Old Glory 2nd Edition Napoleonics (25/28mm)

Got these last night at the Fright Night game; tagged onto my buddy Scott's OG order. Well, as I had read on TMP, these are on the smaller side of 28mm. I will keep them in their own units, so hopefully won't look too out of place next to their taller Victrix brethren. I ordered one each of the 38-figure 1809 and 1815 unit packs - with command and elites along with center troops. I should be able to build three 24-man units (battalions) with a few spares left over. The 1809 guys are forward leaning in their march poses - which doesn't help their height. The 1815 figures look pretty good next to Perry French - very similar in their pose and style. However, even they are a bit more slender than the Perrys. Here are some comparison photos - the second photo has a thin "cheater" plasticard under each OG figure to help the illusion of height. The OG bases are pretty thin compared to both Victrix and Perry anyway.

Anyway, they are a good deal and I just had to have some French infantry in full dress with gaiters (the 1809 guys).

Here they are with their "cheater" plasticard lift kits, and broken down into three 24-man battalions. One each of 1809 and 1815 uniforms, and a third with a mixture of both 1809 & 1815 uniforms. Four spare figures left over - a command and an infantryman. These should be "it" for French Line infantry; added to what are already painted, the total will be five Line infantry battalions of 24-figures and one Light infantry battalion of 36-figures - not counting some single-based skirmishing Voltigeurs. I may one day add a Guard infantry unit.

Fort Steilacoom - Fright Night Gaming - 10/29/11

Thanks to Lawrence, Damond and Bruce S., a fun (and a bit spooky) night of gaming was held at Fort Steilcoom's historic officer's quarters tonight (10/29/11). At the last two Fix Bayonets! game days, a few of us discussed the possibility of a having a game night close to Halloween at the Fort. Thanks to Lawrence being a member of the historical society (or is he the president?), we got to do just this. Bruce S. ran a fantastic scenario set during the later part of the 19th Century on the Austro-Hungarian border. In fact, Dracula's castle was on the table. There were all sorts of forces ranging from Zouaves on loan from the Pope to Pumpkin-headed demons. I ran a unit of Hungarian Chasseurs. The ones I didn't manged to get killed off ended up joining the ranks of Zombies. Here are a few pics of the game - most of my photos were blurred due to us playing only by candlelight.

The game was called a victory for the forces of Evil - well, better on the gaming table than elsewhere. After the game, Lawrence showed me and Adrian a spookier place. It was the building next to the one we played in - Quarters Number 3.

Lawrence said he has experience a lot of unexplained activity in the building - and some of the other ones. He spends a lot of time here as part of the historical preservation society - in which he is a reenactor too.

Suffice to say, it's a spooky place; and sharing the grounds with the Western State Hospital - with some dangerous characters locked up right behind the place only adds to it's "charm." Oh, I almost forgot to mention, but Lawrence said once he found a woman recently released from the hospital living in the building we gamed in. There were no signs of forced entry when he went in. When he asked the woman how she got in, she replied that the people running around on the roof let her in!

1:1 Poseable Droog Action Figure

 Picked this up off of ebay - most of the parts were made in Hong Kong, I think.

Still searching for a Durango 95 to go with it. Oh, oh, I hear Mr. Deltoid knocking at the front door...

Black Powder Napoleonic Rebasing

Using some nice Litko 40X40mm plywood bases (3mm thick), I managed to rebase all of the Victrix and Perry plastics I had on metal washers. These are all the line infantry types - I left the Voltigeurs on their washers for skirmishing & also for Sharp Practice gaming.

Here are the French - two 24-man Line units (Victrix), and one 24-man Light unit (Perry) - also 12 more Perrys that need to be increased to 24.

Next the British - four 24-man Line units (all Victrix) with colors representing the 3rd "Buffs", 27th Inniskilling (colors from the Perry box), and 42nd Blackwatch and 79th Cameron Highlanders; in the rear are the recently painted Perry infantry - still needing colors for the 2nd Coldstream Guards.

Acrylic latex caulking was used for texturing as well as attaching the figures. Once the caulking is dry it'll get some paint and static grass.

Perry Nap. British Infantry - Completed

Still need to get their colors (2nd Coldstream Guards) and base them, but they are essentially finished. After the Minwax Tudor stain was dry, Testors Dullcote was applied. The red coats were highlighted, and the faces were given a wash of Vallejo reddish brown ink/stain - just to soften the flesh. The high areas of the faces were touched up with Vallejo Skintone - which what was used as the base coat for the flesh before the Minwax stain.

I'm happy with the way they turned out and especially since I managed to finish them before picking up some OG 2nd Edition French tomorrow. A fairly large re-basing/basing project is next; all the line troops (like these British) are going onto Litko 40X40mm plywood bases - four figures per base. The French Voltigeurs and British Rifles will remain on 20mm round metal washers. This is recommended for skirmishers in Black Powder, and will also allow them to be used in Sharp Practice games too.

