Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Age of the Big Battalions => Topic started by: Alan Mercer on May 02, 2021, 07:33:57 AM
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I’ve been neglecting my 40mm Napoleonics for a while, so time for a re-boot. I have a painting system going now, painting things in 6s, which seems to work better than my previous butterfly process. This lets me have 3 battalions in progress at any one time - currently 1 AWI and 2 Napoleonics and I can filter in new battalions in as others are finished.
Starting with the command bases for some Spanish Volunteers and for the French 54th.
Slightly odd light for photos this morning.
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Excellent work Alan, look forward to seeing more. How big a collection are you aiming for with the Peninsular?
Paul
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Nice work.
40mm interests me, but I don't want to duplicate
something I already do in 28mm. That rules out
most, if not all, 40mm ranges, like those nice ones
you are painting.
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Lovely work, really like the Spanish, they are quite superb. :)
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Thanks all.
Paul, i’m going for a modest set up, if i can get a division of French, brigade or so of Spanish, likewise British and some odds and sods done that will be fine with me.
Period wise, i’m drawn to the early bit, quite possibly confined to Catalonia - Rosas, Cardedeu, Molins, Valls, And lots of small brigade sized actions.
Perry for the French (mostly), maybe also for any Swiss, Italians and Neapolitan odds and sods.
Sash and Saber for Wurzburgers (I have enough Austrians for this - close enough), possibly some Poles - you have to have some Poles.
Spanish will Perry for regulars, and Sash and Saber for volunteers, somatenes etc. There will be plenty of conversions - the Alamo Mexicans are a resource to be used and abused, i’ll do some surgery on those. The S&S pirates come in handy too - the figure on the left of the Spanish base above has a pirate body and head on guerilla legs with a Trident musket and greenstuff blanket roll.
As much as I don’t like them, I prefer the S&S British to the Perry (apart from the skirmishing poses). Some of The Perry British I have bought have been really thin.
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Alan, like the period you have chosen, some very interesting actions. I aiming for something similar but Suchets campaigns in and Tortosa, Tarragona, Saguntum, Ordal and possibly Castalla etc (useful for using British troops).
How well do Sash and sabre Austrians match up to Wurzburgers? The Poles can also be used as Confederation of the Rhine troops.
Paul
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Yep, Suchet's campaigns are really interesting. The Early Wurzburg uniform is pretty much the same as the Austrians, or at least good enough for me.
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The job in hand finished and to be finished French and Spanish. At least I know how much I have to do. I have another Spanish battalion still in bags not shown here.
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Any progress with the Napoleonic's?
Paul
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Not much I’m afraid. I’ve had a loss of painting mojo recently, which I think has now passed. Working on the next base of voluntarios.
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That’s why I enrol for display games - nothing like a deadline to get those fingers moving 😂
It’s a pity the Portuguese project never got off the ground
Ian
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Fantastic
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Glad your brush is back in action.
Paul
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Lovely job, the figures are full of character and your painting serves them well.
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Now that I have decided to stop the AWI project I can get on with this a bit quicker. I've added to the backlog with a load of Perry French to paint up as 3rd Swiss, but I've also started on some Guard Fusilier-Grenadiers. The Guard Grenadier uniform is pretty much the same as the Fusilier-Grenadiers, just exchange a shako in place of the bearskin and here we go, photos below (not varnished yet). Not totally correct, but it works for me. I couldn't find a shako that already has the eagle plate so I've gone for the covered shako instead. A bit limited in terms of actual combat that they took part in, but it's going to be nice to get something different on the table.
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Looking good so far, nice to see your re-booting your Napoleonic's, look forward to seeing more.
Paul
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First completed base of Guard Fusilier-Grenadiers. Not too bad, maybe the whites need a bit more shade. I do need to get a shift on though, far too slow.
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Lovely and very nice animation of pose
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Superb job, love ‘em
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Very nice indeed.
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40mm is definitely the new 28mm :D
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The next regiment on my re-boot. 3rd Swiss. Command base first, just another 30 figures to go which, at my current speed might be ready by 2028. My missus bought me some Perry stuff for Christmas, I like them so far.
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Lovely stuff Alan
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Yep like them a lot, great work
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The Swiss are one I am considerign for my extra French unit along with Paris Municipal Guard or Italians. These look lush.
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And then there were 2 bases of Fusilier-Grenadiers!
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Even more progress. One of the advantages of working at home at the moment is being able to finish work and, rather than a joy sucking hour and a bit commute home, I walk 20 steps to my painting desk.
