HaT French Napoleonic Supply Wagons

Here are the contents of the HaT box, three identical wagons with the same horses and rider from the ambulance set. Again they are in a "rubbery" plastic which is not as easy to work as the Italeri kits.

That said the horses have bases which make for a sturdier arrangement and there are not as many bits to them which makes life a little easier when producing them in large numbers. They are now off to their new home. I will be painting more wagons and guns for the diorama soon but for now I have a bit of time to tackle some of my own figures. Starting with some sci-fi figures picked up at Salute!

More 1/72nd French Napoleonic Figures

Here are the contents of the Italeri French Napoleonic Supply Wagon set. Moulded in a bright light blue the pieces all fit together beautifully. None of the pieces have bases which may not be sturdy enough for wargamers, but they make a good model. 

This now leaves me with three HaT wagons and the order is complete. They should be finished by the weekend and then, at last, I can get on with some of my own stuff. Most likely starting with some Colonial Campaigns figures.

HaT French Napoleonic Ambulances

In answer to my own question yesterday, this is what you get in a box of HaT Industries French Napoleonic Ambulance's.

Three ambulances with running horses and riders. the plastic is grey and very "rubbery" in comparison to the other plastic figure manufacturers I have come across.

I have completed the next box too, Italeri French Napoleonic Supply Wagon, here is a sneak preview:

If I manage to finish the basing after work they will form a new post tomorrow. That just leaves one more box before I send them off to be included on the Waterloo diorama. Then I can get moving on some of my own stuff and the post-Salute plans of  younger son and I.

Italeri French Guard Horse Arillery

So, what do you get in a box of Italeri plastic Guard Artillery? Quite a lot of pieces actually in a bright blue plastic that goes to make up these:

Two mounted officers, two gun and crews firing and some "bits".

Plus the limber gun and limber crew...made up of thousands of pieces, nearly!

The limber set was made up of lots of bits and the horses do not have bases. It makes for a fiddly hour or so putting it all together and then touching up the paintwork. I am also tackling the Italeri French Supply wagon box - which also has lots of fiddly little bits.

Next up, possibly even tomorrow, is "What do you get in a box of HaT French Ambulance wagons?".

Back in the Saddle

Well I actually had a choice of what to post this evening - all of it is for other people's collections but what the hey! I have decided to go with the Hinton Hunt British Light Dragoons for Ian's Battle of Waterloo game later this year.

11th Light Dragoons from Hinton Hunt

My contribution is now complete - I will leave Ian to preview the "mystery figure" in the batch he sent me. Next up some more plastic figures for the Waterloo diorama and then maybe, just maybe, some colonial figures for my own collection!

Italeri French Guard Artillery a WIP

Incredibly it has been well over a week since Salute. Took my youngest son again who really enjoyed the day out and together we have made plans about our wargaming future. More on this later but we have bought into a rather excellent 15mm Scifi range and rule set amongst other changes.

This is how to dress when confronting the enemy!

However before I can start any of that I really need to finish up on the work I am doing for others. Here are the two mounted officers from the Italeri French Guard Horse Artillery...the guns are done and the glue is drying on the base work. I just need to complete the limber now. 

I have also completed the last six British artillery in addition to the last post. Busy times ahead! I hope to spend some time catching up on everyone else blogs as well and see what I have missed.

Even More British Artillery c.1815

After a good start on the painting front April tailed off a lot and so I am rather pleased to be able to get one more post in.

 More British Waterloo artillery, this time from "House of Campaign". The number of poses is a lot less than the Revell plastics but they look the part.

I have six more guns and crews to finish off and before I  move on to the French, starting with the Italeri French Guard Horse Artillery.

11th Light Dragoon 1815

I have been able to finish one more Hinton Hunt figure, the first of the British 11th Light Dragoons. The remaining five are well on their way now and I should have the full set finished by the end of the week. Or so it says on "The Plan".

Chaaaarge!

I have also been busy with more plastic British artillery for the Waterloo diorama which should be my next post.

Skirmish Line Complete

The 95th are done and the 11th Light Dragoons are started, quite a productive weekend, huzzah!

Pity the Frenchmen who try and take on these chosen men.

Hopefully the horsemen will be finished very soon as I am clearly on a bit of a roll here.

Hinton Hunt British Rifles

Since Ian and Roy decided upon their Waterloo re-fight later this year packets of unpainted Hinton Hunt figures have been flying around the globe. These chaps made it as far as Essex!

A Sharpe looking unit I trust you will agree?

 I have a half dozen more to finish tomorrow before moving on to the British cavalry and a "mystery figure" that will be unveiled on Ian's blog - probably next week. More pictures before the Easter weekend is over.

Second Box of Soldiers Complete!

The second box of Revell British artillery is finished and packed off heading for the Battle of Waterloo diorama. I am now working on some rather lovely Hinton Hunt British for Ian and Roy's Battle of Waterloo re-fight later this year.

