Update on what I am doing.

I haven't posted on my blog for a while so thought I should show what I have been doing of late.

First of all was the challenge to show your armies, well I only have two armies with me at the moment, The 6 mm ACW troops, so I laid them all out on my small table for inspection. Confederates on the left and the Union on the right.

I am working on the Tabletop Commanders Winter Warmer challenge also. The aim is to paint up something that has been hanging about in a cupboard or drawer, and need completing. The challenge runs from 1st October until the 31st December. I am attempting to complete my remaining ACW troops, about 1,000 of them, as well as beginning work on the 'Liberty or Death' box set by Warlord Games, for the AWI in 28 mm.

Below are three regiments of black hats, they will form the Union Iron Brigade.

Not forgetting my wargaming, I am fighting the Battle of Antietam in three phases. The table below is set out for the first part of the battle. The wheat field with its split log fence is on the left.

Looking at the table from the East. The Dunker Church is on a small plateau on the left (South) with Jackson's Corps defending. Hooker's Corps is to the North end of the table.

Looking North along the table from the rebel position at the Dunker Church.

The wheat field slopes down towards the Union positions, meaning they can't see what is before them.

The Confederates are up slope, but until they reach the crest by the fence surrounding the wheat field, their view is also limited.

On the left flank one rebel brigade has a good view of everything.

The battle rages.

The sprue of eight Woodland Indians from the box set, became my test figures. I am happy with how they turned out.

Various war painted warriors.

The 6 mm ACW part of the challenge is also coming along well. I forgot my MDF bases, so am currently unable to base up completed units, but you can now see six of the compartments have fully painted Union soldiers in them, one per regiment. The empty compartments show three more Union are on the painting table.

Here they are awaiting a blob of paint.

A sprue of ten Militia, are the next test figures for the 28 mm part of the challenge.

Some very good poses and a pleasure to put together.

Almost finished now, still a little highlighting to do and the bases to finish off too.

Yet more 6 mm Union on the painting table.

A sprue of twelve Hessians will be next for the 28 mm part of the challenge.

The Union army box is gradually filling up with completed units.

Show your armies.

Currently running on You Tube is a challenge to show your armies, so accepting the challenge, I offered my 6mm American Civil War armies, the only complete armies I have with me at the moment. So whilst the video is loading up, I thought I would add these photographs to my blog.

The table is pretty much covered, Confederate to the left, Union to the right.

Union infantry regiments, 36 men to a stand in three ranks on the right. Skirmishers, artillery and cavalry also in view.

Centre of the table shows all the commanders, Army, Corps, Divisional and Brigade.

Same with the Confederate units, 36 men to a stand for infantry. 

Looking across the table. At the very back are tents and supply wagons.

Closer view of the Union infantry, note some zouave units left, front.

Artillery with limbers and cavalry, both mounted and dismounted with horse holders.

The army commanders are at the front and are represented by three command figures and two standard bearers. Corps Commanders are two command figures and a single flag bearer, whilst Divisional Commanders are a single command figure and a flag bearer. At the rear on round bases are a gaggle of Brigade Commanders.

Confederate zouave regiments to the front right of the infantry and the Rebel artillery and cavalry.

A little closer look at the zouaves.

Confederate mounted cavalry and horse holders.

The head honcho's

Union cavalry and horse holders.

Artillery and limbers.

Union zouaves.

Union infantry ready for action.

Woodland Indians - WIP

I have managed to do a little bit of work on the Woodland Indians. These guys are test figures to try out various techniques, some successful others not. Base colours are on and they have been washed, however, my skin highlights are not to my liking, so it is back to the drawing board with that. Still a lot of work to be done on them as you will see in the following photographs.

Move completed, so back to the projects.

Now nicely settled into our new home, just about everything is in its place, it all went really well, no major hiccups at all. So it is back to the hobby for me. I had to leave the majority of my 28 mm figures behind, until I can sort out some kind of storage shed for the new place, I hope to have that in place within the next week, and they can be transported here.

I did however, have the AWI project with me, it has been here for a couple of weeks before the move, so they will be what I shall be working on initially, though I do intend to mix and match with Vikings, English Civil War and Imperial Romans, to give some variety to what I am painting. I have always in the past, stuck to one project and virtually seen it through to the end, but that can be very monotonous at times. I then get sick to the teeth of seeing the same figures and so they get set aside, that is the reason I have been working my way through them all this year. I am pleased to say, I am well on the way to completing all that I have.

Six test figures, the base coats were done before they moved to the new location, so it was just a case of highlighting and fine detail. A little touching up is also needed. They still require a coat of varnish and the bases, though painted with a textured paint, also need to be finished. That will be done when I have enough figures painted up to make it worth my while.

Six private soldiers of the 33rd Regiment of Foot (West Riding of Yorkshire)

Next up on the bench are the Woodland Indians from the Liberty or Death box set, it only contained a single sprue of eight warriors, I have since added a further box from Warlord, containing a further 24. They are mostly built, still need pouches, powder horns etc. and are now awaiting a coat of primer.

Some great action poses. This sprue and the three in the box are identical, but being plastic, it will be easy to create individual looking figures.