Jacklex Indian Army Mountain Gun

As promised yesterday here is the Mountain Gun and crew.

Batteries consist of three guns in the rules commanded by a Captain. The matching mule train is undercoated and in the queue. 

I hope to have one more post tomorrow as I am back at work on Tuesday.

The Lincolnshire Regiment Revisited

Rather incredibly it has been five years since I decided to start a collection of 20mm Colonials for the "Sands of the Sudan" ruleset. I was not happy with the paintwork on my first figures and so have started again from scratch. Here is how version 2 of the collection rolls:

The figures are Jacklex, of course, and the majority are new castings. The new owner Mark Lodge has done a fantastic job with new moulds so they are a far superior product than the tired old moulds used before. He has even added a few figures like the standard bearer (I know but he does look great!). 

Oh dear - I've just noticed the missing helmet patches on some of the rear rank! That will be sorted tomorrow.

The paint job is functional with very limited shading. Unit sizes in Sands of the Sudan are enormous - I need to paint up one more 12 figure company and the Colonel to bring the unit up to its 60 figure full strength. Guards Regiments are 72 figures!

I have an Indian Army mountain gun and crew awaiting basing so may even have another post tomorrow. The reason for this all this productivity? This week was supposed to be the first foreign holiday we were going to have without the kids in 27 years. Oh well, I would only have been sitting on the beach reading about toy soldiers!



I have a second infantry battalion and contingent of sailors that I started too. I will complete them first before sending off for the extra figures to bring them all up to full strength.

Jacklex Miniatures Available Again

The Jacklex range of figures, previously available from Spencer Smith, have a new home:

There are a number of new additions to the ranges and my first order went in this morning. 

The new site is well worth a visit here. The free ACW rules by Andy Callan on the "Wargaming" page here appear to be the answer to my prayers for my planned  Old School ACW project. More of this later.

Old School Colonial British Infantry

First of all apologies for the poor quality of the pictures but try as I may without my old fluorescent desk lamp which is sadly no more I just cannot get enough light onto the miniatures of late.

Anyway, back to the subject in hand. Stryker of "Hinton Hunt Vintage Wargame Figures" fame has another interesting blog particularly relevant to  the 19th Century subject matter of this blog, covering the 2nd Anglo-Boer War here. These fellows are the results of my contribution to beef up the British infantry forces.

The figures themselves are from the small (but interesting) Raventhorpe 20mm Colonial range. Ian has chosen an old school block colours finish to the collection which I have enjoyed replicating (the first figures I have painted without a black primer for many years I believe).

They are ready to embark transports to Scotland tomorrow to take on the wily Boer. Expect better shots of the based figures on Stryker's blog soon.

For me it's back to those 15mm Bavarians which should be completed and based within the next few days all going well.

Jacklex Colonial British Infantry - The Lincolnshire Regiment

Here are the first of the Jacklex regular British infantry off to fight the Dervish horde.The Lincolnshire regiment can be identified by the white square patch on their helmets. 

Again I have given them a "functional" paint job in line with the "quantity has a quality of it's own" ethos for the Sudan collection.

Not a wobbly lip among them!

I have another six infantry left to paint and then I will a whole half battalion. Add to that another 18 Naval infantry from "HMS Nostalgia" and an Indian mountain gun and that is my entire Jacklex British contingent. 

I then have a few Dervish camels and infantry to complete before I consider any more purchases.

 Next up however will be a few of shots of figures from the old blogs who are to be sold off in the great lead pile cleansing!

Jacklex Naval Brigade

 I could not let 2014 without at least one more post. Here are the only figures I have  managed to paint in two months, the lovely N1 Naval Brigade Sailor advancing. Times six.

Jacklex 20mm sailors from HMS Nostalgia!

I am going for "look good en mass" appeal, but with output currently at less than a figure a week it is going to take some imagination at the moment! 

However I am going to end 2014 on a positive note, they are finished and six more of their mates are prepped and ready to go along with a company of the Lincolnshire's. 

So, Happy New Year to you all and I will be back in early 2015.

With Jacklex on the North West Frontier

Jacklex 20mm British Infantry

 While I clean up the Sudan War figures I thought it might be nice to show some other Jacklex figures that I painted a year or so ago. These figures are painted, based and gloss varnished for a traditional toy soldier look. My plan is to use "The Sword and the Flame" rules...using my original copy bought c.1980!

For a history of the Jacklex range there is none better than here, at Vintage20mil.

Jacklex 20mm Pathans

I have over the years painted the Colonial, ACW and Great War figures. It is a real treat they are still so readily available from Spencer Smith. 

Back to (Old) School...

Another downside of having no hobby time (just a damn long commute and everyone asleep when I do get home) does mean the mind begins to wander. 

I have been following the excellent "With Pyjamas through the Desert" blog for some time now and have purchased the excellent Gilder based "Sand of the Sudan" rules. I am halfway through reading Harry Pearson's "Achtung Schweinehund!"  for the third time - still as laugh out loud as the first read.

This and other random thoughts and ideas have lead me towards the next "big plan". An Old School Sudan collection using the 20mm Jacklex figures available from Spencer Smith Miniatures.

I have also come to the conclusion that 20mm really is "my scale" and frankly I see no reason to dabble in any other.

Hopefully the first of the British will be up for show early December and not a wobbly lip among them!