28mm Brigade Games - Napoleonic - Dismounted French 30th Dragoons

 Here's a small unit of 10 dismounted French Dragoons - le 30e Régiment de Dragons. They've been on the desk for years, partially completed. French Cavalry, in particular, took a beating during this campaign. and long before a single flake of snow fell. I made the snow patchy to indicate overcoats weren't yet required. Also, there aren't any vendors who seem interested in doing dismounted cavalry in winter gear in any quantity. I'd love to have some Hussars with their pellisses on and buttoned up, shooting carbines, waving sabres. No market for such a thing I'm informed. 

I really need to get to the French Voltiguer company for this game, but as you can see, I like to flit about. I'm committed (sorta) to not adding new things to the workbench unless I finish something already on it. 

Some WIP shots

Some action shots

Overall, they came out fine. I feel like I just learned that there was a dismounted horse holder. I would have liked to have included that here, but I don't own that one. 

I'm not sure what's next - possibly some odds and ends, buildings, trees, maybe some female camp followers.

In any event, thanks for looking - questions, comments and followers are welcome and encouraged! I'm doing more and more on Facebook so follow my page there too! https://www.facebook.com/One-of-My-Men-Became-Restless-100659928063858

15mm Minifigs/Essex - Napoleonic - Peninsula Baggage Train

I suppose I did get a fair amount of Napoleonics done at around the same time I was doing the ACW stuff. My first interest is always the 1812 Russian campaign (some of that is seen here), but second, I love the Peninsula campaigns - possibly because of Sharpe. I just cannot get around to this stuff, though I intend to. I never thought T would get into 25/28mm either.

Again, in about the 1990's somewhere, I started up what was gonna be a pair of armies for Empire. British v. French. And, as is typical, I do everything but the hard stuff, the rank and file first. (I have some British finished (60th Royal Americans), but not a single Frenchman in this scale.) 

So I started with a baggage train to give purpose to whatever fight was to occur later. There was one last element of crate-laden mules, which I finished up over this weekend. They join the rest of it that was painted decades ago: 

The drovers I did not bother to touch up, apart from a flesh wash. Otherwise, they were painted at the same time as the other elements seen below: 

I see these were photographed in 2018, but they were painted well before that. 

Tempting to touch this up a bit, but I won't. Forgive the medieval era wheels. 

The burros at right are surely from Essex? Correct me if you recognize them.

Together, this is a tempting prize for a competent French commander. Though apart from the drovers, these could be used in any number of theaters, not just Iberia. 

Ah - this older stuff appeared back when I photographed it. You can see that posting along with some insurrectionists and a pair of British light infantry regiments here: One of My Men Became Restless: 15mm Napoleonic, Peninsula War, Pot Pouri

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28mm Battle Honours 3D - Napoleonic French Vivandiers

These are of course the most realistic miniatures out there, sculpted with microscopic, precision detail, and full, anatomically realistic proportions. This makes them very different than hand sculpted wargames figure - you know, the vast majority of things we've spent our lifetimes collecting and painting. I'm not sure what to make of all this as, even though I ordered 28mm, their proportions make them seem like slender teen girls next to the monstrosities from Perry, Old Glory, Victrix, and all the rest that we've always accepted and embraced. They are different enough, that I don't think I can use them with the other models I have for the period. Stuck in their own universe they are perfect, but they look like children next to the others.

I also found them difficult to paint. I confess I did try a white undercoat, thinking they would take some speed paint easily, but once again I failed to do that well at all and ended up layering over it all again anyway. The print lines were apparent but paint did cover them up mostly. The eyes, the lacing, the buttons, the ribbons, cups, everything is so tiny and yet perfectly sized to match that I really struggled with the fine details. They were simply too fine for my capabilities. 

I futzed around with them and used some washes on the lace again over the parts I wasn't crazy about. One broke off at the ankles and removing them from the supports was kind of a challenge. I didn't notice many of the burs I left behind. It could very well be that I didn't adopt to this as readily as I should have but, eh, I don't see me investing more in this than I already have. Your mileage may vary. They do look fine when painted up, no doubt, but I think one would have to approach them differently than one does with status quo models.

I will do some side by sides in not too long, but I want to get these off the table to make room for other things.

I also bought a lot of the Spanish Guerrillas too which will come at a later date and I will stick to black primer for BH3D models in the future. 

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28mm North Star Military Figures - Silver Bayonet - Austrians

My first faction is done for Silver Bayonet - yes I know, I'm quite late. These are the two Austrian sets. I figure everyone will get French so this guarantees a competitor.

The first Austrian Unit, - (L-R) Dhamphir, Officer, Grenadier, Veteran Hunter, Occultist, Supernatural Investigator, Infantryman, and Artilleryman.

 

Second Austrian Unit (L-R) Coachman, Tactician, Woodsman, Heavy Cavalryman, Highwayman, Highwayman, Light Cavalryman, and Irregular. I'm not sure how any of these will fare, seems some have limited use. The cavalry I will not build mounted versions for, the Artilleryman can man guns in some scenarios so maybe he'll get some use.

