Review of 2022 - part 2 painting breakdown

Painting output was 1,206 items, which dramatically lower than the 2,236 last year, but does contain significantly less rework. There was also quite a bit of work behind the scenes sorting out my printing problems, but overall I felt that I achieved far less than I should have. Now breaking it all down.

Period		Notes
WW2	581	Plenty of Resin tanks and vehicles, but especially French and Japanese. Then yet more German infantry as if I didn't have enough but also more Australian, Italians and DAK for the desert.
WSS	204	British and French Horse and Dragoons
Revolution	122	Cisalpine infantry and more French infantry for Egypt 1800 along with limbers
Napoleonic	100	Spanish Cavalry and Limbers, reworked Austrian Artillery plus French engineers
SYW	90	Jacobite and British Cavalry for the "45"
Medieval	51	Crusader baggage and Saracen light horse
WW1	24	A French field kitchen feeding poilus, a pair of Lanchester armoured cars and two replacement Austin hulls
ACW	14	28mm Wild West Lawmen and Outlaws<
Colonial	12	Boer pom-poms and crews
Grand Total	1,206

Type		Notes
Infantry	433	Mostly WW2, plus French in Egypt 1800 and WSS French dismounted dragoons
Cavalry	314	WSS British & French, SYW British & Jacobite, Saracen Light Horse and WW2 French
Tanks/AFVs	85	All resin printed, the majority were French, Japanese and British (BEF).
Gunners	56	WW2 Japanese, British, French, German and Italian plus some Boers
Rebase/Rework	51	Napoleonic Austrian Artillery and limbers.
Vehicles	50	All WW2, mainly French, some Japanese, including French and Russian Motorcycles
Riders	45	WW2 vehicle crews, plus the Napoleonic Spanish Cavalry using different riders and horses.
Other Items	37	Crusader civilians and WW1 French Field Kitchen
Horses	34	Crusader baggage mules and horses for the Spanish cavalry
Artillery	30	As for Gunners
Limbers	21	Napoleonic Austrian & Spanish, French for Egypt 1800 and WW2 18/25 pdr limbers
Commanders	15	Mix of War of Spanish Succession, Jacobite and Crusader
Engineers	13	Napoleonic French Sappers
Equipment	9	Mainly MMGs and mortars to go with the WW2 infantry I painted, plus a WW1 French Field kitchen
Ships	7	WW2 Cargo ships & German Raumboot and a single British Fairmile.
Wagons	4	All crusader wagons
Aircraft	2	An early Spitfire and a Horsa glider
Grand Total	1,206

Finally a big thanks you to all those who commented on my blog through the year, your comments help to keep me motivated.

Review of 2022 - part 1 progress against plan

I am posting this entry slightly earlier than planned as I caught Covid and had to skip some of my family visits to return home. Overall a bit of a mixed year with less progress than hoped

Looking at my progress against the detailed plan:-

First and foremost my plan is to meet with as many friends as possible, assuming that retrictions come to an end, other than that I'll be working on three themes. - - Beacon Wargames club is well established, we've had a good year and additionally been running Saturday games every 6 weeks or so. There have been less shows than pre-Covid and family comitments and changes to them have prevented me from attanding some others I had hoped to attend.

Game specific projects

• Pegasus bridge and Horsa glider for a D-Day game - Both the glider and bridge are fully assembled and painted, but I still need to create a sufficient large river for the bridge to cross. I have failed to find the same clear flexible plastic that I used for a coastline some years ago.
• Continuing to build my War of Spanish Succession forces, as quickly as Strelets release them - Up until December I had finished everything in the stash, but with the new releases of cuirassiers I still have more to do.
• Rebase/upgrade the whole of my Anglo-Zulu War armies including the Boers - not started - I just couldn't settle on a basing approach - carried foward to 2023.
• Attempt to rationalise my terrain - not started - due to family taking over the garage I missed the opportunity to have a sort out this summer - carried forward to 2023.

Reducing the existing stash, I'd like to make at least a 10% reduction - Completed - I had a purge in Q1 and sold some surplus on ebay and have sold some more in Q4. The stash has declined from 6,630 to 5,820 so a 12% reduction.

