2018 in Review

2018 was another highly productive year at the painting desk, although not quite to 2017’s level.  This year saw me complete 2,908 figures, for an average of about eight figures per day.  The addition of a big 6mm project padded those numbers considerably, so my Analogue Painting Challenge points are not as high as last year.

54mm: 2 foot figures for 20 points

28mm: 236 foot, 4 mounted, 32 horses, and 8 vehicles for 1,540 points

20mm: 12 foot for 48 points

15mm: 325 foot, 380 mounted, 12 limbers, 90 guns, 28 horses, and 10 tanks for 2,762 points

6mm: 1080 foot, 69 mounted, and 16 guns for 625 points

3mm: 172 foot, 32 mounted, and 15 tanks for 74 points

1/1200: 1 ship for 3 points

This gives me 5,072 points for the year, about a 30% drop from last year.  I’m fine with that, though, as I could not have kept up last year’s pace.  2018 was still an above-average year for me.

My gaming group has continued to play a little more than once a month.  This year we worked more board games into the rotation and played some shorter miniatures games.  I have many happy memories of great games.  I think we played a better variety of games this year than in any previous year.

In 2019 I would like to finish up a couple of projects.  My ACW Union infantry in greatcoats need some additions, and they need some winter rebs to fight!  I will continue to add to my 6mm ACW armies until I can fight some of the bigger battles.  I would like to add an ancient Persian army to my Greek and Macedonian forces.

One thing I have learned, though, is that I seldom stick to these plans!  I think it’s safe to predict that 2019 will see many fun projects, interesting books, and good games.  Happy New Year!

168 Man Project, Day 8

I was able to put the finishing touches on the 168 figures last night.

It's not a brilliant paint job, but it will do.  I have a hard time even imagining what a brilliant paint job would look like on figures in greatcoats.  There just are not a lot of colors to work with.

I had some help during my painting: four "new" Paul McCartney records, new in that they are newly re-released.  Three of these are double albums, with each second record full of demos and outtakes.  I usually listen to lectures of podcasts while I paint, but I really enjoyed listening to my new records this time.

I said the paint job would do, but in fact, once the figures were all based in their ranks, the paint job looked really good.  These should really pop on the table top.

In the top right of the previous picture, you can see the officers and musicians I painted in this batch.  I didn't base them because I didn't paint standard bearers yet.

Here are the standard bearers, prepped and washed.  When I was prepping figures, I could not find my pin vise anywhere, and I needed it to drill out their hands. After searching for a few days, I gave up and ordered a replacement.  The day after it arrived, my son told me he had used the pin vise in working on a model.  There it was, tucked into the model's box.

I drilled out the standard bearers hands, only to find that I was down to three 100mm spears to use as flag poles.  Sigh.  I made an order with Brigade Games, and the spears you see above are the result.

While I was ordering spears, I thought I had better check to make sure that I had enough flags for these figures.  I went to my giant stack of GMB flags and found ... no ACW Union infantry flags for 28mm figures.  Right now I am waiting on a GMB order.  Hopefully it arrives soon.

I will wait until the command stands are done before I start flocking bases.

168 Man Project Day 7

Yesterday I finished the overcoat and trouser highlights and started highlighting the faces and hands.  I was able to complete the flesh highlights on all but six sticks.

I was hoping to finish these up today, but I have had no time to paint.  Tomorrow, if I get a couple of free hours, I should be able to complete this project.

168 Man Project Day 6

I made progress yesterday, highlighting all the putties, blanket rolls, and scarves.  I also painted the drums and NCO rank insignia.  I started on highlighting the overcoats and got through over half the figures.

Today I will finish highlighting overcoats and start on the flesh highlights.  After that, all that is left is to apply gold paint to the brass fittings!

168 Man Project Day 5

Yesterday I was only able to spend about 90 minutes painting.  I highlighted the canteen straps, canteens, and forage caps.  I also painted the drum rims red.

Today I will highlight blankets, scarves, and putties.

168 Man Project Day 4

After a Saturday gaming and a Sunday with my family, I was able to put in a good painting day yesterday.  I finished all the basecoating.  Today I will start on the highlights!

168 Man Project Day 3 (Sort of)

Wednesday my youngest came down with a bug, and I spent two days nursing her back to health.  Today I was able to return to my project.

This morning I painted haversacks, cartridge boxes, percussion cap pouches, and belts black.  I also painted the muskets all black.  This afternoon I painted the musket stocks brown, and I hit the drums and bugles with brown while I was at it.  Tonight I painted all the metal fittings with steel color.

I won't be painting at all this weekend.  Day four will have to be Monday!

