John B: Floppy berets and picklehaubes

Meanwhile, on the Hartsmannwillerkopf, some jaunty head gear… berets! (somewhat floppier than the one Curt wears when he zips around on his bicyclette…)

More home sculpted, drop cast homemade toy soldiers in 40mm scale. Remaining in the Belle Èpoche rut, (oh, what a lovely rut it is…) I have for offer, a unit of Chasseurs Alpins (18 figures), circa 1890-1914, a unit of German infantry in feldgrau und picklehauben (18 figures), and a unit of French infantry, 1890-1914 (18 figures), sans kepi cover.

 

 

 

I had a little trouble with the varnish on the Chasseurs. It came out mottled and cloudy. This figure has been a bit of an ugly duckling from the get go. I made the rifle too thick and the castings have come out with a fair bit of flash. I have replenished my varnish supply, and if nothing else, I hope these guys will do good service on campaign in the Vosges… win some, lose some I guess.

 

I realize that block painting and glossy varnish does not completely align with the ethos of the challenge, but I assure you that three or four hundred of these fellows on the table top is quite the spectacle. So much so, that it might inspire one to grow a droopy mustache à la Papa Joffre.

 

As for points, given my painting, I feel a little guilty taking 15 points for my modest efforts. I suppose sculpting, molding, and casting, could count for something, but it is a painting challenge after all.  I will stick with the program and humbly petition for the assigned 15 points per figure.

 54x40mm foot @ 15 7 points/figure = 810 378 points

Minion: if these are 54s then the 15 points applies, but think that they are 40mm in which case Tamsin is correct and the total is 378.

Total=810 points

 Next I hope to head to Galicia and to visit the polyglot and much underrated forces of Kaiser Franz-Joseph. I am assured there will be more champagne, gambling, and Italian actresses present than in any other headquarters.

 

Wow John, these are lovely.  Most of us get to blame the manufacturer on figure flaws, but as designed, caster and painter there's little room to hide for you.

You need to get rid of your guilty feelings and enjoy what you've done.   I am brooking none of your BS on these proper old school Toy Soldiers, especially not ones which are home cast in the Scale that All Other Scales Aspire to Be.  You haven't war-gamed if you've never flung matchsticks from spring loaded toy cannons at your opponents figures.

 

JohnB: 40mm Homemade Tirailleurs Senegalais (165 points)

Last post for today, and I've been saving this up as a reward to myself.

Something shiny this way comes.

My miniature preoccupation for some time has been the ‘bleisoldaten’ of the Belle Époche… makers like Wollner of Vienna, Spenkuch, Haffner and later, Holger Ericsson. I also  love Aly Morrison’s Shiny Toy Soldier range from Spencer Smith Miniatures. The old figures are hard to find and expensive and of course, shipping from the U.K. is prohibitive when one’s ambitions tend towards the megalomaniac hidden in all of us.

So… I make my own. I sculpt and gravity cast my own 40mm toy soldier style armies covering the rifle and saber era up to 1914. (I also dabble in the late 17^th and early 18^th century stuff…)

My first unit submitted to the painting challenge is a battalion of Tirailleurs Sénégalais circa 1914. Also, a regimental command stand of three figures with a wine foil flag and, à cheval, Le Beau Colonel, of the Colonial Infantry. He will command an ad hoc regiment of 3 battalions of Tirailleurs and 1 of Colonial Infantry. (Regimental photo perhaps to follow at a later date…) These are painted in a simple, old school, toy soldier style fitting to the figures and my limited talents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Points wise, there are 21 foot figures and 1 mounted figure. Because of my simple old school basing, I will subtract 1 point per figure. (This simple basing jives with what I have done to this point with this project and the aesthetic of my old school games. The basing done by other folks in the challenge are exceptional… really good…)

So, I calculate:

21 x 40mm foot @ 6 points = 126 points

1 x 40mm mounted @ 14 points + 14 points

Total = 140 points

Thank you all for your consideration of these humble offerings and until next time, when we will encounter chausseurs of a different type sporting what might be considered the “jauntiest” of Belle Époche headgear. À la prochain, mes biffins.

Some marvellous shiny toy soldier stuff from Saskatchewan's own Jack Scruby (google it kiddos).  I have thought about doing home cast figures like these John but various family members have environmental sensitivities and I'd be kicked out if I tried it.  Plus I am so clumsy that I'd like find a way to pour molten lead in my ears.

I don't know how it works with 54s but I find that with 28s, getting them from the UK is the cheapest option!  Most firms deduct the VAT if you ask them and basically cancels out the shipping.  Plus Boris is doing such a great job the the exchange rate works on our favour.

Anyway back to the minis which are bloody marvellous and look splendid.  I'm not having any of the deduct a point for the basing.  There is a point deduction for no basing at all, which clearly doesn't apply.  Plus yours are bang on for the figures.  If it worked for Featherstone, Grant and Young then it works here.  Plus your get extra points for the flag (a wine foil home made how old school is that?) and cause I just love this stuff.  Sold for 165 points!

