Tuesday 28 October 2008

71st again...

Played around with one of the other images in Gimp and it looks a bit better. At least there's not the distraction of the unbased masses in the background!

71st Higlanders - 1st Battalion

Seeing as I've been busy basing for days I though I'd post something just to get things moving. Just decided to take a quick shot of them with the old camera and it seemed to come out OK colour-wise. So I though I'd try with a white background but that just turned the whole image a red-brown so I obviously have to idea on lighting! So here's the original anyway...

Figures are Polly Oliver and are:

Highlanders

AR 28 Marching
ARC 4 Command - officer, drummer, standard bearer.

I don't have enough of the marching figures to do the second battalion. And I don't have enough of the charging figures either. And I don't have enough to quite do a charging front rank and marching second! So if anyone has any of the marching figures going I'd be interested!

At 1:10 the unit is slightly over strength (for Cowpens) but been looking at the OOBs for Charlestown etc. and the unit strength was much larger, although maybe the totals there included the flank companies?

Will paint up some Grenadiers for them anyway and some Lights as well. Have a reference that the 71st Light Infantry waistcoats were white rather then red?

Flags were Cotton Jims Flags which came with the batch of painted figures I bought recently. They are pretty average printed flags but I touched them up a bit and mounted them with a sheet of foil in between to give a bit of 'shape'. Not too bad as usually my flags are crap!

More to follow, maybe at weekend.

Wednesday 15 October 2008

Polly Oliver 15mm Figures

I've got quite a soft spot for this range and I quite fancy promoting it here. So, I've pulled a list out from an old website and I intend publishing images of each figure, painted (preferebly) or unpainted and try to get a complete set. I've got a fair few myself (mostly unpainted as yet!) but I hope to liaise with everyone with an interest to pull together a full set of images. it may take a while :-)

I'll start with the main list and slowly tabulate it to look nice and then link to a post with the images for that section.

Polly Oliver

American Revolution in 15mm

British Infantry (Hats)
AR 1 Marching
AR 2 Shoulder Arms
AR 3 Advancing
AR 4 Bayonet Charging
ARC 1 Command

Welsh Fusiliers
AR 10 Marching
AR 11 Shoulder Arms
AR 12 Advancing
AR 13 Bayonet Charging
ARC 2 Command

Grenadiers
AR 19 Marching
AR 20 Shoulder Arms
AR 21 Advancing
AR 22 Charging
ARC 3 Command

Highlanders
AR 28 Marching
AR 29 Charging
ARC 4 Command

British Light Infantry
AR 33 Firing
AR 34 Loading
AR 35 Advancing
ARC 5 Command

British Provincial Cavalry
RC 1 Light Dragoon at Rest
RC 2 Light Dragoon Charging
RC 3 British Legion Trooper at Rest
RC 4 British Legion Trooper Charging
RCC 1 Light Dragoon Command
RCC 2 British Legion Command
RCH 4 British Cavalry Horses, Standing
RCH 5 British Cavalry Horses, Walking

German Troops
AR 135 Musketeers Marching
AR 136 Fusiliers Marching
AR 137 Grenadiers Marching
AR 138 Jagers Firing
AR 139 Jagers Loading
AR 140 Jagers Advancing
ARC 6 Musketeer Command
ARC 7 Fusilier Command
ARC 8 Grenadier Command
ARC 9 Jager Command

Continental Troops in Hunting Shirts
AR 110 Marching w. Tricorn Hat
AR 111 Marching w. Slouch Hat
AR 112 Marching w. Light Infantry Cap
AR 113 Advancing w. Tricorn Hat
AR 114 Advancing w. Slouch Hat
AR 115 Advancing w. Light Infantry Cap
ARC 101 Command Tricorn Hat
ARC 102 Command Slouch Hat
ARC 103 Command light Infantry Cap

Americans, 1779 Regulation Uniforms
AR 123 Marching, Tricorn Hat
AR 124 Marching, Slouch Hat
AR 125 Standing, Tricorn Hat
AR 126 Standing, Slouch Hat
ARC 104 Command Tricorn Hat
ARC 105 Command Slouch Hat

American Riflemen, Slouch Hats
AR 127 Marching
AR 128 Advancing
AR 129 Firing
AR 130 Loading

American Riflemen, Light Caps
AR 131 Marching
AR 132 Advancing
AR 133 Firing
AR 134 Loading

Militia / Minutemen
AR 152 Privates Advancing, Slouch Hat
AR 153 Privates Advancing, Musket High, Stocking Cap
AR 154 Privates Advancing, Tricorn Hat
AR 155 Privates Marching, Slouch Hat
ARC 106 Command, Slouch Hat

Continental Cavalry
RC 5 Light Dragoon at Rest
RC 6 Light Dragoon Charging
RCC 101 Light Dragoon Command
RCH 1 Continental Cavalry Horses, Standing
RCH 2 Continental Cavalry Horses, Walking

French Grenadiers
AR 170 Privates Marching
AR 171 Privates Shoulder Arms
ARC 172 French Grenadier Command

French Fusiliers
AR 175 Privates Marching
AR 176 Privates Shoulder Arms
ARC 177 French Fusilier Command

Artillery
RR1 British Artillery (5 figs)
RR2 American Artillery, Slouch Hats (5 figs)
RR3 American Artillery, Light Caps (5 figs)
RR7 Light 6 Pounder $1.40
RR8 Galloper (3 Pounder) and Horse

Command Groups
ARG 1 British - Lt. General, Brigadier, 2 ADC's
ARG 2 Continental - Washington, Brigadier, 2 ADC's
ARG 3 French - Lafayette, 2 ADC's
ARG 4 German - 2 Brigadiers

Quite a lot there. I have a lot of them but I know I'm missing the French and the Minutemen.

