From GaryA: the final muster - not much to show, but at least I remembered this year.

 

So that's it for another year. Well, it's only my second, but you know what I mean. Despite a few real world trials and tribulations, everyone seems to have done splendidly although there were times when I'd bet my grannie's false teeth I would drop short.

Blogger has been a pain. Occasionally it'd let me comment, but, more often than not, it kept throwing me out. I'll have to look into that.

I really enjoyed reading the posts on the blog and the figures which were submitted and there was such a lot to admire – and not just from the master painters. I've rediscovered the satisfaction of painting figures and for that I thank you. I'd also like to thank the people who set up and managed the  Challenge. How you coped with all that and still managed to make your own submissions is a credit to you (or maybe you just haven't got enough to do . . .  .).

I've uploaded my challenge stuff (which I forgot to do last year), but only a recent photograph of my alter ego. Tested positive for Covid yesterday and I've got eyes like Dracula, the Inca Quickstep and I'm even less of a pretty sight than usual. 

Anyway, on with the (fashionably out of focus) piccies:

 

 

 

From GaryA: Third Submission - 15mm ACW Confederate Infantry: "Arresting, breathtaking, awesome" Thrilled of Tunbridge Wells. (308pts)

 

Despite rumours to the contrary, I haven't been abducted by aliens or the FSB, nor have I been detained at Her Majesty's pleasure. Instead, I've been beavering away at Peter Pig ACW infantry. All painted as Confederate, but drawn from both the Union and Confederate listings to give more variety because churning out infantry is frequently less than exciting.

They represent about a quarter of the number of bases I'll need for Early's Division and are deliberately generic as they'll be used for both 'Pickett's Charge' and 'Fire and Fury' rules, but I think I've already mentioned that.

While I've got the chance, I ought to make a few comments about the Peter Pig ACW range. It's a pretty complete catalogue and just about all the figures are great, but I admit they might not be to everybody's taste. They're 15mm, not the more fashionable 18mm, which makes them difficult to mix with other manufacturers' figures. So, you can mix units, but not figures within a unit.

There are four shortcomings from my point of view:

• the horses aren't the best I've seen, although you can make a decent job of them;

• the available artillery models are fairly restricted – the usual Parrotts and 3” Rifles and the Napoleon, but then only a 6 pdr smoothbore and a James Rifle (which rapidly fell out of favour and ceased production in 1862). Not the end of the world, but 12 and 24 pounder howitzers would be useful. This sort of thing is only for aesthetics, I suppose, but it'd be nice;

• the staffs on the standard bearers are generally too short. They're OK for the cavalry and Confederate infantry standards/battle flags, but anything else will require either an undersize flag or a replacement staff;

• the range of zouaves is pretty poor and you're going to need to put up with the limited choice, use another range or get stuck in to head swaps.

That said, I still like the range very much: they're robust wargame figures (even I haven't managed to break one) yet with bags of character and detail. Now the sexy bit: a couple of shock and awe piccies so Tamsin can count the figures and then some examples of the bases for the units.

So, the scores on the doors:

2 x mounted figures @ 4pts=      8pts

150 x infantry figures @ 2pts= 300pts

Total                                       308pts

 

Thank goodness - the first proper points-bomb of the day! I was getting rather worried.

That's a great collection of Rebs, Gary - nice work!

Tamsin

Thanks Tamsin. They're easy to paint and it's strangely relaxing. After the infantry it's the cavalry and the artillery teams. I'll see if I'm relaxed then! 😬

From GaryA: Second Submission - 15mm ACW batteries: all exciting stuff! (60 Points)

 

Not that much this time, but time and tide and all that. The Confederate figures and guns are Peter Pig; the Federal figures and gun are old Battle Honours. So, on with the collection of just-out-of-focus photographs (it's a skill).

Staunton (Va) Battery (Capt. Asher W. Garber)

This is the final battery for the divisional artillery for Early's Division during the Gettysburg campaign although, as I said last time, it could be any Confederate battery because the uniforms were somewhat 'vague'. The guns are loose and so can be swapped around to support this.

(8xGunners @2pts and 2xguns @4pts = 24pts)

Ashby's (Va) Horse Artillery Battery (Capt. Robert P. Chew)

This battery was the artillery support for 'Grumble' Jones' cavalry brigade, although at Gettysburg it was detached to support the infantry attacks. Deliberately spiffy little figures to pander to the inflated egos of the Horse Artillery.

(8xGunners @2pts and 2xguns @4pts = 24pts)

Nondescript Federal gun section

This base is made up of a gun and three figures found on the garage floor (no, really!) and a Peter Pig figure (the one with the binoculars) to make up the numbers. One day they'll have some friends, but not just yet.

(4xGunners @2pts and 1xgun @4pts = 12pts)

The garage floor saga is the result of having to clear parts of the house many moons ago while rewiring was done. Everything was boxed up and went into the garage, but some things were packed away better than others. Over the past few years, the garage had yielded several surprises,mainly in the shape of castings from boxes which had come open without permission.

Scoring Summary:

20xGunners @2pts + 5x guns @4pts = 60pts

 

That's a nice set of guns and crews, Gary!

Tamsin

From GaryA: First Submission - A mixed bag of 15mm figures and no mistake (166 Points}

 

 

Tamsin claims that this is easy, but I'm a bit rusty so, God help us, here we go!

OK, all the figures are 15/18mm size (not 'scale' so let's get that argument going). All the guns and artillery crew and a couple of the mounted are Peter Pig; the mounted are AB or Blue Moon on AB horses and the Austrian Grenadiers are Blue Moon. Being a thoroughly good egg, I've noted them below.

