More thoughts on Stock.

After yesterday's blog entry, I actually rooted out a few bits and pieces, both to show you and also to remind myself just what was lurking, untouched and unloved in the storage boxes. Even I was amazed at just how many boxes of figures and also kits, sat there waiting to be discovered.

The 28 mm Romans from the two box sets are mostly still on the sprues but I did find that I had actually painted up about 20 legionaries as opposed to the half a dozen I thought I had done. A few are shown in the following two photographs.

They really are lovely sculpts and should really be seeing some action on the table top. With close to 300 figures  Roman, Celt and Ancient Briton, all to be painted, that is a project that will be tackled sooner rather than later, too long have they sat idle. All the painted figures are mounted on one penny pieces, I may continue that trend and simply put them on movement trays. The Hail Caesar or even the L'Art De La Guerre rules should do nicely.

My attention then turned to the 1/72nd scale figures that had been squirreled away, many have been painted and based, but far more sat ignored. One of my first finds was a kit for a castle and also a second kit for a fortress. Both by the same manufacturer and they were bought to be built as a larger castle, parts from the fortress being used to enlarge the castle kit. Lovely artwork on the box by MiniArt.

The kit itself is still sealed in a poly bag, unopened in the five or six years I have owned it.!

The instruction sheet is also still in the box.

The smaller fortress kit, which was and still is, intended to enlarge the castle. The extra walls and possibly the towers put to use.

Once again still sealed in its poly bag.

This was bought to be built and used in a Hundred Years War period or could also make an appearance as a Crusader castle in the Holy Land. An MDF base and some foam board is a must for this project.

In a couple of plastic tubs are some of the unpainted figures, a mixture of Hundred Years War and Napoleonics in this case.

Crusaders and Saracens as well as elephants and more Hundred Years War figures await.

 
In a second box lurk more figures, again a good mix of periods to have a crack at in here.

A real treasure chest of goodies and there are also a couple of cardboard boxes not shown, that are also full of 1/72nd scale treasures. Including Greeks, Persians, AWI British and Continentals, more Naps and even a couple of kits for assaulting the castle, namely a catapult and a battering ram!

Actually seeing and handling all this goodness has rekindled my desire to actually paint them all up and see them' do their stuff on the table top. I think you will agree, I don't NEED any more new shiny things for at least a year!

Taking Stock?

As we race along to another Christmas and end of year, thoughts turn to gifts for the loved ones etc. My wife asked me what I wanted this festive season and for the life of me, I couldn't think of anything that I need! Lots of things I would like, but nothing I need.

Since that question, I have been doing a bit of a stock check, I know most of us in this hobby gather a mountain of lead or plastic, or in my case, a mountain of each. So many projects, but how many actually get finished? On my return to the hobby a number of years ago, I simply built up a stock of 1/72nd scale figures, similar to the Airfix troops of my childhood. I have two large boxes full of unpainted troops from various time periods. They all need finishing and there is enough in those boxes to keep me going for months, if not all of next year!

I also have not completed my English Civil War or War of the Three Kingdoms forces, yes I have completed lots of them but I still have a number of regular regiments in plastic to paint up, that have sat in their boxes for close to a year now. I have barely started on my Scottish troops, The Montrose Irish, the Scottish Covenanters and of course the Highlanders photographed below, all remain untouched.

Beautiful sculpts, already primed up and ready to go, once again, enough painting to keep me going for a good two or three months.

I also have the two box sets shown in the following photographs.

Add to that two boxes of Ancient Britons, giving a total of close to 300 figures. I have actually painted up about a dozen of the Roman bog standard legionaries, the remainder sit untouched in the boxes again! There is certainly a good few months work there.

I have completed a box of Anglo-Saxons and half a dozen Dark Age Warriors for SAGA, the rest of the DAW plus a full box of Vikings sit untouched. Add to that a 1/50th scale Viking Longship for use in a SAGA battle, again, pristine in its box.

Next up is the 28mm War of the Roses armies I am currently working on, still quite a lot of plastic figures to paint up as well as all the metal command and a couple of wagons drawn by oxen and horses!

Finally, the 6mm American Civil War armies, granted the lion's share of this huge project is done but I still have some 17 or 18 infantry units for each side to paint up as well as a few more wagons etc.

So do I really need anything! No of course I don't. I have more than enough to last me beyond next Christmas. My N Gauge model railway is scheduled to be resurrected in the New Year also, that is going to be a lot of work and take up lots of time, not to mention war gaming with all the completed figures I already have.

Fortunately, I retire at Christmas so will have more free time from now on to achieve all of these goals, of course retirement means a tightening of the purse strings so I just won't have the cash to spend that I have been used to. Maybe that is a blessing in disguise, as I won't be able to add to my plastic and metal piles quite so easily in the future. All those little guys sat patiently waiting in their boxes might finally get a little love and attention.

