Thursday, November 21, 2013

Hoorah for Oom Jack

The first batch of Scuby Boers are now done. 
Scruby '25mm' (~1/72nd) Boers. 
(My apologies on the pictures, I was going to borrow my wife's camera but now it has gone missing !!?)

I'm still finding the glossy block toy style very difficult to paint convincingly. It is so much faster and easier to use washes to soften, blend, shade, weather and also to disguise little slips but once done, these figures have just the sort of toy look I was aiming for so I will persevere. I know from looking at some of my old figures that the old painted 25mm Marx figures were not as carefully painted as my memory would have it but the feel of these now is much the same as the feel of those figures was back then. 

The Jacklex and Scruby figures are quite different in style.The Scrubies are "finer" and the ones with open arms are softer and more amenable to animating but the Jacklex are hairier with more character. One on one, up close, the different hat/head size makes them less compatible than hoped for but luckily painted up and seen on the table at arms length they seem just fine together. 



A mix of Jacklex 20mm (the hefty guys) and Scruby 25mm Boers.

I can't consistently decide which I like better but I've enjoyed both so much that I would cheerfully buy more of both even though I have enough for the games that I have planned. I do intend to pick up a couple of each of the Jacklex positions that I don't yet have  but that will have to wait a bit as will an equally small Canadian and British force to oppose them. (My apologies to all those Aussie readers who feel left out).  In the meantime, they should see action against Ron's Brits before the end of the year.

Sometimes its a positive blessing to not have spare cash to over buy or this project might out grow itself in a hurry!

9 comments:

  1. Ross Mac,

    I do like the toy soldier look of your current batch of Boers ... and wish that I could match it. In fact looking at your figures is making me hanker after painting some of my own lead mountain ... something I have not done for a very long time.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  2. Thanks Bob, the toy soldier look seems just right for a gridded game with units of 3-4 20mm+ figures. Between the gridlines, the stylized terrain and small units, there is no mistaking the game as a diorama so one might as well use a technique which says "this is a game and these figures are meant to be handled and played with". Should go good alongside Minitanks.or on the pampas.

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  3. Great looking boers and atmospheric terrain too.I am looking forward to seeing them in action...

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    1. Me too, hopefully there will be somethin
      g within 2 weeks.

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  4. Ross, they look great. my own order for some Jaclex samples is in. I'm hoping I've the right address for histofigs. Time will tell!

    Splendid.

    Regards,

    Greg

    PS - I've still got about 5 weeks, you know!

    PPS - have you considered the Tradition 25mm Boers> Quite nice too from what I can see.

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    1. Ah well I did try to suggest something that would work with the existing 30mm Brits even if they are in homedress The Jacklex and Scrubies are great though, not to mention cheap and good space savers.
      I did consider Tradition when I was planning on Ral Partha as a main source but I'm going to stick with A1
      1/72 compatible, inc plastic.

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    2. Oh, I see - but I have all those 30mm FPW germans for the men in scarlet to fight. They'll be OK. Fear not!

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  5. I think you're right about the you soldier figures on a gridded surface. I fear that if I ever do the 18th century it will be in a similar manner.

    They look very well. Have you settled on rules?

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    1. The original plan to use them against Ron's British using our Colonial varient of Battlecry still stands, but now that I'm hooked I'm polishing a late 19th/early 20C version of my square brigadier rules for solo home games.

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