New Year's Resolution

I have been a bit of a Hobby Butterfly over the last few years...

With my time spread over a series of projects progress in any remains slow. When I line all the models painted up over the last year the result is quite substantial but I'm still far from getting any actual gaming in. My other major problem is that it would seem GW owns my soul!

Now I still stand by the fact that GW make some incredible models but it is the grim dark background of the 40k universe that really has me hooked. I could think of five or six armies that I would happily collect had I the time and the money to spend on them. So in an effort to get my grim dark fix and also get some actual gaming in I have returned to an old love of mine...

I don't think I have ever had as much fun as when I began playing Necromunda with Leon all those years ago. It makes sense to me. I get to convert and paint up a small number of models, I already have two opponents lined up and a small 4x4 table is all I can fit in the house right now. Ironically since GW no longer support the specialist game range all the rules are free along with all the published material from over a decade of war in the underhive.

I have opted to go for a Scavvy gang as I like the idea of the dregs of society fighting back all be it with some pretty shoddy wargear! The gang also gives me lots of conversion options. I have ordered enough bits to get my gang on the table.

Talking of the table this will allow me to build some terrain for the first time in years. I have ordered the following to start me off but from then on it will all be scratch built. The set reminds me of the old card terrain that used to come in the box but is more detailed and robust whilst still maintaining that multi-level feel. I'll update this blog with progress as my bid to control the underhive commences.

With this in mind 40k will take a back seat. I still have a few images of my Orks and Vostroyans that will feature but no longer will this be my focus. Instead I want to get more of my Napoleonics done. I have been inspired by Leon's 10mm project and impressed with the speed that he is getting models on the table. I have also been reading Bernard Cornwall's Waterloo which gives a great account of the series of battles that culminated in Napoleon's final defeat. My own 28mm British and French Peninsular armies have been stuck in shipping but have now arrived. Currently on my table are two French Foot guns and a British and a French Colonel.

 Work in progress. I now only have the two guns to complete but I'm still not sure as the best way to base them...

That means that I now have two battalions of redcoats to complete and a British Gun before I run out of models to paint. My New Year's Resolution is to get all of these finished before July. In July I will be back in Cornwall where I have a French infantry battalion, a squadron of dragoons and a small group of Spanish guerrillas waiting for me. 

So expect a lot more Napoleonics and Necromunda in the New Year!

Christmas update: Part 2 - French Additions

Part Deux of my Christmas update, this time showcasing the progress I've made with the French. I wrote in a previous post about adding some Elite Infantry units that had a mix match of great coats. I decided to test that out with a Legere unit. I know I know, I vowed to stop painting these because I have far too many unique snowflake units. Buuuuuuuuuuut.... I will be adding two battalions of Elite Line infantry so.... that make's up for it. Yup.

Excuses, I know.

I've seen several people go for the Swiss or the converged Grenadier battalions for their elite, but I wanted something more... campaign worn. Dirty, ragged, and definitely veterans from several seasons of campaigning. These would not only look different from the general mass, but would also *feel* different. To make them even more unique snowflakey than they already are, I went ahead and decided to perfect the arts of finicky 10mm conversion.

What's that you may ask?

Well, making the standing chasseurs kneel, of course.

True, this is quite finicky, as it involves clipping the left leg (front leg) at the groin, and the right leg at the knee, and then glueing them back. I did manage to "perfect" this however. For the front leg, one will want to shave the top of the knee ever so slightly so that it fits right under the elbow (like a proper modern kneeling firing position). Add green stuff to close the gaps and model the thigh. You don't need to be super good at the detail work (I sure am not) as you can "fake it" by painting shadows. Besides, once you start adding flock, you wont notice the imperfection. One will also want to place the right leg so that it forms about a 90 degree angle with the front leg. Thats the best way to do it without it feeling wierd. Apply painting to again, fool the eyes.

The end result? Looks damn good, especially when you start mixing models together.

Obligatory image that highlights my handpainted flag I am proud of.

