. 

I have the British artillery next in the WW1 painting queue and am looking forward to adding a bit of khaki to the collection.

...this time with the gun shields the right way round!

However, next up are the long overdue ACW cavalry. Once these are done I am free to push ahead with my own projects, primacy for the rest of this year will be the Great War collections.

Bavarian Artillery 1914

 I must admit that I thought twice about posting these pictures. I was most impressed with the results of my first Tumbling Dice German artillery in the shape of the 77mm Feldkanone. That is until I realised "the mistake".

Now even though the  artillery crew helmet's should have a ball rather than the spike (except for the Bavarian artillery) I can live with that.

 

No, the problem is one of my own making - I put the gun shield on back to front!

I will have to pull this one and the half completed one apart and do it properly. Bit of a pillock really!

This is the second "Doh!" moment in relation to these figures this week. I did seriously consider using the WW1 plastic figures from Airfix for my 1914 collection. However I decided against it on the grounds that while I could convert the ACW artillery into German and French pieces, it would be time consuming and fiddly.

So, what do I find out?  40 odd years down the line Airfix are finally filling the gap and producing 1914 French infantry and artillery, plus German and British (13pdr) artillery too. Available by the end of this year apparently. I'm sure I will be able to find an excuse to buy a box or two!

For the next post I am going to fix the artillery and finally finish those ACW cavalry I have been putting off for too long.

20mm American Civil War Artillery

 I seem to be making some progress now that the school holidays are over. Firstly I have sorted out the figures I am keeping in the lead pile. Secondly I have made progress on the last of the commission work-the much delayed 20mm ACW figures.

 I only have a dozen or so cavalry figures to paint up and then I am completely free to paint up stuff for me!

 I will be picking back up on the WW1 collection first. I have started on the German and British artillery with a horde of infantry to follow them up and exploit the holes they punch in the front line...it will probably all be over by Christmas.

Wargaming the Franco Prussian War #2

Essex Miniatures 15mm Franco Prussian War Command Stand

After due consideration* I have made a small change to my choice of scale for the Franco Prussian War...15mm. 

*In this instance "due consideration" was me finding a large biscuit tin stuffed with even more 15mm figures covering a number of 19th Century conflicts.  Compared with the relatively paltry pile of 28mm figures I was shamed into this decision.

Here's some I prepared earlier!