Wednesday 10 June 2015

The Good, The Bad and The Napoleonic

Confession: I am a Wargaming butterfly. Flitter, flitter, flutter. Recently I have been looking at WWII and Ancients, now Napoleonics have caught my eye. Oh "look" there are some fancy Frenchmen in uniform approaching (see below, some 15mm Napoleonics started originally back in 2005 [I think]): 


As a wargamer I have found that I always come "back round" (eventually) to the "Hardcore" topics, be it Alexander, Ceasar, Napoleon or WW2 aka Hitler/Stalin/Churchhill. I could have easily added in ECW, ACW and the Renaissance too. I think this cyclic pattern keeps me same. The periods seem to draw you, tantalising fashion, with the figures, models, rules and books (usually lots and lots of books). Look some Frenchmen facing the other way (see below, I should have added some trim/hem to the bottom of their coats):


The hardest genre by far to me is Napoleonic. Look some 'unfinished' (the shame of it) Frenchmen, who look a little "posh" in comparison to the previous photographs (see below, note they are NOT Guard, regular LINE just me taking some time over them):


I am still wary of it (seemingly thousands of lead figures required, it will swallow me whole), but I am beguiled by it at the same time, tables full of figures look fantastic. Look those "posh" French,men are facing the other way now (see below, argh too much detail!):


There seems to be too many books, too many toys, too many rules and too many experts. You cannot simply collect one army, who would you fight? See here are some Prussians! (see below, albeit seemingly sliding off the edge of the world):


OK ,, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere (see below,the right way up):


What I need is a sensible small project to be involved in. Look these Prussians are now going the other way too! (see below, not sliding oof the edge of the world):


Something small? Waterloo, no it's being done better by others (although I do want to get some 15mm British to paint, eventually). Leipzig (the largest Napoleonic battle ever), er that seems small enough to contribute a stand or two (see below, Prussians being painted, officer types):


Typically I will probably need to track down the new providers of these old metals (15mm Old Glory) as the moulds have changed hands since I last bought them.

Note: I think it is (tbc): 
http://www.timecastmodels.co.uk/minis_catalogue/minis_catalogue.html

I still have plenty of unpainted lead
to get through before I have buy more (see below, though the French as yet don't have any officer types):


What course of madness have I started on? Naturally I have moved paint manufactures since I last painted these, so I am trying to get a best match with Vallejo Game Colour, wish me luck ;)


2 comments:

Phil said...

They look great, very nice job!

Geordie an Exiled FoG said...

Thanks you for your kind words Phil

I feel that I am more fiddling than painting proper
I have the feeling of "doing it all wrong"
Too many diagrams to choose from