The Next Stage

So progress has been a little slower the last two weeks but with the bank holiday weekend progress is once more resumed.

I realised that the photos of the finished division sitting on its shelf were a bit poor due to bad lighting and my iPad camera being rubbish. I gave my D-SLR to my sister for her birthday as she is a keen amateur photographer. I just keep it sitting on the shelf and only use it for the odd wargames photo.

I originally bought the D-SLR as I am an avid Motorsport fan but I haven't been to a race for a while now so it was pointless letting it get dusty in its case on a shelf.

So next payday will definitely see an investment in a handy but good quality normal digital camera. Unfortunately, until then I will have to make do with my phone camera. I would say iPhone but then it would seem like I am a yuppie primarily sponsored by Apple. This is not the case, my iPhone is an iPhone 4 which I refuse to upgrade on to a new expensive phone contract. I have had since it's release from new and my mobile phone contract costs are about £13 a month with more free minutes and texts than I will ever use.

My iPad Air was a freebie from work as I work for a large B2B IT reseller and service provider. So no, I'm not an overpaid yuppie, if you saw my flat, you would know that ;-)

So anyway, what have I been doing? Well, boring stuff really. Prepping and under coating the next lot of figures. The foremost requirement now is for a second completed French division. For this, I initially have 24 strips of French Imperial infantry in skirmish order to paint. The marching figures (2 strips of each for each base, each base equalling a battalion) are already painted as this was originally going to be a full size V&B project. As previously stated, the absorption of so many strips into a base to get it too look right nearly drove me insane.

So, I have prepped the skirmish figures and started to experiment with different painting techniques as well just to see if you can still get a division to a base as quickly but with an up gunned/higher detail painting technique that results in a much more gratifying finish.

After quite a lot of painting of the mega micro minis I feel comfortable and experienced enough to still get a good results even when experimenting. All that will happen is that one battalion will look slightly different to the next.

Anyway, before I drone on anymore, here are some photos of all discussed above. As well as a photo of a new Baccus order to keep me going with the new basing.


UPDATE: I officially hate Google+ as it won't update with my latest photos and nothing I do will get it to upload! Google and Blogger don't link or work properly!!!

Now got it to work so here are the photos:

Basing, basing, basing! Part 4 - the final!

So a new week and a new post. Work was busy last week but still managed to finish the basing for Verge's division and without further ado here are is the division:

Apologies for the poor light but this the division totally finished from a distance. 

The division from the left hand side with the divisional commander (Verge) in the foreground. 

The division from the centre right perspective.

The right middle of the division, the two brigade commander in the middle and the two Mitrailleuses (1 battery) and the start of the 2x 4pdr batteries.

The full shot of the 4 guns that make up the 2x 4pdr batteries. 

I am now very happy with the way this basing looks and my quest for how to base my Franco-Prussian war miniatures. Progress will now be ongoing to recreate the armies of the French Imperial phase of the war as of August 1870.

This coming weekend should, all other things being equal, see further progress and a new blog post. I am aiming to post at least once a week, either on a Sunday, or Monday, depending on how drunken the weekend is or if I have money left in my account or not :-)

So stay tuned. Lots to do, which means lots more photos!

Rhys

Basing, basing, basing! Part 3

So having spent the last week completely re-organising my 6mm Baccus Franco-Prussian war project, painting up additional troops to cater for the change in basing style, I have made what I feel is significant progress!

I have an entire French Imperial division painted and based (but not flocked or painted) and without further ado here is a photo:

This will be Verge's division from the Army of the Rhine as of the 1st August 1870.

Out front is the divisional command stand (2 mounted figures - in this case representing Verge with an aide). Behind the command stand is the attached battalion of Chasseurs (3rd Chasseur battalion -1
base = 1 battalion)mounted on a pill style base.

Behind the Chasseurs, you have the line infantry. 2 brigades, each of 2 regiments, each regiment consisting of 3 battalions (mounted on tablet style bases) with their single mounted brigade commanders on the right.

The divisional commander is on a 1 inch circular base, the brigade commanders are on 3/4 inch circular bases. I did order some 1/2 inch circular bases for the brigade commanders but these, I felt were slightly too small.

Then, to the left, you have the divisional artillery park. The rules these figures are primarily based for are Zouave II by Bob Jones. In these rules, 2 artillery bases make up a battery. The artillery are based on 1 inch hexes consisting of the following;

x2 Mitrailleuses bases (1battery)

x4 4pdr RML cannon (2 batteries)

x6 limbers.

Here follow some close ups of the division:

As an additional note, wargames manufacturers have intimated in the past at shows etc, that few wargamers actually bother with things like limbers, caissons, and supply wagons.

I can understand why. I came to paint the limbers last when everything else had been painted and based and saw it as a bit of a pain in the arse. But I persisted with 6 of the little devils - after all I had bought them!

However, I am glad that I did persist and paint, and base them, as it definitely adds to the visual appeal of the division. I will be adding limbers for all artillery pieces. Unfortunately as far as I can tell there are no FPW caissons available in 6mm but might be able to use some from an ACW range. Supply wagons are easy to find in 6mm for the period and will definitely add these in to the army as it grows. Again it will add, for such a small thing, a lot of visual appeal on the tabletop.

I intend also to run campaigns and in the battles, baggage will able to be captured with severe consequences as a result as it did have in the FPW and all other wars I have ever read about.

So I can understand why other wargamers don't bother but it surprises how many don't when talking to traders. I urge you all to make sure your armies are well provided for in limbers, caissons, and wagons, it adds so much for a little bit more effort.

Well, 3 posts in one week! Pretty happy with that. Will try to post at least once a week on here and should have another division based next weekend. Mind you, I've got to paint and flock the bases yet. Oh and talking about basing, I used a product straight out of the tine for the earth effect texture on the bases. It called coarse pumice paste. I bought it on Amazon after seeing it used in a Gruntz painting and basing video. It seems to work very well.

I will do some close up shots of it when I finish painting and flocking this divisions bases.

Rhys