Something old, something new

Recently John Cunningham sent me some samples of his Vintage20Mil wargames figures. I'll review the others later, but these are my old favourites Les Higgins Marlburians. I remember as a teenager helping a friend paint these figures and they are just as I remember, still very crisp, but with some flash. This was the norm at time (design/casting standards have moved on in the last 30 years), but these still are perfect little miniatures. I say little, as regretably, they are smaller than the current 20mm figures from Strelets and Zvezda that I am using for the period.


Above with Strelets Swedish Drabants for scale comparison (L to R)
Cuirassier with tricorn, Cuirassier with helmet, Cuirassier trumpeter, Cuirassier officer, General

Foot with Zvezda figures (L to R)
a couple of musketeers, new generic musketeer figure, new all purpose figure.

Some exciting new items (L to R)
new drummer, new imperial grenadier, new hussar, then two dismounted dragoons one in fur hat.

The hussar is a wonderful piece of sculpting wearing a fur cloak rather than a pelisse and looking far more suitable for the period.

All this leaves me debating what to do. the infantry is clearly to small, but can I find a way of using the cavalry figures, perhaps by using differnt horses?

On the workbench - July 2008

Well, a shift of emphasis, I plan to work on:

• Hesse Kassel Infantry for the WSS
• Hesse Kassel Artillery for the WSS (my first use for the new Zvezda set)
• Strelets French Carabiniers (with head swaps as French revolutionary cavalry)
• Lots of partisan/resistance figures (all Caesar)
• And tidy up all the bits and pieces still lying around!

Half year review

With both the SOGG big game and Gauntlet out of the way it is a good point to see how the year is turning out so far. My database shows 694 items completed so far, which is comparable to last years output. However the breakdown is strange with a very low proportion of cavalry.

576 Infantry
43 cavalry
23 gunners
30 bits of equipment (guns vehicles, etc.)
22 bits of terrain

By period

235 French Revolutionary era (now virtually finished)
231 WW2 (mainly the figures for the big game)
91 Colonial (dominantly the boxers I painted for the Guild challenge)
76 War of Spanish Succession (the recent Bavarian splurge)
24 Ancients (just some Celtic command)
22 terrain (mainly for SOTCW/Gauntlet)
15 other bits

So where now? Looking back at my year plan I will continue with my WSS work, especially as Zvezda has brought out suitable artillery, and complete my HYW English army for WRG 6th.

The rest will be as whim and new releases take me, so far I have resisted the 28mm ECW foot, I'm trying to wait until cavalry is available before taking the plunge

Gauntlet- SOTCW game

Well Gauntlet is over for another year and all the attendees seem to have enjoyed themselves.

I've only taken pictures of the SOTCW game. I produced all the terrain with the exception of the excellent terraced hills by Richard Crawley. The bunker above Vietri was Richards as well, it is rather over sized, but it would have been a shame not to have used it.



The high point must have been the random event air strike that succeeded in taking out a Panzer IIIN. These random events could occur during the normal turn sequence, but a card could be drawn and played by a passer-by in return for a small donation to charity. Andrew paid for two cards and drew a pair of air strikes. The first was driven off, but the second dropped two bombs, both on target and both gave a destroyed result.

More Tartars

Just finished on Friday evening after setting up for Gauntlet, this is my second unit of Crimean Tartars to support my Ottoman army. I picked up some more of the scarce Esci Mongols at the first Warboot. The commander comes from the newer but not so useful Italeri Mongols.

The track is my new rubber road constructed for the SOTCW game.

Gauntlet tommorrow

Spent the afternoon setting up tables for the competition and starting the layout for the SOTCW game. The Chiunzi pass I constructed looks huge, but luckily just fits in the space available. Overall the SOTCW (Achse & Avalanche) table is well underway and once Richard arrives with his terrain it won't take long to finish.

Hopefully I'll see some new faces at the show.

More villages for Achse & Avalanche

Just added a couple more locations over on the Achse & Avalanche blog. This is the village of Dragonea

Hopefully everything is now ready for the SOTCW game at Gauntlet this weekend