Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Figures Light, Figures Bright

First figures done on a 2013 night.

 A new light company is born.

Yes, sad but true, the dogs went to bed at 11,  my wife was sitting up with her mother and facebook and I wandered off to my games room. There on the desk was a batch of 5 Chasseurs des Bois that just needed belts and buckles and a few touch ups. The radio started counting down as the last botton went on so technically they were painted in 2012 but varnished and flocked in 2013 so last or first, take your pick.

The unit had its origin at Historicon when I was offered a group of glossy figures. I was tired and helping GM a siege and I'm embarrassed to admit that I can't remember now who handed them to me but if I got the story right, they came from the collection of the late, wargaming great, Wally Simon  (see ) or perhaps that's wishful thinking and they were actually from the flea market called Wally's Basement in his honour. In any event, I accepted and they have stared reproachfully at me from the shelf ever since . They were obviously .early 18thC French  Dragoons in shiny red enamel coats with bright green facings but I wasn't sure of what age or make or how I was going to fit 8 of them in to my Charge! armies.

I eventually decided to prime them,  should really have stripped them first but the figures seemed thin and fragile with heavy detail so I figured the extra paint wouldn't hurt. Once they were primed, something about the figures started to look a bit familiar and it didn't take long to find them in the 42 mm  Toy Style Marlburian range in the Irregular range. By then though, I had already converted  a Prince August casting to fit in and was busy planning a light infantry company. My first thought was to ditch the light green facings but keep the red coat. Since I only have 1 red coated infantry regiment, they would become the light company but the uniform style was so at variance with the rest of my Irish that it just didn't feel right. Instead my mind drifted to the Queen's Brown coated militia.

Suddenly I remembered my first Charge! armies, 30mm figures made in Spain for the Plains of Abraham museum at Quebec. After painting various French infantry companies in historic uniforms I diverged into Imagi-nation territory making a squadron of Cuirrassiers out of officers, a battery of Saxon-ish gunners and a light infantry company inspired by a late 17thC Swedish unit in Kannik's Military Uniforms. Brown Coats, light green facings, stocking cap. Done!  My old unit had a bit of lace so the new ones do as well.  There are 6 fresh castings on hand to finish off these volunteers for the Dowager Queen, just need a little putty and some paint.

I don't have a shot of my old Canadiens painted as fictional light infantry but here's the Black Watch and British infantry that opposed them. Painted c 1973.

13 comments:

  1. That's very industrious of you Ross! I managed some painting today in three different scales...

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  2. They look great!

    Cheers and Happy 2013!

    PD

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  3. A cheering beginning for the new year! Compliments and best wishes.

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  4. Too damn lazy to paint anything, me, and the pile of shame just keeps piling up. So I admire the intustry and diligence in others like yourself. That's a nice wee unit of chasseurs you have there, and as for the Highlanders: that is one very veteran looking body of men!

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  5. I admit it, only a year and a 1/2 in the queue is a bit hasty but what's premature retirement about if not doing a little more hobby stuff?

    Those Highlanders are more sort of long service than veteran. I still have them after 40 years and I'm not sure if they've been in 4 fights in all that time! Wrong scale!

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  6. Happy New Year!!!!! Splendid Highlanders!!!!!!

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    1. Thanks Jubilo, the figures are old and crude but sentimental favorites.

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  7. The new light company looks great (although I thought their coats were blue until I read your description; I guess that's just the lighting and/or camera - the browncoats - nice; any Firefly fan should appreciate that...). :)

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  8. I had real issues with reflection on the gloss varnish, hence the blue halo. So, yeah brown coats and hey look at that, their fighting with the Indendents against the King's efforts to Unify the country! Must have been subliminal.

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    1. On my monitor they looked to be a deep purple . . . but I'm familiar with computer color changes so I believed you when you wrote that they were brown.

      Welcome to the New Year, sir.


      -- Jeff

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