Making Good Use?

Or just too mean to waste 'spare' figures? Either way I have added to the Cossacks for my Crimean War project! When I had completed the figures for my Foundry Crimean War Roosian Cossacks shown in the previous blog post I had one figure left over. I decided to paint and base him to represent a Cossack scout - you might just recall that I have a few dismounted Cossack Scouts from Eureka's unreleased range. Now he is finished and ready to be matt varnished I hoped that you might like to see him ~

"Waste not, want not" as the saying goes seems to fit the bill. 

I've also finished cleaning up the 1st Corps Early Saxon figures for this new project as we had the threatened short dry spell and I was able to spray undercoat them! Just six Arthurian Heavy Cavalry left to be processed and I can start prepping the Russo-Japanese War figures!

A Brief Return...

...to the Crimean War project. While I was dithering over what Romano-British and Early Saxon figures to order and waiting for my Russo-Japanese War order from Empress Miniatures the only figures I had ready to paint were these Foundry Cossacks for the Crimean War. I really didn't want to paint them, you will probably be able to tell! But, needs must when the endless rain makes spray undercoating figures outdoors impossible! So here we have three bases of the figures in question ~

There's little chance that I could have matched the colours or style of those I painted in the 1990's, so I opted for a different scheme after some time searching images across the net. I settled on a dark blue-black which I chose to represent with Foundry 'Equipment Black' as the light shade has a bluish tinge to it which matt varnish should bring out. Their standard is from the sheet of Cossack flags I bought from North Star last year and the bases are from Warbases as usual. They will pass muster at gaming distance on the tabletop battlefield here in GHQ and, as you know, that will do for me. I hope you will think they'll do for you also.

I did clean up 18 1st Corps Sub-Roman Britons on Monday afternoon though I still need to sort out their shields before they can be spray undercoated. At this rate  these two new projects are going to be a long drawn out process...

Перед стенами Севастополя

'Before the walls of Sebastapol' for the non Roosian speakers amongst us! It will though require a good stretch of your imagination to bring this table to the Crimea. The Vauban walls will I hope stand in if you squint a tad! 

The Allies are risking a first assault on the walls, lead by the Guards Brigade supported by the Highland regiments. The Light Brigade are on hand to hopefully counter the indeterminate number of Roosian cavalry thought to be in the vicinity. Hopefully supporting their allies are a Division of French foot, comprising a Line Battalion and a Guard Light Battalion. The Allies have deployed as many heavy guns as they can to support their attack, even bringing the 64lb guns from HMS Pinafore ashore! On to the action then...

The walls of Sebastapol if you will bristle with Roosian guns and the glinting of many Bayonets catching the sun's rays...

Never mind the cossacks! Business is business after all, a few roubles to be made today.

The garrison of this section, a regiment of Jaegers, assembles awaiting its orders. One Battalion is already on its way.

Roosian gunners anxiously await the order to open fire!

The British army's encampment is a hive of activity. The Guards Brigade moves out smartly while gunners open fire on the distant walls.

The Heavy Mortar maned by the Royal Artillery is tasked with harassing the Roosian gunners.the 

The Jolly Jack Tars of HMS Pinafore prepare their 64lb guns hoping to batter down the walls.

The Rifle Brigade moves forward, hoping their fire will take a toll on the Roosian gunners.

The Roosian gunners don't seem over concerned by the fire though!

The Guards' Brigade make a splendid sight advancing with drums beating and colours bravely flying in the breeze.

The Roosian Commander, Grand Duke Byklovic, has sent forward the 4th Battalion to flanknthe Guards' advance.

Greek Volunteers and Cossack Scouts and artillery skirmish with elements of the Rifle Brigade and the Shore Party of HMS Pinafore. 

Roosian fire has disrupted the Guards' approach to the assault. Despite this, the Guards prepare to assault the walls!

No significant of the French yet, despite the assurances of D'Merde! They must hurry as the British assault faltering. 

The French! And just in time! A Brigade of Guard Lights hurls itself forward, the very embodiment of élan!

At last the heavy mortar of the Royal Artillery finds its range! Gun and gunners are blown to eternity, just as the Guards' assault goes in too.

