REPLICA… My new sets of 54mm Toy Soldiers.

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Box 1
Box 2
Box 3
The two sets of Victorian (SIMKIN TIMES) Cavalry
Thee Highland Brigade

Forefront 6th Dragoon Guards (Carbineers) and 16th lancers in the rear rank. Pic “in process” by Andrew Stevenson.

Finally here! (meaning ANDORRA)

They are part of a larger order… but Cavalry always have an extra appeal to me.

In 2023 (by the last months) I placed an order with Andrew Stevenson (REPLICA METAL MODEL SOLDIERS)… this is part of it.

Intended to be a part of a little British Army to play AGW (Yes you’ve guessed right I will of course mess with the original rules!)

Never thought the vast amounts of patience needed nowadays to collect “la creme de la creme” (si j’ose dire)… days, weeks, months, more than a year sometimes… but well worth the wait.

The problem (main) is not the wait itself… it is my age LOL)… time is now an issue…

You can not “hurry up” Andrew… he is IMHO an “artist”… multiple interests…. multiple ranges…. multiple novelties…. multiple objectives… he also collects!…. whatever… Probably the best if you are affected by BRITAIN’s nostalgia… I have never indulged in collecting “antiques” if you think pre-WWII (or WWI for that matter) Toy Soldiers…. do not have the time… neither the money (or budget)… neither the interest (pure or purist). On the contrary I do collect NOW the Centennial sets by Britain! (You need all sorts you know…).

The use of REPLICA models in wargames is a bit of an heressy as I considere them “collector’s items” on their own right!. But boy do they bring “class” to your tabletop…

Enjoy the pics!

Cheers

Coming soon…

Tradition of London (Ceremonial Troops) 54mm Toy Soldiers

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I have been collecting sets from Tradition of London from decades… I was actually a bit distracted by others periods and scales… but they are always on my mind.

I recently put an order to give a bit of colour at one of my cabinets and Erik supplied (quite fast!) the following set: 1 Officer (British), an NCO (Indian) and two lancers for 4 Regiments with different uniforms… so far so good.

Once the parcel arrived one of the lance shafts was broken above repair and so I contacted them. A replacement is on its way… EXCELLENT service and Communications…

As I loath to gave anything away I did a bit of repairing on the “broken” lancer and he has been raised in rank (twice…LOL) and decorated… and sent the pics to Erik if that can help other customers…

Here are the pics of the little tale…

Enjoy

See broken lance above left.

Detail.

Inspected and small “retouching”

Raised to Corporal (and out of bits of the lance to have a pacing stick)

Raised to RSM and decorated… I did not want to threw it away you know… I try to never do that… sometimes looks good enough!

Finally the replacement (FREE) arrived and the set is complete. Thanks to Erik from Tradition of London for an excellent service.

FASHODA (gone the wrong way or what if?) (I)

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Maybe in 2025 you will see “FASHODA GONE WRONG” an Old Toy Soldiers & Old Wargame entertainment (SOLO). 54MM AGW affair using British and French Colonials (NO entente cordiale… LOL)… in fact I am pretty sure that this one would be my next wargame (Old School).

You see I do not like to “kill” natives or indigenous people in my wargames… I do not collect them as “cannon fodder” (Not even in 6mm mind!)… One thing is collecting miniatures (read Toy Soldiers) and the other is not being aware of the more grim aspects of colonialism (as if Persian, Greeks and Romans… to name a few were not “colonialist” or “conquerors”)… BUT here is not the place for discussing seriously the inhuman race.

Get a sight of the troops that would be involved on the pics below. All the affair would be precipitated by the French Commander in place… General Armand d´Hubry et Nemesis desire to win the Legion d’Honneur…

French Troops (by Dorset Soldiers and REPLICA)
More French XIXth Corps d’Afrique.
British and Allies (meaning Indian Raj Troops) by REPLICA and Dorset Soldiers.
The British “proper” minis…

Of course, after that incident and its consequences either Calais or Dover would be involved in a messy action… follow that here website for more!

Britains Little Army (soon to be reinforced) is awaiting the second battle as a consequence…

Cheers!

Post Scriptum (edited summer 2024)

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I have decided to show the pics of 54mm toy soldiers first as it is my current passion. It is funny because buying them is quite complicated and lengthy (in matter of time)… you see there are no Toy Soldiers Shops anymore… and you have to order from companies (a grandiose term meaning sometimes a onemanband) who has to understand your needs, put you in the queue of orders and wait until your time has come… if that is not passion tell me what the hell it is. Sometimes you even place orders years in advance to have a slot of the manufacturer’s time in the future… it smack’s of Back to the Future somehow.