To be truthful, the Napoleonic figures are a paint queue shortening exercise and have nothing really to do with the main drive of my intended effort: Early's Division of the Army of Northern Virginia, at Gettysburg. The start of two armies designed for use with the Picket's Charge rules. Being consistent in my approach, you'll notice I'm really focused of this ANV formation and haven't deviated at all - honest😕

So, I'll start with the Napoleonics:

 

'German' and French Brigadiers c1809. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The figure on the lighter horse and his foot companion are from the old Battle Honours range and are intended for use with a Confederation of the Rhine contingent. The other, single, figure is from AB. (2 x 115mm mounted @ 4pts + 1 x 15mm foot @2pts = 10 pts)

Austrian Grenadier Bn 'Georgy' c1809

This was a composite battalion drawn from the grenadier companies of I/R17, Reuss-PLauen, I/R36 Kolowrat and I/R42 Graf Erbach. When forming armies for campaign, it was common practice (and had been for about 100 years) for the Austrians to strip the grenadier companies from each regiment and band them together in battalions, named after their commander, usually of 6 companies (two from each of three regiments) to use as a reserve. All Blue Moon figures.

(18 x 15mm foot @ 2pts = 36pts)

And now the part you've all been waiting for: Major General Jubal Anderson Early's Division (Lee's 'Bad Old Man') at Gettysburg - TA DA! Well, the first bits of it - not much really 😳

To start with, three batteries of the divisional artillery (Lt. Col. Hilary P. Jones):

Louisiana Guard Artillery (Capt.Charles A. Green)

Charlottesville (Virginia) Artillery (Capt. James McD. Carrington)

Courtney (Virginia) Artillery (Capt. William A. Tanner)

All the guns and artillerymen are by Peter Pig. The batteries don't all have the correct complement of guns yet as I've still got 2 batteries to do and I paint the guns in batches. However, the bases could represent just about any Confederate battery, so it's not a heart breaker and, although these are to represent Early's artillery at Gettysburg, they could just as well represent his artillery at Chancellorsville or indeed any formation you like, if you swap the guns around.

(24 x 15mm foot @ 2pts + 6 x 15mm guns @ 4pts = 72pts)

CSA Brigadier Stand and  an ADC

The single figure is from Peter Pig and, although I  really like this range, he looks a bit 'dumpy' compared to the other two who are Bllue Moon riders on AB horses. None of the figures are meant to represent anyone in particular, but I think the pointing brigadier was supposed to be Jackson. That being the case, I've painted his horse to look like Jackson's horse Little Sorrel.

(3 x 15mm mounted @4pts = 12 pts)

My excuse for the next batch is that they were primed and ready and it was a shame to pass up the chance of painting some more AB horses. Anyway, I wanted to see if I could do a decent 'Union Blue' in 15mm - which I can't, but is OK really. So, there follow a few bases of Federal brigadiers and the like.

US ADCs or whatever

The figure on the left is from Peter Pig and the one on the right is an old Battle Honours figure (who is identical to the newer AB figure!). 

(2 x 15mm mounted @4pts = 8 pts)

 

US Brigadier Stand

The figure pointing is a Blue Moon rider on an AB horse and the other figure who's pretending he's Napoleon is from AB. He's a nice figure and well posed as he's sold as General McClellan who was a decent enough organiser, planner and administrator (if he had enough staff), but, once in the field, he lacked confidence and continually imagined he was vastly outnumbered (which he wasn't) and that his opponents were up to some cunning plan (which was often true, I suppose). At one stage he was known in the press as 'The Little Napoleon'.

(2 x 15mm mounted @4pts = 8 pts)

Another US Brigadier Stand

Both Blue Moon figures on AB horses and, again, they don't represent anyone in particular. I can't remember if Blue Moon intended them to be anybody, but you can always look on the Old Glory UK site or ask Andy Copestake. 

(2 x 15mm mounted @4pts = 8 pts)

 

 

Brig. General Gamble (1st Bde., Buford's Cavalry Div. 1863) Stand

The figure with the binoculars is a Blue Moon rider on an AB horse and the other two are AB. The Gamble figure doesn't look much like him, but he seems to suit the less dressy look of the cavalry (except Custer!). He's actually sold as 'Uncle Bill' Sherman.

Buford's cavalry division (less one brigade) were the first Uunion troops at Gettysburg and was the unit Henry Heth's (pronounced 'Heath') division bumped into and got  bloody nose - course I  would say that!

(3 x 15mm mounted @ 4pts = 12 pts)

Scoring Summary:

'German' and French Brigadiers c1809                                         10

(2 x 15mm mounted @ 4pts + 1 x 15mm foot @2pts) 

Austrian Grenadier Bn 'Georgy' c1809                                          36

(18 x 15mm foot @ 2pts) 

Confederate Batteries                                                                 72

 (24 x 15mm foot @ 2pts + 6 x 15mm guns @ 4pts)

Confederate Brigadier Stand and ADC                                           12

(3 x 15mm mounted @ 4pts)

 US ADCs                                                                                     8

(2 x 15mm mounted)

US Brigadier Stands                                                                    16

(2 x 2 x 15mm mounted @ 4pts)

Brig. General Gamble Stand                                                         12

(3 x 15mm mounted @ 4pts)                                                     ____

                                                                                               166

Welcome back, Gary! That is a fair mix of figures and they all look spiffing! 166 points it is!

Tamsin