Feudal German Shields

I did some tests to see if I could paint shields designs approximating those in this picture:
I used a pencil for a rough outline & then just dabbed on some paint. It seems to be do-able - if a bit rough, but I didn't spend too much time on them. My wife was sitting next to me on the computer & I was squeezing in next to her trying to paint these - my computer is next to my paint table. They should look a little better after I go back & clean them up.

Old Glory 12th (13th) Cent. Infantry

Since I'm waiting on some Perry & Victrix Napoleonics ordered thru The Game Matrix, I figured I might as well work on some Old Glory stuff I've had laying around.

I decided to do a work in progress on the 12th Century Infantry from their Mongols in Europe range. They actually appear to be armored a bit later; more 13th Century by the full mail and kettle helmets they're wearing. Which is why they will be part of an Early Feudal army of the 13th Century. These guys were already given a black undercoat & mounted on Wargames Accessories metal bases. Some of them are on 40 X 20mm (two per base), and some singles on 20 X 20mm - which I had to cut.

This photo shows the mail in the process of Vallejo Natural Steel mixed with a little Vallejo Silver being dry-brushed on. The hauberks are getting the same treatment with a mixture of Vallejo Yellow, Saddle-Brown, & White. For the flesh, Vallejo Medium Flesh lightened with White were used. I wanted the leather and flesh in lighter colors as I will then give them a wash of Vallejo inks.
This photo shows them just having received a wash of inks. The skin was given a wash of Vallejo Game Ink Dark Flesh and the hauberks were given a wash of a mixture of Vallejo Game Ink Dark Flesh & Black. There are several 1st Corps Greek Hoplites in the back - since there was left over wash, and I hate wasting stuff. When you use washes, you want to have a good base coat several shades lighter than what you want the finished product to look like, as washes tend to stain and darken.
Here's an image of what I want these guys to look like - at least in spirit.
I just finished these guys - only need to spray seal & flock the bases. I have movement trays already for these guys to be in two units - 15 spearmen & 5 crossbowmen each.
And ranked up:
Not bad, only took about a day and a half to paint them - wargame standard of course. I also got to watch Sharp's Waterloo today too. Oh, I just remembered, I still need to paint their shields - I plan to use geometric patterns, similar to these:
The shields for these figures aren't as tall as these kite shields, but larger than heaters.

Victrix Eagle Bearers

Here are three eagle bears representing the 8th, 27th, and 45th Regiments of the Line. These regiments served in the Peninsular and Waterloo, as well as many other famous campaigns and battles. The Victrix French Line Infantry set comes with eight different regimental flags. The others are the 2nd, 36th, 47th, 70th, and 105th Regiments of the Line.
The officer on the far right in the the actual figure type for the bearer, as he comes with the cross belt with for the standard. However, the other two are officer types and I've seen pictures of eagle bearers dressed similar to them - i.e. with greatcoat over their shoulders. The intent is to have different flags for different regiments for historical scenarios. In actuality, you really have to look hard to make out the numbers on the flags. Also, I should be able to use them for a set of Perry French Infantry which comes with the later tri-colors; in case I want them to appear in an earlier period.

With the completion of the two figures on the left, I have now finished all 60 figures that came in the one box. Not a bad deal at all - the figures costs about $0.50 each.

Another Round of Sharp Practice

Today, 9/20/09, played another game of Sharp Practice. This time Adrian came over & played the British. Dan & I played the French. Sort of the same scenario as last week. British attacking the French in garrison. Adrian used six blinds, four of which were dummy blinds.

I played the French left, and the Voltigeurs once again were the first to engage the British. Pretty much with the same result, as I can never bring up supporting units in time. The British being larger than the small group of Voltigeurs always end up breaking my Voltigeurs to excessive shock points - they never really get killed off that bad, though.
As Adrian had the British come up through the center and French left, Dan was on the other end trying to reach the battle in time. He never really got into the action by the time we called it quits.
I think we did learn a bit more about movement and firing, and the use of Big Men with groups and formations. The game actually brought up more questions than answers that we could find in the rules. I think they will be willing to try it out again - maybe. I'm willing to, but will also take a look at some home-made rules from Wes R. I'm still looking forward to painting up a few more boxes of Napoleonics - a set of Victrix Highlanders and a set of Perry French.

Addendum: The FAQs on the Two Fat Lardies site answered a lot of the questions we had. Ready for round 3, although I suspect Dan wants to try out his Foundry Napoleon rules.

Victrix French Drummers, Pioneer & Porte Fanion

Finished a few more figures - two more drummers and two metal Victrix "specialty" figures - a Sapper and a Porte Fanion NCO. Just in time for another round of Sharp Practice tomorrow.

The Sapper & Porte Fanion NCO are slightly shorter than the plastics - the Grenadier drummer next to them appears even taller with his bearskin. The metal guys are very compatible with the older Foundry Napoleonics I have.
These drummers are painted in slightly varying uniforms. The one on the left is painted as a drummer for the 65th Line, the center guy the 26th Line, and the one on the right is from several sources which seems to be a common uniform - basically standard uniform with yellow piping instead of the normal white.
I added "wings" to the drummers on the left & center by carving off the epaulets and adding Green Stuff. The body of the drummer on the left is from a Fusilier which I converted. I had to carve off one of the crossbelts. They will each be attached to a Big Man. With the cornet with the Voltigeurs, there is a total of five musicians for the six Big Men - need another drummer I suppose. The Victrix box actually contains another cornet (or two?), but I only have have one Voltigeur unit. The musicians can extend the range of the Big Men, of course.

