New Company, 1898 Miniatures?

[Happy Wanderer]

I can concur with Ray Rivers.

Just saw the movie and it's a fine film - the tale is a credit to both Spanish and Filipino soldados...no honour lost on either side.


These 1898 figures provide all that you need to evoke clashes of this hard fought conflict.

CAPTAIN DON SATURNINO MARTIN CEREZO's book was translated in English and is available here.

https://archive.org/details/underredgoldbein00cereiala

Great story, superb film - for those interested in the Spanish American War, now we have what looks like the definitive range...

...happy days...

Happy Wanderer

[1898 Miniaturas]

Wow!

Got my mini's in 2 days! 

Thanks very much.

I'll give you all my first impressions as I have just opened the package and am opening each pack to see what I find.

- Officers have 2 arms for different poses and 2 different heads. (Lots of options here clearly stated on the descriptions.)
- The bases are very thin. THANK YOU!
- Height and chunkiness wise they are very similar to Empress Zulu Wars British Infantry though they scale very well with just about all the minis I have (Ironclad excluded). The difference being that many of the Empress miniatures have a kinda flatish look when viewed from the side. These minis have a nice body structure and are well proportioned.
- Mold lines are minimal
- Some of the straps are a little flat - again think more like Empress and less like Foundry.
- Did somebody say something about the rifles? The rifles are fine.

Some misc. comments.

- I got the Regiment No. 3 flag... its gorgeous.
- Flag bearers with the exception of ES1, Spanish infantry command group advancing, do not have flag poles. I would recommend editing their description to "Flag pole and flag not included."
- I also bought the South East Asia stilt house. The roof is a bit wider than the house and doesn't fit real snug, so I'll have to do some work here. Also, though clearly stating the stilts were not included, it would be nice to have some kind of tutorial for constructing the stilts in the modeling and painting section of the web site. It will, however, make a really nice piece of terrain.
- Fray Cándido Gómez Carreño, párroco de Baler is an great mini! (Thanks!)

I bought enough minis to make 2 regiments of 10-12 men each (with officer and NCO) and a command element of 3 (officer, flag bearer and bugler).

Overall, I'm very happy with my buy. Providing my own flag pole is not an issue and neither is constructing the stilts for the South Asian house.

Am looking forward to getting these painted up. I won't be "stripping" them though or my old eyes would just hemorrhage blood. Besides, looking at the actual uniforms and having watched the movie "1898: Los Ultimos de Filipinas" (a great Spanish flick!) you don't really see them unless you are reaaaally close. Hat tip to Rubén, but I really don't think I could come close to his beautifully painted minis.

Hi Ray, wow, thanks a lot for your superb review, I'm glad you are happy with the figures. I'll definitely edit the command group product description. On the painting, the striping to simulate the rayadillo is a mere convention, a solid pale blue-gray would be just fine. And Rayadillos site is a superb source of information, Bill Combs is a major expert on uniforms of this period. Cheers

[Ray Rivers]

Okay, so I prepped 14 minis and while I was doing that I took out "George" (a Redoubt mini) and using the tutorial on the web site tried to come up with something that looked like this guy:

https://www.1898miniaturas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Final-a.jpg

I tried blue grey and although it came out rather nice, it lacked the blueish tint I was after.

I then tried to make my own batch of blue grey with more of a blueish tint. Spent a couple hours on that and at the end of the evening threw up my hands in defeat. 

Finally, I grabbed Foundry's Sky Blue Light as a base and gave that a whirl. "George" was now on his third coat...  He looked a bit off because I ended up too light... but it looked like it would work.

I decided to paint up 3 of my minis and when I was finished they looked okay. I didn't strip them though and they just didn't have the pizazz as the minis on the site. So, I decided, okay, let's go for the strips. What I discovered was, it really wasn't that hard. Just needed to make sure the paint stayed nice a liquid and try not to blotch the strips together to make a blob. In fact, I stripped like crazy and not necessary just on the last highlight. I did make sure that I never strayed onto the base color. The stripping, I found, gives the mini a great textured look. I probably could have exaggerated the colors more so that everything stood out really well, but what can I say.

So now that I have the basic uniform done I will continue and finish off my first 3 dudes.

When they are finished I'll see if I can take a photo that does them some justice, though I can't promise that because I am a horrible photographer.

