Zulu Riflemen rebased

Just to finish off the month some Zulu Rifles that I have rebased to the 1-2-3 style.

Having tried this for my Nine Years War French for Pikeman's Lament and liked it for skirmish units, so I though I'd use it for these Zulus who were beginning to fall off their old bases.

Changing of the Guard

Time to retire my old long serving Les Higgins Guard Lancers and replace them with new Zvezda figures


Polish Lancers


Dutch Lancers



My old figures


Not yet decided how to dispose of the old figures, maybe put them on ebay.



The old Les Higgins Lancers have now found a new home.

Latest acquisitions

Thought it was about time to replenish the reading and painting stashes


If the reading doesn't indicate my next direction then the figures will.

My plans for these are

• The Spanish infantry and sampler, together with earlier purchases will provide me with enough figures to complete a Spanish infantry brigade
• The Andalusian infantry will provide some skirmishers for my Crusades forces
• 1805 French will put my Revolutionary French back in balance with the Austrians
• The Zvezda WW2 British will hopefully provide enough together with my others I have acquired to create a platoon plus some supports for the BEF in 1940. (Yes, I know I said I would try and not work on WW2 this year, I'm just getting ready for next year!)

Of course the Roundway Down and British Army of 1801 books my give me other ideas.

Winter Werfers

A couple of Nebelwerfers that have been lurking at the back of the painting tray finally got finished.

I had debated for a while getting the Italeri Nebelwerfer set, whenever I saw it on B&Bs, but the prices were never tempting enough. While sorting thought some figures donated by Peter B I came across a similar set, but in metal. These were painted up and then combined with a pair of Werfers that had come with some die-casts. These were fixed in the towed position so some careful cutting and glueing was needed to change them over.

French Foreign Legion

But not the usual, these are painted for the period 1908 to 1920 for the Rif Wars. The figures are the new ones from Strelets for the period and they come with a very nice Hotchkiss machine gun.

A close up of some of the figures.


The desert patrol set has been altered so the Legionnaires are more correctly mounted on mules, with the officer on a horse.

Performance against plan end of Q3

The cumulative Q3 painting total is 1,580 items, and in Q3 itself it was 413, which is some improvement on the Q2 total of only 357. Obviously my medical problems had an effect, but hopefully now it's out of the way I can get on with more painting, providing I don't get distracted by Household tasks.

Year to date progress is made up of

AWI	671
Revolution	318
Colonial	137
WSS/9YW	133
Napoleonic	99
WW2	92
SYW	81
ACW	36
Terrain	10
WW1	3

Progress against plan

• Continue tricorne rebasing (just AWI now) plus extra/replacement cavalry units - all done, the AWI American Command stands have been finished
• Medieval – More WOTR longbow/bill units, mounted archers, cavalry, Scottish cavalry , extra Crusader foot - not started
• Renaissance – Russian Stoldatski, etc. using up the Strelets bonus figures plus Galleys - not started, although I have managed to swap some to make up suitable units
• Revolution – doubling up my French and British forces in Egypt. One Additional Austrian line unit plus another in Austrian style uniform (Baden?), Maybe replace Springwood grenadiers?. - French and British complete, plus some unanticipated work on my Mameluke army
• Napoleonic – work on the Spanish, continue the cavalry, acquire more early infantry, Tidy up French artillery, especially limbers, Pavlov Grenadiers - underway "French" artillery has been tidied up and the Pavlovs painted.
• WW2 – bits and pieces (I'll try to avoid buying more), but I will buy and work on some Free French for Bir Hacheim - Free French completed, Various oddments lurking at the back of the painting area.
• Interwar - Rifs and more French Foreign Legion - underway, the Rifs/Bedouins are completed only the Legion to do!
• SYW – Hanoverian Infantry Brigade, more (French?) Cavalry, British guns - underway, Hanoverians completed, others still to do
• WW1 – increase/rebase British - not yet started
• WSS – French Infantry (Mars)- completed
• 28mm – “skirmishing” WSS figures to provide some opposition for my pirates - figures completed along with some artillery to accompany them. I've also acquired some cavalry to provide more options
• Terrain – more buildings, wadis, vines, etc- not yet started, the only "terrain" worked on was some movement bases

On the workbench - October 2019

Well September was a short month as once I was allowed to fly I went off to the Italian Lakes for a well deserved break. So I only just arrived back in time to finish my Bedouins and Mamelukes. So It's back to "normality" and I hope to work on

• Strelets French Foreign Legion as a khaki version - already underway
• Two units of Zvezda French Guard Lancers - these will replace my old Les Higgins versions
• Two units of French Guard Lancers
• Four units of Napoleonic French Hussars
• Two units of Napoleonic Spanish Cavalry (using Esci Prussian Cuirassiers)
• One unit of Spanish Hussars
• If time permits, start on the Napoleonic Spanish infantry

A Mameluke horde

A lot of painting plus rebasing to get a better army organised to face the French in Egypt. It's a mix of various Strelets Mameluke and Bashi-Bazouk sets to create a consistent force to oppose my French in Egypt or Syria.


Cavalry, the skirmishers are rebased Bashi-Bazouks plus a couple of Mamelukes based so they can be either open or close order

More cavalry, the back ranks are all Bashi-Bazouks that fit in well with the Mamelukes


The infantry, all Strelets Bashi-Bazouks on foot. Not quite a complete set as I've kept some to create a skirmish unit


As before, poor light and new camera have affected the picture quality.

Archduke Piccolo, I hope you like the Bashis