 

I plan to get some of my own ACW and Colonial figures painted up before I return to more plastic artillery for the diorama.

Hopefully the Bank Holiday weekend will produce some more pictures.

The American Civil War in 25mm - a WIP

So here are the first figures for my latest 25mm ACW collection. As you can see they have received their base colours, have been gloss varnished for protection and received two coats of Testors Dullcote (the second coat is still a bit wet and tacky in places) and will receive their metallic colours in the next few days.

25mm "Tradition" figures by Mr. Chas C Stadden

I have decided to go with "Fire & Fury" rules again for this collection using a mix of Tradition/Stadden and Hinchliffe figures in tribute to my long lost* 25mm collection of the mid 1980's.

*The friend I gave the figures to believes he may still have them still boxed up after 20 years...so watch this space to see if they turn up again!

Wargaming the War Between the States

 While it may appear quiet on the pages of Waterloo to Mons recently, behind the scenes it has been a different story. Commission work mainly, which will form my next few posts.

The lead pile has continued to decrease in size. However in two notable instances* while I have been able to decide that I will keep collecting, the decision in what scale to proceed with has been problematic. 

 

The American Civil War remains my principle wargaming period. My decision to sell off my Airfix ACW Project last year is just the latest in a string of collections I have built up and then disposed of. The fact that I would start collecting again was never really in doubt but I was torn between two ideas. One is achievable, the other is a little more whimsical. 

 

 

The solution? Well this is the War Between the States and so just this once I will be collecting in two scales. One will be 25mm and intended for "real wargames"; the second a collection that will probably never be complete using vintage 20mm figures. Results coming soon.

*The second is the Franco Prussian War. For this I think I have a more radical solution to the problem-but that is for much later in the year.

One Box of Soldiers Complete!

The first of the two boxes of Revell British Artillery is complete!

I have not had any time to touch my own stuff at the moment but the funds raised are going to a worthy cause...my son put his cricket kit on from last summer. He's grown a lot!

You get a lot of stuff in one box!

Well, I would have either spent the money on toy soldiers or wasted it!

Proof of Life...

I know it has been a while since my last post. I hope to resume to slightly more regular postings in the coming weeks. To be getting on with  here is a work in progress for a commission I am doing for another diorama builder. Revell plastic figures fresh off the production line.

The lead pile has decreased a little in size courtesy of good old ebay; with a little luck (and a bucket more dedication) I can also make some significant reductions in the unpainted Colonial pile. Then I can order the Jacklex limbers I so want to paint up!

Too Tall To Stay

 Having decided to keep on with my 20mm Napoleonic collection using figures from the Newline Designs & RSM95/Pax Britannica ranges I am left with a surplus of 1/72nd scale metal and plastic. They are noticeably taller than the 20mm figures.

 Ok, I could have probably got away with the height disparity but I have decided to keep being ruthless and dispose of these figures too.

Art Miniaturen French Artillery Command c.1812

One day I may revisit 1/72nd scale plastic Napoleonic figures to cover the South American Wars of the early 19th Century. But for now the plastic pile will simply have to go as well.

A Neapolitan General and Hussar - converted figures using Italeri and HaT plastic figures from some years ago.

Happily my next posts will feature the stuff I am keeping!

Saying Goodbye to Duplicates

Incredibly a significant part of the lead pile consists of the same period but in separate scales!

Here are some of the soon-to-be-departed painted up:

Tradition 25mm Crimean War British Artillery - lovely!

 It was very hard to say goodbye to the Tradition 25mm figures Crimean figures - they are such lovely sculpts. I also have this war catered for in 20mm. In the end it came down to the fact I already had more 20mm figures and there are less gaps in that scale.

Battle Honors 25mm Austrian Artillery

I have the 1859 campaign (and a lot of other Continental Wars) in a 15mm lead pile too. Again the figures are first class, but as they have to be bought from the US the import duty alone makes them the less attractive option.

So there you have it, one more small dent in the lead pile!

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!

A Small Start to the New Year

Finally my first post for 2015. Now, like many wargamers/collectors I have a lead mountain. Sometimes I do wonder how I can justify the many tins and boxes of unpainted figures, scenery and flags when really my hobby time is so limited.

1859 Austrian Command: 15mm Mirliton Miniatures

Add the fact that some of them are real gems that really do deserve a little "internet air time". A case in point are these Mirliton 15mm Austrian Command figures from pack "RAC017 Austrian Personalities".

They have been knocking around for a couple of years at least and I have so many more! The Crimean War, American Civil War, Ancient Greeks & Napoleonic Wars to name but a few.

So the plan for 2015 is relatively simple - reduce my unpainted lead footprint. 

Blog posts may be a bit random in their content but (apart from the Sudan project) I reckon I have enough figures to keep me very busy for the next 12 months without the need to add any more.