In Her Majesty's Name: The Brick Lane Commune

I rarely paint 28mm, really 15mm are typically the biggest figures I collect and paint. There are a few exceptions and these are for skirmish style games (In Her Majesty's Name, Frostgrave, or an upcoming gladiator project (Nic Wright's card driven "Blood Sweat and Cheers" ruleset). Here is my IHMN company, the Brick Lane Commune, which was an absolute bear to paint.

The full company. Because the Brick Laners aren't real scrappers and cheap in point value, I had to add a Walker to bring up the points and give them some extra punch and ranged combat ability. I labored on these guys and dragged my feet in finishing them. Whenever I played my buddy Rob, I was shamed by his excellently painted Lord Curr's Company. I enjoy painting, but I do not enjoy 28mm anywhere near as much as the smaller scales.

The Walker was incredibly difficult to assemble and came apart a few times. I believe there are about 5 pins and heaps of epoxy glue and crazy glue keeping this hulk together. It was also difficult getting the arms and legs of the machine aligned with the driver. 

Two knife-armed henchmen. The gent on the left had a miscast right foot so I built it up with green stuff and placed a bottle to hide it. I had grand plans on a complicated plaid pattern for him but I failed miserably in those endeavors, so I settled for a plain ensemble.

My working class hero and commissar (who looks a bit like Lenin). Simple color schemes again. The bases are resin and were purchased at my local gaming shop. I removed the bases the figures had cast on and used pins to secure them to the bases. The detritus you see on the bases (leaves, paper trash, etc.) are cast on.

Here are my ladies, armed with some brick lane grenades. I added a bottle on the base of the incendiary on the right. I believe they were from a doll house online shop. They are clear plastic and I painted them with glass paint and painted on labels. I am pleased with the result.

Two club armed anarchists. The purple fellow on the left is probably my favorite sculpt. I gave him a five o'clock shadow. He is in a rather sharp look suit and bowler hat but his face looks that of a thug. I envision he was a former pimp and became radicalized down in the alleys of White Chapel.

The final contingent are my shooters, armed with double barrel shotguns. Not much range but I will take what I can get with this gang. I opted for a rather drab color palette for the Brick Lane Commune: dingy blues, browns, grays and greens with a few splashes of purple or yellow. I figured these were industrial folk and would be wearing plain clothing. The only reds I used were for the Walker, the Commissar's book and the scarves the folk wear. So far my socialist radicals have yet to taste victory but they are fun to play with.

1914 in 10mm

Its been a while since I have posted to the blog, this inactivity hasn't necessarily meant that I was inactive painting and gaming (and certainly not inactive making hobby purchases)! I have been a bit lazy in posting for quite some time. I hope to remedy that and post some photos on projects that I was working during my hiatus from blogging.  However for this post, I will focus in on my current project: 1914 in 10mm; specifically the opening months of the war on the western front when French still marched towards the battle in the blue and red uniforms of past glory. 

My plan is to collect and paint a division each of French and Germans and will hope to add some British and Belgians later. The figures are mostly Magister Militum; I love the sculpts so much. Unfortunately, there are some gaps in their range. Notably dismounted cavalry, higher command and some of the more exotic troops (German Jagers, French Zouarves and Turcos, etc.). I will probably fill these gaps with either Pendraken or Kallistra. The Pendraken seem much smaller and slight and I have heard the Kallistra are much bigger.

Here is a French battalion (sans Hotchkiss attachment), each base is a company and has three figures. The command base has two figures, an officer and a bugler, so a full company is 14 figures plus an optional HMG attachment.

Another view from the front. I imagine this is what the Germans on a hilltop would see...

 The same unit from the rear and including the HMG attachment. You'll notice the unit distinction. In this case, this specific unit is from "blue regiment, white battalion". 

My cavalry regiment, for the French they have dragoons with  the later metal lances.

Two French 75s with spotters. The bases comprise of Magister Militum crew with Pendraken artillery pieces. While I love the MM range, their 75mm left a little to be desired. It seemed a bit small, the Pendraken sculpt seemed a tad big but was more attractive and appeared sturdier and less fiddly to assemble.

