Six-Year Return To "Victrix" Napoleonic Project

[BlaxKleric]

In an attempt to try and reduce my ever-increasing horde of metal, plastic and resin models I've decided to try and regularly dedicate part of my hobby time each month towards painting some Napoleonics and settling down for a game or two using Bob Cordery's "The Portable Wargame".

Fortunately, I am not about to embark upon such a time-consuming adventure completely from scratch, having actually tried to paint some "Victrix" French six years ago for a 'Battle of Marengo' project. That naive undertaking was perhaps always destined to fail, but it did cause me to purchase a considerable number of plastic Napoleonic infantry and cavalry, as well as actually paint sixteen Frenchmen up; albeit I don't seem to have applied any flags to their command stand...



As I plan on getting to grips with the rule-set's basics by simply deploying just eight musket-armed infantry units (8 @ 4 SP each = 32 SP; Rated Average), and a Commander (1 @ 6 SP each = 6 SP), this means I already own almost half of the foot-soldiers needed for my first foray into "The Portable Wargame". Of course though, that still means I need to paint another twenty of Napoleon's finest, 'picking out' all their straps, cuffs, water bottles and stowage... and I haven't even mentioned their similarly sized Austrian opposition yet.

Realistically therefore, considering all the other painting projects and models I want to pigment over the next few months, I've decided to set a relatively low-bar of completing just four figures per month, and hope that before my enthusiasm for the project wanes too much I manage to finish enough soldiers off to at least start a few straightforward skirmishes; something which as a rule ordinarily helps reinvigorate my mojo. In addition, once I've completed these initial four Frenchmen I plan to start work on a few of their "oldest and, next to the English, the most persistent" of their "foemen", the white-coated Austrians.



I'd greatly appreciate the odd nod of encouragement, and if I seem to be going too badly off-track, a historically accurate nudge in the right direction 

[jambo1]

Interesting to see how this goes, I bought a box of Victrix French a while ago but found them too fiddly for me and sold them on, they are nice figures though.

[BlaxKleric]

Interesting to see how this goes, I bought a box of Victrix French a while ago but found them too fiddly for me and sold them on, they are nice figures though.

I'm certainly very pleased I assembled all my "Victrix" six years ago, Jambo1, so apart from the odd broken bayonet, I've a good 100+ good to go straight onto the painting table.



I've already made quite a bit of progress on my first pair of Napoleonic French. It's been some years since I last attempted to 'pick out' all the straps, pouches, bags and cuffs of so detailed a Line infantryman, and my enthusiasm for renewing this 'Marengo' project has been slightly dampened by the fact I can no longer use the same "Citadel" paint colours as those which I applied on my previous Frenchmen.

Fortunately, I have managed to find some suitable alternatives within the "Vallejo" Game Color range, and additionally located an old, yet still very usable, OOP pot of "Citadel" Asurmen Blue wash. I have also undergone a little 'shopping therapy' by taking full advantage of "Warlord Games" recent Black Friday sale and ordered myself a rather nice Napoleonic 1809-1815 Russian 6 pounder cannon...

[Littlearmies]

I have also undergone a little 'shopping therapy' by taking full advantage of "Warlord Games" recent Black Friday sale and ordered myself a rather nice Napoleonic 1809-1815 Russian 6 pounder cannon...

I also attempt to reduce my lead pile by buying more figures! It never seems to work though!

I'm currently attempting to reduce an absurdly large 18mm pile of ABs. Doing a bit every day - no matter how small - is the key. Good luck with your project.

[BlaxKleric]

Good luck with your project.

Many thanks Littlearmies. It's going to take a lot of effort I know. I have though finished the first of my French Fusiliers, and got going on another two 





http://fantorical.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/in-1799-36000-french-troops-in-italy.html

[olicana]

Good luck with this, and a great start.

I'm in the process of knocking a few of the s*ds out myself, so I feel your pain with the belts, straps and accoutrements. Just when you think you've done everything you spot another detail you've missed. C'est la vie!

James

[BlaxKleric]

Good luck with this, and a great start.

Many thanks James. There are indeed a lot of straps to push through 

I've dusted off some "Victrix" Austrians for my next quartet, just to keep me sane 

[BlaxKleric]

I am still somewhat infuriated with my (six year) younger-self for deciding to 'pick out' all the white straps on the soldiers' backpacks and stowage, when simply leaving them in their respective brown and greys would probably have provided adequate pigmentation for a 'rank' model. Indeed, as I clearly (and quite sensibly) chose not to 'pick out' each and every button on the complicated uniform, I'm struggling to rationalise why I then went on to make such a time-consuming, and patience-testing, resolution; albeit the final effect seems ultimately to be well worth the extra effort.

[BlaxKleric]

Two more French Fusiliers finished 



http://fantorical.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/on-few-occasions-whole-formations.html

[WimVdB]

I am still somewhat infuriated with my (six year) younger-self for deciding to 'pick out' all the white straps on the soldiers' backpacks and stowage, when simply leaving them in their respective brown and greys would probably have provided adequate pigmentation for a 'rank' model. Indeed, as I clearly (and quite sensibly) chose not to 'pick out' each and every button on the complicated uniform, I'm struggling to rationalise why I then went on to make such a time-consuming, and patience-testing, resolution; albeit the final effect seems ultimately to be well worth the extra effort.

You can always put a wash over your white belts.
Anyway, lots of succes with the project.
I'm near the end of my Dutch-Belgian division for 1815. Just over 300 figs.
It only took me around 6 years, and I have yet to start on the French...

[BlaxKleric]

You can always put a wash over your white belts.
Anyway, lots of succes with the project.
I'm near the end of my Dutch-Belgian division for 1815. Just over 300 figs.
It only took me around 6 years, and I have yet to start on the French...

Many thanks WimVdB 

I do apply a Pale Grey wash on the white straps etc but its probably faded out with the gloss/photo flash.
I'm drooling at the thought of 300+ Dutch-Belgian troops; that's a few years worth of work at my rate at no mistake!! Good luck with the French. I do think they look great once all based up properly etc

Just finishing off the last of my latest French Fusilier quartet, and then I'm going to do some Austrians for a change... and to see if I can get enough painted for a small skirmish