• Paint the already printed WW2 French vehicles - Completed, and then painted the extras I subsequently printed. Then I painted all the replacements for those that subsequently "exploded"
• Extra Afrika Corps and Italian figures to convert my Rapid Fire troops to use Batttlegroup. - Completed
• French Goumier Platoon - Completed
• An Australian Platoon plus supports for the desert/Crete, etc - Completed.
• WW2 German Gebirgsjaeger and remaining two platoons of winter infantry - I completed one Gebirgsjager Plationn and another that I had missed in Zeltbahns. But I still have to do the two winter platoons - carried forward to 2023.
• Cavalry for the Seven Years War/Jacobite Rebellion - Completed
• Napoleonic Spanish artillery and more cavalry - Completed
• 1800 French in Egypt - double up the unit size from 12 to 24 - Completed although they were painted as new units instead
• French Revolution - Cisapline legion troops - Completed
• More Crusader baggage and Saracen cavalry - Completed
• Imperial Croat cavalry and Polish pancerni - not started - carried forward to 2023.
• WW1 odd bits and pieces - not started- carried forward to 2023.

Exploiting the 3D resin printer - I've learnt about post production problems, I have lost numerous vehicles due to the models "exploding". So far so good with all my later batches with far larger vent/drain holes. I have also learnt how to slice and merge models using 4D builder, although I don't have a powerful enough graphic card to do complex manipulations.

• Completing my Japanese forces for Pacific/Burma, by printing a selection of suitable vehicles to hopefully cover various 1941-1945 campaigns. - completed - a whole range of tanks, vehicles and guns have been printed and painted.
• Gradually replacing poorly cast or moulded models with new resin prints - underway - in an eaarlier print run I printed replacements for my existing Somua S35's, and then I had to reprint them once they "exploded" A later print run included M10s and Sextons to replace my exisitng Armourfast and PSC versions - this will probably become an ongoing action when I plan the next print runs.
• LVTs and any other extra vehicles so I can carry out Pacific beach landing games - Completed - LVT's printed and painted - although I am tempted to create some waterline versions of the LVTs
• Test printing of 20mm figures - Discovered the best approach was to print with a base, so I've learnt how to add those, but the bases do seem to be subject to warping. I also need to try printing then with a more flexible resin, do reduce the risk of damage to fine parts, although this may not the be water-washable resin I have used up till now
• Components for buildings, doors, windows, shutters etc. - not started - carried forward to 2023.
• Try some 1/100 moderns for NorthAG - Completed - printed a sufficient selection of West German vehicles for a Battlegroup Northag game, but I still need to paint them and source the infantry - carried forward to 2023.
• More vehicles for "Setting the East Ablaze" - underway - Lanchester armoured cars completed. , The Austin armoured cars that "exploded" have now been reprinted, and I still not found any suitable trucks

Replacement BEF armour

These Morris CS-9s, Mark VI and Matilda 2s were reprinted to replace those that exploded during the summer. In fact I removed much of the stowage from the trashed versions to use again.

and that finishes my output for 2022, but with still more in progress.

Crusader baggage

Something for my Crusaders to defend, their bagge train. Comprising both Strelets Crusader Transport sets and some extra resin printed mules.

A little extra for the French in Egypt 1800

Just like the camel drawn limbers (link) when I saw the Perry figures for the artillery train, I had to add them to my French army. This used up a couple of my old Airfix RHA horse team, a pair of resin limbers and drivers created from the Hat Napoleonic French artillery outriders with bicorne head swaps. Uniform details came from Yves Martin's book (link)

Saracen light cavalry

This fills one of the gaps in my "saracen" army as I had no javelin armed light cavalry. THese Hat Andalusian figures meet that need. The two units are based up so I can deploy them as skirmishers by turning the bases thruogh 90 degrees.

Thanks to Graham for the figures.

Not more WW2 Germans

It seems I can't get enough of them, but they have different uniforms from the rest so I had to do it. I've painted up a couple of platoons, about two weeks apart but the cold weather delayed my painting and picture taking.

First was a Gebergsjager platoon, wearing their windproof jackets. The colour when I painted it looked right for reed green, but it drier much darker. These are a Caesar figures and it took two packets to make up the platoon. I sold off the Handshar figures that came with them.