Same artillery pieces differentiated by color with their respective spotters. I plan to make each battery two guns. Right now I don't have enough guns or crews. 

My painted force thus far: six battalions ("red" and "blue" regiments, "white" is currently being painted. Red and Blue are in advancing poses while White will be in firing/defending poses. I am also working on my first two battalions of Germans. For rules, I plan to use a set called "Take Action", which were designed by Steven over at the HAWKS wargaming club: https://hawks-club.org/. The rules fit on a page of paper (front and back) and play is fun, fast and with period feel (at least for me). I have played them at various HMGS conventions and have a blast every time.

These little 6mm Highlanders are from another project but a fellow gamer asked me to post a picture of them so he could see how they look. Long live Bonnie Prince Charlie!!!

Irregular Wars: Wargaming at the World's End: Galleys & Galleons cards giveaway - FREE STUFF!

Irregular Wars: Wargaming at the World's End: Galleys & Galleons cards giveaway - FREE STUFF!:    Galleys & Galleons  is a standalone tabletop wargame for naval engagements published by  Ganesha Games . The game uses a granu...

Pendraken Painting Competition

Decided to put some of my figures as entries for the contest:

And another new project...

Ever since Eureka released their 28mm Lace War Follies range, I have been very tempted/seduced
by the sculpts. Not normally something I would like with caricature style, these are different. Over the past few conventions I have purchased some "samples". I decided to order a regiment of grenadiers, after reading Neil Thomas One Hour Wargames book. I will either use these rules or Maurice, but they will be imaginations Red and Blue armies. Here are some "Red" soldiers to left: a grenadier and an artilleryman. More to follow....

Risorgimento Continued...

It has been a while since I revisited my 10mm Risorgimento project. Other projects and real life have interfered with this neglected lead pile. Recently I noticed Pendraken released some new figures to their 19th Century (Crimean I think) range. I have always wanted to paint up a Neapolitan Bourbon army to refight Volturno. With the release of Italian infantry in greatcoat by Pendraken, I decided these were a good enough proxy for my Neapolitans. I ordered some as well as some Austrian uhlans to act as Bourbon lancers. Here are my first two complete units:

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Rear view of the Neapolitan line infantry. I am sure they are nowhere near perfect, but they are the best sculpts (and very nice sculpts at that) for the Neapolitans. They are depicted wearing the grey/blue overcoat with madder red trousers.

The flag is made from heavy tin foil and hand-painted. I am very pleased with how the foot turned out. The Neapolitans can't fight a lick, but they sure are pretty!

Some Bourbon lancers, I should mention the colors are darker than the photos indicate. Dang flash!

The rules for wargaming this when I get my armies complete will be Neil Thomas' 19th Century set. Now I need to paint lots of Garibaldini ti fight my Papal and Bourbons...

Balkans War at Sea

I have always been fascinated by both the Balkans War, as well as pre-dreadnought naval warfare. The only complete range for these ships in either 1/2400 or 1/3000 that I am aware of is Navwar's. Slightly intimidated by Navwar's "archaic" ordering process, I took the plunge by ordering Greek and Ottoman fleets. I was pleasantly surprised by the quick turnaround on my order via snail mail. I was also pleased by the castings, while simple and robust they are excellent gaming pieces. 

The Greek Fleet: Destroyers in the background with three Hydra-class battleships and the Georgos Averoff in the foreground.

I added masts to the models with a Dremel drill and florist wire. The bases are Litko.

One of the Hydra-class battleships has a third mast. I painted the ships various shades of grey based upon period photos and illustrations.

Here is the Ottoman fleet: Destroyers in the background, Battleships and cruisers in the foreground.

I opted to paint the Turks in a pale khaki color. Sometime around 1912, the fleet went from khaki to grey. Khaki is more striking and helps differentiate them from the Greek grey.

I have only gamed with these fleets once, refighting Lemnos using the ruleset "When Dreadnoughts Ruled the Seas". I had the benefit of the rules author GMing the game. The Greeks won a hardfought victory in the refight. Despite losing some destroyers and a Hydra-class cruiser, the Greeks sunk all of the Turks with the exception of the two Brandenburg-class battleships.