Thursday 30 December 2010
20,000 visitors
A huge thanks to eveyone who has found my blog interesting enough to visit!!!
I never expected 20,000 visitors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My warmest regards for the new year
best regards
Paul
See you all in 2011!
Friday 24 December 2010
Merry Christmas!
Just wanted to sign off the year by wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! See you all in 2011.
Best regards
Paul and Mai
Tuesday 21 December 2010
Russian Cuirassiers
Again sorry for my murder pictures!
If anyone is interested the orange is from Games Workshop foundation range and it's a cracker, it goes over black great.
I should mention these are the Ekaterinoslav cuirassiers.
Russian Foot Limber
Saturday 11 December 2010
Prussian Guard 2
When I started getting back into Napoleonics again I wasn't sure if I would stick to it so I went for the cheaper option in 15mm Prussians, Old Glory (little did I know that AB figures would be a good investment and their prices would go through the roof! 50p to 83p for a single figure in 2 years!).
So 2 years on and I have managed to maintain my interest with the help of the internet and wargaming friends.
Bavarian Artillery Limber
My 1st Bavarian artillery limber converted from an Austrian limber team (thanks Steve!). I am not 100% on the manufacturer? I have a feeling that it is BH as the figures and horses are identical in size to BH horses I own myself and all my AB stuff towers above them but no matter as it fits in fine with my AB Bavarians.
Friday 10 December 2010
Russian Horse Limber
This is what my brother and I call our Napoleonic eye candy as it has no real use on the table top but does help make your army look finished. So in case you haven't guessed already this is a 15mm Russian horse artillery limber from AB. The set comes with a six horse team but I have decided to keep all my limbers and caissons to 4 horses for space and lack of bending of the base.
Bases are from Warbases in Dunfermline.
Thursday 11 November 2010
Russian Workbench 1
I was going to wait until getting these guys finished up before posting them on the blog but I have hit a minor stumbling block.
I am working on a command base for my AB Russian cuirassiers. Anyone who has done an AB late Russian army will know that there are not so many command figures in the range and you either have to add in figures from other manufacturers or do a little bit of converting. I had a spare Bagration figure from last Christmas so I decided to make him into a cavalry general.
I gave him a haircut and a new bicorne hat, altered his open coat and added a collar and cross as well as giving him a new straight sword and scabbard. I remember someone telling me that the cavalry generals at times would wear the uniform of their parent unit so I want to depicted my lad in a white cuirassier uniform. My little problem is I am not sure if his facings and turn backs would be the colour of his regiment or red in the generals colour? Also for the officer in the background was it still possible for him to have epalettes and a helmet with white hair?
Also another puzzle for me:
How do these guys go together? I have never seen a picture of this caisson and my question is where does the rider sit in the centre or the left? Also should the 3 horses all be in line or does the centre horse sit forward of the others? Also what is the stuff at the back of the caisson, is it straw for the horses or ropes for dragging the guns?
And my final questions: How do the Russians attach their horse teams to the limbers/caissons? Is it with leather reins or ropes?
These guys have been sitting around like this for a good while and are now completely finished off with varnish and grass (24 of them anyway, I'll finish the other 6 later).
I'll post the finished product when the commanders are also finished.
Any help with my above questions would be very much appreciated.
Thursday 4 November 2010
Bavarian Workbench 2
The limber should be finished but I broke a couple of the attachments when varnishing so I put it to the side. This is 1 of a number of limber and cassion teams I am working on as I have none in my armies at present.
Note of appeal: I have a spare Austrian rider and 2 spare horses and have converted an Essex French cassion for my Bavarians but I am still short an AB/Battle Honours Austrian rider and 2 limber horses to finish it off (same as above). Does anyone have any spare? I am willing to trade for them to save me buying another from AB.
Wednesday 3 November 2010
Bavarian 11th Kinkel
So this is the 1st battalion of the 11th Regiment Kinkel for the period 1812-13 and the figures are from AB with a pioneer from Fantassin.
