Were 1/72nd figures always so small?
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| The 24th foot on the left were painted c1984. The 58th on the right was speed painted a few days a go. |
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| Two Portable companies of Rifles and two of 58th Foot. |
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Abscess Without Leave
Things have been busy here, just not much time or energy for wargaming and painting. Having a recurrence of a tooth abscess hasn't really helped much. I have, however, managed to dab some paint on another dozen or so Esci Brits to bring my 1/72nd Boer War Brits up to 10 units for my Petite Portable Wargame demonstration for Huzzah.
Were 1/72nd figures always so small?
Luckily, without my glasses on, the most obvious difference is the lack of the bright white lace on the 58th's new service frocks. The lack of shading, sloppy belts and skipped details are less visible from three feet away in dim light with dim eyes. I have also noted that a few touch ups where painted flaked, a coat of varnish and 3 decades of weathering has obliterated most of the original shading so the old figures blend right in.
I'm hoping for rain on the weekend so that I can maybe squeak a game in.
Were 1/72nd figures always so small?
Born and raised in the suburbs of Montreal 7 decades ago. Began playing with toy soldiers at 5 years. Started painting & converting at about 12 yrs and wargaming about 15 yrs. Never really stopped.
5 years in the Black Watch of Canada Cadets, 5 years at the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean followed by 4 in the navy. 25 years with CPC in IT simultaneous with 23 years running a boarding kennel. Inherited my love of toy soldiers from my mother's father. Married with a pack of litle Italian Greyhounds and a cat. Prematurely retired and enjoying leisure to game, maintaining our 170 yr old farmhouse and just living.
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Ross Mac,
ReplyDeleteSorry to read about your tooth abscess. I trust that it has been treated and that you are feeling better.
The figures look great to me, and I'm sure they will acquit themselves with all sort of glory on the tabletop at Huzzah!
All the best,
Bob
I'll be happy enough of someone wants to play with them at Huzzah, glory or not.
DeleteIt's catching - just lost a tooth cap and bridge in my mouth yesterday , Tony
ReplyDeleteOh dear! No bridge to cap the gap.
DeleteBad luck with the teeth.... sounds nasty. Great figures. We had some wonderful Sword and the Flame games with these chaps many moons ago.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised that they are over 30 years old. Classic indeed.
DeleteWell, abscess makes the heart grow fonder...
ReplyDeleteI thought that was absinthe that did that.. ..
DeleteHa, I broke a tooth the other day and had to get a crown put on it. I hope your dental issues get resolved to satisfaction, gentlemen!
ReplyDeleteIs 1/72 scale the scale of the old Airfix plastic figures? They were pretty small. I played with them as a kid, but never painted any. Almost all of the miniatures I have painted over the years have been 25-28-30mm (except for a brief flirtation with 15mm figures from Mike's Models a few decades ago).
Here's wishing for rain for you!
I painted my first ones when I was still a kid.
DeleteRoss,
ReplyDeleteNothing worse than an aching tooth- Paracetamol works for me for some relief. Great to see your ESCI Zulu War British Colonials in 1/72nd...a great old standby and they do paint up well. Look forward to your Games report soon. Cheers. KEV.
It's looking promising for a game.
DeleteI think I will avoid the 'tooth' thing. Hope you get it sorted soon, mate. One thing I will say: dentistry made leaps and strides in the 36-year period in which I never saw a dentist (I was a bit lucky, there in having very good teeth). I've seen rather more of them in the last 10 years!
ReplyDeleteI rather like those little ESCI figures. You will have recognised them in my 'Hunt for the Bey of Bassorah' posting recently (Ruberians). The TURQUOISE army were ESCI French Foreign Legion. The Mamelukes (very nice figures, those) and Gatlings were HaT.
These guys just seem to be made for late 19th Century Imagi-Nations...
I did recognize them. They look so distinctively British to me that it had never occurred to me to use them for a "real" imagination. They work though.
DeleteWell, Ruberia is intended to be vaguely British, as the Azurians are decidedly Gallic. And, of course, the Turkowaz is the Ottoman Empire. Hidden in the background are Kingdoms, Tsarates, Pirate city states and the 'darklands' of the 'Mysterious Continent' - Porphyria (Tsarist Russia, Purple), Grauheim (Germany, but might include Austria); Nyeusi (Black) for some militant native community highly resistant to external threats of colonialism; and the Abyadi (White) pirate/slaver city states on the coast of the 'Mysterious Continent'. If I wanted to bring in my ACW forced 9though they are based too differently, really, I could add Veridia or Reseda (Green)
DeleteMost of these 'bit part' nations will probably never see the light of day, but they exist 'in potetia'. One never knows, though. Unlike the others, Turkowaz hadn't even entered my head until I read Bob Cordery's book!
Here's to happier dental times. Your figures look good and perhaps a game is just the thing to cure what ails you.
ReplyDeleteI will settle for a distraction!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your abscess, always bad moments...and beautiful figures!
ReplyDeletePainful Ross, but hopefully will settle again soon. I have found a tot of Whiskey swelled around the offending area really helps to dim the pain in the past.... Old school medication!
ReplyDeleteThat should be 'swilled' of course :)
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