Different ways to game – My Toy Soldiers & Me

A new painting job! British Guards in Bearskin (SIMKIN times…). (I)

After a bit of relax (that included searching for the right paint from Vallejo for the rifles!) I am now painting two units for AGW (12 man units); the first one is only 4 charging figures to complete an existing REPLICA set. Will concentrate on those 4 for starts… but also working on the mounted officers and young Churchill (4th Hussars).

It is easier to paint Infantry soldiers if you are not in a hurry. But you need to have a hold on them somehow… so just a job of adding colours patiently. In the case of the guards the bearskin helps a lot!

Since I was a child and had only marching and at the present figures I have wanted to have them in fighting positions… so in the end… DIY is the best way (not the only one of course!).

I have ordered from Dorset Soldiers and Replica some boxes for 2024… if all goes well I will retire from the painting job myself and keep the pots of paint to do maintenance exclusively.

Now, if Andrew Stevenson send to me the 5 casts of the 2nd US Cavalry to do the mounted colour party for the SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON set… that will be all!

Enjoy.

54MM British Colonial Collection of Toy Soldiers circa 1880. (My own). (Maiwand/Kandahar etc)

The “square” formation is only to show the Toy Soldiers in a single pic. Cavalry had not use at all “inside”. But even more important the “square” as such was not used at all intensively at that time… so you will forgive the artistic licence!

In fact the purpose of this “parade” was to count them all, stop adding more troops without sense of perspective… and find where to put the two machine guns newly commisioned!

Vast majority of them are REPLICA METAL MODEL SOLDIERS (Andrew Stevenson), complemented by DORSET SOLDIERS (Antony Spencer) and even 4 Gordon Highlanders done by my friend Paul Watson in a moment of yours truly deep anguish!…

Enjoy!

You must read Major C.E. Callwell (Royal Artillery) opus SMALL WARS (Their Principles & Practice).

Bobbie (the dog) is purposefully misplaced! (it should be with the 66th!

42MM (Britain’s “B” Scale) by Andrew Stevenson (REPLICA METAL MODEL SOLDIERS).

It was a gift! (It came with an order of 54MM casts you have seen ad nauseam…)

I did paint it between colours on other projects in 54MM… quite pleased with the result… not as pricey as 54MM… and they look smart for the size!

Queen’s Bays (more or less…) for a while I was tempted enough… some would love that scale! (see Graham Hilditch)… It was like the old days when I painted a lot of 25/28MM wargames figures.

I rather keep me in the 54MM lot though (details are easier at my age)… but though to show it here nevertheless.

Enjoy!

Union 6MM Cavalry (and other units on the pics).

On the Baccus Forum we had a lively discussion or debate about the basing of ACW Cavalry.

After reading books about Brandy Station, Trevilian Station and others… I concluded that I needed more variety than the standard 60x30MM base (one brigade) of many stablished popular rules.

Here are the results.

Of course I will do my own thing as usual!

Enjoy!

6mm Parcel of odds and ends…

Wow!

Just when I wanted a bit of quiet… that parcel arrives… and with it a series of questions opens up (as always).

6mm stuff, the one scale I use for wargames with a bit of perspective… It was meant to be the one parcel and order to end several collections, let’s see: the 93rd Crimea Highlanders (the original thin red line) for Balaklava (OK I will add the flags and show again in the near future); A couple og guns for my Gunboat (Omdurman); Small units of ACW Cavalry it would be too long to digress about them and why I needed them badly… maybe some other day!; The already shown on the Blog model of Rorke’s Drift (by Daniel Hodgson from REVEILLE!) but with the Baccus minis I finally was tempted to get! (have to work out some bases for the unbased painted minis); Artillery for Isandlwana; and of course when you are at it enough 24th to do both… Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift!

But maybe I am tiring you!… there are also mounted colonial Officers to repaint a bit (TO CONVERT)… and that would be it…

Now, where is that web page for PENDRAKEN MDF bases… have to advise Leon to use a fastest method of shipping…

Enjoy!

Maybe the last one… I don’t really know.

Much needed ACW Cavalry smaller units or subunits… IF you want to do Brandy or Trevilian Stations…

That’s what I am doing nowadays. The Second US Cavalry as portrayed in SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON. (I)

Finally I am doing them, it has been a busy task to drill the holes to fit the heads, and also put the arms in place. A normal procedure when buying casts and a bit of DIY. Of course that is after gluing together the two parts of the horse (YES the casts come in two parts and you have to glue them). Had to add pistol holster (from DORSET SOLDIERS) and add the guidon from my spares box (Old DUCAL lance). Not complaining at all but it is not my favourite time with them… I enjoy painting but the assembly part is like work in a way…

Now, the pots of Vallejo painting have been buyed long ago… I will prim the figures and let them dry. And then it would be the usual Henry Ford approach of painting in a “line of production”. That way when you have finished the last figure (54mm REPLICA) the first is already dry and so on.