Cheers

REPLICA and DORSET Gurkhas and Guides NWF 54MM
French Foreign Legion mounted mule company. 54MM Dorset Soldiers.

Unexpected maybe by you… and needed or not, I am going to elaborate a bit with my Baccus and others (Dorset and REPLICA in 54MM) experience for your profit. If someone has read all the posts in this present blog he would not be much surprised by it but I have always indulged in summing up. As it is, I would arrange in chronological order my interest in the Baccus ranges, but you must understand the “context”, if instead of being nearly seventy (actually: in fact 72 and a half) I was in my thirties I would have gone Napoleonic straight away!… So my Baccus interests are much prejudiced by what I did on 25/28mm and become bored with… so no Zulu War this time (finally fell for it!)… (read Daniel Hodgson – REVEILLE on FaceBook…he is doing it to perfection!)

Curiously enough, after selling my 25/28mm collection and in the middle of my ten years (on and off) interest on Playmobils (customs) I started a new interest for the 6mm scale, and was surprised by the sheer quality Baccus had achieved while I was distracted by other things. So, wanting to do BIG battles (ACW) and also BIG units (Colonials) for a change I went for it!… Mind, it was not my first experience with 1/300, I once, many years ago, painted a hundred or so French Cuirassiers which I finally sold via eBay because I never thought about bigger bases!… then I went 25mm Minifigs (many periods) and the rest is in my past.

I did the Crimean Light Cavalry Brigade using Baccus proxies suggested by Peter (who was very helpful… of course later on I always took that help for granted!), and I painted and based the lot myself. I was much pleased with the result. But I put them on the cabinet and did not go on with further developments of that period. So, even if I had a British Army in 28mm with both the Heavy and Light Brigades of Cavalry and Infantry & Artillery… and some multipurpose units for the French Allies… (I did not ever build the Russian Army and neither Turks or Sardinians for that matter)… I did not want to repeat the experience in 6mm (have by now much more units… do not know how to stop somehow). At that late time of my 28mm scale involvement it was more collecting, converting and military modelling… instead of proper wargaming (not even solo). I simply could not resist the nice Foundry range. Of course the intention of building this unit in 6mm is to have a game with it… my own rules… quite role playing… and obsessed by the possibility of getting the orders clear and go for the right guns… always “what if” in mind you all know.

See The Crimean Light Cavalry Brigade… Baccus 6mm proxies… Nolan on the white horse shouting WHEEL RIGHT! as per Mark Adkin’s book and Tony Richardson’s spectacular movie!

Even if the later were a success I was concerned by the smallness of the Infantry figures, so I did not paint myself the second try… I simply ordered them painted from an eBay seller. I used 30x30mm Baccus bases to get the “counters” for an ancient boardgame about the Second Punic War battle of Metauro. The original plastic figures on the boardgame were 54mm, and the paint peeled a lot, figures lost forever by the use of successive generations… I once bought 28mm Greeks from Foundry (painted extraordinarily well in Madrid by the chaps at Atlantica Juegos) for both sides, trying to have a go at the Peloponessian War… but did not had the feel of the original Metauro game (even if the original did not had Gauls at all!) so when I sold my collection they parted too. Now I have Republican Rome and Carthaginian and Allies properly bathtubed, but this is as far as my interest goes for Ancients. That proved to me that Baccus Infantry was OK.

Asdrubal meeting the Roman Legions at the river Metauro (at his back). Do not remember who painted those… an ebay seller.

That prompted me to have a go at the Little Big Horn (yet again), but only concentrating the effort on Custer’s Battalion (Companies C,E,F,I,L and HQ), having the command mounted, skirmish line and last stand bases. I converted ACW Baccus proxies (just scratching out the sabers) and then sent to Mersey Wargames painting service. I enjoyed the result.

Riding to Glory (Mortal glory I guess). Painted by Mersey Wargames. Baccus has already started sculpting a proper range as Peter has said in the Forum….

So, I went also British Colonial in Kakhi, because I did not do them to the full in 25mm (in my time) and was much more nowadays interested in Maiwand/Kandahar; and the North West Frontier that going ZULU again (which I finally did). Incidentally I do with them the Sudan (Osman Digna British Squares affairs but also Abu Klea and Abu Kru etc) and I know Peter does an specific range for the Camel Corps… but I only bought the” pack camel minis”… in that scale in the desert my minis look the part without no need to repeat them in dusty light grey jackets! Better invest the money and time of the painters on other projects! In fact it is quite unfair to pester Peter about new packs or ranges when he does lots of periods and minis we simply pass from buying… the producer/designer nightmare I guess. And I am an example of how to use Baccus existing ranges to do my “own pet projects” in a quite heterodox way… even if I can be almost fully orthodox with a period like the ACW.

