Assyrian army
Sunday, 28 January 2018
Iris Audrey Young, 15/04/1929 - 28/01/2018
I'm sad to say that my mother died this morning. She had been bed bound for some time and suffered from Alzheimer's disease. She will be sadly missed by her family and friends.
Wednesday, 24 January 2018
1897 Grenadiers
First Grenadier battalion finished and glossed and line battalion glossed.
Meanwhile, I've started the cavalry, plus received the Irregular French/Russians - so quite a lot to carry on with.
Meanwhile, I've started the cavalry, plus received the Irregular French/Russians - so quite a lot to carry on with.
Monday, 22 January 2018
1897 first unit
Based on the figure of the 35th Royal Sussex uniform in Her Majesty's Army, the first unit is completed. Each man represents one of the eight companies of the battalion/regiment. I have made a couple of changes - helmet should be dark blue but I've done it black, uniform should be scarlet but I've used red - didn't have any scarlet paint. I might go over the bayonets with silver to brighten them up a bit and I'm not sure about the effect of the brass buttons on the tunic.The figures have just been sprayed in matt varnish so far - still haven't got any gloss - but then, that should make for better photos anyway!
The book specifies the names of the units that were 'involved' - mostly non-regulars - but in action I'm not going to be pedantic about the Regimental Colours ... 'toy soldiers.' This lot will be changing regiments for just about every battle.
Work in progress include a Guards regiment. I've still got a few more figures on order.
Just before Christmas my Auntie Bettie died - she left me a small legacy so I'm going to be able to complete buying the figures for this project quite quickly. The first result of this has been an order placed for French/Russian armies from Irregular Miniatures - I've ordered one of their Jolly Fun Toy Soldier Battlepacks (can't link directly to the page!) and specified French in kepis with the Russian cavalry as Cossacks! They don't actually have this combination listed but are quite happy to go with customer requests! That order could possibly be in the post today.
So, the first diversion of 2018 is coming along nicely.
Work in progress include a Guards regiment. I've still got a few more figures on order.
Just before Christmas my Auntie Bettie died - she left me a small legacy so I'm going to be able to complete buying the figures for this project quite quickly. The first result of this has been an order placed for French/Russian armies from Irregular Miniatures - I've ordered one of their Jolly Fun Toy Soldier Battlepacks (can't link directly to the page!) and specified French in kepis with the Russian cavalry as Cossacks! They don't actually have this combination listed but are quite happy to go with customer requests! That order could possibly be in the post today.
So, the first diversion of 2018 is coming along nicely.
Tuesday, 16 January 2018
General's chariot finished.
Mostly.
Couple of bits need touching up, needs to be varnished (I ran out of varnish, hence posting now) and based.
Not sure how happy I am with it - chariot scheme not as good as I had hoped plus might have overpainted the general!
Couple of bits need touching up, needs to be varnished (I ran out of varnish, hence posting now) and based.
Not sure how happy I am with it - chariot scheme not as good as I had hoped plus might have overpainted the general!
Monday, 15 January 2018
Warwagons finished
All three - original plus the two new ones - now finished and based.
This just leaves the general's chariot and I'll be free to work on the 1897 project.
Actually, to tell you the truth I've already started on them...
This just leaves the general's chariot and I'll be free to work on the 1897 project.
Actually, to tell you the truth I've already started on them...
Sunday, 14 January 2018
1897 - the sources
The idea of building a Late Victorian army is one I've thought of for a while. Looking at all Ross's blogs helped to keep that thought going and I finally decided to go for it.
Now, I've got quite a few books on the subject, but figures I have all have sun helmets and I wanted home service so I could do a UK v Prussia war. Ross had already convinced me that the way to go would be larger scale toy soldier, 54mm sounded too big and too expensive, so I plumped for 42mm.
Jumping in time - who does the figures? Asked on WD3 and found that Spencer Smith did 42mm 1897 figures! I'd always thought of them as 30mm only! So I went and ordered a load of figures - 24 figures of my initial order duly arrived (nice figures though one head miscast) bought as a Guard regiment and a Line regiment.
At which point I did what I should have done first. Checked sources...
1897 comes from a book 'The Great War in England' by William Le Queux, published in 1894 when Russia and France were the enemies - I'd forgotten that... so forget the Prussians. Must re-read it soon - it's pretty good.