Sharp Practice Game 9/12/09 AAR

Played a Sharp Practice game today, 9/12/09 using the recently completed Victrix French & British. Also, had two Sash & Saber French 12 pounders on the table, mainly as an objective for the British to capture or spike. Dan P. commanded the British & I had the French. Both sides had approximately 50-figures each (from the contents of the two boxes). As well as some mounted officers, also from Victrix. Oh, and two Perry British Riflemen - just because they were painted.

The French were garrisoned at two sites; one at a church, which had several high-ranking Foundry officers inside that could have been captured by the British as another mission task for them. The other at a damaged villa - this one had the two cannon, which had no crews as they had taken the day off and gone into town & already too drunk to make it back.
This is actually a pre-game shot just to see how the British looked formed in a square; thanks Dan for the clear picture - better than my camera's.
Here's a shot after the British removed their blinds - they started out with four blinds - two were later found to be decoy blinds. Dan had his British in two main formations with three Big-Men in each.
Voltigeur company deployed to meet the advancing British right. They really should be taken off the stands and spread out in more of a skirmish line - Dan & I agreed that they were in skirmish formation for the purposes of the game.
British left moving up in column to meet the French grenadiers. The grenadiers had a Big Man in their group. There were three French Big Men at each site.
British right deployed on line getting ready to fire. They were fortunate enough to have had Big Man & Grasp the Nettle cards to allow several movements prior to firing.
British left and French grenadiers exchanging musket salvos. The dice next to them represent their respective Shock points they've already accumulated from previous fire.
British right after several turns of firing & with the French bringing up some Fusiliers to support the Voltigeurs - by now, whittled down from British musketry. Those dice represent the 20-odd Shock points the Voltigeurs themselves have already accumulated (NOTE: per SP pg 20. Bottle - groups with twice the Shock points as troops will lose their "bottle" and flee 12" away on the Tiffin - it was our first game) . Soon after this, Dan & I decided to try out the "Fisticuffs" rules and brought these formations into contact. The result was the French being defeated and thrown back to the walls outside the church. There was a ceasefire & both sides called it a day.
Although we never got around to the two mission tasks, Dan & I agreed that this was a very good "first-time" game which we believe has some great fast-play basic rules. I think it will be fun to add the more "advanced" and optional rules later on, once we get the basics down. Looking forward to adding stuff like cavalry and "heroic" tasks. We also believe it should be no problem increasing the number of figures; now I need to see if the Game Matrix has the Highlander set in.

Old Glory Bombed-Out Building & Sash & Saber Gribeauval 12 pd Cannons

I managed to paint this piece up in just several hours - after work on two days last week. It was first primed flat black. For the plaster, successive coats of dry-brushed Ceramcoat Mudstone , Sandstone, and Sandstone mixed with white were used. The brick & roof top were drybrushed a mixture of American True Red, Ceramcoat Opaque Yellow, Ceramcoat Sandstone, and white. I just mixed the colors until it looked right to me. The wood is a combination of Vallejo Yellow & Cadmium Red - this is my usual combination (in varying ratios) for most of my wood & leather. I've since picked up a bottle of Vallejo Saddle Brown for rifles stocks.

Here's the front of the building with two Perry British Riflemen that were freebies with a recent issue of Wargames Illustrated - saw it at the Game Matrix the last time I was there & figured I had to get them. BTW, the guy at the top of the stairs is painted as the 95th & the guy at the bottom is painted as the 60th. I plan to get a few more Perry Riflemen & paint them up as two small units of each regiment.

Rear of the building with some OG WWI French. This period is probably most-appropriate for this building.
These are the two Sash & Saber Gribeaval 12-pound Cannon. Very nicely sculpted & pretty easy to paint up in an evening after work also. There were only two main colors used; green & black. Actually, I used a mixture of Vallejo Yellow & German Reflective Green. This was given a light wash of black. Black was used for the metal parts. A light dry-brush mixture of Vallejo Silver & Bronze was used to pick out highlights on the metal. The cannon was painted a mixture of Vallejo Bronze & Copper; then given a wash of Vallejo Ink/Stain Black & Dark Flesh; and finally a final dry-brush mixture of Vallejo Bronze, Copper & Gold. There is a nice raised relief of the Napoleon "N" and wreath on the cannon .
Victrix figures next to the cannon for comparison. The bare-headed figure is a metal "limited" figure which is a tad shorter than the plastic figures. He's actually very compatible with Foundry Napoleonics.

Victrix Napoleonic Officers

Well I think I've overcome a "painter's block" - I recently finished an Old Glory damaged building that should work from 18th C. up to at least WW2. I'll post some pictures later.

The main effort recently completed were four mounted Victrix officers - 2 French & 2 British. The horses are very nicely sculpted. I think they look like larger scale sculpts - reminiscent of 54mm.

Here is how they look:
These should be "proper" Big Men for Sharp Practice. Have a trial game this coming Saturday.