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!