Collecting Toy Soldiers – My Toy Soldiers & Me

ACW in 6mm.

It is refreshing…

I stumbled upon them in Facebook… it is always very satisfactory to find other people with the same objectives and/or obsessions.

Guess yo can see what I have explained tiresomely lots of times… this is the wargaming scale for excellence… 3mm and 2mm been really too small to see anything… and easily replaced by counters… God forbid! (Same logic applied in the early seventies to the 25mm versus 15mm debate… LOL).

The same stands that represents usually a Brigade can represent a Regiment in smaller affairs… seriously… recommended!

C’mon, be positive and…

Enjoy!

Probably difficult to see… but very practical for really BIG affairs…

Ancients at the WHC.

Somehow fascinating… but I could never seem to enjoy to the full “close combat” with edged weapons. I do not mind to be shot at if I can shoot back… quite proficient at shooting I was in my time… but cold steel? NO thank you!

I still own the METAURO (GREAT BATTLES OF THE WORLD series) map and battle set (by now with 6mm Baccus minis instead of the 54mm plastic minis completely gone forever…). And play that semiboardgame grid with Hasdrubal and the Romans… but not quite often…

I was never interested in collecting them or building “collections” of them.

But they look magnificent and you must admit they had stamina and courage in spades in Ancient times.

Myself, I need a musket, or a Minie, or a Martini-Henry, even a Lee-Metford would do up to 1900… but Ancient times make me shiver! Guess to rip or be ripped is not at all my taste… even bayonets are not at all my thing… and that is talking wargaming!… lol

You need all sorts you know…

Enjoy! (If you like those rude times!)

Modeling the 17th Lancers (Zulu War)

It is quite difficult to publish everyday of the year something worthwhile… but lately this silly fixation of mine is getting easier by the sheer qualty of the pics that are published in Facebook.

I have already said a lot of times that I only have in my modest collection less than ten models like that.

But I do appreciate them enormously… after all they are the painting guide we all use in smaller scales and efforts.

So…

Enjoy!

You’ll pay your money and you’ll take your choice…

Got a bit of time today. So not intending to preach I just would show you the main differences in approach of two scales I have been involved with in the course (curse… lol) of my wargaming life.

Nowadays 28mm (no one in his right mind says 25mm anymore to MINIFIGS shame!) is the reference of the very big table boys!… meaning of course big Clubs or organizations fans of IN THE GRAN MANNER of the late Peter Gilder… see posts about the Wargames Holiday Center for instance… it is a scale where everything is “right”… you can paint as a master Military Modeler… even customize minis… indulge in fancy flags and whatever… whatever but one thing… room to maneuver… (meaning on the tabletop)… you can use fancy systems to simulate flank marches, reserves, and the like… but you NEED square meters surface to fully appreciate the scale.

Back in my time (middle seventies of the past century!)… oh! dear NO! reminiscences of an old man!… well, you can call them that I do not care at all… 15mm was a “new” eccentricity… and the only 6mm where not called even that (1/300 Heroic&Ros was their name… and I even painted a Cuirassiers Corps of Napoleonic French)… sadly they were mainly used in WWII affairs with plenty of Tanks… I failed miserably in that scale because there were not GOOD or AVERAGE RULES for them… and none had come with the notion of using 6mm in brigade stands (or regimental if you are truly megalomaniac)… obsessed with minor tactics like forming square, changing from column to line etc. I still based them in too small stands and that was impractical… if you want small tactics go 15mm or 25mm and skirmishing or Divisional Games would do you good… BUT..

BUT…

IF you want to play GETTYSBURG (after all 50% of my readers come from the USA) or WATERLOO… or even LEIPZIG… to name but a few… get yourself a copy of the rules POLEMOS (by BACCUS) RUSE DE GUERRE (by PEARCE) or ALTAR OF FREEDOM (by the LITTLE WARS TV team look for them in YouTube). The concept of wargaming strategically and brigade tactics instead of company tactics… will become clear and THEN and ONLY THEN you will make a rational choice about what you really really want!

Enjoy the pics!

PS: You can also go for “old fashioned Traditional Toy Soldiers games” or even Playmobils… keep your options open! LOL

Or why not 54mm Britain’s style? (Here REPLICA by Andrew Stevens)

Oh! What a lovely Wargame (IV)

I could have posted without any explanation at all… if you have followed this miniseries of Posts you knew what to expect!

The level of craftsmanship of the Flags is awesome… but there is also so much taste in the way the pics are done that I fell from them… an enjoyable passtime put in images.

All of those pics are from the same wargame… and I can only congratulate the group of wargamers for it.

Do like me.

Enjoy!

Oh! What a lovely Wargame (III)

I know it is a long series of pics… but nowadays you do not take this for granted!… probably tomorrow I will end with part IV.

Not original… The Sport of Kings it was called back then… there is something to say about “tricorne minis”… after all when I drastically reduced my collection of Playmobils the period I chosed for my grandchildren (as a gift) was those armies a la Charles Grant with TRICORNE… lol… so I am a fan in a way!

Enjoy!

Oh! What a lovely Wargame! (II)

I have been a long life fan of the Charles Grant (Senior & Junior) Armies and way of wargaming… bought a lot of books too!… but somehow I neglected the period due to my fascination with the American Civil War… I can not cope with ALL periods you know…

This is surly a beautifully set wargame, indeed more serious and elaborated… I think the pics are from The New Buckenham Historical Wargamers webpage and or Club (forgive me if I am mislead on the spelling), saw them in Facebook and was nonplussed!… probably the effort (collective) of a very good club is needed to achieve such a result… I can only say a word…

Enjoy!

What a “TRADITIONAL” wargame looks like!

More from Paul Watson!

Paul’s a friend, and I am quite happy to Post here his late production or project!

By mere chance I have them sailors too (Steadfast from R.Prati)… but not that beast of a GUN! (I used to have them in 25mm when I collected only MINIFIGS!

I am glad he is publishing pics again… always a source of inspiration!

Enjoy!

Really a mini-diorama in 54mm (toy Soldiers)

Mesopotamia

Some exotic pics found in Facebook (where else?) Britain’s (modern) I guess… a surely quite forgotten Campaign.

After painting a couple of Motorbikes myself for my collection I was surprised to see the level of detail on the present one… so one thing led to another… and here they are… Not my period at all… I stop at 1900.

But lovely sets.

Enjoy!

Oh! What a lovely wargame!

A pure joy to see those lovely or awesome painted miniatures up to the last detail… I am not against this approach in the least… but it is not mine at all… not anymore I guess.

Thanks God my 6mm minis do not need painting “eyes”… and when I painted 25mm MINIFIGS I did not either…

A fantastic painting job!

Enjoy!