Fusilier Grenadier Command Base (flag and last base to follow) and half a line battalion finished.
I need to finish off a Spanish Battalion next, then the 10th Chasseurs a Cheval, I haven't painted horses for years.
Sadly, back to the office next week and a return to slow progress.
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Just got around to perusing this thread. Great stuff! Well done...
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Finally finished the Guard Fusilier-Grenadiers. Pretty pleased with how they turned out, just a fannion to add at some point.
Need to take a break from Napoleonics and get some more war of 1812 done. I think I’ll combine the threads into this one to make it easier to report progress.
On the painting table I currently have
44th foot - 42 marching figures and 6 figure light company skirmishing
Another Maryland Militia Regiment - 42 marching figures
US Light Dragoon’s - 10 figures.
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The next instalment of my War of 1812 forces, the first third of the 44th. These guys have already been through a bit of a trial - there were some really awful castings in this batch, which took a lot of cleaning up and some repairs, then I managed to accidentally spray them with Vallejo gunmetal when I squeezed the tube too hard and the stopper came out and so I had to repaint 8 figures to some degree.
Just 6 or so bases left to do. Then a Maryland Militia battalion and US Light Dragoons.
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marvellous result.
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And now added a mounted US officer for 1812 (Sash and Saber). I haven’t finished the base as I’m undecided whether to add another figure to it. I probably will, most likely a drummer.
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After a long layoff due to a broken wrist and fractured coccyx (if you have to go up a ladder, don’t fall off!) I have re-started with a slight deviation. I had some Hessians left over after selling my AWI collection which I’ve decided to paint up before working out what to do with them. Triguard 40mm figures, Painted as Hessian Regiment Furstenburg circa 1758, mounted officer and command base ( awaiting flags and basing t9 be finished). This will pan out as a 24 figure unit.
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Great painting! :-* :-* :-*
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Great painting! :-* :-* :-*
I agree.
before working out what to do with them.
Have you not considered keeping them? Could base them up
singly & use in a skirmish game.
if you have to go up a ladder, don’t fall off!
Glad you are better.
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I sold my AWI collection as i didn’t have capacity for another period, so starting a SYW collection would be the same issue. 40mm SYW Probably has a very limited circulation, so games would be hard to find and having to field both sides works out a tad expensive, but I love the period, I’ll most likely hold onto them for a bit while I work it out which organ to sell if I decide to go for it!
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It’s been a while since I posted anything on here. So here’s a taster of my next diversion. 40mm Austrian Napoleonics 1813 ish. It’s a dreadful day for taking photo’s, but you get the idea.
Painting that much white isn’t too bad, it’s a simple uniform.
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Very nice! :-* :-* :-*
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And the 44th is near there too. Just 2 more bases and the light company to do.
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I have really enjoyed viewing the progress of your superbly painted figures. Many thanks for regularly posting your updates.
Also, my compliments to you for realistically portraying the 44th elbow to elbow. Many collectors/gamers base their figures unrealistically in open order (a lot of space between figures), which ruins the impression of tightly packed infantry men of this period.
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Well done, lad! Great-looking figs!
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And the 44th is near there too. Just 2 more bases and the light company to do.
Whats the frontage per figure?
Nice unit btw.
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Each base has a 50mm frontage, so 16.6mm or thereabouts per figure. 60mm looked a bit too big and 45mm was too cramped. I have some US Dragoons and some artillery to do at some point, I need to conduct experiments on base sizes for them.
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Another Austrian base added and a tester for the Jägers.
The Jägers are all sculpted wearing overalls, I have only seen reenactor Jägers with white overalls, i’ve gone with grey, which may or may not be correct. I might include one or two figures with white overalls for variety.
All Sash and Saber 40mm Miniatures.
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Had I had it to do over again, I'd go with 40mm at least for skirmish gaming. Much easier to see to paint! Lovely figures!
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More lovely figures. Well done!
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Another base each added to 1st and 44th foot. They will double up as any blue or yellow faced regiment.
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Blimey that's a big unit :o. I guess by the standards of the time the battles in the Americas were pretty small so you can afford to have big units I mean Lundy's lane would be a small skirmish in 1813 Germany. It looks awesome a shame my budget and puny wargames table couldn't stretch to big units like that especially in 40mm.
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Currently, Sash and Saber 40mm figures work out to about £2.50 a figure in the UK, which isn't a vast amount more than many 28s. Just takes me forever to paint the bloody things.
