AWI advice, please.

[FifteensAway]

I have, at long last, decided to start working on my AWI figures (I have a lot!) and am going to work backwards with this period.  By that, I mean I'm going to paint those figures least likely to be used first in order to get them out of the way and then work towards those figures most likely to be used.  I realize that might seem odd to many of you but I'm hoping by doing it in this order I will, eventually, get everything painted and keep enthusiastic as I get towards the more desirable figures.

What I'm seeking your assistance with is deciding which foot brigades to paint first (not up to working on cavalry or artillery right now but do want to get something started).  Just a bit ago I primed up the reverse of the bases (I always paint both sides of the metal bases I use).  Now I need to choose the two brigades, one from each side.  So, what two brigades should I choose?  French and German first?  Or some other two?  Look forward to your input.

As a reminder, here is a link to the page listing what I have:
http://steeplechasingzebras.blogspot.com/p/american-revolution.html

Hey, didn't I say up above I have a few?  Thanks for your help.  Once I have them pre-based and primed, I'll post up some photos - if for no other reason than as proof I actually have the figures.  

Please keep in mind, I want the least likely to be used brigades first.

[FifteensAway]

Between yesterday and today - and despite the lack of input from others - I've decided to prepare enough bases for a "division" for each side.  But I'm still going for the lesser used figures first.  Heading out back to work on that in a moment.

----

The moment, or two, has passed and I'm back inside now.  I went with the whole division (bases only tonight) to include four brigades of infantry at four regiment/battalions per brigade, four pieces of artillery with crew, two regiments of cavalry with dismounts, the division commander and an alternative division commander - and appropriate casualty bases for all units and command stands.  Man, that is a LOT of bases - and triple that many figures, except for the casualty stands which are one figure each (and, for the mounted cavalry, six figures counting riders and horses)!

But, hey, its all about having fun.

[Hitman]

Greetings FifteensAway;
I too am attempting to do what you are doing as well, but for the War of 1812. I am painting up the figures I know I will use eventually for some scenarios, but ones that are difficult to paint and ones that I personally do not want to paint. Over the past few weeks, I have decided that without painting a couple of figures I want to paint, it becomes very difficult to stay focused. I have set it up on paper which figures I have to paint first of the figures I want to paint the least, and if by the end of the week I accomplish my goal, I reward myself by painting up between two to five figures that I want to paint. So far in two weeks, I have painted more figures than I thought possible and I have been able to paint 2 figures each week that I wanted to paint for a total of four additional figures. In 2 weeks I have painted up seventy six 28mm figures. I still have to do the bases, but I tend to mass base, so no big deal there. The fact is, I have painted 76 figures in 2 weeks time.

Good luck in your quest and keep me posted.
Your "painting compatriot"
Hitman
 

[LawnRanger]

Hi HItman
    Looks like you have a lot of painting to do . What scale are you playing in ?
units that I would paint up first is
1st /2nd Light Infantry ( dose not matter what no: as they are formed from all line  the 1st bn was made up of 13coy of other reg. so a mix of facing the unit had .
1st/2nd Grenadiers same as the L.I

then maybe with line reg.   a unit of yellow facing ( 37th,15th ,44th 10th
Line reg    Green Facings (6th,55th ,49th ,5th
Line reg with Red facings (33rd ,53rd,59th)
and Buff facings 40th ,52nd
most of these where at Brandywine and some at Paoli that's the ORBAT that I have built my army on Cornwallis attack on Brandywine I find it best to pick a battle then work on each brigade Grey Cornwallis being the first to be done then Meadows Agnew and last Matthews and von Donop

hope this helps you a bit
happy painting LR

[FifteensAway]

LawnRanger,

Thanks for the input but I think your comments are directed my way since I'm doing the AWI and Hitman is doing the War of 1812.  No great matter, however.  Your plan is good for getting started in a period but not quite the direction I am going.  Since I have so many figures for the period and I do hope to eventually get them all painted, my plan is to work from least useful to most useful.  Of course, I have the luxury of two gaming mates who also do the AWI so I can get in a game here and there before I am ready with my figures. 

Hitman,

I think your plan is a good one, keeping rewards in the mix.  For me, I think I can accomplish the same thing by rewarding myself with figures from one of the other periods I have to work on.

--

Now, having gotten all those bases primed and looking through the lists of what I have, I find it quite a challenge to pick a full division to work on so I am much more likely to pick a brigade a piece from the various divisions and work on them one at a time.  The great stumbling block, and this is something LawnRanger touched upon, is that for both sides there are the flanker battalions to paint and, in my case, I intend to paint the lights and grenadiers (on the British side) at the same time as the rest of the battalion/regiment.  I want each battalion to be uniform and matching and this is the best and most sure way of doing this - especially if I want to do a scenario where a regiment is whole with all 9 or 10 companies (Continentals vs. British) rather than with detached flankers.  So, I guess I'll have to prime up some extra bases so I can accommodate that situation when I get around to the actual painting.

And on that subject, regarding the Continentals (and State Line which are sort of synonymous anyway), my plan is to paint most of them in a "uniform" uniform.  I know a lot of the research shows them in motley attire, color wise, but I opt to believe they were much more homogenous in practice since so much of the research is based on unit deserters rather than the stalwarts.  Combine that with the returns of materials for clothing purchased by the various organizing bodies, and it just makes sense.  Besides, it also allows the easier matching up of stands back to there units at the end of a game.  I'll let the great diversity of different uniforms from unit to unit provide the "motley" effect.

Now pack to work.