Really it is more fun to show what I am doing instead of simply posting what others have done (syndrome of “look Ma what I have done!”).

You can simply skip those Posts if not interested.

2023 was a very chaotic tasks jumble with the production of the Baccus proxies for the Brigade of British Guards in the Crimean War interrupting all the time work in other scales. With them finished and out of the way finally able to do Nathan Brittles Second US Cavalry patrol.

The need to add them to my collection has always been there… but until Andrew Stevenson produced the sample (see bottom) I was not able to locate the casts at all (with my own specifications and variations).

Hope you enjoy.

Closing Time! (Meaning the end of other people pics… only my work from now on).

I’ve been doing this for years now… and in a way it is quite futile… followers of this Blog must know that from now on Saturdays and Sundays I will not Post as a rule (with exceptions). And this is just the first step… in slowing down.

AND as I have gone over the 500.000 visits mark (including robots)… I am gonna end Posting Facebook pics you can go to Facebook to see for yourself:

Go to Facebook, search for Scott Lesch, Graham Hilditch, Alan Harrison, Gian Lucca Cocchi, Daniel Hodgson, James Opie, Tony Dilley, REPLICA, Andrew Stevenson, Antony Spencer, Imperial Miniatures, Dorset Soldiers, Ducal (or Fort-Ducal), Stuart Asquith, Dan Allen, Donald Featherstone, Daniel Borris, Paul Watson, Tradition of London, RPWorldModels, Baccus, Peter Berry, Dave Mitchell, Bill Horan, John Firth, Roberto Lodoli, Al Fisher, John Clarke, Timothy Hyndman, Paul Griffith, Gavin Holliday, John Clarke, Stefano Allorini, Massimo Vittucci, Alan Green, Steve Snark, Claude Bailey, Bertolini, Howard Whitehouse, Frankowski, Der Alte Fritz, Glenn Robert Pearce, God’s Own Scale, British Bulldog, Steadfast Soldiers, New Buckenham Historical Wargamers, Perry Miniatures, MINIFIGS, Nate Fogt, Alejo Dorca, etc. Groups like: H.G.Wells Little Wars, www.mytoysoldiersandme.com, Playmobil Pictures and Dioramas, 6MM wargaming, W.Britains, Dixon Miniatures, To The Redoubt Miniatures, Perry Miniatures, A Gentleman’s War etc etc etc… Just browse my Posts and then go to Facebook… I am sure some of you already do.

What I intent is just Post my Own Collection or work in this Blog… including Books recommendations or reviews. This transition will go smoothly I guess, it has been a pleasure to entertain you (if I did at all).

But the scope of this Blog is turning to a more intimate diary (and no daily entries) and only when I find I have something worth to say IMHO.

Have my Best Regards!

The Charge of the Heavy Brigade (Crimea 1854) 6MM Baccus Proxies.

I have been very lazy and tardly to show those 6MM Baccus proxies… they have been in the cabinet for months (or weeks)… and they deserved a Post. Probably the less mentioned action of Balaklava!

My collection of 6MM is slowly growing (under control I like to think… lol).

This action has always been a favourite of mine.

The Russians are in fact german cavalry from the Franco-Prussian war… used just to give a sense of perspective!

Enjoy!

General Scarlett in front of the Scots Greys

Frontal view from the Russian positions…

Red versus Blue!… basic and delightful scheme! as seen in Facebook. (30MM)

Mi Sitio de Guerra or something akin AZULES versus COLORADOS… we ALL started in a similar way… and it is full of reminiscences.

A game like chess… same pieces… different colours.

I love it.

Congratulations! This is in essence the purest form.

Enjoy!

Seeing the flags you know they disagree!

Trying my hand at 6MM proxies (VI and last) Baccus slightly modified.

It was somewhat an ordeal, maybe because I am 71, but the delays due to Postal Services mishaps did not help at all.

I first tried pestering Peter Berry about them (to no use), meaning why not a proper Baccus Crimean range?… wishful thinking of course!

Then I finally (and stubborn in a way) followed the Proxies Way!… that meant eliminating with a cutter the “French” parts of the minis (obvious even in 6MM).

Painting them was fast and true… the minor step of the way… you maybe do not believe how fast it is to paint 6MM!

Gluing them into bases was easy.

Then something I have not done for years… sculpting the bases or stands… an awful mess I did of it. To the credit of the Baccus basing system the old pots where still quite useful (except the wash who had evaporated more than 5 years later).

And finally the sets of colours (Napoleonic in fact).

This is my last effort of DIY in 6MM… my daughter has forbidden me to paint less than 54MM (LOL).

Enjoy!