Fun – 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!)

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)

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)

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!

Ship (for Playmobils) AESCLICK SPAIN.

From time to time I can not refrain of showing some Playmobil Dioramas… this is peculiar because of the fantastic ship (scratchbuilt I guess)… some details maybe a bit awkward but the result is IMHO magnificent!

It must have been hours of work… and how the figures blend in is truly awesome… probably difficult to “play with” because of the sheer dimensions of it… but I just loved the pics when I saw it in Facebook.

Talk about HMS SURPRISE and Aubrey/Maturin saga.

Enjoy!

The Sudan at the WHC (Wargames Holiday Centre).

The Wargames Holiday Centre has been one of my obsessions for a long time (as you know I post pics from Mark Freeth many times per year), have probably passed the age to book a reservation myself, the idea to wargame with perfect strangers does not appeal to me in the least… and the only possibility remaining is the retirement of my brother from business… but as we have an age gap of ten years… when he will retire I would be too old or dead (LOL)… and then real life gets always in the middle of those chimerical projects…

Enjoy the Sudan! (IMHO there is nothing to enjoy there but… you need all sorts!)

One of those “thin red lines tipped with steel” (Crimean comment)

The clash (or melee)… if it comes to that things can get nasty!

A pic that smacks of or smells a lot like THE FOUR FEATHERS (1939 version of course)

I just love paddle steamers! (only on The Nile)…

Miscellaneous

That was my recollection of a wargame.

Below some classic Toy Soldiers Bands.

Enjoy!

Al Fisher’s Own

Out of the blue an email with pics!… something out of the ordinary I can assure you! By the way if you want your collection or pics from it published here send them to me (as long quality is as shown below!).

It has been about three years since I started this Blog intermmitently, nowadays I try to post once a day (mainly I can do that)… but even if I have devised means to contact with other collectors… Facebook does the trick better because my son (Expert in computers… his career and way of life!) do not believe this humble Blog needs feedback because of spam… so… I keep publishing my email on it from time to time and sometimes SUCCES!… someone takes the pain of bothering about it and gets out of his or her way (I know it is mainly HIS) to contact me and drop a line or even pics!.

Yesterday was one of this days. So I give you the pics kindly sent by Mr. Al Fisher (Senior to me in experience and years!… who is still in the hobby…)

Truly glad of it! I asked him for permission to publish!… so there you have it… as always you can contact me at adb@andorra.ad (YES! a country with NO Army as Pete Seeger sung…)

Enjoy!

Last but not least… the first ever pic of Lawrence of’Arabia in this Blog! (El-Laurens)

A matter of ADC’s

I must be boorish today talking about me projects… you see I am still “squaring” units, so while DORSET SOLDIERS does the last 16 soldiers to complete ny British Army (Khaki)… I am doing some odds and ends because of some old horses I got (do not remember why at all)… First I did Young Winston (see elsewhere in this Blog)… now I am working on Charles Saganne (Depardieu) as a French ADC (mounted) … he is already primed for paint… and his horse has got a new “rouleau” just for the fun of it! (I am getting better with plasticine or milliput)

More to the point a couple of dismounted ADC’s for the British Army (see pic).

And what is even much more fun a couple of motorcycle riders! Full circle I guess (they were my first toys those kind of chaps!)…

So … try to Enjoy!