Project Alma - a fine day for a varnish

 Dry and warm days have, until this week, been a rarity in this part of the world. Or when they've been here I've been elsewhere. So with the sun out it was a fine chance to get my Crimean stuff vanished in one go. 

1 tin of Windsor and Newton at the ready and off I went. 

Russians first. 

Each unit has a base of skirmishers and lurking behind are 5 guns, 2 cossack batteries and 3 line. 

British next.

The Guards Brigade, Highland Brigade and part of Pennefathers Brigade, with the 95th skirmish order. Hussars and Lancers and Artillery to the rear.

Seeing (almost) everything laid out like this makes me want to do more...light dragoons, heavy brigade and Russian cavalry, and maybe French, Turks and the Sardinians......uhoh! 

Project Alma - Crimean War Rebasing 2

 I don't like basing stuff....meh! 

But it needs to be done and I want to all to match when it is done. So this is a slog (for me at least).

Russians textured, just need flocked. I'm short of some guns for my Cossacks so will get that sorted and since the British have staff the Russians should get some too.

By happy coincidence each unit of Russians has a stand of skirmishers which makes it look like they are at least trying to deploy them!

The British need their bases textured and I have flags to fit to the Highlanders and Guards. That's todays job.

The Brits have riflemen as their skirmishers. Both sets are really well animated and even if they play no part in a game are nice to have even as scenery! 

Rebasing my Crimean War Figs - Project Alma

 Some time ago I read Matakishi's Blog article about his Crimean War project. I've already based my 16thC figures on the 80x60 units bases which he uses for his projects. I am a big fan of Neil Thomas's books and have amended his Napoleonic book rules into a set which gave some good games. My Crimean war figures were individually based and as the collection grew this became a bit clumsy. I was using movement trays and things were getting fussy...

And I want to do a big Crimean war game for my Birthday in July. 

Put all that together and there's a big case for rebasing. So I went for it. 

My British will be the Guards Brigade, the Highland Brigade and two line regiments and the 95th rifles. Supporting them will be light cavalry in the form of Lancers and Hussars along with several guns. 

Facing them are 3 brigades of Russian Infantry, 12 units in total , with Skirmishers, Cossacks and Artillery in support. 

The infantry will be two stand units, each of 6 figures for the British and 8 for the Russians to simulate  their bigger units. Cavalry will be in two stands of 3 and one gun will represent a battery. Skirmishers will be units of 6, but these will be based on 3 round bases of 2 figures. 

I have enough figures to do all of the British, albeit I need to paint two units and I am short of some of command figures for the last 3 Russian infantry, but that's very easily fixed. My figures are a mix of Warlord plastics for the Russian infantry and Great War for most of everything else. 

For rules I will either be sticking to Neil Thomas's 19th C set or I will take Rebels and Patriots a little bit off piste and and use the units in there as regiments - this partly influenced the number of figures on my bases. Originally my units were 12 and 18 strong, 16 is the size of a large unit in R&P, so easily accommodated. I like the activation rules and the blunders in R&P and while the Crimean war may not be that rule sets intended scope is it smack bang in the middle of its range. Homemade rules are a third option.

I know the Russian regiments were much much bigger than the British. But this disparity in scale is lost by the execrable performance of the Russian army. Their big units on the table are still a threat, because they can soak up damage allowing them to close and they are supported by some decent quantities of artillery. The challenge will be in their deployment. The British command is poor - their challenge will be activating to defeat the larger number of Russians before they are overrun. Well that's my hope - I'm keen to see how it plays out and if it goes well I may fill out the Armies to include British heavy cavalry, Turks or French and some Russian Hussars and Dragoons and do Balaklava too. 

(I am also keen at some point to use the Russians against 1848 Hungarians, Neil's rules make this very do-able....but more on this another time...I'm sworn to secrecy!).

So I plan to have the figures finished by the end of April and terrain ready by the end of May. I need some slopes but have plenty polystyrene to use. I have buildings and everything else. 

