Finished! 10th Hussars, 1815

Finally got done with my Hussar, and have to say, I'm really proud of it.

At first I was a tad disappointed with the Perry plastics because I felt that the details werent deep enough, and there were cases of some details being blended with other details. Its certainly not computer-designed laser-etched plastics like from the Plastic Soldier Company guys, but you can tell that the original master sculpt was hand sculpted, and not computer sculpted. For that, I think I can definitely appreciate the work that went into this, and considering the Perry twins were basically the one of the original sculptors for Games Workshop, have to say, I'm not let down, and the "old school" nature of the model really fits with the napoleonic feel.

I'm still getting used to the macro settings on this phone camera, and seeing as it has better resolution than my old camera from 4 years ago... would rather use this. Sorry if its a bit blurry, been trying to get as close as possible to show the details.

WIP - 10th Hussars

Well, decided to start on this new project of using the Perry Miniatures' British Hussars box set. I don't really play games anymore in 28mm - as I find it horribly tedious to have to paint (for example) 36 soldiers at display quality to represent a single battalion of 600 or so men. On the other hand, I do find the prospect of painting 36 10mm figures at a high standard and use that to game instead. I suppose it has to do with the idea and my general dislike of WH40K tank sitting 12 inchies from each other, "maneuvering" and doing "sweeping flanking attacks" by moving 4 inches to shoot each other to pieces.

I do rather prefer the scale of battle at 15mm... although it does feel like the Flames of War battlefield is still too small.

So, my project involving these 28mm Hussars is not to paint them up or use them as game pieces, but to paint each trooper in different regimental colors, so that each trooper represents a different Hussar regiment. I find that oddly appealing, but also makes for an interesting display piece!

So, this is Day 1, with 4 hours worth of work put in so far:

'Utrinque Paratus'

I find myself with a quiet Sunday and thought that I would take this opportunity to introduce the first of my three projects.

Leon got me into Flames of War last summer and since then I have collected enough models to field a decent sized army of the stubborn buggers. I haven't really made any concerted effort to get them all painted however so hopefully this blog will give me the kick up the ass that I need!

I do not currently live in the UK which means that getting hold of models can be a bit tricky to say the least. I'll tend to 'stock up' on models and then paint them over time before my next trip back to Blighty allows me the opportunity to pick some more up.

The general idea is to model an army based on Operation Market Garden, and hopefully in the not-too-distant future take on Leon's Germans.

Below is a shot of what I have so far.

1 Para Company
1 Para Mortar Platoon
Some Para Snipers
1 Para Machine-gun Platoon
4 Para Pioneer Squads
1 Airborne Assault Squad
4 6pdr Guns
2 17pdr Guns
4 M1A1 75mm Howitzers
2 Cut-down 15cwt trucks
4 Para Jeeps
Lieutenant-Colonel Frost and an assortment of officers
I also have a Sherman Armoured Platoon (Not technically available to Paras)

I painted up a couple of test bases to work out an easy but effective colour scheme (I posted the images of these in my last blog so will not re-post them here). I was very happy with the look of the models but did not like the bases at all. I then got going on my 75mm Howitzer teams. This time I used the plastic rural bases that Battlefront do. They needed a little work as the bases were not designed for the older Para models (at least I think that this is the case). I am very happy with the final results. I'll put a step-by-step guide up in the near future.

Next up is to do a full platoon of regular Paras and re-base my test models. Plenty still to do!

"Believe me, nothing except a battle lost can be half as melancholy as a battle won."

The Duke of Wellington

The future of my Nappies....

Warning: May include rambling

Been in a bit of a pickle this week.

Was working on my napoleonics... but there's just something that I'm not really happy with.

The problem is that my napoleonics come in 6mm. They are *TINY*, and not to mention so incredibly fragile, especially their bayonets. The other problem is that because they're so small, there's only so much detail you can add. They do look great when put together with other unitrs though.

Looks great en masse - French infantry division

Looks good - Flanqueurs brigade

Hmm...... Guard infantry battalion

Meh....

I love how they look en masse, it really looks amazing. Hell even a base by itself looks amazing.

The huge problem really, is that to get a single base done, it actually takes me an entire day of painting. So.... about 6-7 hours. Its painstakingly tedious and very tiring due to the tiny size of it, and because individually the stands dont really look like anything when you're painting them from close up, it not only feels like you're getting nowhere, but as if your efforts are for nothing, but it doesnt look like anything. Makes me wonder while im painting "why am I doing this, it doesnt look like anything".

