War of the Austrian Succession Austrian Kálnoky Hussar

This is my second Spencer Smith miniature, the first being a Prussian Hussar. Not to keep that fellow lonely, here is a war mate for him. This time I've done a better job on the flounders, which don't show in the photo, due to the glossy shine, and added a barreled waist sash, which you can see on his right side.

Pendraken's 10mm Paddle Steamer for the Sudan

These are a couple of Pendraken's paddle steamers, from their Sudan range. I actually have a third model, not assembled, around here somewhere. The models don't come with those railings. I had to drill into the deck, plant short wire there with aradlite, and then thread between these posts. I don't know if this was intended. It was a huge pain in the bottom to undertake. I managed to lose one of the chinese hat awnings, so I had to scratch build one from wood.

I would like to have taken better photos, but I haven't appropriate river scenery. I tried cutting the boats out of that background, and revealing some blue, or brown water, background, but it looked terrible.

My first Spencer Smith figure: Szekely Hussar

I have painted my first Spencer Smith miniature. The figures have very little detail. You have to paint it on, which is the point of buying these simple figures. It is rather like taking an unattractive girlfriend out for an expensive meal. All she really rates is a nosebag and a measure of oats, but giving her the five star treatment makes the evening special. On the other hand, you could save your cash, spend it on the Spencer Smiths, and stay in for the evening.

This lad is from the Prussian Szekely Hussars. The uniform is good for the War of the Austrian Succession, the Silesian Wars and the Seven Years War. I've forgotten a few successions, but you get the drift. Here is is, presented in all his unfashionable shininess.

None of the lace, the flounders, the "teeth" on the Shabraque or the design on the Sabretache is molded on the figure. So it takes a deal of painting. I should touch up those flounders, but I was hasty to get this first man on the parade ground.

I've 58 kilos of these Spencer Smith figures to paint. So I'd better get a move on.

28mm Old West US Cavalry (on foot)

These are Old Glory castings. They work really well for skirmish because they are so animated. I have a few hundred to paint up for a spot of plains wars gaming.

I'm not sure about these check shirts, with white squares, as I haven't seen examples of contemporary shirts. I will rely on the TMP collective to "clue me in". I can always paint light blue into the white squares, on the blue check shirt, and light red into the squares of the red shirts. I think that would shirt. But if these are already OK, I won't change them.

Old Glory 28mm Old West US Cavalry

Old Glory 28mm Old West US Cavalry

Old Glory 28mm Old West US Cavalry

Old Glory 28mm Old West US Cavalry

One man and a hot glue gun - 376 figures based in a session

I'm going back through stalled projects and moving them along. Sometimes a project goes on hold because of uniform, or ORBAT, questions which have been thrown up. At other times I put a project on hold because of some laborious task which has to be undertaken.

Basing figures can be a real pain. For 28mm In The Grand Manner (rule set) it can be a problem to fit all the necessary figures onto the base, or to put them in the right spot. That means I can't use my painters to base these figures for me. I wouldn't do that anyway as I'm too particular about basing for ITGM. I have found that a hot glue gun is a life saver for basing. Many of the figures I use don't stand up on their own, so they have to he held in place while glue dries. This is no fun for a 48 man battalion!

The last time I based up figures I overdid it and put myself off for the past year. Most of these figures have been lying around on trays since then.

In this batch there are three forty man, and three thirty two man, British Napoleonic battalions. There are also two Austrian 48 man battalions and two really lovely Spanish 32 man battalions which are conversions made by either Doug Mason or Bill Gaskin. I can't remember who is responsible for these darlings. I bought several bags of them from a friend about ten years ago. There are still a few bags, some Spanish and some Porguguese, waiting for me to buy officers to go with them.

Waiting on my table, to base, are two 32 man Austrian Landwehr battalions, a battalion of 36 Austrian grenzer, two Austrian 48 man battalions, a 36 man Irish Legion battalion. I'm sure I have more trays of unbased figures in a pile somewhere. I'll try not to find them before these are all based, so as not to put myself off with another bout of figure blindness.

At this stage of the basing process I step away and let my cast of thousands take over. They will use crushed sea shells to make the ground work, then dye it with oil paint and dry brush it. I'm still trying to import some Silfor tufts, and flowers, to offset my bases.

28mm Napoleonic Spanish Guerrillas

The title of this post may be considered misleading. The figures pictured are in fact from three of the French Foreign Regiments; Isenburg, Neuchatel, and Preuss. Many men from these regiments went over to the Spanish during the Peninsula war. The Guerrilla leader Mina, in particular, received drafts of recruits from these regiments.

I am putting together three of Mina's regiments and one other Guerrilla regiment. I'm using mainly Front Rank figures (these are also Front Rank's figures) but also some figures from the Perry's Carlist range. Front Rank have excellent Guerillas.

Spanish regiments, even Guerrilla regiments, were very keen on uniforms and maintained them when they could. Most recruits would have been in Mina's brown uniforms when a new draft of uniforms arrived. But Guerrillas also used captured clothing, even from Spanish deserters when they caught them, for a bounty. So a mix of clothing would have obtained in regiments, in between new issue of clothing at least.

Anyway, these are my excuses for uniform selection and I'm sticking to them.

Ottoman infantry archers and Spahi 15th century cavalry

Here are some Old Glory Ottoman archers and Spahi which I just finished. I have another unit of archers almost done, but they differ in only minor changes to the uniform. I bought these figures to see how Old Glory's Ottoman range is. The figures look pretty good. They were all well cast with minimal flash. I know that we used to moan about Old Glory in days or yore, but they seem to have their act together now, making many of their lines viable. They also have a wealth of new figures coming online all the time. For my next trick, I'll be buying some Old Glory Ancients. I had some badly painted Cartheginians before I left the UK, and sold them off. This will be only my second foray into ancient.