Imaginations Project. - Summer Reinforcements Challenge completed.

Having successfully completed my challenge of painting up four infantry battalions and six mounted commanders, I took the opportunity to muster all the troops so far built and painted.

Walivia have a squadron of cavalry at the rear, three line regiments of foot, two artillery pieces and of course, two mounted brigadiers.

Karacia have exactly the same make up of units.

Cadesh has only two units of foot so far, a third will be added.

Some shots looking along the ranks.

I would like to eventually have five battalions of line infantry for each nation, this would then allow me to form a combined grenadier battalion of 20 figures, leaving five line battalions, also of 20 figures.

I can then begin to add some fusiliers, guards in bearskins etc.

What you see lined up is the contents of two Marlborough Army starter box sets, with the addition of just one extra cavalry squadron.

Now at a more leisurely pace, the first of three more standard cavalry regiments is well underway. Another unit for Walivia.

Once each nation has two standard cavalry squadrons, they like the infantry, will receive some fancy units, Cuirassiers, mounted grenadiers, possibly lancers too. This is after all, Imagi-Nations.

I will post another update when the final two cavalry squadrons are complete.

Imagi-Nations Project. - Summer Reinforcements Challenge.

The project is progressing very well, mainly due to the Tabletop Commanders Summer Reinforcements Challenge. The challenge runs from the 1st of June until the 31st July, I pledged to complete four regiments of foot and six mounted commanders, in that time.

I did purchase two Marlborough Army starter boxes a while back, I had already completed the cavalry and artillery, plus three regiments of foot, so the boxes were emptying quite quickly. However, with the lovely weather, I could find plenty of other things to do, and the project slipped a little.

My pledge would see the completion of every miniature in the two boxes! Once I started, I soon got into a rhythm and the four units of foot were built, primed and painted in short order, I was on a roll.


Four completed units of foot, however, the regiment in sky blue with red facings, was begun before the start date, it was the final foot regiment in the first box, so I am not counting that as part of the challenge. The other three though, have been painted in the last ten days.

I intend to have a mass basing and flocking session when all the regiments are complete.

The final regiment in the second box, is now well underway. Another battalion for Karacia.

The final part of my pledge is the six mounted commanders, they have now been built, both horses and riders, the latter just loosely sat on their mounts for the time being. I shall prime and paint them on completion of the last foot battalion.

I expect the whole pledge to be completed by the 21st of June, so a total of three weeks. I will probably take a break from the painting for a while, as I would love to put some of these on the table and fight a battle or two, using Pikeman's Lament or One Hour Wargames rules. I think I have earned that reward. I do still have three boxes each of cavalry and foot which I ordered after the box sets, once I knew exactly how my Imagi-Nations project was going to progress. I also have of course, those metal command figures and gun limbers from Front Rank, patiently awaiting their turn on the painting table.

I think that the three boxes of cavalry will be the next priority, and maybe I will increase my pledge to include them. We shall see.

Imaginations Project- More work done and command figures.

I recently took delivery of my very first Front Rank figures. I wanted command figures that were a little bit special for my three nations of Culm. They are not cheap, but the quality is amazing, the sculpts are superb. Very little flash and mould lines were cleaned off with a couple of passes with a mini file.

First up, I ordered four limbers for the guns. They came in in at a hefty £6.25 each, but the quality is excellent and if I want limbers, then pay I must.

Although I currently have six artillery pieces, I only ordered four limbers as well as eight draught horses to pull them. The horses are £4 a pair, so the limbers and horses in this photograph came to a grand total of £41. Expensive, but you get what you pay for, and they are simply superb.

I also received a number of the command figures from their War of the Spanish Succession range. So the Duke of Marlborough, Marshall Bouffiers et al, will become generals or even kings, in my three armies.

The figures do not come with horses, you have to order them separately, but I think you will agree, the sculpts are top notch.

I also received the cards and two sets of dice for Mortem et Gloriam, an Ancient and Medieval rule set. I am currently well into the planning stage, with my good friend Nik, for a campaign game set during the Hundred Years War. We have a map, values for regions and cities, as well as a campaign system, which we are tentatively naming 'Point of Honour.' It will allow for numerous battles and should keep us entertained for many months to come. The campaign will be filmed live, so you can watch us on You Tube. The rule set will also be ideal for my Wars of the Roses armies too.

A second infantry battalion for Walivia has also been completed and work has started on the second battalion for Karacia. This is part of the Tabletop Commanders Summer Reinforcements challenge, to which I have pledged to paint up four battalions of infantry for the Imagi-Nations project by the end of July. I will of course post photographs here on my blog too.