This week I've painted 5 guns and crew and finished painting the 42nd highlanders. Not a bad start...one British regiment to go and then I need to do a LOT of basing!

Stuff from the Lead Pile

 Rotten weather this weekend meant a chance to catch up with some painting. My 19thC kick continues with these Rifle Brigade figures from Great War Miniatures. They've been kicking around half done for ages, so I decided that had to change.

Getting the dark rifle green was a little tricky but I added a wash of Citadel Contrast Dark Angels Green and that seemed to get that "darker than bottle but not black green" colour I was after. The poses are excellent - lots of movement and action in them, perfect for skirmishers. 

Raking about in the drawer I found an RA artillery pack and 17 Warlord plastic Russians.....17...one short! If anyone has a Warlord or Great War Russian officer going spare let me know!!!

Once those are finished all of my Crimean War figures will be done - another project nailed.

Painting will slow now. I have some writing to do, some 18thC figures to base and some photos to take. 

A busy week of Wargames goodies

It's been a very busy week of goodies for the Wargames table and bookshelf.

A couple of eBay purchases turned up. Some lovely Crann Tara British in campaign dress which will be prefect for Cuba or elsewhere.

Some of the British, (and dog).

Then another eBay purchase, this time 19thC. Highlanders for the Crimea. I'd always wanted to have Crimean War figures and this project is turning into a labour of love. I can't wait for Great War to restock so I can get my mitts on some Rifle Brigade. Then I need to flesh out the Russians with some skirmishers and add the Cossack artillery I'm painting.

A trip to Ballater on Saturday meant a visit to Deeside books. And I seldom if ever leave without something under my arm. This time it was Hellion's book on the battle of Sheriffmuir - "Crucible of the Jacobite '15" by Jonathan Oates, half price no less. Check them out online do...they have an excellent history section and also some rarities.

I did some painting too, making a start on the rowers for my landing boats for Havana and Manila as I now have oars supplied by Graham H's printer. I plan on mounting the oarsmen on small plastic "seats" made of square plasticard tube. This will allow a stand of troops to fit alongside them in the boat. For a mock up I have used some 6mm dice, which are roughly the size needed, and it seems to work out well. The book is moving along and I'm am ready to start drafting the first scenarios.



Lastly I must mention another book I received this weekend. I'm not really a modern history fan nor do I know much about the modern "troubles" in Northern Ireland other than what I remember from tv as a kid. However I had the good fortune to work with the author a few years ago and a very fine chap he is indeed. The book in question is "A Winter in Belfast" by David Ellis. It is his diary of a tour spent there during 76-77 whilst he was in the Parachute Regiment. It is very clearly written and both forthright and frank and I'm finding it  an excellent read.

Crimean War - Brits and Russians

I've taken the opportunity to catch up with some basing. These lads have been sitting on the windowsill waiting patiently for some cavalry to complete both sides and I managed to get some Cossacks on eBay recently so there was no excuse to wait any longer.





The Russian Infantry are all Warlord from their recently released range. Painted with Citadel Contrast Aggaros Dunes which I think is perfect of a weather stained Russian greatcoat. They are all magnetically based on movement trays to make them easier to shift on the table.




The Russian cavalry lurking in the background are Gt War Cossacks. I have more to do once I receive some more bases from Warbases.

12 Cossacks, 4 units of 18 Infantry and two guns.





The British are all Gt War too. They are in 12 figure units. This puts them at a numerical disadvantage to the Russians but they will be better armed so that will be offset. As with the Russians they are magnetically based too.




The cavalry are Gt War Hussars. I also have a number of officers and ADC's from the Foundry range which will make nice little vignettes.




12 Hussars, 4 units of 12 Guards.

About half of the Russian inf, and a few of the British were done by me, the rest were purchases online. I've wanted Crimean War stuff for sooooo long. Now I'm ready for a game of Rebels and Patriots or The Men Who Would Be Kings, once this damned virus buggers off !