Kaki was a longed for period I did not do to the full in 25mm. Limbers are used also in the ACW. Painted by Mersey Wargames.

After seeing the results of my Colonial buys I decided to get a proper period in an orthodox form so to play with an opponent -be that my brother or other member of the family- so I choosed the ACW because it was my first love – thanks to the film THE HORSE SOLDIERS-and the minis and range of Baccus is quite complete (to say the least) even if I spruced the thing with Baccus proxies from their Franco-Prussian War range and even some Rapier minis. I dutifully bought ACW POLEMOS and also Altar of Freedom from the LITTLE WARS TV chaps (but I did not like their bathtubing of Gettysburg for instance… specially the Artillery present on the Confederate side… and NO I do not put Brigades over the top of the tress or woods myself); not much of a problem because I always tamper with the rules and do my own bathtubing no matter what!. Even so it is my largest (by far) and most typical wargaming approach of the lot. Nowadays finished building the Armies etc. -maybe shall post pics of the whole affair-

Confederate Baccus 6mm. painting by Turbil Miniatures.

6 mm let me do “one off” adventures in a very non expensive way so I have a Prussian Cavalry Brigade from the Franco-Prussian War. Von Bredow’s own… “The Death Ride” etc. No way I am going to wargame the Franco-Prussian War, I have read enough about it and have nice Books about the Uniforms (a pleasure to see), but I found impossible to recreate the incompetence, jealousies and ambitions bordering treason of the French High Command. The Prussians mobilization (use of railways) and “modern” staff approach was a walk over even if they took a lot of risks and got more than one bloody nose in the process. Not for me thanks. BUT the famous Prussian charge kept the Cavalry in the Armies for fifty years more… IMHO it was already obsolete by Waterloo times as such… mounted infantry would replace them and with other tasks, gone were the days of the Cavalry as a Shock Weapon…

Von Bredow’s DEATH RIDE. Franco Prussian War 1870. Baccus straight minis. painted by Mersey Wargames.

In parallel, I did the French XIXth Corps d’Afrique starting with French Foreign Legion -I always do the French Foreign Legion it is a mania- and followed by Chasseurs d’Afrique, Zouaves, Turcos and Spahis (thanks to Igor who suggested the proxies I had not perceived in the Baccus Catalogue!). Reveille is even doing a Zinderneuf outpost using pieces from Leven and small bases by Pendraken -another of my recurrent filias- No matter the scale my pet subjects are always the same as I suspect happens with a lot of wargamers.

Zouaves and Turcos from the XIXth Corps d’Afrique. Late XIXth North Africa. Painted by Mersey Wargames.

After having an attack of second thoughts about Napoleonics, I was able to swap my interests at the last minute to Trees (badly needed) and wagons and pioneers all periods covered ACW and Colonials mainly.

Ranges from the Baccus Catalogue from whom I have bought items:

The Romans (Second Punic War); Napoleonic’s (Crimean proxies… so far I have avoided the real Napoleonic period… but it was a near run thing); American Civil War (like Coke the real thing!); Franco-Prussian War (proxies for ACW, French Foreign Legion, and even a Prussian Cavalry Brigade); Scenic items (XIXth century); Colonials; Bases and Basing Materials; Great War (proxies for my North West Frontier period); Equipment (quite multipurpose); Wargames Rules.

I have used a lot of troops from the Great War range from Baccus but not wargaming WWI… my wargaming interests stop at 1900. Both World Wars do not appeal to me at all and that’s that.
Colonial NWF painted by Mersey Wargames.

And also: Some ACW Rapier (not bad at all and they do mix well with Baccus… specially if you cut out the bayonets…) and of course lots of LEVEN and BACCUS buildings and accessories.

To be honest, I do quite different collecting… 54mm Toy Soldiers a:(for display only is one category usually with band and marching figures); b: in fighting stances to wargame with (YES! in 54mm), 6MM are for glorious BIG affairs as Gettysburg. Actually buying from DORSET SOLDIERS read Antony Spencer (aka IMPERIAL MINIATURES) and REPLICA (Andrew Stevenson). The 54MM wargaming is more “fun” intended… on the contrary 6MM is becoming serious day after day.

Cheers.

DORSET SOLDIERS… my yearly order has arrived!

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I will replace (finally not) those pics with new one’s “out of the boxes” when coming back from holidays… summer is hot even in Andorra!… done partially!

So for the moment just enjoy like this… fresh from the parcel!

I even did not take pics of a drummer and some dogs!

In a hurry it was… mind!