Kneeling troops, someone wearing shako covers, other wearing great coats, its different enough that it makes up for the lack of poses. I can't even complain, these look so good put together.

While I do intend on having my Line battalion being formed up in close order, these ones represent veteran/elite light infantry (if you squint close enough you'll even make out the "9" on the flag, as it's meant to be the 9e Regiment d'Infanterie Legere, "Incomparable"). I also decided to go with 24 mixed models, rather than my customary 32 to represent either a broken firing line (fire fight), or to represent skirmishing troops. I'll just declare at the beginning of the game which formation they'll be in.

Adding to the collection... much needed GENERALS!

Sure, they're from Magister Militum due to lack of figures from Pendraken, and yes, I'm not a huge fan of bizarrely proportioned horses from MM, the generals came out quite OK. I decided to make two General de Brigade (one infantry, one cavalry), and one General de Division with his staff. 

Mucho pictures below, so feel free to view them at your leisure and don't be afraid to write a comment :)

And I think that's it for this year 2014. Quite productive, and hopefully 2015 will be as well.

See you next year!

Christmas update: Ze Austrians Arrive!

Phew, this has been several weeks work of almost non-stop frenzied painting! That said, despite it being the Christmas holidays, I still need to be working, and so as such I got less done that I wanted. No matter, the good news: Pendraken stuff arrived, and I got to paint more new soldiers! Woo Woo.

So without further ado, I must make the announcement that the Austrians are arriving to my tabletop collection! 

Austrian contingent in its current form

Oh these guys are nifty, and once again, Pendraken models REALLY do stand out with their high detail. I had mentioned in the previous blog post about how I was very so-so about Magister Militum's miniatures, and how I was disappointed that the Voltigeurs were not up to the standard of the MM's Jaegers. I still hold that believe, and after painting these Jaegers, I feel it more so. Though I do wonder how Pendraken's Jaegers would compare? I love the Pendraken sculpts oh so much, and for me they are hands down the reference for 10mm scale miniatures, but sadly.... they are a bit lacking in their variety of poses, a common complaint of mine.

 These Jaegers are totally cool though, and I based them in a skirmishing "irregular" formation (if following Lasalle rules).

Next up were the regular infantry, though I do now regret going 'Hungarian' Austrians, as I do have a Grenz regiment to paint as well, I think I should've gone for the full white 'German' Austrian regiments instead for the ease of painting. I had afterall, decided to go with Austria as a change of pace from a rather tedious experience with the French Legere. Sadly, painting 48 Austrians sort of hit that "tedious" level too. And the hand painted flag. Not. Doing. That. Again. Still, I think the effort was worth it.

Austrian Hussars... hands down the most beautiful of Pendraken miniatures, but also the most colorful in terms of regiments. I held no punches and went with this regimental color scheme which I am incredibly proud of. You could also perhaps note that after my "Never Again" experience with the Austrian flag, I decided to simplify it. I think it turned out okay, and the quality of the cast (once again) makes the regiment that much more alive on the table. What a beauty.

I am cutting this post short in order to split up my work, which also includes French troops, and thus... that's it for now for the Austrians!

I do have some Grenz that need painting, some Uhlans and another battalion of infantry. I'm not even sure when I have the time for that, as I'm literally over-booked until March... we'll see if I can squeeze in some projects during the week nights....

Arrival of Magister Militum order.... and putting them aside.

Well, my Magister Militum arrived for my napoleonics, following my initial order of Austrian Jaegers that arrived several weeks ago.

And the verdict is....

I don't like the figures for the French.


While I do appreciate the variety in poses that you get in the Magister Militum packs... the sheer lack of detail or should I say, the shallowness of the recesses in the details makes it so that painting them is an absolute pain. Its to the point that it reminds me of painting 6mm figures, with the time it takes to paint 10mm. Maybe my painting technique is off, it could be quite possible.

Regarding the sculpts, like mentioned above, I like the variety in poses. Its a bit too bad that they're skinny compared to the Pendraken sculpts, and regarding cavalry, the proportions of the horse's head compared to the legs are just... wierd. Feels like monstrously gigantic heads compared to really skinny legs, which is a huge minus.