As you say, 1812 engagements are the equivalent of brigade size actions anywhere else so at 1:10 it works well. Both sides preferred to fight in line, so the challenge is trying to get units into the right space to be effective - they will eventually be 54 figures strong plus a detached light company. Battlefields will become very wide, trying to deploy artillery will be interesting too.
I love bigger games too, I have a corps sized game underway with 28s, but the challenge of smaller games with bigger units is a different experience.
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Superbly painted British and I do love the way you have realistically based them shoulder to shoulder. A breathtaking view of wonderful units for War of 1812 gaming. Yes, long live the big game!
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Now, those chaps look grand. Well done, lad!
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These look great, thinking about budgets also Perrys do 10 figure packs marching at £22 so at £2.20 cheaper than some 28mm. The individual skirmishing figures are a lot more expensive however.
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Pulled my finger out and finished (more or less - needs a fanion) another French Battalion. Bit of a cheat really as they were started in 2019!!
Voltiguers are in progress for the 3 line battalions I have actually finished.
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Some more additions. A British Command base for War of 1812 and some French Voltigeurs.
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great figures and paint-jobs.
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Lovely stuff, I have soem of the Voltiguers on order.
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Lovely work, the base sizes look spot on. Trying to get my own 40mm back up and running.
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More additions. Finished the base for the US mounted officer, the command base for the Austrian Jagers, and a 4th base for the Austrian Infantry Battalion.
Before anyone points it out, the Jager officer should have blue breeches with yellow/gold knots but, as he isn't modelled with them, I have just done grey.
In the pipeline are more Jagers, Voltigeurs, US Light Dragoons, and some completely new figures - but more about those nearer the time.
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looking splendid Alan!! :o :-* :o :-*
regards
Ged
www.gringo40s.com
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Excellent work Alan, what base sizes do you use for your British Inf? Getting ready to start basing my 40mm French inf, your basing looks spot on.
Paul
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Napoleonic (and 1812) Infantry base sizes are 50mm frontage and 60mm depth. Skirmishers and command figures are on 60mm round bases. This works well for Sash and Saber and Perry. I haven't decided on Cavalry base sizes yet, I suppose I should really as there are some on the painting table.
For AWI, the bases were the same size, but I used 60mm frontage and 50mm depth as the figures were bigger (Front Rank and Triguard) and looked a bit odd squashed onto a 50mm frontage. I'm going to start to re-visit the AWI this year. In 40mm of course.
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Cheers Alan, will give it a try, most my French are Sash and sabre, my Spanish are Perries.
Paul
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Another group of Voltigeurs.
And a base added to a AWI British Battalion, 15th. The uniform is speculative and based on a Troiani painting.
The bases on the left and centre were painted in 2018, so I had forgotten which paints I used. The new ones almost match. Kind of.
They aren't my favorite sculpts, odd proportions, very large, and the officer has an odd arm.
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Those British lights are looking good.
Paul
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Those chaps look good to me!
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Some Austrian Jagers, All 40mm Sash and Saber. Trying to get to grips with the camera on my phone.
The idea is to represent jagers skirmishing along a hedgerow.
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Excellent jaegers, terrific basing, the shrubs/bushes is a great idea.
Paul
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Here's the command base for a Battalion of Hungarians. I've made a silly error in that the Ensign should be wearing a shako but, for some reason, I ran out of shakos. Not sure what happened. Anyway, another 18 to go. Sash and Saber 40s.
Also added the start of my 40mm AWI reboot, 66% of 1st Maryland, 6 more figures and a flag to do. Front Rank miniatures. I'll probably start a new thread for this once it gets going properly as there will be a lot of it.
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1st Maryland finished.
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Those are very nice. 40mm is not a scale I've ever considered. Though I do have some 42mm shiny toy soldier types.
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Alan, lovely looking Austrians, wonder the marching chaps could be used as German allies in Spain?
Look forward to seeing more
Paul
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I think they could for some. The Austrian Germans would make good stand-ins for Wurzburg (with covered shako heads for later), Hungarians for Reus (would need shako heads). They wouldn't be 100% correct, but close enough. Others might be more tricky to re-create.
My original intention was to use the Germans as Wurzburg, but I then thought 'sod it' I'll do Austrians.
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A command base for my 40mm AWI collection. Front Rank miniatures.
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Excellent work! :-* :-* :-*
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they've come out a treat.