19th C Italy - some new figs

Just back from holiday, a lovely break in Mallorca. Great to unwind with several good books.

Returned to find the postie had delivered a few packages for me. The first was a flat DHL envelope which foxed me a bit. This turned out to be three samples from Cibo's Little Dudes, a firm in Italy specialising in the Risorgimento. Neapolitans, Austrians, Piedmontese, French and Papal troops are all available including Foot, Cav and Artillery.

I received what I take to be a Papal Zouave, an Austrian Artilleryman and I think a Piedmontese Grenadier (he's got a bearskin in any case!).

The figs are chunky, fairly tall with a sculpting style that recalls the Scarab mini's WW1 range. Detail is in fairly high relief.

Size is broadly similar to Gringo40's range. However the figures are not so well sculpted and wouldn't really mix with another range. That being said I'd be happy to use them and I am particularly keen on the Papal zouaves.

The second package was a delivery from Footsore miniatures, a few packs of their 2nd Empire French. These are well sculpted and well animated. I really like these and they have an animation which suggest them moving at pace. I'd like to couple them with Perry ACW Zouaves and I think they might go with Foundry FPW cavalry and artillery. I hope however we don't have to wait too long til other figures are added to this range.

The third package was the book that got me interested in the whole thing - when I was in my early teens I found a copy of this book in Aberdeen Central Library. Patrick Turnbull's "Solferino - The Birth of a Nation" in hardback. I'm looking forward to catching up with this once more.

So a nice wee bundle of stuff. Added to this I have figs out getting painted and I have seen the lovely new Neapolitan Artillery and Picciotti from Gringo40 - this range just keeps getting better and better. I will finish my Garibaldini and Neapolitans first, then add a French force to defend Rome from the Redshirts.

An Afternoon's Painting and Basing

A peaceful weekend afternoon has been gainfully employed in basing my Neapolitians (painted for me by Mr Baker - very nice thank you sir), adding dice frames to the officers bases, (to track unit hits for the Neil Thomas 19thC rules I'll be using), adding a flag I've made up to a Garibaldini standard bearer, (0.7mm rod, brass tube 1.5OD, 0.8ID Hidden in flag) and painting up the "Come and Take It" gun from Boot Hill Miniatures to use as an improvised Redshirt peice. 

Whew!

Painting flocking and tufting to be completed then the Garibaldini to do next, hopefully tomorrow!

Garibaldini & Neapolitan

Some closer pics of my figs from Gringo40.

I had planned to get the bases done and take some better shots, but the weathers been great so I took my other hobby out for a spin on sat and forgot to charge the camera battery on Sunday....

Still here we go...

A horde of rebel insurgents.....or glorious freedom fighters....

A few of the "Thousand"

Neapolitan light infantry fix bayonets and prepare to advance....

Prepare to fire.....

Some more shots of last week's game.

Need to find some vineyards and poplars - I've just won some of the latter on Evilbay, but not sure how best to model the former. Flames of war do the but in 15mm so probably too small. Not sure if a simple "hedge" would do in which case I'll talk to Last Valley and get some 6" long strips made.

Another order placed with Ged at Gringo40 for some more figs. This will round off my infantry for the minigame version of Neil Thomas's 19thC rules, then I need to be patient and wait for Ged to finish the Artillery and Cavalry for the Neapolitans. However whilst I'm waiting my painter can finish off the last figures for me and I will base them all in one go. I've bought some dry tufts and some fine gravel so the earth will look nice and parched.

Risorgimento - Garibaldini vs Neapolitians

A couple of touched up shots from tonight's Neapolitan vs Garibaldini game using NT's 19thC rules. I'm using the lovely Gringo 40 range with buildings by Italeri. 

Game 1 - The redshirt columns reach the town...

Game 2 - Charging through an orchard

In technicolor !

No real scenario here, just a quick blast of the rules to check them out, but it was a hoot. The bold red shirts seemed unstoppable in the first game and in the second were only stopped when a bad morale check dropped two stands and forced the end of the game.