From: NoelW - Another miscellany (410 points)

I started the Challenge thinking it would get my ECW armies started, perhaps three or four units, perhaps a little more, if I was lucky. In fact, this week I've finished the last of my infantry, apart from a few command figures I'd begun before the Challenge started. (They've been staring at me for the last twelve weeks wondering when I'd manage to get back to them as unit after unit jumps the queue). In fact, I think I've completed 12 units now.

Most of my ECW are Warlord plastics, and their sprues are designed with very little variety or options in mind (basically, you are limited almost entirely to building the handful of poses that Warlord designed - 7 or 8 poses, and that's it). So when I got to the end of the sprues, I discovered there are spare bodies without suitable arms. I don't like waste, so I've built a few models in rather un-ECW poses, mainly by adding spare arms from the Firelock sprue to spare bodies intended as pikemen (there aren't enough pike arms for the number of pike bodies, meaning you'll always have one left over). 

Firstly, here's a unit of 8 grey firelocks. I'm using the firelocks as dragoons. The front figure here is in a dramatic, but very unlikely (and, I'm sure, completely a-historical) pose, but I quite like it. I imagine him as a gung-ho sure-shot, showing off and anxious to get that first shot fired.

Next is another red unit. In the long term, I want enough red units to put together to make a plausible New Model Army, so spare figures will always be used in this way. It's an odd unit of 17 figures, but will be regularised when I've completed a few command figures. There's another odd pose here, leading the unit, but I rather like this forceful pose.

And also another blue unit. I've chosen a different blue from my previous blue unit, so the two won't be confused on the field. This sky blue is one of my favourites, though it's probably not very historical (but when has a wargamer decided that history should prevent him having pretty toys?) These will probably become Rupert's bluecoats.

Although I've now painted all the infantry, there's a fair number of cavalry outstanding. Here are 8 more of them. Standard fare.

In truth, I'm getting a little tired of ECW figures, though, especially the same Warlord models over and over again, so I decided to introduce a few oddments for variety. I find that varying painting tasks helps me keep at it - oddly, by not painting ECW, in the long term I actually get more done. In previous weeks, I've veered into 15mm SYW. This week I painted three lions. 

Yes, three lions. I can't remember why I bought them. Possibly for Congo (a game I'm yet to play), possibly for Frostgrave. Or possibly because I simply liked the models. They're Wargames Foundry and I'm rather pleased with the way they look.

And finally I returned to my main love, Napoleonics. No matter where else my butterfly interests flit to, I always return to Napoleonics. I was going to paint something else for the Peninsular, but almost by accident found myself working on British in the Belgic shako, intended for the 100 Days. (I guess they could be fielded for Vittoria, though). These will be the 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment, though I won't produce a command stand for them until I've sourced their flags.

These are Warlord figures again - easy to assemble, easy to paint. I prefer the aesthetic of the Perry plastics, but these are a good way to expand forces without too much effort and at a rather lower cost.

So, heading down the final straight, this isn't a bad haul, but I think productivity is falling off a little as energy begins to flag:

43 ECW foot: 215 points

8 ECW horse: 80 points

3 lions: 15 points

20 Napoleonic British: 100 points 

Total of 410 points.

Before I comment on your post Noel, let me state that it has been a dream catering for you on Tuesday. You are always very polite and bang on time with all your communications and your posts are brilliant to boot. Thank you very much indeed! It's great to see how you've all but finished the ECW kits. Using the leftover bits like that is very smart and the figures look very good indeed, I found myself liking the Grey regiment very well, which is kinda odd seeing it's not the most lush colour. Anyway the lions and British Napoleonics are a very well painted lot as well. I would love to see those lions eat somebody in a game of Congo. I do hope you will be able to get another post in next week but if not: the pleasure was all mine.