Author Topic: 54mm ACW project for All the King's Men with soft plastic figures (Read 6664 times)

TwoGunBob · « **on:** October 18, 2018, 03:45:46 PM »

Throwing it around at various forums and finally bringing it here as well. Every year we play All the King's Men at Christmas if not more often. Typically we play the American War of Independence Battle of Trenton in 54mm. Now I've been enamored with the larger figs for years and rolled around the idea of doing All the King's Men American Civil War for awhile but honestly put it aside as my knowledge of the period is fairly spotty and when I tried to do a 28mm game I got worn out really quickly.
When I was taking my youngest to a wood carving class I stopped at a hobby shop and they had a box of Armies in Plastic Zouaves for $3.00 so i went ahead and picked them up and after finishing all the armies for a convention Dragon Rampant game I started back in on painting them.

In the end I figured after everything and messing with 'the dip' for the first time I rather had fun with the figures and the price of plastic toy soldiers certainly justified a dip into a new scale and a new style.

Since then there's been a steady flow of progress

Course I finished those and packed them away and started on more figures.

And then last night took the Michigan 1st back out and took pictures since they were finished.

There's a long way to go on the project but I have to admit I'm actually having a lot more fun than usual. Might have been painting to a deadline for the convention game in September or just going from fantasy miniatures to historical, but it's triggered me really enjoying painting again and looking forward to some time with the brush.

wds0855 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 21, 2018, 03:06:14 PM »

Looks like a fun project. Great work so far.

Inkpaduta · « **Reply #2 on:** October 21, 2018, 04:22:28 PM »

Wargaming should be about the fun. Glad you are enjoying your project.
It looks great!

Lysandros · « **Reply #3 on:** October 27, 2018, 01:59:34 PM »

54mm sounds great and lots of fun.

fusilierdan · « **Reply #4 on:** October 27, 2018, 04:50:55 PM »

Some of those figure bring back lot's of childhood memories.

TwoGunBob · « **Reply #5 on:** October 29, 2018, 07:45:13 PM »

Nostalgia is a part of it, a big part of it. Ranks close to the old 'flats' that you used to get from the comic ads. Part of the prject was experimenting with the BMC figures that are available at Hobby Lobby. I was a little sketchy about the flatness of the figures and the sculpts themselves but picked up two bags for like $12 and decided to see how they painted up. I'm on the fence as they seem cartoony and a little TOO happy to march off to war. WiP after the dip but I have my doubts that even finished I'm going to be using these figures much.

TwoGunBob · « **Reply #6 on:** November 27, 2018, 05:49:43 PM »

Updates a few days behind.

Artillery wagon, still debating on putting a driver there. As is can be used by either side so probably going to let it go.

Berdan's Sharpshooters element got a wrap up.

In process of three more units but had a mishap with the old Xacto when cleaning them and got my finger really good so that has kind of stalled the project for a few days while it mends up.

With Armies in Plastic having their Christmas sale it appears I'm going to have to stock up even more.

Painter Jim · « **Reply #7 on:** December 03, 2018, 04:08:27 AM »

love em.

TwoGunBob · « **Reply #8 on:** January 09, 2019, 03:37:35 PM »

Just more Blue Coats... lots more Union soldiers as the project keeps on chugging along. Have some Iron Brigade in the pipe and more infantry lined up as well and then the leap into more sharpshooters, artillery, and cavalry. Latest batch are where I always apparently take pictures. Basing to be finished, highlights to be finished, and then trayed up for the game.

I'm starting to lose the plot on the Gaine's Mill battle set up though. Moving into specialist units that weren't there and wondering why I'm gearing up to paint them kind of thing.

ACW Gamer · « **Reply #9 on:** January 09, 2019, 11:38:55 PM »

Can your youngest carve some figures out of wood??

TwoGunBob · « **Reply #10 on:** January 10, 2019, 07:51:28 PM »

I haven't even been able to get that kid to finish the elephant carving he's supposed to be doing for his grandmother.

They both have offered to help with this ACW project but i have yet to see either of them pick up a brush. Not complaining, just find it funny.

TwoGunBob · « **Reply #11 on:** January 16, 2019, 04:04:01 PM »

Well, they are back on the painting table and hit with final basing and highlights. Just need to add a flag and they will be ready to be put in their movement trays and join the rest of the soldiers for the battles to come. Six more line troop sets of figures to go, a base of cavalry, some sharpshooters, some more artillery. There is light at the end though.

TwoGunBob · « **Reply #12 on:** February 06, 2019, 05:48:22 PM »

Packing the first group away and working on the next batch of figures. Getting within the light at the end of the tunnel on the Union forces.

Iron Brigade after a base coat and 'dip' before getting routed towards the matte sealant and second round of painting.

Mostly proud that I've really managed to stay focused on this project and not let something else grab my attention away from getting the forces ready for the 2019 area conventions. Still having fun with the figures above all and enjoying the toy soldier aspect and the research into the period as well.

Harry Faversham · « **Reply #13 on:** February 08, 2019, 06:12:30 AM »

Well done old chap, those 'big boy's toys' look absolutely spiffing!!!

TwoGunBob · « **Reply #14 on:** February 14, 2019, 04:04:34 PM »

It just keeps rolling with the 54th Massachusetts, artillery, the Iron Brigade getting sandy. Still have to flat matte the figures, highlight, finish the bases. Work just keeps moving onwards. I think I'm up to about 160 Union Soldiers at this point and hopefully not too many more before I can shift gears into the Confederate forces.

Also a couple of my son's Reaper figures holding up the background. He finally decided to sit down and do some work over last weekend to clear his own paint pile.

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Author Topic: 54mm ACW project for All the King's Men with soft plastic figures (Read 6664 times)