Prussian Collection 2015

Sorry for the recent dip in posts on my blog, been working a wee bit to much lately however I've still been making a little progress here and there. The last battalion of my 6th Silesian landwehr are well underway now and if I keep plugging away they should be completed mid April. Anyway I thought it was about time I posted an update of where I'm at with my Prussians.

You can see a very low quality video on my YouTube channel here:

And below are some pics of the collection although they don't look so grand photographed on my iPad however you should get the general idea!

So 1st up a pic of the whole lot, they are starting to mount up now at long last!

These are my cavalry elements so far, lights on the left and heavies on the right. I hope to add another landwehr cavalry regiment as well as a uhlan and possibly another couple if hussar regiments in charging poses (I have the figures already tucked away). I have the East Prussian National Kavalry to add as well as 1 more dragoon regiment then maybe the Von Lutzow freicorp mixed unit of black hussars and uhlans, plus commands will be required (we will see!)

A close up of the heavies showing our progress from hand cut bases on the rear OG dragoons to regular cut bases to the final warbases laser cut bases that you really can't beat.

The lights are probably the best troops in my army, especially the uhlans and landwehr cavalry as I started to move away from painting over someone else's paint job. Just to fill you in when I started Naps again and especially when I discovered AB I had just purchased a new home plus I was not long married. I didn't have a great amount of cash to spend on figures so I had to trade my 28mm Naps and picked up groups of troops unpainted and painted where I could.

The artillery and some commands, a mix of old glory and AB, the AB horse battery is on my list of targets to be finished this year!

This is the core of my army and is coming together well. I'll hopefully finish the Silesian landwehr and also the Kurmark landwehr regiments this year (famous last words!)

I'm thinking that blucher could use a little TLC like Napoleon had, his group was done with the AP dip but I'm thinking of spending some more time on their shading.

A close up of the Silesian landwehr. I've learned a lot while painting these battalions. I'll do a post on the regiment when completed explaining the different painting techniques I used.

And my beloved Old Glory Prussians, the figures that reignited my napoleonic passion again!

I think the OG Prussians are a good range to collect on their own however the horses are not the best and require a good deal of cleaning up.

And here are my old Minifigs Prussians, when I 1st started collecting these guys I would buy 4 or maybe 5 packs at a time as that's pretty much what I could afford at the time. I think I bought my 1st packs around about 14 or 15 along with my brother David in Glasgow. A big difference from spending £100 plus on a few regiments of AB cavalry and infantry.

Anyway that's it for the moment, I have a good number of Prussians and other nations to paint over the next few years so I'll see how I get on. I'm not 100% sure but I may have purchased my last AB figures from fighting 15's? There are various bits and pieces I would like to buy but I have enough to go on with for the next few years. 

I'd like to say a massive thanks to my friend Malc who very kindly sent up for goodies he didn't need and a very special item that is very well received. Among the items was a pack of BH Prussian commanders. These I have already made plans to remount on the newer AB horses and will help complete my prussian commands, thanks Malc!!!

Happy wargaming everyone!

Regards Paul 

Collection So Far (3)

In a few days it will be the anniversary of my 1st post on this blog (19th Sept 2009) and so I thought it would be a good idea to show you what I've done in those 4 years. This is all the Napoleonic figures I've painted save a few battalions my brother has and my Minifigs Prussians that I completely forgot to photograph again. I know it isn't a huge amount of figures compared to what a lot of wargamers can paint each year however I'm happy with them.
  

1st up a long shot across the whole lot
    

This is how my Prussian cavalry are looking at the moment. 6 regiments of cavalry (2 heavy, 2 medium, 2 light). I have 4 more I plan to do as well as some spares I may add to as well as command stands.
   

A wee cut away shot of the kurassiers, dragoons and uhlans.

And another close up (I hope you don't mind as the dragoons are my favourite).
    

Von Blucher leading the troops
  

The foot soldiers: I have 16  battalions in all of different types (plus a jager battalion). I need to work on landwehr and finish off the battalions from Darren.
  

A few commands, I've done pretty well with commands lately but have a couple more for the foot I started this evening. 1 converted Austrian I'm not 100% on yet as the Austrian AB appear a little smaller than the other nations?
  

I also need to do some more volunteer jagers.
  

Artillery, I really like the AB Prussian artillery and have 2 more batteries to do.
  

