More Napoleonic British Artillery - new, reworked and rebased

In a sense the last of the old year since they were started then. The Revell British Artillery has provided both British and Portuguese gun crews, limbers and a couple more 9pdr guns. All the old guns were touched up

Should have been Portuguese guns, but somehow a british gun crew swapped over.

The British gun crews with the stray Portuguese.

I had enough gunners to provide a couple of individually based gun crews for skirmish ganes. Three of the RHA are old Hinton Hunts.

RHA batteries mainly rebased except a few extra new gunners.

Two new limber teams

The only odd thing is the blue uniform colour which looks a different shade in the pictures whereas in normal light it looks the same.

Plan for 2024

I am tempted to say there is no plan, unlike previous years. In a sense this was planned as I wanted to get to a point where I felt my various armies needed little or no additions, this should mean I can look at starting something new.

So this year I will be working on a much looser plan than previously and my objectives can be summarised as:

1. Rework/Rebase as many figures as possible
2. Enhance/Add some new forces to the collection
3. Maintain or ideally reduce the stash
4. Exploit the 3D Printer
5. Enjoy Games & Shows

Amplifying the above:

1. Rework/Rebase as many figures as possible.

• Start on the Napoleonics (this may take a couple of years to do) - I've made a start on the British
• WW2 Winter Russians
• Early War German Fallschirmjager

2. Enhance/Add some new forces to the collection in no particular order

• 15mm DBA Italian wars army (for the forthcoming inter-club tournament)
• 28mm Female Gunfighters
• Add a unit of WW2 Japanese SNLF
• Extra units for the Crusades
• French Dragoons for Egypt 1800
• Modify the SYW Austrian Grenz to use for Prussian Frei Korps
• SNLF units to complete my WW2 Japanese Infantry
• Some extra Aztecs for skirmish games
• Some French dragoons for my French in Egypt 1800
• Various figures and terrain need for Montgisard 1177
• WW2 BEF infantry (I plan to 3D print the extra needed figures, etc.)

3. Continue to clear out all unwanted items, including painted figures

• Re-assess each existing period, army, and units to consider if I am really going to use them
• Reduce the stash (figure and plastic bits box) from 4 crates to 3
• review my 1/300 collection and decide its fate

4. 3D Printing - the bulk of my immediate needs have been printed so I will work on

• gradually replace existing diecast and other poor quality AFVs in my collection
• components for houses and other terrain
• work on how to make/modify files to meet my specific needs

5. Gaming

• Continue supporting the Beacon Club and attending as many weekend events as possible
• Attend at least as many shows as last year

On the workbench - January 2024

With usually a carry over at the year end I will be working on

• Napoleonic British and Portuguese Artillery (just the basing left to do)
• Extra Crusades figures needed for Montgisard 1177, the Lance & Longbow Society game for Vapnartak
• Extra terrain for the same game, I need some tents and a couple of fords for my stream
• If time permits start work on rebasing my Napoleonic British skirmishers

Review of 2023 - part 2 - painting breakdown

Painting output was 2,907 items, which was a a return to normal output after the low of 1,206 last year, but does contain a substantial amount of rework/rebasing, over 50%. The quantity of 3D printed material was 461 items. Now breaking it all down.

Period		Notes
Colonial	582	Almost entirely British and Zulu forces rebased for the Anglo-Zulu War. But I did add a couple of units for the Natal Native Contingent
Medieval	498	Mostly the rebasing of my Dark Ages, with a few extra Saxons, But I also added a Scottish Schiltron, some revolting peasants and a camel baggage train for the Crusades
WW1	427	Yet again mainly the rebasing of Russian and Austro-Hungarians. Added extra White Russian and Ottoman infantry.
WW2	424	Heavily dominated by painting loads of figures and vehicles I have 3D printed, Stand out items were the Waco Gliders and all the various wagons/limbers. But plastics also got a look in with two new units of German winter infantry.
Napoleonic	393	Plenty of rebased artillery guns and limbers including the replacement of old Airfix limber conversions with 3D printed versions. Some long overdue Nasssau infantry, Spanish for skirmish games and new French Dragoons to replace my old well used converted Airfix French Cuirassiers.
Terrain	139	Wadis, fences, gates and cut-down hills
Modern	136	15mm Bundeswehr force for Battlegroup Centag
WSS	92	Austrian, Bavarian and Dutch Cuirasiers, plus one unit of French Musketeers of the Guard.
SYW	80	3D printed Austrain Grenz, plus Jacobite and British artillery for the "45"
Renaissance	72	Pancerni & Croats/Cossacks. 28mm ECW cavalry and dragoons of which the dragoons were 3D printed
Ancients	62	3D printed ships for Thalassaand and some Roman construction workers/slaves.
AWI	2	Galvez the Spanish Governor of Lousiana
Grand Total	2.907