RtL these are especially for you as I know you were keen to see how they would turn out, thanks for all the help on the uniforms and I hope they don't disappoint!
There is a mix of painting styles in here with the figures at the back of the bases mostly earlier repaints of figures I bought on ebay so are a little rougher looking and also too light and the figures at the front of the bases were done after RtL gave me the low down on the correct shade of cornflower blue.
My grenadier base with the Fantassin figure added in. I am not a big fan of the Fantassin range but this guy fits in really well and I feel completes the unit (you can buy him in packs of 8 which is very helpful!).
To try and make my figures look a little different from each other I twisted a lot of their heads up/down/left/right and thankfully the Bavarians big hat made it pretty easy to do.
A little head swap here, the officer is from the AB Austrian range. In a lot of the pictures of the 1812 period the Bavarian officers have single breasted coats and this figure fitted perfectly. I probably should have added a gorget (if that's what you call it) to him but I totally forgot. I couldn't resist adding trousers with green stuff, they are a little rough on the repainted figures.
The drummer was pretty tricky with all the chevrons and I wasn't exactly sure how the edging went at 1st but I am happy how he turned out.
I was lucky to pick up some AB flags on ebay a while back. I drilled out the hands and used a straightened paperclip as the flag pole (cheers for the tip Robert).
I'm well chuffed I have my little Bavarian army on the go. I remember buying a couple of battalions of Foundry 25mm Bavarians many years ago and just didn't feel right with the shade of blue. I really think the 3 shades Foundry offer are excellent for the job. I blocked in the uniform with the cornflower blue shade and the mid cornflower blue is still deep and can be added to the shade to keep the uniform dark.
I decided to use the mid tone neat then added a little bit of the light to the mid tone for my final highlight and I feel it works pretty well.
It is darker than these pictures show
Next up unit wise will be the 5th Preysing, 1st battalion (pink facings Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!) before that I will post some pictures of my finished Bavarian limber and some in progress pics of my commands.
I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has dropped by, left comments and sent emails about my wee blog. It's been great fun and very helpful. It's great to know there are loads of other people who share the same interest. My knowledge in the Napoleonic period is very limited so again thanks to everyone who have filled the many gaps for me!!!
Thursday 28 October 2010
Bavarians . . . Watch this space
1) I have my 1st Bavarian battalion (11th Kinkel) based needing varnished, grassed and a flag added.
2) I have my 1st artillery battery also pretty much finished with guns painted (bar 4 wheels needing done). Still needs varnished and grassed
3) I have converted a (Battle honours/AB?) Austrian artillery limber and have based and painted it. Needing wire attached then finished off, varnished and grassed. I am pretty happy with this 1 as it was very simple head swaps with some little details added and altered and I think it's looks the part.
However I've decided to have the weekend off as I kind of overdone it. I'd been preparing Russian horse and foot artillery limbers and also a 2nd Bavarian battalion for painting at the same time as doing the above and then my beloved tub of black paint I use for undercoating ran out!!!!! The wee shop I get it from no longer sells it and Chaos Black just doesn't cut it. Any suggestions?
On a brighter note I ordered a copy of "A soldier for Napoleon" telling the history of the Bavarian 7th regiment throughout the napoleonic wars. Interestingly seen through the letters sent home from an officer in the regiment. so hopefully it will arrive today and inspire me on.
Tuesday 5 October 2010
Russian Horse Artillery
Ahhh there is nothing quite like a 6 gun horse artillery battery (especially when you have finished painting it!).
I am now addicted to the AB 15mm figures and especially the Russians. With my OG Prussians you could just about get away with them in the same battalion as their AB comrades but not a chance with the Russians.
My figures as usual are cleaned up and undercoated in black then I pick out the flesh. I painted the uniform with Foundry Russian green light then highlighted with Vallejo Russian Green.
A mix of greys on the trousers and a little highlight of dark grey on the leather then it was onto the white belts and metal work.
I drilled out the barrels of the guns with a pin vice and they were given a coat of Vallejo Russian green with a lighter green gradually put through it and the same green was used on the hand tools.