15mm Shako II (2023)

[Phil Portway]

45-50 figures per day!  That is a lot of figures painted in a VERY short time.  I've done over 400 figures in a month but they weren't well uniformed.

What is your general process - and I'm assuming the figures were already prepped and primed and dry and ready for paint when you started?

All Primed Ready to go.
I normally clean the whole army/ part of army I am going to be painting, sort out the battalions and prime about 10 battalions (glued to strips of approx 12 figs) at a time

I have a "conveyer belt" system.

I have all the paints I will need, in a rack, in the order I will be using them (this helps a lot actually), this way I don't miss to many bits and that way don't have to get the paints out again.

[FifteensAway]

While I do most of what you do, I've not done the paints in order of use - love that idea and can see that it would help the output.  Will be giving it a try even though I think it is probably easier when doing basically the same uniform over and over than when doing, say, a large group of Old West figures with each one unique.  Still seems like a great idea.  So, thanks for sharing.  Certainly will use it when painting my 15 mm AWI British, Germans, French, and (small number) of Spanish and, to a lesser degree, the continentals.  Not sure it will apply to militia.

[Phil Portway]

Started these on Thursday, These are the final Battalions of my 15mm Russian Infantry. 126 figures in 4 days is even a record for me! Not sure what project next, Carry on and finish my WWII French, my Napoleonic French or Start my 6mm 100 days buildings?





These are the final two Battalions of my 15mm Russian Infantry. A journey that started back in 1975 with Minifigs Various manufacturers along the way and 58 battalions later, finished with Minifigs.

[CapnJim]

A.  More nice looking Ruskies!

B.  Foly huck!  Dat's a lotta units! 

[Phil Portway]

A.  More nice looking Ruskies!

B.  Foly huck!  Dat's a lotta units! 

To go with the 30 Regts of Cavalry and about 15 Batteries of artillery

[Fred Mills]

Kudos all around - speed, paint quality, basing, and for sharing a bit on method. Fearsome array, as in real life!

[wrgmr1]

Beautiful work here Phil. Nice sized armies as well.

[FifteensAway]

So, while not quite as fast a painter, I too have very large armies of figures.  For ACW, once I get some work done on some stuff in the queue I will have 68 infantry units in total for both sides (with more to prep and paint later).  The question is, how often do we field such large armies and how many pairs of hands are needed to keep the game moving?

One thing to have your own table that can be left set up for days if desired but for most of us we have to setup a game to play and take it down the same day.  Given that constraint, I am - as I have been for years now - trying to convince myself to downsize most of my collections to more reasonable size.  You have 58 battalions of infantry alone for but one side of a multi-sided war.  How often do you actually get them on to the table?

And I do understand collecting and painting armies can be an end in and of itself.  My question still stands.

Thanks.

[Jemima Fawr]

To go with the 30 Regts of Cavalry and about 15 Batteries of artillery

And my roughly-matching army... I feel a Borodino coming on... Got a spare week...? 

[Phil Portway]

One thing to have your own table that can be left set up for days if desired but for most of us we have to setup a game to play and take it down the same day.  Given that constraint, I am - as I have been for years now - trying to convince myself to downsize most of my collections to more reasonable size.  You have 58 battalions of infantry alone for but one side of a multi-sided war.  How often do you actually get them on to the table?

I normally have a large battle once a month & yes, if need be I can leave the game up. I also play a Saturday game at my club once a month too, also big game (but in and out on the day)

I also have ACW and play Johnny Reb II, and although I haven't played with them that often since moving, I have a lot in 15mm, Both sides Approx 60 Union and 50 Reb Inf Regts and about 10 Cav Regts for both sides, and the last game I did was Antietam using all my figs, so big games can be played, but like you say time and table kept up is a bonus!

[Phil Portway]

And my roughly-matching army... I feel a Borodino coming on... Got a spare week...? 

I am up for that, Still cracking on with my Waterloo project atm.

[Fred Mills]

Love this thread and reports on the splendid output, though the quantity and quality shame me a bit too. My 1809 project (15mm/AoE basing) has been in progress since around, well, 1809, and creeps along, but inspired by all these pics of finished battalions, I return to the paint table!! Great work, and thanks for sharing.

[Phil Portway]

Love this thread and reports on the splendid output, though the quantity and quality shame me a bit too. My 1809 project (15mm/AoE basing) has been in progress since around, well, 1809, and creeps along, but inspired by all these pics of finished battalions, I return to the paint table!! Great work, and thanks for sharing.

Thanks Fred, I sort of blew myself out finishing the Russian at such a pace and need to do something else. Hope you get your Mojo back and get those chaps on the table.

[DivisMal]

Wow! All those minis!

Napoleonic French…if you ask me.

[Jemima Fawr]

I am up for that, Still cracking on with my Waterloo project atm.

Excellent! I'm still cracking on with my Drinking Tenerife Dry project...