Next, check organisation. 'The British Army' by 'A Lieutenant-Colonel in the British Army', published in 1899.This excellent tome includes such things as a note 'I occurred to the publishers of this work on 'The British Army' that it would be appropriateto bind it in the actual material used for the uniforms of our soldiers in South Africa, etc, known as 'Khaki.' More importantly, it has Knotel colour plates and unit organisations. Which lists a British battalion as having 8 companies, suggesting 8 figure units rather than the 12 figure units I had gone and bought...
Finally, for more uniform details 'Her Majesty's Army' by Walter Richards - from 1888. Must get some of the plates from that on my Pages section!
The French and Russian invaders? Chances are I'll use Irregular Miniatures - French from the Franco-Prussian War, Russians from the Russo-Turkish.
So, that's the plan. So far.
Now, I've got quite a few books on the subject, but figures I have all have sun helmets and I wanted home service so I could do a UK v Prussia war. Ross had already convinced me that the way to go would be larger scale toy soldier, 54mm sounded too big and too expensive, so I plumped for 42mm.
Jumping in time - who does the figures? Asked on WD3 and found that Spencer Smith did 42mm 1897 figures! I'd always thought of them as 30mm only! So I went and ordered a load of figures - 24 figures of my initial order duly arrived (nice figures though one head miscast) bought as a Guard regiment and a Line regiment.
At which point I did what I should have done first. Checked sources...
1897 comes from a book 'The Great War in England' by William Le Queux, published in 1894 when Russia and France were the enemies - I'd forgotten that... so forget the Prussians. Must re-read it soon - it's pretty good.
Next, check organisation. 'The British Army' by 'A Lieutenant-Colonel in the British Army', published in 1899.This excellent tome includes such things as a note 'I occurred to the publishers of this work on 'The British Army' that it would be appropriateto bind it in the actual material used for the uniforms of our soldiers in South Africa, etc, known as 'Khaki.' More importantly, it has Knotel colour plates and unit organisations. Which lists a British battalion as having 8 companies, suggesting 8 figure units rather than the 12 figure units I had gone and bought...
Finally, for more uniform details 'Her Majesty's Army' by Walter Richards - from 1888. Must get some of the plates from that on my Pages section!
The French and Russian invaders? Chances are I'll use Irregular Miniatures - French from the Franco-Prussian War, Russians from the Russo-Turkish.
So, that's the plan. So far.
Saturday, 13 January 2018
1897 - a new project
Nearly finished the current batch - warwagons painted and varnished, just not based, King's chariot getting there. So, time for a distraction... just bought some 42mm 1898 British from Spencer Smith and intend to start them once the chariot is finished...
I blame Ross.
I blame Ross.
Wednesday, 10 January 2018
Friday, 5 January 2018
Some Japanese tanks
Back around 1965 I had masses and masses of Airfix Japanese infantry. This was before Airfix released their Type 97 so tank support back then consisted of Bren carriers with a turret! These are long gone. I think it was in the 80s/early 90s when I got back to the Japanese. Due to my finances at the time I couldn't afford much in the way of metal tanks, so got a few plastic mediums and scratch built the lights from balsa - and I've just come across some of them...
Plastic Type 97 - probably Airfix? Not sure any more!
These two are not Airfix - can't remember the make any more. Well, it was quite a while ago. Type 1 Chi-He tank and Type 1 Ho-Ne tank destroyer.
Some balsa Type 97s. The front tank was the prototype, ones behind were the slightly simpler mass produced version - had about 7 or 8 at one time. Wargames purposes only so running gear is just paint!
The only Type 95 I produced. This was towards the end of my involvement in the project so I didn't get round to painting the running gear.
I've also come across a few of the artillery pieces I did - I'll try and get them on the blog over the next couple of days.
Plastic Type 97 - probably Airfix? Not sure any more!
These two are not Airfix - can't remember the make any more. Well, it was quite a while ago. Type 1 Chi-He tank and Type 1 Ho-Ne tank destroyer.
Some balsa Type 97s. The front tank was the prototype, ones behind were the slightly simpler mass produced version - had about 7 or 8 at one time. Wargames purposes only so running gear is just paint!
The only Type 95 I produced. This was towards the end of my involvement in the project so I didn't get round to painting the running gear.
I've also come across a few of the artillery pieces I did - I'll try and get them on the blog over the next couple of days.
