Some Yuletide Painting

My painting has been going slow these last several months.  I just finished a new unit for my Very British Civil War forces and am working on a new unit for my French and Indian Wars forces.

Very British Civil War

First Section of a company of the Liberty Bell Legion

 The Liberty Bell Legion was formed in the mid 1930s as an adjunct to the more progressive wing of the American Democratic Party.  Initially they were used to raise funds to ensure the election of progressive candidates to the US Congress and to state legislatures.  But when the constitutional crisis broke in Great Britain and the Fascists began to influence the British government, many members of the Liberty Bell Legion traveled to the British Isles to offer their services to oppose the Fascists in the British government.  Organized into independent companies, these volunteers quickly went to various places where more socialist Anglican forces were in control.  One place was the Anglican League command at Bury St. Edmonds, where the 1st Section of the 3rd Liberty Company soon arrived.  The rest of the company are still getting outfitted (painted) and will join them before too many days are past.  They will soon see action as the Spring campaign commences.

These figures are from Falcon (US) Miniatures' Boxer Rebellion line and are US Marine officers and enlisted.  I've had these figures for a number of years.  The impetus for this unit was a flag that Leics_Gamer posted on the Very British Civil War forum of the Liberty Volunteers from New York state.  That was quickly morphed into the Liberty Bell Legion and, as they say, the rest is history (or alternate history, rather).

Banner of the Liberty Bell Legion to be carried by every independent company

I only had enough figures to form 9-man sections instead of the 10 I wanted, so if any American readers of this post have some these Falcon Miniatures Boxer Rebellion American Marines in the advancing pose, please get in touch with me.

http://colcampbellsbazaar.blogspot.com/2013/12/looking-for-few-good-men.html  Thanks.

French and Indian War

The other figures that I am painting are some of Der Alte Fritz's incomparable Fife and Drum American Revolution militia.  My war gaming buddy Lord Sterling picked these up for me at Historicon back in July.  I finally began painting them.  Although I'm not far along, they are looking rather good.  I'll be using them for a colonial American unit fighting against the dastardly French deep in the backwoods of America.

Part of the militia unit in progress

I hope all my readers have a very nice Christmas holyday and a happy new year.

The Agandar's Escort

The final native unit that I require for the first play test of my convention game has now been completed.  It is a 12-figure cavalry unit using Falcon Miniatures Arab cavalry.

These stalwart "Sons of the Desert" are all veterans of the Agandar's many campaigns against the infidels.  Riding black steeds and clothed in the green of the Prophet, they will bring fear into the hearts of their foes.

Additional Note:  A comment on The Miniatures Page asked if Falcon Miniatures are still available.  Keith Astrofsky (in Massachusetts) now owns the line and his newly redesigned web site/store is Falcon Miniatures USA.  I have not bought from him yet as these were purchased many years ago at an Historicon.

White Eagle Clan Infantry Unit

This evening, after dealing with a home problem (of which I will tell anon), I finished the last 8 figures for a 20-figure unit of infantry for the White Eagle Clan.  They now have three infantry units and one cavalry unit ready for play-testing for my June convention game (Bayou Wars 2010).

This unit is composed of 12 Falcon Miniatures sword-armed Arabs (with one converted to the leader/standard bearer) and 8 Iron Brigade rifle-armed Arabs.

I received the Iron Brigade miniatures from their new owner, The Lost Battalion Miniatures.  The owner has many of the Iron Brigade moulds and is going to be casting and, I think, upgrading them.  He also has a number of figures on-hand.  I ordered some of the rifle-armed Arabs, a French Foreign Legion command group (for a batch of Iron Brigade FFL I have), some ship guns, and a horse and musket artillery limber with two horses and attendant.  The service was great!

Now to the house problem.  This past Wednesday night, while getting some foamcore out to make some movement stands, I discovered that I had a water leak along the outside wall of my wargaming/computer room.  My wife, son, and I moved a batch of wargaming and stamp stuff out and discovered mildew and ruined box bottoms and loose-leaf binders.  Before it was all over, I had filled two large trash cans and had the rest of my house stacked with troop boxes, terrain boxes, etc., etc.  I only lost some stamp collecting material and some cardboard boxes.  None of my troops were affected.  The only terrain I lost was one 2' square terrain board made from a ceiling tile.  It was the bottom of a stack of them.  We tore the carpet out today and the resulting picture tells it all - a bare room!  Isn't the original 1970s tile simply horrid!

At least it will give us a chance to repaint the walls.  And we still have to figure out how to seal the exterior wall (which "backs" onto a porch) to keep the water from entering in the future.  Plus a new floor.  The adventure of a homeowner never ceases!

White Eagle Clan Cavalry

My second Arab clan for my June convention game, The Relief of Wadi Zoum-Zoum, will be called the White Eagle clan.  So far they have two spear armed infantry units, one of which can be seen at this link.  I've now added a unit of rifle armed cavalry made from 11 Falcon Miniatures Arab cavalry and 1 unidentified Arab cavalryman.  Like the Red Hawk cavalry (see previous post), they are mounted on Miniature Figurines horses.

 

These cavalry will bring some degree of battlefield mobility to the White Eagle Clan.  I still have a third infantry unit to paint this month.

February Painting

So far February has not been as productive as January for painting.  I've only done a 12-figure camelry unit and a 12-figure cavalry unit for my convention game play tests that start in April, with the convention in June.  Both of these units are Falcon Miniatures (www.falconminiatures.com/), but with the cavalry mounted on Miniature Figurine horses (which is the way I bought them on eBay).  These two mounted units along with two infantry units (of which only one is painted) will comprise one of the four native commands in my convention game.

Camelry Unit, Red Hawk Clan

 

These 12 stalwarts are all armed with rifles and ready to smite the infidels.

Cavalry Unit, Red Hawk Clan

Armed with a mix of rifles and swords/pistols, these desert raiders can ride rings around the slow moving Egyptians.  You'll notice that there is one dissimilar figure in the right rear.  Since I only had 11 mounted figures, he was "drafted" to fill-in as the "12th man."

The painted infantry unit of the Red Hawk clan was included in my Colonial game at last year's convention.  You can see it here:  Red Hawk Clan Infantry 

And a few words about the convention game:  This game will pit a heterogeneous force of Mahdist, Beja, and desert Arabs led by the Agandar of Karres, one of the successors to the late Mahdi and the late Khalifa.  They will be besieging the Eyptian supply base at Wadi Zoum-Zoum on the Green Nile.  Coming to the base's rescue will be a British river column including Royal Navy landing party troops, Royal Marine Light Infantry, and gunboats.  The game will be presented at the HMGS Gulf-South Bayou Wars 2010 convention in New Orleans on June12.  Convention Link.

Well, back to the painting desk for another Arab cavalry unit and two more Arab infantry units.