From GregB: The Guns Of August (62 Points)

12mm early WW1 Germans - figures from Great Escape Games.

For my final post in this edition, I thought I would share a new project - after all, don't we all need a new wargraming project? Yes, of course we do! Thus I present my first brush-bending efforts toward gaming "The Guns Of August", the early days of WW1. All of these figures are 12mm castings from Great Escape Games, released as part of their "1914" rules. 

Example of some of the infantry castings.

This base includes a commander (pointing, you know, as all good miniature toy soldier officers do).

A view showing the kit being hauled by the infantry.

For many years I was indifferent to gaming WW1...the need for bespoke trench terrain was a particular deterrent, and even if that might be sourced, well, the lads go over the top, and get drilled by machineguns and artillery...not much of a "game". But the Fawcett Avenue group in Winnipeg are resourceful folks - Dallas obtained a set of fantastically amazing WW1 trench-board terrain, and hosted many excellent games playing the adapted Warhammer rules for the period available from Warhammer Historicals. And Byron dove in as well - you can find his painting efforts here in Challenge archives, and he hosted many excellent games of "Through The Mud And The Blood." And of course Curt has his very complex and unique WW1 greyscale project that I know is a point of great interest among so many Challengers.

Close up of some Uhlans. Very stately poses...

Another view of the Uhlans.

You can dismount the cavalry, of course! Here is a base of dismounted Uhlans. Was there ever a more awkward uniform for skirmishing on foot?

So in the end I got to play a fair number of WW1 games, and enjoyed them immensely, without ever stepping into the period myself. But, at Curt's suggestion, I did read Barbara Tuchman's remarkable book "The Guns Of August", about the opening weeks of WW1. What fantastic book, and a rip-roaring read!! While I had been dimly aware that between the declaration of war and the stalemate that developed in the Western Front trenches there had been...well...something...I was stunned to see just how much happened, and just how incredible it all was!! The Battle of the Frontiers, the hectic holding actions, the desperate race to save Paris, the absolutely f*cking bonkers Schlieffen Plan, the tragedy of "cran"...on and on. Wow! From the moment I tore into that book, about three years ago now, the idea of doing something myself set in WW1's early days started to bubble in my head...

An MG08 base. I wish they had included some crew for these weapons, but the "1914" rules call for a 25mm square base, and I suppose there would have been no room...

Fast forward, and the fine people at Great Escape Games released "1914". It is a rules system with many similarities to their excellent "Iron Cross" (WW2) and "Seven Days To The River Rhine" (Cold War goes Hot) systems.  I resisted for a while, but finally caved in an ordered some figures. They are 12mm castings...thus a slight departure from my recent 10mm mania...but I have enjoyed painting them very much so far, and the range is pretty complete for the purposes of their rules, if a bit short otherwise (for example, I wish there were more crew on the MGs and field guns, but anyway...)

The 77mm gun visible at the corner...

The figures in these photos represent about half of one of the "brigade" boxes for their "1914" range.  The level of abstraction in this game shares many similarities to "Great War Spearhead", in that each base represents a company or infantry, a squadron of cavalry or battery of guns. Thus an infantry battalion would be between three and four bases (or maybe just two, depending on where things are at!). The box comes with enough infantry for four different four-base "battalions" and a four-base "regiment" of cavalry - mounted AND dismounted - along with MGs to accompany each of those. There are also two 77mm guns (all together, one battery) and figures for a command base.  You get the figures and bases all together...it's a great way for a geek like me to dip my toe into the water!

77mm gun. Again, I wish they had included more crew...I've still a lot to learn about WW1 guns, but I'm pretty sure there were more than two chaps slinging shells to keep these things in action.

Another view of 77mm gun and team.

This is my first attempt at painting WW1 stuff, but I am really enjoying it so far. As with all Painting Challenge stuff, I was so sure I would get more of this done before the deadline for the end of AHPC XI, but as things worked out I only managed to get started on these last weekend.  At any rate, I'll still use these to claim a few more points.

Regiment of Uhlans - note the one fellow on the very right of the photo - his lance broke off in the bag, so I had to drill out the hand and replace it with a steel spear.

So, for scoring, we have 36 infantry, nine cavalry and four guns, all in 12mm scale. The Painting Challenge does not, strictly speaking, have a points set up for that (another gap Miles - sort that out, would you?), but lets score them as 10mm, which would bring 62 points (I think). If it is somehow more, great - although I will miss my target this year regardless. All the same, progress was made, so I'll take it :)

Good animation on the commander. "Get moving! Have you seen the stupid schedule we need to keep?"

The final submission for AHPC XI. Cheers everyone.

This is my last post for this edition of the Challenge - thanks very much everyone, congratulations on getting so much lead, resin and plastic painted and ready for battle. Stay safe and, most importantly of all, I hope you also stay sane. Thanks so much for your comments and encouragement. Cheers!