2025 order has been placed already (French Chasseurs of the Line aka light Infantry; two units of French line Infantry, a mounted ADC… and a special “Mildred Natwick” as cast in SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON)

Have added new pics…

And an interesting experiment… with chatgpt.com (that was before changing a bit the order)… LOL

I will replace those pictures with new ones “out of the boxes” when I return from my holidays. Summer is hot even in Andorra! I’ve done it partially, so for the moment, just enjoy it like this—fresh from the parcel! I didn’t even take pictures of a drummer and some dogs; I was in a hurry, you know! I’ve already placed my 2025 order for the French Chasseurs of the Line (light infantry), another unit of French line infantry, and a special “musique de la Legion.” I’ve added new pictures as well. (Same text using chatgpt.com). LOL

The “missing drummer” completes the unit! Thanks Antony!
She wore a Yellow Ribbon (Joanne Dru).
The whole outfit.
Mules and new ADC…
British Artillery (late XIXth)
British Artillery deployed for action.

French Artillery with Infantry support.
French Line Infantry (187o amd later)
Properly “unboxed”…
French Marines (marsouins)
Same with the Marsouins!
French line artillery…
French Line Artillery deployed.
British Colonial Machine Gun Servers…
Deployed.
Guides NWF Vickers servers…
Deployed too!… I searched for this fellows since I saw eons ago Lives of a Bengal Lancer and Gary Cooper blowing his whistle deploying the machine guns… fantastic job by Dorset Soldiers!
French 75mm guns, British 13 pounders and machine gun with carriage.

Some Cavalry Officer’s Minis in 54MM bought already painted.

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It is a pleasure to collect in 54MM… because it remains the Toy Soldier scale par excellence.

Sometimes I do order them by Post, sometimes I buy in Ebay (less frequently).

In any case the results have been quite satisfactory so far.

REPLICA and DORSET/IMPERIAL SOLDIERS are just two of the best manufacturers around.

Enjoy!

Bought on Ebay (expensive way of collecting).
General Wolseley painted by Andrew Stevenson (REPLICA) one of my first ever buys from REPLICA.
French ADC post 1870 painted by Antony Spencer (DORSET SOLDIERS or IMPERIAL MINIATURES)

Some Cavalry Officer’s Minis in 54MM painted by me.

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I have always been fascinated by horses (lead toy horses I am afraid), films with horses in them I am a fan… but my experiences with real horses are almost nil, once I rided a horse in a tourist promenade (about 1 hour) and only can recall the vast amount of flies they carried with them.

Lead toy horses are “cleaner”… and they behave… lol

As Oscar Wilde said they are dangerous at both ends and uncomfortable in the middle… probably an exaggeration to make a laugh…

Enjoy!

RCMP Inspector (my avatar) REPLICA painted by me…
Captain Brittles (She Wore a Yellow Ribbon)… REPLICA painted by me…
HRH King Charles III (REPLICA painted by me)
Winston Churchill as a subaltern in the 4th Hussars… (REPLICA painted by me)
French Officer (DORSET SOLDIERS) painted by me… I already had the horse bought painted and asked for a suitable cast from Antony Spencer.
Churchill at Omdurman… converted and painted by me…using DORSET SOLDIERS castings. (In fact I already had the painted horse)

HRH King Charles III

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Finally decided to change the command figure of my Trooping the Colour display.

It took me almost two years to decide.

HRH the late Queen Elizabeth II has been moved to another shelve. She is still on display, but certainly not on a central role.

Time moves on.

The new figure (a REPLICA cast) painted by me.
The new King on Parade.

Somehow we all have projects on standby…

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Early nineties collectors club Britains metal figures in 54mm… and REPLICA casts converted (a bit) and painted by myself…

I honestly do not know if to complete the US Cavalry set from She Wore a Yellow Ribbon or not…

On the contrary once Antony Spencer from Dorset sends my order end of June I will get the missing drummer… and much needed French Foes (in real life it was the years of “Entente Cordiale”) because they are naturally the best of enemies…

So, Dorking (it won’t even be called Dorking at all you know) would involve a fictional second half of the XIXth Century engagement between French and British forces… still not decided if it would be a Calais invasion by the Brits… or a Dover one by the French… musing on it!

Enjoy!

They have nothing in common… but my fancy!

BRITAINS (modern) And the last change of facings done (ebay.co.uk) (V and last)

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This post ends the series of repairs and refections (including change of facings on two units) of my compulsive sentimental buys in ebay.co.uk… authentic Britains (from the early nineties… time really flashes by)… very good state of conservation (minor chipping of paint etc).

I am through but varnishing which I will do end of March.

Enjoy!

Unit with white facings lacking a drummer
Detail