Winter Update

 Not much new this winter, except all the snow.

We don’t get the big snowfalls like people down east with those Nor’Westers or people in Colorado with the huge snowfalls.

But we do get blizzards, which is sustained high winds and snow.

This year they’ve been a near weekly occurrence and we are getting blocked in by all the drifts.

So it’s been a great time to do favourite tv and movie rewatches, read a book and paint toy soldiers.

Here’s a scene reminiscent of Valmy. Hong Kong soldiers made into Revolutionary war period French.

Next are a few Thirty Years War types. The large base is a terico, made of figures from one box of Mars figures. The pikes are those provided in the set and a bit of an experiment on my part. I used to just use florist wire, but after I dropped a biscuit tin full of pikemen, I kinda walked away from them. These soft plastic pikes may not be painted (yet) but they stay in place. 

These next guys are actually lead 25mm Minifigs S range if I’m not mistaken. I bought a bunch of broken figures and these guys were in them. No swords, but they look ok on those Giant copy horses. Also there is  a squadron of Warrior Miniatures 25mm French Cuirassier.  

And finally here’s some of those medieval figures I bought and featured in the last blog post. They paint up nicely.

More Plasticine Soldiers

 Here are some more plasticene conversions and some complete plasticene figures I’ve made.

First up is my attempt to have some of Marlborough’s Danish corps.

The infantry are made in China US GI’s in the “follow me” pose with toothpick guns. In support are two squadrons of dragoons.

As for the uniforms, I used an article in Military Modelling from the 90’s, but a perusal of Charles Grant’s book on the armies of the wars says the coats were all grey and only the pants and stockings were colourful. Oh well, Knotel says they were yellow. I’m completely lost on the flags, I know there should be two, but I’ve seen multiple designs, so I just made one up. Oh yes, I started on the green regiment as well.

The horse. A couple trumpeters, the yellow commander and the dragoons. Except for the commander, they are those Thai cowboys I found. Commander Yellow is an Esci Scots Grey.

Up next are a couple of Greeks. The mounted guy is Pausanias, formerly a Marx 7th cavalry trooper. Hopefully fighting Persians is more successful than the Indian confederation, but he did end up in a bad way too.

The wounded guy sitting on his shield is made entirely of plasticene and mounted on a poker chip.

These guys are made of plasticene and seated on plastic zoo camels. They are created from the Funcken drawings of Napoleon’s Egyptian adventure. 

I thought I’d make some British soldiers in boats for a Quebec game, but this is as far as I got. Plasticene men in a made in China boat. They still need a base and toothpick oars. And a flag.

And now a return to the desert, with my start of a Sassanid army. I put about a dozen infantry (WW2 Japanese officers with plasticene shields and headgear), on a base meant for 24 figures. I have pinched the idea from Pony Wars, the old rule set Peter Guilder adopted for his Sudan games. A handful of men can represent a horde.

The clibinari are Lucky Toys Revolutionary War horsemen with plasticene cloaks and hole punch shields. I just painted the face metal for armour.

The light cavalry are plains Indians with some new hats.

The elephants were a real find. Hinchliffe miniatures.  I got them on eBay. All I had to do was put them back together and touch up the paints.

Hopefully these guys and their friends will square off against Bellisaurius in front of Daras one day soon. I didn’t post the Byzantines as I can’t find them. I use all kinds of boxes and only recently have I begun to sort them out in eras. The Thirty Years War/ECW/Rocroi armies are in my bedroom, the ACW is in the hall and WW2 are stacked precariously at the top of the stairs. And the Napoleonics are under foot. I wouldn’t have it any other way.  

I was asked in the questions below which plasticene brand I was using.

Currently I use Plastalina by Craft Smart. It’s $5, very reasonable.

 https://canada.michaels.com/en/craftsmart-plastalina-modeling-clay-4-earth-colors/10062645.html

Some Oddments I’ve Been Working On

 I’ve taken a bit of a break now that the lock down is over (for now…) by getting out and walking and listening to podcasts.

So here’s some items I’ve had on the go for a while now…

Polish Napoleonic lancers from the Grand Duchy of Warsaw, and a couple of fanciful horse guns. Giant toys with Esci riders. The lancers are Esci lancers on Thai Giant copies with plasticine shebraques.

Austrian foot artillery and an ammunition wagon. Odd looking  perhaps but I based it on a Minifigs model I saw in a French wargame magazine, “Uniformes”.

A selection of stuff. Heading is a group of Mexican militia. Suitable for Cinco De Mayo or even the Mexican Civil War. Converted Indians from the Lucky toys Revolutionary War Set.

Next is a toy coach I dolled up to be a European coach, suitable for a highway man or woman (Mary Ferrers) or for Marlborough to offer to Clerembault.

In the centre  is a Hinchliffe 25mm Marshal Murat from their Personalities range. I always had a weak spot for Hinchliffe. The other weak spot was in my wallet which couldn’t afford them way back when.

The coach again making a hasty exit stage right.

Finally a mix of 25 mm figures. I often buy mixed lots of figures and this is a result. Several Spanish generals painted up rather fancifully, one was horseless so he got a plasticine saddle and a Thai Giant horse. The Royal Foot Artillery guys are manning a gun from Eagle Games.

In the back are a couple of Minifig ADC’s painted up as fanciful dudes, maybe Spanish?

And the rest are Prince August Waterloo figures. I love finding these in eBay purchases as their lack of detail and over all smoothness make them true toy soldiers that look great in bright colours and gloss.

Well, that’s it for now.

I’m still working on Edgehill. Hope to have it up soon.

Waterloo British Heavy Cavalry

 The Life Guard and The Blues

Revell figures, very nice indeed. Lively poses. You might have noticed some missing plumes. I bought a bag of these on eBay, and the plumes were already removed. I think the original idea was to make them Austrian.

I also finished off another unit of Dragoons, these only needing some wax.

Again, these figures aren’t painted historically, but they are so nice as is. I especially like the dapple grey horses, done in enamels.

******

I found a few more pix.