This was a bit of a surprise as I had expected something closer to the my Austrian Jaegers I had bought from MM, which I felt had the detail and the variety of poses I was looking for, and being a bit 'beefier' to be comparable to Pendraken.

I guess the Napoleonic French line of MM is just an older line and the master mould is getting tired.

I'll be setting aside my MM infantry for now, and focus on painting up the generals and fill in the gaps of my Pendraken collection. It's just too bad that Pendraken has a fairly long delay for the orders to be shipped, but looking at how its expanding steadily, I can't fault them and honestly, having painted 6 battalions worth of infantry and 5 regiments of cavalry... the wait is worth it, as the quality is really top notch for 10mm.

You just have to make sure to plan your projects well in advance.



In other news, experimenting with MM infantry has led me to the discovery of French Infanterie Legere blue - a tone of blue that has been elusive and eluding me for quite some time.

I've been base-coatinng my french infantry with Kantor Blue, followed by highlights with Alaitoc Blue. The Legere's blue is infact the Alaitoc Blue with a Nuln Oil wash applied over, with a slight highlight of Aloitoc blue. So I'll be doing that for my next batch of Legeres... of which I keep a bad habit of wanting to paint despite trying to force myself not to.

Well, my next batch of Legere will just be one single battalion for the "Elite Infantry Brigade" project.

I think my Voltigeurs from MM I'll be donating that to my gaming partner who's also been itching to start Napoleonics - as I wont be using them. I might also donate my Eclaireurs de la Garde pack as well - I'm just not a fan of the MM sculpts, and would rather the Pendraken ones.

Sd.Kfz 234s

Small little beauties I painted about a month ago, which I had totally taken close up pictures of.

These are one of my most favorite units in the war, and if anything, I believe we still see the influence of armored recon cars like these in modern armies, certainly in European armies. The modern German Fuchs armored car is basically a modernized 234/1.

Even the 234/4 with a 75mm has a modern impact - case in point the French armored cars in the modern army. The ERC-90 "Sagaie" with its 90mm gun, and the AMX-10RC with its 105mm main gun stand to prove that armored "cars" with large guns still play an important role. And if anything, combat performance of both the ERC-90 and the AMX-10RC in Africa has been stellar.

For the actual color scheme, I went with a different green and brown than what I have used normally in previous paint jobs for Flames of War. This time around, I went with more muted down colors. The "dunkelgelb" is basically Citadel Kommando Khaki washed down, and Doombull Brown as the brown/red and Deathworld Forest green. The green doesnt really show up much, but with the wash they clearly stand out, and it really fits a more "Late-1945" theme as opposed to my previous paint work.

The images above show one patrol, of which I have two. I love them to bits, and the 234/4 in Flames of War is certainly not something to underestimate.

French army juuuuust about finished

Good news everyone! I have fixed the poison slime pipes almost finished my French army for Lasalle.

My core division is now done with 6 battalions (3 Ligne and 3 Legere), and a light cavalry brigade (2 chasseurs-a-cheval and 2 hussards). This has allowed me to begin working on my next army - the Austrians, an Avant-Garde division to be precise.

Current state of the army

Light Cavalry Brigade on the left, Core Infantry Division on the right

The two Chasseurs-a-Cheval regiments I'm really happy how they turned out. I was debating on which colors to use for the facing, and after much debating on between red, orange and yellow, I settled for orange and red. I think the regiment with orange facings really look totally cool. I think the red made it a bit generic, but still, I think they'd totally fit right in my army too.

I also finished off the 3rd battalion of the line infantry (though I may have the battalion flag colors... wrong? Was the third battalion flag red, or blue? Such things I probably should've researched more). Also finished up the second battalion of my light infantry regiment, as I prefered how the colors look, compared to the first iteration of the color scheme which I felt was a bit too dark. Ended up giving the second battalion a little more "old school" pre-1805 style etendard.

