End of Year Production line Figures

 Last painted units off the bench to end the year. Some Gunmen & Women to fight over Cowtown next year. 28mm figs not sure manufacturer and 13the Regt for the Duchy of Warsaw, annoyingly painted the wrong unit as the 13th's Grenadiers wore the Czapka (Shako) and not the Bearskin, which I have now found out the were issued the Bearskin in 1813 (so will keep them as is). Will rectify with the correct head gear over the next couple of days. Also need to repaint white cords on the Bearskin when I transfer them to another unit!

Painting summary for the year:

15mm Napoleonics Figures: Infantry 927 : Cavalry 132 : Artillery Guns with 3 or 4 figs 9 : Limbers 18 :

10mm Buildings 23

Lord of the Ring : Infantry 456 : Cavalry 88 : Monsters, etc 6

These include commissions

28mm : Infantry 64 (Gobbos & Cowboys)

Have a great new year all.

Painting the Army of the Dead- Lord of the Rings

 Here is just a little guide on how I painted the Army of the Dead from GW. The figures themselves are very crisp, not to many mould lines and go together well. 

Once the figures were cleaned in warm soapy water and left to dry overnight,  I used an off white aerosol undercoat (Citadel Wraith Bone), which I warm on a radiator and give a good shake, and you get a good coverage.

I work a bit backwards to others, I grit & paint the base next with the base colour and highlight. This way any of the base colour on the figure can be painted over before the washes go on! This customer anted the bases left just gritted.

The first thing to paint is any metalwork, Weapons, chainmail, armour. I use Chainmail by Foundry 35A 

Next I paint the characters cloaks as they need to stand out in the unit. I leave all the rest of the army white.I use pastel type colours as they seem more "Ghostly"

Next is a Wash by Wargames Foundry Leather/Metals Wash 47B, which is superb for "dulling" armour for that old, used, look. Make sure this is completely dry ( a good 6 hours at least or it will run off the model as the next wash reacts with it!)

Looks shiny below, but I think that is the lighting.

Next is to dirty up the cloaks. They are a few thousand years in the underworld after all. I use Humbrol 110 which their paint wood, but I think it creates a nice dusty effect.

Now I wash the figures with GW Coelia Greenshade, picking up any "pooling" off the figure with the brush.

  

Penultimate stage is the dry brushing. Any white is fine, but I use a number 8 semi- stiff brush. Be careful and brush in one direction, from the head down (this would be where the natural light would hit the figure) and brush along the weapons lengths from the weapon tip back. Also follow the flow of the cloaks. Remember this stage is not highlighting but Ghostifying the figures! 

Before and after the dry brushing.

  

Last process is Varnish, and flock base. As stated customer wanted bases left just gritted. And I am still waiting for the shields from customer.

Here is another unit I painted for someone else.

The Battle of Quatre Bras 16th June 1815 - Shako II rules

 

The Hundred Days, also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition, marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba. (re:Wiki)

The lead up to the Battle of Waterloo was made up by a series of manoeuvres by Napoleon to try and outwit the Allies as to where he would strike. Napoleon attempted to split the Prussians under Blucher and the British/ Dutch/ Belgian forces under Wellington and took the customary “Central Position” and fought two battles on the 16^th June at Ligny, Napoleon took on Blucher and at Quatre Bras against Wellington he sent Marshall Ney, with orders to take Quatre Bras as quickly as possible and sever the line of communication between the Allies.

In the melee combats the white dice are the combat stats with modifiers and the red & blue dice are the random dice rolls. All Figures are 15mm and are from my collection. Building are 10mm from Battlescale.

Here is our take on Quatre Bras, a scenario by Michael Hopper and using Shako II rules. This is a modified scenario similar to the one in the rulebook. 

I played Marshall Ney and my good friend Rob played Wellington and the British deployed first.

Wellington deployed the Nassaus under Perponcher in the Bois de Bossu (Bossu woods) Brunswick to their right and Picton's 5th division holding the left flank. Altern's 3rd division would arrive turn 2 and the Guards of Cooke would arrive turn 7 or later, depending on how many Allied units break, as they would be routing down the road the Guards are using, marching towards the battle.

Ney deployed left to right Jerome, Foy and Bachelu. Pire (cavalry) would arrive turn 1 and Kellerman's Heavy Cavalry would arrive turn 7. 

Turn 4

Jerome is pushing his French through the Bossu, but the Nassau are making it very difficult

First contact with the Brunswickers in the center. The white "flash" is a failed volley marker. First unit to Break.

The French Columns destroy the first Dutch unit. The figure on the round base donates the unit is Staggered (Shaken). 

 

Turn 5 

Bachelu starts to get organised as he crosses the stream. 

 

Foy continues to press the Allied center

 

Alten has been ordered to support Perponcher            

 

First French unit to Break, from Foy's division   

Turn6

Foy's division pushes on its fight with Brunswickers        

 

Bachelu now makes contact with Picton's left

Picton's artillery if Broken                                            

 

2nd Rate (SR)Brunswickers are collapsing, but the                                                                                           front line is holding fast & Break another French unit

SR Dutch of Perponcher Broken

End of Turn 6, The French Columns have broken the Brunswickers line, but the Black Cavalry should plug the gap.

The French left in the Bossu wood are finding the Nassau a tough nut to crack

Turn 7

Kellerman's Cuirassiers ride past Ney and onto Glory. 

 

The Brunswick Hussars charge the French exposed                                                                                          fatigued (House Rule) column, and subsequently Break! 

The Nassau Charge a French column in the Flank and Break it     

 

Dutch Hussars are Broken when charging behind the wood

Turn 8

Brunswick Lancers fail a charge and forced to Fall-back, and Break in the rally phase.

 

The Dutch Hussar Brigade passed it's turn 7 50% divisional check, so one last ditch charge in turn 8. The first combat was tied, the second round broke the Hussars. 

    

End of Turn 8

Turn 9 

The fight for Bossu wood  

Picton's lads are holding the Allied left, causing French casualties.

Turn10

Kellerman hits home                                                   

 

The French are getting a foot hold in Bossu

Various melees in the center in which another Brunswick unit Breaks, causing the whole division to Break (75% losses)

The Cuirassiers Break some Hanoverians                    

  

Brunswickers Breaking back to Brussels 

The end of turn 10

Turn 11

Saw the French Reorganising for one final push and one melee pushed a unit in Fall-back

Turn 12 (last turn)

The British finally got some decent melee dice and halted the French.

 

CONCLUSION & POINTS. 

Victory Conditions

For each formation removed:

·         3 points (Jerome)

·         2 points (Bachelu, Foy, Perponcher, Brunswick, Alten, Cooke)

·         1 point (Piré, Kellermann, Merlen)

At end of game:

·         1 point is awarded to the French for interdicting the Nivelles – Quatre Bras road; either by being on it or across it (A2-A3-B3).

·         2 points are awarded for holding Quatre Bras (either side)

Both Sides

§  Major Victory: hold Quatre Bras and score 3 or more points more

§  Victory: hold Quatre Bras and score 2 points more

§  Minor Victory: hold Quatre Bras and score 1 point more

The French Broke the Brunswickers (2 points) and Merlen (1 point)

The British still held QB Village (2 points)  

Result was a hard-fought draw