More War of the Roses units completed

Taking a break from my 6mm American Civil War armies, I was about painted out after working on them for the Black Powder Challenge for the last six weeks. So a for a change of scene and scale, I thought I would return to my War of the Roses in 28mm figures.

First up was another box of infantry and the two Yorkist factions both received a unit of archers to add to their crossbowmen and firearms troops. Also a second unit of Bill Men have been completed. These fellows are not in any of the four retinue colours and so can be allocated to whichever Lord is in need of reinforcements for any given battle in the campaign. Like wise, the foot knight are also in neutral and can be allocated as needed.

Here are the archers, bill men and one unit of six foot knights.

Bill Men in neutral colours allowing them to be allocated to any retinue.

The very first unit of foot knights, in Lion Rampant these are in units of six men, I have based them in two pairs of two and two single bases.

Archers in twelve strong units.

The boxes of Perry foot knights actually contain 38 figures, so that will allow me to build a total of six units per box. The extra two figures are for a command stand. I have two boxes of these so will be able to make up a total of twelve units, hopefully that should be more than enough for my needs.

I think a few 'get to know the rules' sessions are in the offing now in readiness for beginning the War of the Roses campaign I have been planning. So lots of variety on the go for me. Speaking of which, I haven't forgotten the 6mm ACW, and will be painting up a couple of units of Zouaves for each side once the foot knights are completed. I am still researching which Zouave units to paint up. The Battle of Hangman's Creek is currently being played on the table, using Black Powder rules, photos will be uploaded to the blog on its completion.

Supply Train finished.

I have now finished the supply train for the armies, these added to the ones I painted earlier should be more than enough for my needs. I am now about 6 mm weary! So I will now return to 28 mm and work once again on my War of the Roses project.

All the items painted today.

The two wheeled carts with the loads come with the wheels attached, but for some reason, and there will be a good reason, the four wheeled wagons come with separate wheels, which I have to admit are a blooming nightmare to fit.

There are four bases of mule train with their handlers.

A head on view.

Looking across the supply train.

These will now take their place in the storage boxes ready for future use.

I still have about 15 units of infantry for each side to paint, also two or three units of Zouaves to paint as well. I may complete them before Christmas if I get the urge back again. Next on the painting board is a box of Perry 28 mm War of the Roses Infantry, they will make up into a unit of Bill men and two units of archers. That is twelve figures per unit also the box contains four fully armoured command figures, However, I may join them to a unit of Foot knights of which I have a couple of boxes to paint.

High Command now ready to lead the troops.

I have now completed all the generals to lead the armies. Each army now has two army commanders, they are on 60 x 30 mm bases, each consisting of three figures, the general and two aides as well as two flag bearers. One of the Confederate bases actually has a representation of Robert E. Lee mounted on Traveler. Next up are some Corps commanders based on 30 x 30 mm bases, each has two figures plus one flag bearer. Divisional commanders are a single figure with a flag bearer and finally, the Brigade commanders are mounted as single figures on a penny.

Here you can see the high command of both armies on the painting board, hopefully you can see how easy it is to identify the different ranks. I needed a system to show quickly the four levels of high command and I am quite pleased with the result.

General Lee mounted on Traveler at front left, with Corps and Divisional commanders in view. The Union commanders at the rear. I have painted two army commander stands for each army.

This shot mainly shows the Brigadier Generals, these will feature in greater numbers on the table top. Their round bases being particularly easy to spot.

On the painting board now are a number of supply wagons and horse teams, the covered wagons have separate wheels which, as you can imagine, are very tiny and extremely fiddly to glue onto the wagon chassis. I intend to actually fix them in place before starting to paint as the last time, I have already built two, it was a nightmare trying to fix on the painted wheels, the superglue just took off all the paint and made a right mess, it required the whole thing to be repainted, I shan't make that mistake again.

ACW skirmishers to the fore.

Having set up the table for the Battle of Hangman's Creek scenario from the Black Powder rule book, I realised that I had not painted up any skirmishers for either side. I was going to use a regiment of dismounted cavalry in their place, but it just didn't look right, so after bumping the generals down the painting queue, I have completed about a dozen stands of skirmishers for each side.

I have based them up in a mixture of fours, fives and sixes to give some variation. Union on the left, Confederates on the right.

From the Rebel side.

Also the Union side.

I can now field some Union skirmishers for the battle, The generals are now on the painting board, I want one army commander to represent Bobby Lee on Traveller, I also need some Corps, Division and Brigade generals.

Union cavalry division completed.

Four brigades of four regiments each, three mounted and one dismounted brigade. They should match up to the Rebel cavalry very well.

The whole division.

Lower angled shot.

From above.

 

A closer shot.

Looking down the lines.

Ready for action!

I can now move on to painting up some bases of skirmishers. It wasn't until I set up the Black Powder game, that I realised I didn't have any! So some units of skirmishers have now taken priority on the painting board, nudging the generals down the list.