Something New?

 Well now, yes and no would have to be my honest response to any enquiry. Back in the day, when the world was young, Phil and I had a collection of figures for the War of the Spanish Succession. Of course back then they were Minifigs 25mm figures with hand painted flags and standards. As was the usual outcome in time they were sold on to finance a new project - first if I recall correctly to a South Wales gamer and then I believe on to the late John Tuckey. I wonder where they are now? But I digress: we hhave chatted over time about revisiting the period, madness you'd think when I already have a decent sized SYW collection. But then, I'm a wargamer, and when did common sense ever deter any of us from starting something new?

The first parcel I received was from Caliver Books and brought C.S.Grant's classic handbook on armies of the period. I think in our previous venture we might have had access to some of this research - via Military Modelling perhaps? I shall spend some time on planning from where and how to set about collecting and painting units with the help of this book. But first I thought that I would buy just a few figures, enough for a Foot regiment, and a few commanders. I did consider revisiting Minifigs for this, but in the end I sent my order to Wargames Foundry as you can probably see~

Ordered on Monday, received on Tuesday, cleaned up and spray undercoated on Wednesday! Ready for painting on our return from The North on Friday!

In its first incarnation, a joint project between Phil and me, I painted the Franco-Bavarians and Phil the Allies. Units then were 12 [or 16?] figures, I confess I can't remember clearly, but this time I wanted to eschew those sizes in favour of slightly larger looking regiments. I've provisionally settled on three 80x60mm bases and infantry regiments of around 20-24 figures.

As an aside, it was around the time of the original collection when Matt first got involved in our games, throwing the dice for us and generally joining in the fun. When I mentioned the new venture to him his immediate response was to demand the return of The Custard Men, as the Danish Life Guard in Phil's Allied army had been christened! I'm obviously obliged to follow my son's request, so these chaps will form the Den Kongelige Livgarde til Fods.

Flags of War, who have a decent range of flags for the WSS, don't currently offer an appropriate set for them, but happily David via his splendid Not By Appointment blog has come to the rescue and has downloadable versions of their flags. You can get an idea of the look of them and the regiment from the picture below which I've borrowed from the net!

These are Warfare Miniatures I believe, which will no doubt figure in my collection in due time, though in a different guise of course. But all that lies some time in the future for now, first I have to paint the figures I've shown and start to plan out future purchases over the coming months...

Something Old...

...Something New, as the saying goes. Well, after the title for this blog entry I'm confident you might be expecting  an exciting reveal, something new for an old project perhaps?Never mind, its hardly new or for an old project, so you may simply put any confusion down to my age! In the last post I mentioned that I had assembled and spray undercoated the Perry Miniatures Wars of the Roses baggage wagon set, which I had purchased from Dave Thomas at 'Ommer'ead back in March this year ~

Here it is before the spray undercoat was applied. For those interested in such things, I use Hycote Double Acrylic white from the local Home & Motor store, just under £5.00 a can! I think I have mentioned this before now I come to think on it.

Before travelling Oop North I had some unplanned time at my painting desk and so I've made a start on painting it. So far I have finished the four oxen, the drover, and an additional figure from Aly's earlier gift parcel - you'll have to wait to see him though! I've also applied the base colour to the woodwork of the cart ready for the application of a colour wash or two. 

But first we are spending some time with Hadrian...starting in Hexham Abbey and this memorial tablet for Flavinus, a standard bearer in the Petriana Cavalry Regiment, on display at the foot of the Night Stairs.

Going off at a tangent I recently received in the post a copy of the new edition of my rules for the Anglo-Zulu War, Washing the Spears.  These are published by arrangement with Partizan Press via Dave Ryan at Caliver Books and are priced at £17.50. If sales go as expected then there may at some point also be new editions of my other C19th rules, for the Sudan and the Indian Mutiny.  I had seen the layout during the design stage but nothing beats handling the finished product in my opinion.  The graphic designer has made a splendid job of the layout, so I hope that you won't mind if I modestly recommend them to you if you are interested in the period. Like all sensible rules they are scale and figure agnostic. 

Heroes & Heroines...

...separated though they are by the centuries. Two small additions to two of my ongoing collections: a Saxon Hero for the Age of Arthur; and a Victorian Heroine taking tea, no something stronger surely, to stiffen her resolve in the face of perils unknown in The Heart of Darkness collection. In truth they were all I found in the Lead Pimple ready to face the Brush of Doom!

The Saxon hero comes from one of Gripping Beast's character packs for the Early Saxons. You can just make out the head he's resting his foot on, another luckless Post-Roman came off a poor second!

The Honourable Alice Malaband and her trusty manservant in camp. She is anxiously awaiting a spot of tiffin it seems, or perhaps a something a tad stronger. A gal needs a nip of Dutch courage now and then out here in the Heart of Darkness... The figures are from Wargames Foundry, well over 30 years old but still excellent figures to work on.

I've no further figures underway as we are off Oop North for a few days R&R soonish. Next up should be a baggage wagon set by Perry Miniatures for the Wars of the Roses project. I cleaned it up and assembled it yesterday and spray undercoated it this afternoon, so that will occupy a week I'd think later this month. Then I hope to make a start on the first figures for a new project...