Second is a late war platoon wearing the camouflage shelter quarter, again Caesar figures.

In both units a few extras figures from other sources were mixed in, modified with Green stuff to look similar.

A few pictures from Recon

Saturday was an early start off to Pudsey to join the Lance & Longbow guys to refight Stoke Field 1487. It's a small but friendly show and I only took a few pictures.

First off Yarkshire Gamers battle of Forli with an impressive array of figures

Proper pike blocks

Landsknecht pike

Swiss pike

Loads of eye candy

A Zombie game set in the UK, had an interesting chat wiyh the chap running the game and I would have liked to play it. Much better terrain than the usual Zombicide games played at the club, with lots of fine detail.

Finally a very blurred picture of our game. We played through twice and both were a close finish with either side winning once.

More pictures can be found on
Yarkshire Gamers blog (link)
Wargame Amateur blog (link)

The traders didn't do so well from me as I only bought 4 pots of paint as nothing caught my eye.

On the Workbench - December 2022

Another year is coming to a close so I need to try and finish all the bits I have started

• Horsa glider - this is now almosted finished, I need touch up some parts and add a base
• Pegasus bridge - finished painting, but I still have not sorted the river/basing.
• Saracen light cavalry - well underway
• Bunkers for Battlegroup Westwall - completed to a basic level for yesterdays game
• Replacement BEF vehicles - base coated
• Crusader baggage - undercoated
• 4 units of WSS Austrian Cuirassiers - now removed from sprues
• 4 units of WSS Bavarian Cuirassiers - if time permits

Now off to Recon at Pudsey in the morning and hope that nothing tempts me. I should be on the Lance & Longbow game playing Stoke Field 1487, come along and join in.

French Revolution reinforcements for Egypt

These are the Strelets French Light Infantry in Egypt. I had originally planned to use the figures to double up my existing French units, but I forgot that I had already done that. So they became a selection of more unusual units.

The rear pair of units are French Line in the early blue cotton uniform. In the front from Left to right are Maltese Legion, French Legere in the early cotton uniform and the Greek Legion.

Horsa Glider

After quite a while I've finally finished the Horsa glider. Although a relatively simple Kit from Italeri, it took a while to sort out how to create a landed version.

I ended up breaking the landing gear on one side and reduced the central skid to a lower position. This did mean the steps fitted firmly to both the ground and the glider.

In the background is Pegasus bridge, whhich is still in progress. My next problem will be where to store it safely.

My latest acquisitions

Once Strelets managed to produce some more War of Spanish Succession figures I had to buy them and a few other bits to make up the order.

There are

• 4 x Strelets WSS Bavarian Cuirassiers - so I will make each of the four Bavarian cuirassier regiments and replace my existing pair of converted regiments
• 4 x Strelets WSS Austrian Cuirassiers - again to make four new regiments and replace the two old ones
• 2 x Italeri Napoleonic Dragoons - to replace my old Airfix conversions
• 1 x Hat Russian Tank Riders - to provide crews for the bren cariers I printed and painted recently

I'm not sure yet how I will use the surplus cuirassier figures, the old cuirassiers will probably go on ebay.

Gebirgsjäger

These have been a long time coming as I needed the contents of two packs of Caesar German Mountain Troops to get enough suitable figures. THe other half of each box were SS Handschar which I sold off.

Back to the Jungle

After the French it's my Japanese, but these are mostly new 3D prints for the late war in the Pacific.

A trio of Shin-hoto Chi-Ha's in the later camouflage pattern used in the Pacific. I had already printed the turrets to go with my existing Chi-Ha's hulls, but they wouldn't fit. I discovered that the turret ring was slightly wider for the Shin-hoto version and for the second variants there were some differences in the hull. So I was not constrained to give them the same camouflage.

A pair of Ho-Ha APC's that were used in the Phillippines

A replacement Nissan 180 truck and the recoverable "exploded" version that I kept as a wreck.

Back to the French

A selection of WW2 French vehicles mainly to replace those that "exploded", of the Somua S35s only one turret survived, the rest are reprints.