Tuesday, 2 January 2018
Last year, this year
I have what can best be described as a grasshopper mind when it comes to wargaming. I go on projects, I go off projects, I get distracted...
So what happened last year, and how do I 'plan' this year to go....
Well firstly Newhaven didn't do well last year. For various reasons I didn't assemble a single building or paint a single citizen/monster. Newhaven is meant to be one of my summer projects, this summer I got distracted... must do more Newhaven this year!
As far as Ancients go, these days these can nearly always be split easily into 'Garrison' or 'Minifigs'. Minifigs, quite a few things. Firstly, got a DBA Philistine army done, then acquired enough figures to expand that - haven't started the expansion, but will 'probably' do part of it this year. The Egyptians were finished, then I bought more, still got a few units to finish off on this expanded force - my original intention was 4 Divisions, 2 Garrison, 2 Minifigs, I've actually got 4 good sized Minifigs Divisions alone. As the Assyrian army was also 'just about' finished this year, Minifigs 'S' Range may be about getting both these armies completely signed off this year.
2017 really turned out to be the year of Garrison.
A few new moulds and suddenly I'm on a new frenzy...
Even started the Roman army I've been meaning to do for 10+ years - though of course I got distracted after two and a half units - so one 2018 project has to involve these.
Converting Garrison Greek cavalry into infantry gave me a good source of late Greek hoplites, plus lots of early Funken - style Persians and suddenly I'm converting camels, chariots and warwagons as DBA Greek and Persian armies start coming off the assembly line! That lot should keep me going for another month or two. I've taken the opportunity to start expanding later Egyptians, perhaps I'll also look at my Garrison Assyrians as well.
Other possibilities? Sorting out Garrison and Minifigs PB Macedonians are obvious contenders. Another big project would be PB Indians - when I bought Harry's Indian army we cut a deal in which he threw in an extra 50-60 infantry and some cavalry figures. Harry can't count - there were 2-300 infantry figures... so could take a while. Plus, need to start painting some of the Vanha units I cast from the new moulds - especially a swordsman unit or two.
So, 2018 could be a pretty full year. Of course, that lot above doesn't allow for any 'distractions'. Finally, must try to post more often - my post count was quite a bit down in 2017.
So what happened last year, and how do I 'plan' this year to go....
Well firstly Newhaven didn't do well last year. For various reasons I didn't assemble a single building or paint a single citizen/monster. Newhaven is meant to be one of my summer projects, this summer I got distracted... must do more Newhaven this year!
As far as Ancients go, these days these can nearly always be split easily into 'Garrison' or 'Minifigs'. Minifigs, quite a few things. Firstly, got a DBA Philistine army done, then acquired enough figures to expand that - haven't started the expansion, but will 'probably' do part of it this year. The Egyptians were finished, then I bought more, still got a few units to finish off on this expanded force - my original intention was 4 Divisions, 2 Garrison, 2 Minifigs, I've actually got 4 good sized Minifigs Divisions alone. As the Assyrian army was also 'just about' finished this year, Minifigs 'S' Range may be about getting both these armies completely signed off this year.
2017 really turned out to be the year of Garrison.
A few new moulds and suddenly I'm on a new frenzy...
Even started the Roman army I've been meaning to do for 10+ years - though of course I got distracted after two and a half units - so one 2018 project has to involve these.
Converting Garrison Greek cavalry into infantry gave me a good source of late Greek hoplites, plus lots of early Funken - style Persians and suddenly I'm converting camels, chariots and warwagons as DBA Greek and Persian armies start coming off the assembly line! That lot should keep me going for another month or two. I've taken the opportunity to start expanding later Egyptians, perhaps I'll also look at my Garrison Assyrians as well.
Other possibilities? Sorting out Garrison and Minifigs PB Macedonians are obvious contenders. Another big project would be PB Indians - when I bought Harry's Indian army we cut a deal in which he threw in an extra 50-60 infantry and some cavalry figures. Harry can't count - there were 2-300 infantry figures... so could take a while. Plus, need to start painting some of the Vanha units I cast from the new moulds - especially a swordsman unit or two.
So, 2018 could be a pretty full year. Of course, that lot above doesn't allow for any 'distractions'. Finally, must try to post more often - my post count was quite a bit down in 2017.
Monday, 1 January 2018
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