The French are here in numbers now and advance boldly despite the rumours of Cossacks on their flank.

They press forward on the outnumbered Jaegers who are only too aware of their fellows fleeing past their flank!

Despite bold Roosian deployment the British assault has gained momentum. The guns are Disordered by constant bombardment and the defence falls on the Third Jaeger Battalion. 

The Guards raise their colours on the ramparts of Sebastopol! It was premature though to celebrate victory, as a determined counter charge bybthe Second Jaeger Battalion drove them back off the walls.

The walls of Sebastapol are back in the hands of the Roosians! Who are also deploying rapidly on the plain to counter the French. Those Cossacks are really needed though right now!

Despite the failure of the British assault, the French (out of shot) have driven off the Roosian Jaegers sent to block their attack on the gates. Confusion reigns in the Roosian Command and a hasty withdrawal hands the Allies are victory.

The elderly Lord Rawnsley with his Staff receive news of the victory from Captain Nolan.

We had a few problems with the scenario along the way,  mainly trying to combine the Black Powder rules for defending/attacking obstacles and buildings. We got it sorted in the end, though the French victory decided the outcome before a final assault was needed.

The 'Cossack Fear' rule worked well in delaying the French. Cossacks 'appeared' randomly on a Command roll of <7 but needed to pass a second roll in the subsequent Turn to charge any available enemy flank. This only happened once! The threat though did delay and confuse the French wonderfully!

It was all over in Turn 7, another really Gripping Black Powder game full of the unexpected.

A Blast From The Past?

The final short sessions of painting which I managed in the dog days of May saw three Wargames Foundry Cossacks completed for my Crimean War project. Last year I had bought enough figures to make up a second regiment of Cossacks for the Roosians and to staff a Command Stand for them and their fellows already deployed in GHQ. These three figures for the Command Stand depict an officer, trumpeter and ensign ~

The Officer 

The Trumpeter

The Ensign

The very first thing to say about my very average brushwork on display should be by way of an excuse, in that I was trying to paint them to fit in with figures I painted back when the world and I were young, coupled with Phil's remark about how small they appear on seeing them.

One minor gripe concerns the horses' poses, two standing and one galloping was the best I could manage from those offered in the packs! Looks a bit daft to my eye, but needs must. The standard by the way is from the North Star range for the Great War Miniatures Crimean War Roosians. My eyesight let me down when it came to the fiddly cutting out, fitting and animating it, but at gaming distance it will have to do for me.

After the traumas of working on these three my courage failed me and their twelve fellows were returned to the Lead Pimple's annex! Their time will come, but just not yet...

Cossack Frippary

Having enjoyed a bit of a nostalgic diversion into painting two regiments of Dixon Miniatures ACW figures recently I looked around the infamous Lead Pimple for something different to work on. I was rather surprised to discover that while I have lots of figures cleaned up I have hardly any of those spray undercoated! A bit of Hobson's Choice then lead me to a Perry Miniatures Cossack cart! It's from their Napoleonic Russian range, but I figured carts don't change all that much over time, especially in rural backwaters, so it will do just fine for my Crimean War project as a table filler or as a game objective. Not a great deal more I can say about it really beyond my usual Perry gripes about vent runs and flash/molding issues ~

After a rather drawn out period of recovery over the last couple of days following the recent Partizan show I finally have the Wars of the Roses figures I purchased from  Dave Thomas cleaned up and placed in their units ready for spray undercoating. I'd hope to get that done over the coming days, so I'll keep you up to speed there as and when. First though it's time to prepare the tabletop battlefield here in GHQ for our next game.

Les Garde ont fini...

... et moi aussi, or so it feels! It seems that I slowed down somewhat as February marched on, at least that's how it seems from my side of the painting desk. 

But now the Chasseurs de la Garde have finally advanced across the painting desk, endured my modest efforts with the brush, and mustered into GHQ joining their fellows in a Brigade. 