The point of all this was... don't be afraid to paint these minis... and even strip them. It's amazing how nicely they come out.

[Marine0846]

Saw the figures when the first group were posted on the forum.
Really liked them, but I tell myself that I have too many periods not painted.
So what do I do, I see the second group of figures and I succumbed.
Look forward to seeing and painting them.

[1898 Miniaturas]

Okay, so I prepped 14 minis and while I was doing that I took out "George" (a Redoubt mini) and using the tutorial on the web site tried to come up with something that looked like this guy:

https://www.1898miniaturas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Final-a.jpg

I tried blue grey and although it came out rather nice, it lacked the blueish tint I was after.

I then tried to make my own batch of blue grey with more of a blueish tint. Spent a couple hours on that and at the end of the evening threw up my hands in defeat. 

Finally, I grabbed Foundry's Sky Blue Light as a base and gave that a whirl. "George" was now on his third coat...  He looked a bit off because I ended up too light... but it looked like it would work.

I decided to paint up 3 of my minis and when I was finished they looked okay. I didn't strip them though and they just didn't have the pizazz as the minis on the site. So, I decided, okay, let's go for the strips. What I discovered was, it really wasn't that hard. Just needed to make sure the paint stayed nice a liquid and try not to blotch the strips together to make a blob. In fact, I stripped like crazy and not necessary just on the last highlight. I did make sure that I never strayed onto the base color. The stripping, I found, gives the mini a great textured look. I probably could have exaggerated the colors more so that everything stood out really well, but what can I say.

So now that I have the basic uniform done I will continue and finish off my first 3 dudes.

When they are finished I'll see if I can take a photo that does them some justice, though I can't promise that because I am a horrible photographer.

The point of all this was... don't be afraid to paint these minis... and even strip them. It's amazing how nicely they come out.

Thanks for the update, I'm happy you found it easy and the painting tutorial useful!

[1898 Miniaturas]

I owed you some painted minis from the Tagalog insurgents! Those could be mixed with codes FL2 & 3 to build either a Katipunan or a Filipino Republican Army force. Here we go:

FL1B-Tagalog insurgent command group




FL4-Tagalog insurgents with firearms




I'm working on an article on Filipino uniforms 1896-1902 and on a Filipino painting tutorial, soon available at our website.
Have a nice weekend!

[commissarmoody]

Wow....

[Malamute]

Great stuff

[Ray Rivers]

Very nice, indeed!

You're web site is looking very good.

I know that the Yanks are next and they are almost certainly a very important step forward.

But I'm hoping you will also continue expanding the present range including, for example, a mounted officer, Guardia Civil and some Tagalog insurgents with bows.

Now back to painting up my stuff...

[1898 Miniaturas]

Very nice, indeed!

You're web site is looking very good.

I know that the Yanks are next and they are almost certainly a very important step forward.

But I'm hoping you will also continue expanding the present range including, for example, a mounted officer, Guardia Civil and some Tagalog insurgents with bows.

Now back to painting up my stuff...

For sure, more Spanish will come soon, and Filipinos with bows and bolos

[Ray Rivers]

For sure, more Spanish will come soon, and Filipinos with bows and bolos

Awesome!

I was searching about Pinterest the other day. Some inspiration:







I love cavalry... 

[Von Stroheim]

The latest issue of Wargames Soldiers and Strategy has an article by 'Heresybrush' on how to paint the Spanish figures.

[1898 Miniaturas]

Awesome!

I was searching about Pinterest the other day. Some inspiration:







I love cavalry... 

Cavalry played a major role in Cuba prior 1898. Mambises were famous for their terrifying "al machete" charges and the Spanish made also a comprehensive and effective use of the cavalry, both as regular horse or especially as mounted guerrillas. So there will be cavalry for sure!

[1898 Miniaturas]

Gentlemen, we have just added the article Filipino uniforms (1896-1902). Katipunan and Republican Army to our website. Not sure if I can post any link here, but you can find it in the home of 1898 Miniaturas website and in the History section. More stuff soon!

[Ray Rivers]

Very nice!

You're web site is evolving rapidly and becoming well worth the visit!

If nothing else, here is a link to the history portion:

https://www.1898miniaturas.com/en/history/

The uniform articles are first rate with some super illustrations. The article on the Battle of el Caney is great reading... and even more reason we need a mini of a mounted General Joaquín Vara de Rey.