Keeping Busy

No games, no prospect of games...but keeping busy trying to move at least one ongoing project forward over the next couple of weeks. Having said that its mostly bits and pieces rather than completed massed units of figures. Any casual visitor might mistake me for a 'figure fiddler', one of those sad types for whom 50 figures is an 'army'. So, some additions to my Wars of the French Revolution project: first, two Brigade Command stands for the British elements of the Allied army, both from Trent Miniatures ~

The photo above shows the standard command figure, sold as the Irish Militia leader, who I've painted before on Command stands, while the picture below shows the same figure with a head conversion, using a head from the Highland Fencibles pack. I had to drill and pin the head on the latter and then use a smidgen of green stuff to create the missing hair plait cut off when I removed the head from the original figure.

Col Alex Salmond reads the latest report ~ the score from the
Rugby World Cup perhaps?

As I discovered in the last FRW game (see an earlier Blog entry) I had neglected to add any Brigade Command stands to the British, despite managing to field two three Battalion Brigades in the game. These two figures will rectify the gap. As you will have read before, I don't really rate some of the latter sculpts in the range, far preferring Matt's work, but needs must, etc. {I've just realised that I did n't finish the tartan on his trews, so after this Blog is published its a quick dash back to the painting desk to put that right!}
Next up, a little something for the Austrian infantry in the shape of a small base depicting a drum and fife band leading the marching columns. Its only five figures and comprises two drummers, two fifers and an officer figure who I felt fitted the piece. Judge for yourself ~

The figures are based on a 50mm square base, from Warbases of course, and will do the job for me of introducing a little character into the Austrian elements of the Allied army and also 'fill in' any gaps on the base line as games unfold. I'm satisfied with how they've turned out anyway.
Finally, the last of the loot from Irregular Miniatures at Derby Worlds in the form of three different camp fire cooking scenic pieces ~

These will do for enlivening camp scenes in any number of the periods we play I'm sure. The castings were of varied quality, needing quite a bit of cutting away in at least one case, but easy to splash the paint on and quite pleasing to my eye now they are finished. The smoke and steam effects are simply pieces of Kapok ~ from the Perry Miniatures boxes I think by now rather than the old three piece suite! ~ stuck in place with a blob of PVA glue. Not the best produced pieces I've tackled but I think they will look ok amongst other items in a camp scene from my Late Romans to the C19th.
Speaking of Late Romans, I have finally managed to finish the command stand for Pompus Maximus, the commander of my Late Roman army. Its been a long road since 2002 when I bough the original figures, which Andy Dumelow painted for me, as I've slowly expanded the collection and arrived at the position where one whole force, which I play, I have painted myself, while the opponents, commanded by Albinus or Baldinus, the pretenders, are now comprised of those originally painted by Andy.

The figures are all from Wargames Foundry, of course, and include an Early Imperial mounted Emperor and a Late Roman officer in classical armour, alongside figures from the Late Roman, Goth and Frank ranges I think. I picked up a few more command packs not long ago and these are now prepped and undercoated ready to be painted when I get tired of Austrian White or British Khaki Brown! In the meantime, back to painting Austrian Dragoons to bring the unit up to strength...