I replaced the two Chenillette Lorraine 38Ls with a pair of open topped 38Ls and another pair of 37Ls to go with the fuel trailers

Some very nice Unic P107 artillery tractors, in open and closed versions.

A Peugeot 302/MNB pickup and DK5 Ambulance, nice vehicles but lacking details.

On the workbench - November 2022

October has flashed by and I'm conscious of my distance behind plan so I'll be working on

• Horsa glider - this is now almosted finished, I need touch up some parts and add a base
• Pegasus bridge - coming the end of painting, but I still have not sorted the river/basing.
• Additional French for Egypt 1800, but These will be new units not doubling up as in my original plan, because I have already done that.
• WW2 Gebirgsjager
• Crusader baggage
• Japanese Shin-hoto Chi Ha's & Ho-Ha APCs
• Replacement French Tanks, etc.

A long time waiting to be finished

These are a pair of Italian TL37 trucks that were purchased as mis-casts from EWM, way back pre-Covid.  I repaired the obvious damage and then debated what armament to give them.  I originally was planning to use some left-over PSC guns to give them a 75mm gun, but with the advent of the 3D printed I printed some Breda 20mm AA guns for them.  The crew are all 3D printed as well, and it makes a fine addition to my Italian army.

Replacement Austin Armoured Cars

These are my replacements for the versions that "exploded". The turrets came from the originals so I did not have to reprint them.

The originals are here link

Napoleonic Austrian Artillery - rebased

I was putting away the rebased limbers and realised that using them with non rebase gunners would look odd so I decided to do them.

The 6 foot guns all have HaT crews, but still have my old Airfix gun conversions (RHA barrels, axles and wheels and French artillery trails)

The 3 horse guns have Hinton Hunt crews and Revell SYW guns

While doing it I realised that I had 9 guns but only 8 limbers, luckily I had printed a couple of spare limbers.

Yet more WW2 - Soviets

A small addition of bits I have discovered missing in my collection, all 3D printed. The trio of carriers were included as JP in Portugal pointed out that they were in the Seelow Heights scenario book, I now need to find some crews for them.

Some highly detailed motorcycles by Hartolia. Printed at 1/76 they are very fragile, so much so that I have left some of the less obvious supports in place.

The T60s, much more suitable for small scale scenarios

A close up for those interested in the detail of the road wheels. It also highlights mistakes I made in cleaning up the print!

Not my usual French cavalry

But those from WW2, 3D printed as needed for RF Blitzkieg Battlegroups. I would have used the HaT figures for WW1 but they are currently unobtainable at sensible prices.

Like the motorcyclists there are some fragile parts, and I need to investigate some more flexible/robust resin before I use the printed for major production of figures. The sculpting is a bit crude, but passible for WW2 as there are far fewer details.

I also printed off some dismounted figures

Both the mounted and dismounted figures came unbased, so I learnt how to digitally add the bases before printing, which had the advantage I could print them the exact size and shape I wanted. The only downside was they warped slightly on curing/drying in the sun.

WW2 French Motorcycles

I had printed 3D printed motorcycles combinations before, but I needed more to make up the maximum needed for the RF Blitzkrieg Battlegroups book. I also printed some nice solo motorcycles that were also available in the same file, here is the whole collection.

As before the MGs were very fragile

Upgrading my Napoleonic Austrian Limbers

The only source of a decent Austrian Limber in 20mm is in the Austrian Cavalry Artillery set, which is virtually unobtainable at sensible prices, so when I found an STL file for $3.50 I had to get it and print off as many as needed to replace my old Airfix limbers, so here is the result after rebasing as well.

The limber is not perfect as the gun pivot is over the centre of the axle and as a result the ammunition box is too far forward, but it was close enough for my purposes and better than what I had been using.

I did attempt to adjust the file using 3D builder, but the task was beyond the capabilities of my PC.

Cisalpine Republic/Lombardy legion

The variety of uniforms for the Cisalpine  Republic and other associated bodies such as the Lombardy Legion tend to have one factor in common, which is the use of green rather than blue. So here are some extra units to support my Republican French in Italy.

Given the difficulties of finding a definate answer, I just picked a selection of the uniforms used at the the time and a similar selection of flags