Painting update

 

So, firstly, while I resolve blockhouse roofing, these fellows have crept into the painting queue.Some of them have separate parts (swords, muskets and so on) that need to be added and so, technically are not quite complete.

Meanwhile, maintaining a firm-ish focus on the main body of work, these fellows are getting closer to being done. Just another four figures. I recall at la Belle Famille, the French column was noted to have a couple of white ensigns at it's head, thus the solitary (so far) brave officer out front of the burgeoning unit.

Please enjoy.

The High Command

So to speak.

Some years ago I inherited a random and diverse collection of French for Egypt. Some were Willies for the later battles of the campaign, ditto some Old Glory. I believe they were surplus from the Collection of Charles Grant which he's probably had in the 1990s while he was writing his books on the campaign and his series of articles for Practical Wargamer.

Some bits of this collection were useful and joined my current army which is my round about way of saying I painted something.

I forget which regiment this is...

Will he be the beginning of another regiment or will he hang about the Corsican Tyrant?

One just needs a large enough piece of plastic to mount them on.

I do like the uniform and will likely do a unit. I am keeping my French cavalry units fairly small as they did not get to Egypt in any great strength. The 7eme bis Hussars are 8 troopers and an officer for example, and that's the standard I'll build the two mooted units of Dragoons I have in mind as well.

Well, that's enough 'castles in the air' for one day.

Keep on smiling. 

The Ongoing History

 

In one rank

In two

I've sent the past dew mornings on basing the Mamluks and this is where I am, currently. I'm quite happy with how they look. I want to add some more 'rabble' infantry and push the cavalry part to twelve figures at least.

Things ought to look pretty spectacular when there are 24 or more on the table.

Just Passing Through

 Enthused after playing with my French infantry, I have gotten on with starting to base my Mamluk cav
alry.

I think I have posted here about the concept for the basing, so I won't go over it again.

Cha-a-a-a-arge!

The idea is to build up one large unit of Mamluks in the style you see in the picture; quite diorama-like with the smattering of infantry figures thrown in. The effect I am seeking is one of movement which I hope to emphasise with flags and banners. They will be the mainstay of the army. 

I will also build up smaller units of armoured cavalry and I hope, some camelry to really sell the diverse nature of the army. I want to create a large unit of 'rabble' infantry that I can break down into smaller units as scenarios demand as well as small units of musketeers that might be the private retinues of slavers and similar types.

Lastly, I would like to put together a unit of Janissaries because, well, this is officially the Ottoman Empire after all.

Numbers are still a work in progress, but 12 to 16 figure sub units suggest themselves.

Catching Up

 Sometimes I realise that a lot of what I am working on does not always make it to the blog, so to make up for that, let me post a few pictures of a long-term project.

Now, I simply need a horde of mamluks.

A Savant with an exciting piece of natural history to describe.

General Bonaparte passes the time with General Kleber.

A few of the 7ème bis de hussards. There are some more that need to be based.

Some Mamelukes

 Can I call them mamluks please?

Anyway. this is the start of the Mamluk cavalry horde.

The whole collection

I'm thinking this is the ranty army commander Angry Bey

The leader of the light cavalry. Murat Bey?

Breaking up the look of the cavalry with varied weapons &c

I’ve been looking at these figures and thinking a bit.

How does this seem – mount each horseman on a 50mmx50mm base and allow him two ‘followers’ on 25mmx25mm bases that can be placed behind him. They’d be the people picking up his discarded muskets and pistols for him. They might also be used (or re-used) as infantry in other contexts.

One or two might be equipped with banners to add to the spectacle.

Thoughts?

Napoleon in Egypt

 Well, now. What to do when you are a little weary of painting tartan and your Prussians are yet to put in an appearance?

Why, you pick up the threads of an old project, of course.

Trudge, trudge, trudge. le desert mauvais... le cafard... les mirages

I painted three of these over the weekend - the thirds' base is still a bit of a WiP so he's not made the cut photographically.

They really are quite enjoyable figures to paint and I can get one done in about an hour without too much of an effort.

They will be joining the 9eme de Ligne in short order.

Using the Charge! organisation is something of a cliché with me, but, you know you pays your money and takes your choises.

The ultimate plan here is three Charge!-style units of three line and one Grenadier company, another unit of light infantry and two units (12 figures each) of cavalry - one of hussars and one of dragoon.

I have 3/4 of the first unit of infantry done and scraps of cavalry units and half the Light infantry.

Then there are the Mamelukes.

Filing in time

 

The 42nd

So, that was a fairly productive long weekend. I dipped into my new stash of Willie Highlanders and pushed out another half-dozen figures including the Grenadier you see in the right of the photo.

Despite the tartan and the separate swords and muskets, these are less of a chore to paint than the Arquebisiers de Grassin and I expect (hope for?) fairly decent progress on these.

I think they are quite a useful regiment to have as they can be used at both Carillion/Ticonderoga and Fontenoy with some companies also being used at Prestonpans of all places.

Arquebusiers Unchained or, What's Next?

 Well, it has been a long job, but I have finished the Arquebusiers de Grassin.

Lurking in a wood near you.

They were not a tough job, but there was a fair bit of flash on them. In retrospect, I would question using the remastered minis that are on the Tradition website. They do not seem to offer much extra value; the officer is identical to Suren's original and has all the flaws that it came with. There is a Grenadier which was nice, but it was so miserably sculpted that it was painful to paint. It would also have been nice if it could have been provided separately so you could adjust the proportion of them in your unit. There is a drummer which I have not yet had the heart to paint, but looks like a bit of a trial to assemble drum to drummer. The fusiliers have all been modified, but when that's happened, the cartridge boxes have somehow been rather 'flattened' and pushed into the miniature.

So, while I am glad I did them, I am glad I won't have to do them again!

So, now the question arises... what' next.

I have a few options. I spent some time last week painting a few sample Highlanders I have had knocking about here for months. I have a method now for tartan that works well for me; it's a bit impressionistic, but looks 'right' and I can knock out an infantryman in the course of a 45 minute painting session. I'd build the unit to the "Drums of War" organisation (4 x sub units of musketeers @ 19 figs each plus additional Grenadier and Light companies, two of each) - but it's a double-sized unit so it would be a long project. The first batch of figures are on order.

42nd Highlanders

44th Foot

Next option would be to finish off the 44th Foot. This was a hard-working regiment in the French and Indian war, being present at numerous engagements, not the least of which were the Monongahela and the siege of Fort Niagara. I started work on this unit when I finished my third French unit for the French and Indian war. I only need to paint about a dozen figures and flag the unit to put this one to bed.

Another project that tempts me is to crack on with the 46th Foot. I have some of the command in Staddens. I also found a few Grenadiers unexpectedly this morning which has dangled temptation in front of me. They are very handsome figures.

IR 5

So, who does not like a Stadden Prussian Grenadier? This chap got painted this morning. Took about an hour because they are quite demanding figures to paint as they require your very best in terms of precision. 

Lastly, I also watched on Henry Hydes' YouTube channel his restoration of the Spencer Smith "Oldenberg" Regiment and some of Charles Grants' rather super old buildings which have come to him. and now I have an itch to pull out some of my unpainted Spencer Smiths and have a go at them.