My Russians, I have been getting an itch to jump back to my Russians lately.
  

I have 12 battalions finished and a good few more to do.
  

My Russian cavalry is really weak. I've a few regiments to paint up but the 30 man regiments take so long.
  

My tiny Austrians, Saxons, French and Bavarians
  

I started the Austrians when our buddy Cameron wanted a hand out but he has since disappeared up north working. I would definitely like an Austrian force but it will be a good bit down the line.
  

The Saxons came to a standstill when I realised how many French my brother and nephew were doing so I needed to get my finger out with the Prussians and Russians. I hope to return to them pretty soon.
  

Plus my Bavarians and French. I would like to add a nice force of each to my collection over the next couple of years. I also would love to do Wurtemburgers and Poles but there just isn't enough hours to paint everything . . .

Thanks to everyone who follows this blog and leaves a comment. I've found sharing our hobby has had a very positive effect on my output and helped with ideas.

My conversations with Von Blucher continue to help me keep on track at times when I become a wee bit lazy and Craig's Prussians have also given me a boost when I needed it. I've picked up AB figures from people at very fair prices that have helped me with my collection (Darren, Neil, Von Blucher and Simon). I very much appreciate that!!!

Anyway I hope you have found some of my posts interesting and fingers crossed that I can continue to add to my collection over the next year or 2. Very happy wargaming.

Best regards
Paul

New Prussians

The past couple of months have been a wee bit of a challenge, life stuff has jumped up and took a nibble out of our bum. However hopefully things are starting to take a more normal shape now. Good news Mai is doing well and is back to her grumpy self.

 In amongst everything I scunnered my free time by painting a large amount of subbuteo spectators for a guy in Italy (totally killed my figure painting and it will be the last time).

  

Thankfully recently to counter my lack of painting I picked up a Prussian army of 8-9 battalions of Prussians as well as extras from Darren. I decided a while back that I wouldn't be buying any more painted figures because of a few let downs through ebay however the pics Darren sent up of his troops looked great.  

  

And they are brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   

Darren has done a great job and his painting style is pretty much the same as my own so the figures will slip right in with my own battalions.
   

Darren also covered units I have not completed myself so all I really need to do is rebase the troops.
   

All the figures are AB so again fit in well with my plans.

   

So a whole lot of rebasing and the odd facing colour change and my Prussians will grow to 19-20 battalions. thanks a million to Darren for the figures, they will be well used.
   

The landwehr are my favourite and I have started to rebase them already.
   

And Austrians!!! even more brilliant, again they will slip in with my AB Austrians that I still have to paint. 

Collection So Far (2)

I'm not painting naps at the moment however I did take some pictures of our full collection recently (not totally full as young David took half his guard home and our Brits are not present plus I forgot about my Minifig Prussian brigade!) so I thought this would be a good opportunity to take stock of where we are at.

  

Pretty much all of David's French army as it stands at the moment.

   

Plenty of cavalry regiments with plenty more to be painted. I also have a number of AB French cavalry regiments to paint at some point (not until the allied cavalry are more of a threat!).
  

David's cavalry are made up of Minifigs (2nd generation), Battle Honours and also Old Glory.
  

David started us off long ago with his 1st Minifig battalions (I was still at school at the time so 25 years plus). Robert sold David some BH and Neil sent up plenty more BH French that make up most of David's force. There are a few OG French infantry thrown in too.
  

Davids mostly Minifig artillery (I missed a box so there are a couple more batteries).
   

Some Minifig eye candy.
  

David did these BH up as separate skirmishing voltigeurs, not really seen them in action yet like this?
  

My own collection as it stands minus 4 battalions of Minifig Prussians and artillery battery.
  

My Russians and Prussians are pretty much equal in size at the moment.
  

Recent Russian additions.
 

My poor Russian cavalry commanders desperate for someone to command (watch this space!!!)
  

And me Prussians
  

My new Blucher taking his place at the head of the army ready for anybody!!!
  

Not forgotten: I really enjoy painting Bavarians however as David has plenty of French I need to concentrate on the main Allies.
  

Again I love painting my Saxons and I have enough for a full brigade ready to paint but they are a side line for the moment
  

And finally my French and Austrians. The French will get done over the years but only when my Russians and Prussians are more solid. The Austrians are on hold as Cameron has a new job and I have other commitments at the moment. 
 
Hopefully I'll get a couple more units finished before the New Year?!?