Chassuers-a-Chevals

Legere battalion 1 and 2

All in all, I'm mighty proud I started a 10mm napoleonics project. I was really uncertain earlier on how it would size up and look, and in the end, I think it adequately give a 'massed' feel. I also concluded that I wont be doing anymore Legere like I did using mixed figures in a "engaging formed line". The white piping on the boots and all those extra details felt absolutely tedious as hell, and was not fun at all. Besides, I think my current 1 Line to 1 Legere ratio is a bit too much, and I'll be trying to go for a 3:1 ration from now onwards. Legere regiments were less common after all.

Core Infantry Division

Light Cavalry Brigade. Dragoons aren't pard of this brigade, but I wanted to paint them up anyways

I still haven't painted any generals, as I'm waiting the arrival of the ADC (Adjudant-Chefs Aide-de-Camps) pack from Magister Militum as well as excellent bases from Renedra (http://renedra.co.uk/ - seriously check those guys out for cheap and excellent plastic bases in all formats). That way with some ADCs, I can have a nice diorama style General de Division, and brigade generals from appropriate branches (cavalry general, infantry general). As I'm also working on some of my own rulesets that is more about leadership and command & control, having additional aides and generic ADCs would be excellent as well to have around. My generals will be based on circular bases, 20mm and 30mm if I remember correctly what I ordered.

I also have some more French infantry (Pendraken) and voltigeurs (Magister Militum) that will be arriving - those will be painted up and put into an Elite Infantry Brigade. I plan on using mixed miniatures of the line and line in greatcoats to make a proper rag tag group of veteran soldiers, probably of the 57e Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne, and use the voltigeurs pack as the 9e Legere in irregular/skirmishing formation. After purchasing Austrian Jaegers from Magister Militum, I think I prefer the more varied poses in their skirmishers.

I also have a regiment of the Eclaireurs-de-la-Garde-Imperiale arriving from Magister Militum, but thats more of a non-army list related project. I've always been interested about that regiment, and of course, I love variation and unique snowflake units.

For my Austrians... I derped and did not take them with me to take pictures, but I'll post some pictures when I'm done with them. Suffice to say, they're looking pretty good. I'll see about getting some pictures tomorrow.

Also have some pictures of my finished Flames of War German armored cars, but that'll be in a different blog entry for the sake of organization.

Quick update on this week's progress

A little update on my work so far from my week-long holiday (until this Thursday 20/11) -
Finished one line infantry battalion. Finished one line Chasseurs-a-Cheval regiment. Second regiment is being undercoated as we speak - and I should be finished with it tomorrow evening I think.

So thats like what, 3 regiment/battalions (ie 12 bases) in a week? Quite productive I'd say! During my work schedule, I was fitting in maybe one infantry battalion (4 bases) per week! Though I do have to admit, I can't bring myself to do French infantry back to back. It's just too tedious and mind numbing in a way - so I'll be working on my last and final french infantry (legere) battalion this coming weekend, before switching to work on Austrians.

That said. . . . my magister militum order for French generals arrived! Woo! Though... I expected a little more variety in the French generals pack. It's a 12-model pack, but come in two poses of six each. They are I suppose meant to be division and corps-level generals so I'm okay with that. I ordered an Aide-de-Camps pack to spice things up and to give me brigade level generals for my armies and my upcoming ruleset (which I really need to work on, instead of painting....).

I think I'll be using spare cavalry and officer models as well as ADCs in various colorful uniforms. But I'll keep those for a rainy day when I don't feel like painting the same camo, oops, uniform color (too much Flames of War!) over and over. I noticed that having one-off general/hero models brings back the desire to paint when suffering from a mild burnout. Painting an entire battalion or platoon of tanks when suffering from a mild burn out just makes it worse - but painting a unit of two recon cars, or a single hero figure makes painting fun again.

Anyhow, pics of my progress! They haven't been based because that can wait. I just want to get painting done.

I really enjoy hand painting flags now. And painting the trumpeteer was just fun.

I was a bit apprehensive of going orange at first, but I'm really happy with how it turned out. You can really feel that effect of massed infantry too. I love it.