This brings the French contingent of my Crimean War project to a conclusion, at least for now. It comprises a Line Brigade of three battalions with a command stand, a Garde Brigade of three battalions with a command stand, and an overall army command stand. Here are the Chasseurs de la Garde ~

The figures are from Great War Miniatures of course via North Star, as is their standard, while the base is from the ever dependable Warbases. The command pack does not include a figure to carry the standard and eagle but it was easy enough to adapt one of the officers into the role via a small act of surgery with knife and file on one hand.

Painting the yellow trim on the uniform jackets is difficult for me if applying the yellow ochre colour after the French Blue of the jackets. A good while ago I realised it's easier to paint the trim yellow ochre first and paint the coat French Blue afterwards. It works for me, though there is one figure where I forgot that rule, and to me it stands out! 

Finally then, here is the whole Brigade of my Garde Impériale commanded by Général De Rumforde under the ever watchful eye of Maréchal De France, Alphonse De Morrisoné ~

"La Garde avancera!"

While I was collecting figures for the French component of my Crimean War project I was on the lookout for suitable figures to add to/make Command stands. I was able to use some officer figures from the Great War Miniatures packs, but there were no mounted officers or generals in the range - a serious omission really, along with cavalry, artillery and Zouaves. As you have seen in previous blog posts I did find figures for both the Zouaves and to make up Command stands, with this offering being the last of the line ~

The mounted figure I bought from Athena Miniatures at last year's WMMS while the officer on foot is from Wargames Foundry's Mexican Regulars Command pack in the Old West range. The mounted figure seems to be intended for the FPW, but he has to do! Needs must as they say! You can't fail to notice the disparity in size between the two ranges' interpretation of 25/28mm. I can live with that, horses being big creatures up close, but the style does remind me of the old Lamming Miniatures horses, all stiff legged looking like a fairground horse! On the table in a game though I doubt it will be noticed, even less cared about!  

All that remains now for the French are the Garde Chasseurs, and they are well underway with the first base of eight figures being completed. Of course there are Cossacks lurking in the Lead Pimple, as I said previously, but I have no immediate vague aspirations to move them into the painting queue - residing on the top tier of my painting desk. I have also been looking at some Chasseurs d'Afrique figures which might suit the project, but as of yet I haven't settled on a range I can embrace. I like the style of those in the Artizan Miniatures March or Die range but they are too modern in look sadly. Right now I'll put the idea on the back burner I think.

Zouaves de la Garde!

With the completion of the Garde Voltigeurs battalion the next French Crimean War  unit in the  queue was a unit of Garde Zouaves. 

The figures are not from Great War Miniatures’ range but from Wargames Foundry. The rank and file are from the Maximilian range, sculpted by Aly Morrison, while the Officer types are Mexican regulars from the Old West range. The figures are obviously smaller/more slight than those from Great War Miniatures. To partly counter this difference to the eye I was able to obtain a set of back packs & sundry equipment for them from North Star. These bulk out the Foundry figures nicely. The more aggressive advancing pose of the rank and file Zouaves also helps deceive the eye as they appear to be crouching forward in the attack. The French eagle is from Front Rank via Gripping Beast and the bearer is a converted pointing officer from the Mexican regulars pack. There were some helpful sources on the net as well as in the book Aly kindly gifted me ~

A line zouave probably from the FPW period, but it gives a sense of the look I was after with the addition of the North Star backpacks to the figures. Turbans were apparently reserved for parades and dress uniform wear, which is another reason why I chose figures from the Maximilian range figures rather than the FPW range. There is a varied range of colours for straps, gaiters and such across various sources, so I chose to go with Boneyard Light over Arctic Grey mid-shade to help the figures ping! You can judge for yourself at any rate now, blathering over ~

Next in line for their time under the brush are two figures to represent a Command stand for my Garde Brigade: a mounted officer from Athena Miniatures I think, which I bought at last year's WMMS, and another on foot from Wargames Foundry's Old West Mexican Command pack. That will leave just the Chasseurs de la Garde to complete the French component of the Crimean War project until I can source some artillery. In the notorious Lead Pimple there remains still a regiment of Foundry Roosian Cossacks, more figures to make up a Cossack command stand and a Perry Miniatures Cossack light cart! When they will surface I can't say.