Type		Notes
Rebase/Rework	1,515	Rebasing of Anglo-Zulu War, Dark Ages, Russian Civil War, WW2 Romanians and finally stating on the Napoleonics
Infantry	618	Including WW2 Germans, WW1 White Russians, SYW Grenz and Napoleonic Spanish Infantry
Cavalry	194	WSS Cuirassiers, Renaissance Polish cavalry, Napoleonic French Dragoons and 28mm Cavalry & Dragoons,
Buildings, etc.	125	Wadis, fences, gates & cut down hills
Riders	89	WW2 German and Russian vehicle crews plus a few WW1 Russians.
Other Items	75	Roman construction workers/slaves and a flock of sheep
Gunners	63	British & Jacobite Artillery for the "45", WW1 Ottoman artillery and a scattering of WW2 gun crews.
Tanks/AFVs	52	All 3D resin printed, the majority Bundeswehr awirh a mixtures of WW2, mainly to replace "exploded vehicles.
Horses	41	Crusader baggage camels and WW2 horses for limbers and wagons, all 3D printed
Limbers	30	More 3D printing, Napoleonic Prussian limbers plus WW2 German and Russian limbers
Vehicles	30	A variety of US airborne jeeps, sdkfz 10s and some 15mm Bundeswehr trucks all 3D printed
Equipment	20	3D printed German WW2 Fallschirmjager cannisters
Commanders	20	Mix of periods including Ancient, Zulu and War of Spanish Succession
Ships	16	Triremes & penteconters for Thalassaplus WW2 British Fairmiles
Artillery	10	British & Jacobite plus WW1 Ottoman
Aircraft	6	All Waco gliders
Wagons	7	All WW2 German lF.2 wagons
Grand Total	2.907

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 2023 - part 1 - progress against plan

Managed to complete 2,907 items and generally had a very successful year

Compared against specific targets I set

1. Rationalise my Terrain, upgrading or replacing any unsuitable items - During the warm weather I made a good effort on this, but I still have more work to do.
2. Retouch/Rebase as many figures as possible. - A large amount completed see below for detailed progress.
3. Attempt to complete all the figures in the stash that have a clear fit with my current plans - Over 80% completed
4. Clear out all unwanted items - several batches have been sold on ebay and at shows

Amplifying the above:

1. Rationalise my Terrain, upgrading or replacing any unsuitable items

• Wooden Fencing needs either upgraded or replaced - all done, including some 3D printed gates
• Hills, I have too many of the wrong sizes - I have chopped them down to sensible sizes & shapes
• Rivers need expanded - not done, although I did manage to find the left over painted acylic sheets from my existing rivers - task for 2024
• Wadi/Depression edges need created - completed

2. Rework/Rebase as many figures as possible.

• Zulu Wars - delayed from last year - Completed
• Dark Ages - Completed
• Russian Civil War - Completed
• possibly Napoleonic British - A small start has been made

3. Attempt to complete all the figures in the stash that have a clear fit with my current plans

• Finish the WSS - completed
• Scottish schiltron - completed
• More "Cossack" infantry & cavalry - completed
• Baggage camels for the Crusades, Sudan, etc. - completed
• Replace my old Napoleonic French Dragoons - completed
• Napoleonic Spanish infantry for skirmish games - completed
• 28mm ECW cavalry - completed, including some 3D printed dragoons both mounted and on foot.

4. Clear out all unwanted items, including painted figures

• Assess each existing period, army, and units to consider if I am really going to use them - Made a good effort, but still more to do
• Reduce the figure stash from 4 crates to 3 - completed, down to three crates, partly achieved by giving away half my plastic bits box (crate) and using some of that space, so I now have slack in all my crates. My stash is now down to 3,768 items from 5,820

5. 3D Printing - the bulk of my immediate needs have been printed so I am looking at

• ways to produce matching 20mm figures & smaller equipment to complete my Napoleonic and other armies - have found a number of useful items becoming available for sale. Some of these I have purchased and am printing
• components for houses and other terrain - I have have produced some bunker doors and wooden gates.
• work on how to make/modify files to meet my specific needs - quite proficient at 3D builder and I am using it for head swaps, etc. I also modified an Austrian Limber into a close match of a Prussian one.

6. Gaming

• Play at least one WW2 Sicily game as is is the 80th anniversary this year - failed
• I would like to try Dresden 1813 as it is the 210th anniversary - failed
• Attend as many shows as possible - A reasonable performance, and it was great to get out again and see what other people are playing and to meet up with old friends. I attended Vapnartak (York), Hammerhead (Newark), Phalanx (St Helens), Attack (Devizes), Other Partisan (Newark) and Recon (Pudsey).