Unfortunately, that seems to launch a miniature painter's depression as I quickly lose both willpower and steam to continue. It also doesnt help that I have piles and piles of these miniatures in bags that I bought last year. I had hoped to finish painting at least 2 corps, but I've only succeeded in meeting that objective half way.


And so, I've decided to give 10mm scale napoleonics a go. Moving from 6mm to 10mm would mean that I'd have more details to paint, and would make painting fun. I absolutely love painting 15mm, and so I think the potential for 10mm should be great, and at the same time, it would succeed in having that "en masse" feel that I love about these napoleonics I've painted in 6mm.

I love the end result of the 6mm napoleonics I've painted - but I've grown to hate the path to it.

Any thoughts?



On another note, I've finished up some half-tracks I've been wanting to finish for a long time for Flames of War. These are actually plastics from Pastic Soldier Company.

The scale of the models fits the Battlefront models near perfectly, and the crispness of the plastics makes sure the details are very visible.

This is the gepanzerte armored platoon - consisting of a command sd.kfz 251, two mortar-carriers and two with 7.5cm guns.

Sound the advance!

Huzzah! And we are off! This blog is a first for me as I have never attempted anything like it before. I loved following Leon on his first blog and wanted in. Leon and I go way back. In fact his Space Marines stomped all over my Praetorian Guard in my first real game of 40k back in the day (honour was quickly restored when my Orlock gang ambushed and badly shot up his Delaques in our first game of Necromunda). Since then we have grown up (sort of) and although I still dabble in a bit of 40k, our interests have broadened with Historical Wargaming taking center stage.

Wargaming may be a bit of an overstatement as I haven't yet played any games and one of the main reasons for this blog is to get my projects done and on the tabletop. Knowing that Leon and others will be reading through progress will provide all the hobby momentum that I need!

Unfortunately as Leon has mentioned, we live on opposite sides of the world and it is not looking like this will be changing anytime soon. I am hoping to challenge him to a game of Flames of War sometime in the future which will allow us the possibility of getting a battle report on here. Most of what I post will be painted figures, ramblings about painting, building gaming tables, reviews of modelling supplies and a general report on what I've been up to.

That said I am a bit of a hobby butterfly and tend to flirt between several projects at any one time. This means that if I get bored of painting one thing I can move on to something different before returning a few weeks later. I find this keeps my enthusiasm up and I enjoy my painting more.

I currently have three projects on the go. I'll go into more detail about these in the future but I'll briefly introduce them here and include pictures of the first test models completed for each. The first of these is a British Para Company for Flames of War based on the Market Garden Campaign.

Secondly I have a Vostroyan Imperial Guard army for 40k on the go. Say what you want about GW I still think that they have created one of the richest Sci-fi universes there is and they are still world leaders in the production of miniatures!

Lastly is the project that I am most excited about. My 28mm British and French (Napoleonic) Peninsular War armies. The following is my first test base of the 1/88th Connaught Rangers (The Devil's Own).

There you have it. I'll delve into each of the three projects in turn and explain 'the plan', outline paint schemes and review models as we go.

"In war there is but one favourable moment; the great art is to seize it!"

Napoleon Bonaparte

And here we are for more!

Huzzah! New blog - and this time partnering up with an old friend of mine. Long are the days of blog posting with poorly taken blurry photos of olde.... or so I hope. My current phone/camera seems to do quite fine.

We actually decided to start up this blog as a means to exchange ideas, and keep both of us up to date with our projects. Seeing as we live practically on the other side of the planet, talking to him is damn near impossible : /

I should mention there be some friendly rivalry going on too. Damn you Ed for making me jealous with your Space Wolves back in the day!

For those thare are familiar with my work, sorry, there'll be some old stuff showing up again, but this time from different angles and new images. In its own selfish way, its for me to keep myself interested in the hobby without burning myself out.

I think "Painter's Depression" is a very real thing to many miniature painters, and once you're in that phase and you get used to *not* painting, motivating to get back into the hobby is quite difficult. I've noticed this especially when I paint too much of the same things for too long, or I start painting 6mm for too long.

Panzer IV J

So cute!

Panzer IV J roaming a freshly unboxed forest

My recently painted Panzer IV J platoon from Battlefront for the Flames of War ruleset was just a pure joy. Aside from the basecoating of the dunkelgelb. That's never fun, but the model as a whole was amazing. Perfect cast, none of the old metal track's flash and bad casting that would make the model lopsided. The plastic sprues that are now included in the Panzer IV J box really raises the bar for 15mm wargaming models. Hell, I almost feel like this is more like a model, rather than a wargame miniature.