More AWI

As I said in my last post I thought I would try painting up some Perry AWI figures to see how compatible they are with Front Rank- especially when based.  So here are the results- 6 fusiliers.  I really like them but they are very thin when compared to FR and I'm of the view that they are just not compatible. At least now I know for certain.  Maybe I will wait and see how inspiring the Black Powder AWI supplement is when this comes out- not for some time I believe.  If properly inspired it would be good to re-do my AWI using Perry figures. We shall see.

 I am playing an AWI game next month which will have a scenario heavy on narrative.  For this I wanted a female figure to play the American mistress of the British CiC.  She's been captured by the rebels and may be put on trial for espionage- scandalous! Surely Washington hasn't authorized this! The British elite forces have the task, amongst other things, of rescuing her.  She look a bit sulky but can you blame her. AAR will follow in due course.  I think this is a Foundry figure- I may be wrong.

Finally, also for the AWI game I did a quick conversion to provide another mounted rifleman- this gives the unit four figures which I will field as a 'small' unit in the scenario. Another Front Rank mash-up. I think this figure gives the right impression of these not being cavalry proper

Now with these complete it will be Romans and Celts all the way to the finish line.

The 2012 tally stands at 59 foot, 5 Cavalry and 1 cannon completed.

Medieval Knight

I have had a box of Perry WOR knocking about for a bit and had an urge to paint up one of the foot knight figures and this is the result.  I did also base up two of the bowmen but have decided to pop these back in the box.  Great figures but I am not going to allow myself to start on another project. Figure is based on a 1p piece to give a bit of heft.

Total figures completed now stands at 52 foot, 4 Cavalry and one cannon

More Front Rank AWI

As previously stated I am finishing off some missing odds and ends for my AWI collection.  Below are some more additions.  First up is an American cannon. Nothing much to say on this except that I was pleased with the look of the bronze on this gun.

Second up are some militia skirmishers. About half of these were given white armbands so that they can be fielded as a tiny unit of loyalists if needed.  I have no idea if this was a battlefield sign which was actually used but its useful to have such markers in games to avoid confusion.  Again a mix of figures- some partially painted some time ago and finished off and the rest newly painted.  A couple of the figures had already been glued onto round bases so rather than prize them off I just added sand and foliage.  At some point I need to decide that my AWI collection is finished but there always seems to be just one last unit to add.  I would love to be able to add in some Perry Regiments but they may look just too different.  Somewhere in the back of my mind I keep thinking about adding enough units to be able to refight every battle of the war- with AWI it is a possibility- Im just not sure I want to do this with Front Rank though.

I have a few Perry British infantry which I got from a show.  Maybe I'll paint them up and see how they compare.  It is surprising what seem like huge differences on the painting table on the games table actually don't seem significant at all.

Anybody else mix these manufacturers in AWI?

My tally of figures completed so far is now

Celtic Warband

Completed my first Celtic warband.  I'm doing my roman invasion of britain project as an exercise in speed painting.  These took no time at all and are not my finest work I must admit but based up I think they look pretty effective.  These are Warlord hard plastic figures.  I wasn't sure whether I liked them as individual models but en-mass they look very dynamic.  You really do get the impression of  a mob of bloodthirsty warrior rushing to shed some roman blood- nice!

Have tried to make the basing 'dynamic' with a cluster of warriors around the chief and standard and a thinning out of warriors towards the flanks and rear.  I think this looks a lot more realistic than neatly ranked warriors and mirrors the way crowds behave. It also has the added benefit of reducing the number you have to paint to get the right effect. Im intending at the moment to have at least 4 such warbands and have most of the second painted.

First output

Here are my first competed figures of the new year.

These are figures intended to plug gaps in my AWI collection.  First up are three mounted riflemen which are conversions achieved by chopping foot figs in half and adding to the bottom half of random unwanted cavalry figures.  I actually did the conversions some years ago and some of the painting but have only just got around to completing them.  These are intended to play a part in an ambush scenario and to give a bit of mobility to the American forces.

Next up we have 6 British Light infantry who I have added to represent Ferguson's rifles when required.  When they are not doing that they will add numbers to my light infantry battalion.  Looks like I got a bit of basing paint on the bayonet of the chap on the right- I hate it when that happens

Finally I painted up this British Legion Cavalryman to be part of an 'imaginary' regiment of State Cavalry for the rebels.  I have a bit of a dearth of American cavalry- not sure when I will get round to painting this guy some comrades.  In the meantime he can tag along with the dragoons.

All figures are from Front Rank AWI range.  These figures do look a bit dated, particularly when compared with the Perry AWI range.  However I think they have a lot of character and most are really good figures.  As with all FR figures they paint up really well and look pleasingly substantial on the tabletop. Its a shame that FR will probably never add to the range or remodel the worse figures- a few marching continentals in hunting shirts and more British infantry in slouch hats would make a big difference.

Anyway Im going to keep a tally of figures completed this year so:

2012 total= 6 x 28mm infantry and 4 x 28mm Cavalry.

Cheers!

Happy New Year!

Happy new year one and all.

Despite the fact that making something a new years resolution is one way to ensure it doesn't get done I have committed to updating this blog at least twice a month.  Will I keep to this?- only time will tell.  My other NY resolutions are to get fatter, drink more, become less organized and alienate people- I am just being realistic.

I was appalling at the updates throughout 2011 so the only way is up.  I did quite a bit of painting during 2011 including making some serious headway on 28mm Napoleonics as well as  re-basing and 'refreshing' my AWI collection.  I also played three war-games which is a 200% improvement on 2010.  2011 was also the year when I discovered Black Powder rules and I suspect life will never be the same again.

As far as possible I'm planning to post pictures of minis as they are completed so use this blog as a record of my painting endeavors whatever these may be.

My plans for 2012 painting are currently-

Complete phase one of 28mm Peninsular Naps- this will involve completing a Brigade each of French and Brits with a couple of cavalry regiments and a battery of guns each.  Phase two will extend this to division sized forces with more guns and cavalry.

Finish the last few elements of my 28mm AWI collection- these figures look pretty dated now but I still love em.

Paint up some 28mm ECW- I have a number of figures from Bicorne- I'd like to get a dozen or so infantry regiments done initially.  Im looking forward to seeing what comes out by way of ECW version of BP.

I have some EIR and Celts from Warlord games of which I have painted a few- I intend to paint up enough to be able to play a decent sized game.

Other plans may include starting to paint 6mm Napoleonic figures with the aim of playing a refight of Waterloo in 2015- Im sure Im not the only one obsessed with the battle and keen to mark the anniversary.

As I haven't actually yet completed any figures in 2012 here are a selection of pics of AWI Brigade Commanders which were either painted up during 2011 or rebased.  This was to enable the formation of Brigades for Black Powder games.  I made use of some characterful 7YW miniatures from Foundry for some so some uniforms are very very anachronistic (or just plain) wrong.  I however couldn't care less- purists, sharpen your pitchforks and light the torches.

Tarleton showing his ruthless side.  Front rank figures painted long ago but rebased 2011.



















 A Hessian brigade commander and sergeant.  Foundry figures of Prussian (?) origin painted 2011.

 

British Infantry commander and servant- Foundry figures- highly inaccurate for AWI!

Finally American Militia commander from Perry