We'll see how it all goes...

Saturday 11 October 2008

Little ongoing book review...

Started reading McGuire's books on the Philadelphia campaign and I have to admit I'm enjoying them. It's not a campaign I know in enough detail to comment on the accuracy of the books but the range of material quoted is very good with some stuff I haven't come across before and lots from my fave Ewald!

His (McGuire's) description of the Grenadiers going in to action at Brandywine has inspired me to paint a few for my Brits.

He does use a LOT of quotes throughout the text and it seems that often you think the story is moving on only to find it's just another viewpoint of the same event. There are also a couple of times where the same event/quote is duplicated later in the text. Although Im enjoying them I think a good editor would have got it down to one slightly larger volume. Currently at Germantown so a bit to go 'til completion but overall I'd recommend them.

Next up will be The Southern Strategy. The advantage of getting a bus to work is I finally get some reading done each way. Trying to read in bed now (with 2 kids) lasts about 5 minutes before the eyes shut and the head slumps!

Making progress on painting the 71st and looking forward to a game soon...

Wednesday 8 October 2008

Finally some painting...

Well, after a four year lull I finally started painting again last night and tonight. I've had to buy some reading glasses from ASDA to make it possible (and will be getting a proper eye test soon via work!) as my eyesight has gone right down hill in the last few years...

I've said earlier that the von Bose unit I got from Terry was missing the last command element, the four figures of which needed finishing off. That was to be my first task. However, on starting I spotted the big flaw. And no one spotted this in the picture I posted before...the uniforms were wrong! For some reason they had red cuffs. I was sure we'd given Terry the info for von Bose but maybe he decided to do his own thing?

So, spent last night and tonight repainting the various bits and finishing off the command. They're done now but all need rebasing as I had to bend the bases out to get to the cuffs on some figures. That is tomorrows task. I'll then post a picture...if I can find the correct standard for the unit.

Next up will be the 71st. I've done two stands already and they came out really nice. Hopefully the rest will match.

Tuesday 7 October 2008

Derby 2008

Well, made it to Derby at the weekend after missing it for a few years. Traveled down on Friday PM to Birmingham and had a few beers and a curry and traveled over with Billy who was going to be playing in the WRG 6th Edition (very) Ancients tournament.

I like Derby Uni as a venue. Very open, light and spacious and one of the better venues I've been to. I'd hoped to pick up some 15mm AWI on the Bring and Buy and maybe some Freikorps from anyone stocking them. Failed on both counts. I was dissappointed with the bring and buy, although I've had some bargains in the past, but maybe if I'd have found some AWI I'd be raving about how good it was!

I saw two lots of painted 15mm AWI on stalls there and for the estimated £1 per figure I didn't think the painting was worth it. Of boxed sets I think it was down to the painter. Some of the boxes were rather nice but the ones I wanted were a different painter and I just didn't rate them.

The other figures I looked at have a bit of a story. Maybe not an interesting one but one none the less!. The last time I went to Derby 3-4 years ago I saw a collection of 15mm AWI on the B&B. Probably a couple of hundred figures and at the time I thought worth the £70 but as I knew gaming time was fading at that time I didn't think I could justify the expense. Roll forward to Saturday and after talking to a stall holder he said he had a collection to sell and could get them to the show before I had to leave at 4pm. They duly arrived, and I was much excited at the prospect of getting the Brits I need even at £1 per figure. Turned out it was the same batch I'd seen 4 years ago and to be honest they weren't worth the £1 each. I could have spent time working on them and maybe applied a wash to bring out the detail but the style wouldn't have fitted what I have and for the cost/effort it wasn't really worth it. I was gutted to be honest as the guy had put himself (well ,his wife) out getting them to me.

Suppose this brings me to the cost of painted figures. I had a couple of units painted 6-7 years ago at c.90p a figure, which I supplied. They fitted in with my style and I was happy to pay it. I've seen online ads for painting with nice figures around the £1 mark and others up to £2 for very nice stuff. I'm tempted, if I can find a suitable painter to get a couple of units of redcoats done just to bolster the forces while I get more painting done and allow me to play. Just don't know who to go with for something that will match mine? Suggestions?

Noone carried Freikorps but found one of my local suppliers (Under the Bed) can get them for me. Also looked for Old Glory 15's who are now apparently available from Timecast in Shrewsbury. This is where I grew up and started gaming and turned out one the guys from the old club lives just round the corner from my Aunt in Shrewsbury and bumped in to him and a few of the other regulars at the show, some of which I haven't seen for decades! As I still go visit in Shrewsbury a few times a years I'll be calling at Timecast and maybe the club next time I'm down.

Also picked up the British Grenadier rules which I've been reading a lot about and quite fancy. Chatted with Paul from the BG forums who did a good job of selling them to me further!

Good show overall. Spent not a lot so wife is happy. Looking forward to making the reborn but soon to die again Stockton Show next month as well!