 

As so frequently occurs, I start with the intention of doing slap-chop only to apply speed paints which turns out wretched. Demoralized, I keep what works, do a crappy hybrid job, layering over the worst of it. I just tend to pick models where slap-chop is simply inappropriate. For this set I primed in gray, then washed with Nuln Oil? Strong Tone? ProAcyrl Black Wash? I can't recall. It didn't seem to matter much.

This unit was black primed then dry-brushed in gray, then white.

Let's not dwell on the many mishaps that occurred along the way and instead enjoy the final results. I'm glad to have them off my table. For Silver Bayonet, initially, I envision  a scenario where my team is much more integrated into army life and historical campaigns. It is here, during combat operations, when the machinations of the Harvestmen begin to manifest. So here they are all the Austrians I own - the single box of Vixtrix Austrians.

The Grenadier and the Dhamphir along with some from No. 59 Jordis regiment.

An officer of No. 50 Stain arrives with a pair of grenadiers, a tactician, two cavalrymen and a doctor. The supernatural investigator marches along with the rest of the regiment (right - background)

The artilleryman rushes ahead to find his unit, while the coachman and the highwayman discuss the absence of both a coach as well as any lupines.

Dhamphir and a grenadier

The tactician demonstrating the proper tactical use of a pistol.

The doctor finds himself on the front lines.

The unhorsed cavalry move to pass through the fence while a Colonel looks on. The woodsman takes a shot at some French or revenants?

A veteran hunter and the occultist (Beethoven) out for a stroll with the supernatural investigator

 For thematic continuity, all Austrians were based with one, out-of-the-bag application of Geek Gaming Scenics' Taigi Hillside. I like this stuff. The blend of materials are weighted so the dark heavy sandy stuff goes to the bottom, the white stony material sits atop that, while the static grass, foam and cork rise to the top. Love it - I have another variant from them I'll use on the Prussians who are next for Silver Bayonet. 

But first, I've collected a mess o' Napoleonic era civilians from Perry, Wargames Atlantic and yes, Battle Honors. Maybe I'll do dwarves or more buildings and terrain bits, maybe another witch. Even I don't know!

As always, thanks for looking - questions, comments and followers are welcome and encouraged! I'm doing more and more on Facebook so follow my page there too! https://www.facebook.com/One-of-My-Men-Became-Restless-100659928063858

25mm Old Glory - Russian Storage Shed

More battlefield litter in the shape of outbuildings for the 1812 campaign. This one is part of the "Early Russian Buildings" range, but appears to have a metal roof which seems unlikely until maybe a WW2 setting. In any event, this was a quick and satisfying project. 

The roof was some done via wet blending with a dark gray and rust to give it a nice weathered patina. Then I spotted on some unmodified silver to show the roof was beautiful metal at one point. The touches that make it really come alive to me is some thinned down Algae Green Speedpaint in the crevasses, then thinned Brownish Decay Speedpaint along the foundations and in other spots here and there. 

A very angry Perry Peasant (for scale) rushes out to meet the invaders.

 

Here it is betwixt the two Renedra Timbered Outbuildings bringing the uninhabitable structures up to three.

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28mm Renedra - Timber Outbuilding (Updated 12/31/24)

 A quick idea, that actually was relatively quick! I borrowed some techniques from YouTuber's Sword & Brushes for this one.

I started from a different spot as this was primed in dark brown. I just painted the wood in a cream color followed by Speedpaint Gravelord Gray. Highlights were just drybrushed grays.

I then used Speedpaint, a diluted Algae Green to suggest light mossy patches in the likely spots. Then I darkened the bottom edges with thinned down Speedpaint Brownish Decay.

For the roof - I basecoated in another cream color followed by Speedpaint Pallid Bone. To define the tiered structure I thinned down Army Painter Bootstrap Brown and dabbed that between each later. In the deeper spots I used thinned down Army Painter Brigadine Brown- just enough to stain some of the straw patches. Then the entire roof was drybrushed with Army Painter Ancient Stone. A final highlight of Army Painter Ice Yellow was drybrushed over the edges and ends.

All in all, it came out nicely. It doesn't really match my other wooden structures for Russia but it is an "outbuilding." It could also be used for Medieval/Fantasy stuff on its own though it is a little bit small. Still, lovely piece.

 12/31/24 Edit - I found the other one, then assembled, primed and painted it to join it's companion. 

Erm, assembly could have gone better, but one will likely never notice the gap here. In any event, I wanted to capture the base coats - this was over a black prime.

I employed the same techniques as above. The outcomes were so close, even I can't tell them apart!

At the same time I did an Old Glory Russian Storage Shed in the center. That's two Russian Farm Buildings from Pegasus Hobbies in the background.

As always, thanks for looking - questions, comments and followers are welcome and encouraged! I'm doing more and more on Facebook so follow my page there too! https://www.facebook.com/One-of-My-Men-Became-Restless-100659928063858