Perry Nap. British Infantry - WIP +3

Finished the basic block painting; will give them a Minwax Tudor stain tomorrow.

These guys are painted as Guards. The sergeant has gold lacing and cords, as well as chevrons. I'll add highlights as needed after the stain. Hopefully the smaller details will not be obscured by the stain - like the lacing on the cuffs and buttons. Should be okay.

Perry Nap. British Infantry - WIP +2

Managed to add the red to the jackets and blue facings. Since I've decided to make this a Guards unit, the NCO will have gold lacing - including his rank chevrons - cool!

I'll give the red some highlights before the Miniwax stain; however I could just as well add the highlights afterwards.

To top off the day, a copy of Hail Caesar and the order of Litko bases arrived thanks to the Post Master General!

Perry Nap. British Infantry - WIP +1

Over a black undercoat, the flesh and white items have been painted. Nothing special; just trying to stay within the lines as the figures will be given a Miniwax stain after all the basic colors are painted. Next willlikely be the red coats and blue facings; these will be given a little bit of highlighting - same as the black items like backpacks and headgear. ADDENDUM: I forgot to credit Doug Hamm (of Larry Leadhead fame) for instructing me on this technique a couple of seasons ago. Thanks again, Doug.

 

I'm trying to push myself as the Old Glory order of 2nd Edition French infantry will be picked up from my buddy on Saturday - at the Fright Night game.

Perry Nap. British Infantry - WIP

Using some spare Victrix parts, the box of Perry British Infantry has been assembled. There are 36 Line Infantry figures in the box, and also four Riflemen. I'm only using 32 of the Line figures - less two officers and two infantrymen. This makes them in multiples of four - which is how they'll be based. I going to class them as a Large unit for Black Powder; giving them a Stamina rating of 4. Most of the other line infantry units I have, both French and British, will be 24-figures strong; and classed as Regular sized. These British will be in blue facings and be either a Guards unit or KGL. Maybe in the future I'll add a Guard unit to the French of equal size and rating.

They will be primed black and given a decent block paint job prior to a Miniwax "dip." Hopefully I can have these done before an order of Old Glory 2nd Generation French arrive. I'll be at old Fort Steilacoom on Saturday night for a "Fright Night" of gaming. The place is haunted and shares the grounds with Western State Hospital. Criminally insane folks are there - and aren't invited to our game.

Martian VSF Game - 10/22/11

Participated in a large VSF game today at The Game Matrix. Mark W. hosted a Martian game using his modified TSATF rules. He and several others had brought so many cool figures, I didn't need to use the Japanese forces I brought. The scenario had a British steam tank broken down on the far end of the table, with several units of supporting infantry, and a supposed rescue unit of the majority of British forces coming on the opposite end. All British forces started with figures on the table. The Martians, with German allies, came on the board on blinds. Dave S. and I ran the British with the broken down tank. There was over a dozen players and things got really busy after a few turns. It was a long day, but good times. I didn't really know what was going on in the center, where all of the heavy action was going on, but it seemed like the Martians were getting the upper hand. Here are a few  photos I took - you may want to put on sunglasses.

I ended the day with a final charge into a German machine gun team, and ended up destroying them. Not a bad way to end the game.

During the game, Adrian and I discussed the possibility of using Sharp Practice for a smaller VSF type game using my Japanese and a still-to-be painted Martian forces he bought from Dale M. today. We might even host a small game at Enfilade! next May. Speaking of Dale, you can visit his website for many more photos of this game. Anyway, the game has rekindled interest in VSF/Steampunk - something I know very little of.

79th Cameron Highlanders - Victrix

Well, I did go ahead and repaint some of the previously painted 42nd Highlanders. All I did was add red and yellow overstripes to their kilts; as well as paint over their blue facings with green. After I add a command group of two colors and two musicians, they will be a 24-man unit.

The remaining 42nd Highlanders have 28-figures, but four of them are kneeling figures, so I may not use them. 24-figures is considered a "Regular" sized unit for Black Powder - basically a battalion. I don't think either Highland unit ever had more than one of their battalions in the Peninsular at any given time, so I figured I'd have one of each. I'm hoping to remove most of the figures I have on washers and rebase them four each to a 40X40mm wooden Litko base.

Napoleonic Projects - Pending

Well, no sooner than I was about to add some red and yellow stripes to some Highlanders - to convert them to a unit of 79th Cameron - my Architects of War order arrived. So, I either go forward with the work on the Highlanders, or start on a couple of Perry RHA units and a new Perry British infantry unit - likely a Guards or KGL unit; also, a Warlord Vivandiere and donkey completes the order.

Tomorrow I head to The Game Matrix to participate in a large VSF game - something do do with Martians - using a modified variant of TSATF. I'm bringing my Japanese RJW troops; we'll see if they can be involved.