He had a thousand toy soldiers,
He stuck them on multi-figure bases,
Then he pulled them off again.
And when they were on they were easy,
But when they were off they were fun,
And when they got hit, they fell down
And helped to tell the story.
Monday, August 5, 2024
The Grand Old Duke of Belmont
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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Lovely figures, really like the charging musketeers.
ReplyDeleteThey were a late addition to my collection, but an older mould. I really like them, the pose is very,VERY, like a old Britain's charging pose.(Not used on steady English troops, only on excitable ones like Zouaves, Highlanders, etc
DeleteThat age old dilemma!
ReplyDeletePart of me likes each collection to use similar basing, painting style, etc etc and part of me wants them to all be different. At least I get to fiddle with the figures with a minimum of additions.
Delete“ To base or not to base, that is the question . Whether tis nobler in the find to face the slings and arrows of figures multitudinous or take arms against a sea of singletons…”
ReplyDeleteAlan Tradgardland
Just so, I'll have to go roust the trumpeters and cannon now.
DeleteI recognise the products of Prince August molds amongst them !
ReplyDeleteBut can you spot any that aren't?
DeleteIs this where sabot bases make a dramatic appearance and revolutionise warfare?! I use some with my Darkest Africa forces which were based as single figures but wanted them also based in multiples though I wanted to have them still available as singles. I believe it's referred to as 'I'll have another slice of that fine cake please' :-)
ReplyDeleteOdd you should mention that, a few years ago a friend made himself a big stack of sabots holding 4 figures, decided not to go ahead with it, and gifted them to me.
DeleteMine are mounted on UK 2p pieces which are 1" diameter. That's quite a common basing system and Warbases (an ace company) do sabots spefically to take them. And they are very helpful about making specials so I could have exactly what I wanted. And 2p pieces have long been copper plated steel so those who like magnetic bases are happy as well.
DeleteI used to use copper pennies ($0.01) for my plastic (1/72) Colonial skirmish games but since they were more expensive to make than their face value, they were were withdraw a decade or two ago. In theory, we still have coinage, and paper money but its pretty rare in this electronic age.
DeleteCouple of laugh emojis and a crazy face!
ReplyDeleteH
Ah well, I get attached to what I paint, esp if I sculpted or at least converted them, so fiddling with them is better than selling or burying them in a cupboard.
DeleteSomeone I know in Canada said they recently went to a bank and were able to get a roll of pennies. I didn't know that was possible; it may depend on the bank.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I was amused by the poem.
As for basing, I have dithered over it for several decades now. :P
I have glued some singly based figures (on plastic slotted bases) to 4 figure stands, for use in battles, and kept other figures singly based for use in skirmishes, RPGs, and such. Seems like the best option for me at this point. Individual mileage may vary. And I may change my mind some day.
For me, it's not so much the actual base details, but the style and organization of the games
DeleteHey Ross, I will be heading east in October. I can bring 5 rolls of pennies if you can use them. Hopefully no one will plan a great train robbery to stop me from delivery
ReplyDeleteThanks but no, my 40's are too big for pennies.
Delete