168 Man Project Day 2

I put in a couple hours yesterday and painted all the overcoats and trousers on these figures.

Today I will try to get the forage caps and muskets painted.

168 Man Project

I have been in something of a painting funk lately.  Nothing can kick start my painting like a large group of American Civil War figures.  I painted up those command figures in winter attire last week, and I have no troops for them to command!  I prepped 168 Union infantry from Raven Banner Games.  All these troops are in overcoat, so speed painting should be a breeze.

Yesterday I got the hair and face basecoat done.  Today I am working on their overcoats and trousers.

I'll have more pictures up tomorrow.  I would really like to hammer these out in a week.  I've never painted so many 28mm figures that fast before, but it should be doable.

Colonel MacPhee, ACW

Mike from Minuteman Miniatures sent me a package with my head on several ACW miniatures!  Pictured below are two versions of me in 28mm, one Confederate and one Union.  

The Confederate colors are from GMB Designs.  The Union colors are from Old Gunny.  I asked him to do the 17th Vermont, in which my ancestor, Private Henry M. Winsor, served.

The miniatures are from Raven Banner Games.  They make a nice match with the Minuteman sculpt!

I tried a different basing scheme for these winter attired troops.  Instead of bright green grass, I went with a dead brown.  I added a few patches of snow.

I have a couple of mounted me left to paint.

A Few 28mm Ancients

While rebasing my Gallic army last month, I realized that I could use some more command stands.  These twelve Old Glory figures came off the painting desk last week.

I also needed two more German cavalry to make up a full twelve man unit.  These are from Gripping Beast, I think.  Has Gripping Beast retired a bunch of their ancients ranges?  I looked for their Germans, Celts, and Romans, but I could not find them on the Gripping Beast website.

Gettysburg Game

It's not too often that I serve up a stinker of a scenario, but that is exactly what happened last weekend.  Jon and Kevin joined me to game the first infantry action at McPherson's Ridge on July 1st, 1863.  I took the Union forces, and Jon and Kevin took the Confederates.

Looking east from the Confederate lines

Archer's brigade in McPherson's woods.

Davis's brigade ready to sweep in on the flank.

The Iron Brigade and Cutler's brigade defend Seminary Ridge.

Jon's artillery cut Cutler to pieces.

The Iron Brigade inflicted heavy losses on Archer.

Davis's brigade was unstoppable.

By the end of the game, Cutler's brigade was gone.

The entire action took us an hour to play.  Archer (Jon) came straight on and fixed the Iron Brigade in place.  Pegram's artillery battalion pounded the Union positions, knocking off a couple of stands each turn.  Davis (Kevin) kept up the pressure on the right.  Three Union regiments simply melted away under all that fire.  Reynolds and Cutler were both killed.  It looks as though the Union army will have to pull back to Mine Run.

More 6mm Gettysburg Buildings

I'm plugging away at my Leven buildings.  Up today are two bank barns and one farmhouse.

McPherson's Barn

Trostle House and Barn

These will be on the table for tomorrow's Gettysburg game!

6mm Waterloo Buildings

My first two Waterloo buildings are done.  Both are from Leven Miniatures, and I am very pleased with how they turned out!

La Haie Farm

La Haye Sainte

I am working on a few more ACW buildings now.

Rebasing 28mm Gauls

I have sizable ancients armies in 28mm, with almost everything based for Warhammer Ancient Battles.  I used to run a wargaming club at my school, but eleven years have passed since then, and these figures have never hit the table during all that time.

Some of these armies are pretty large, with a few hundred figures.  I have Carthaginians, mid-republican Romans, late republican Romans, early imperial Romans, Macedonians, and Gauls.  Everything is based singly, as WAB required, and that really doesn't work for the big battle games I enjoy.

I was thinking about selling off those armies, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to keep them.  These were some of the first 28mm I ever painted, and they have some sentimental value to me.  I also thought it might be fun to play a game with them again!

This week I rebased my Gauls.  I used 60mm by 30mm bases for the foot and 60mm square bases for the horse.  I have six chariots, but I did not rebase them yet, as the reins will surely break if I pry them from their current bases.

Rebased Gallic Foot

Rebased Gallic Mounted

Cavalry Unit 1

Cavalry Unit 2

Warband 1

Warband 2

Warband 3

Warband 4

Warband 5

Gaisatoi (Naked Fanatics)

Slingers

Chariots

The grand total for this army is 194 foot, 27 mounted, and six chariots with 12 crew.  I'm not at all sure what rules I could use them for, but I am glad I went to the trouble to rebase them.  The army looks pretty good!  I have been moving away from 28mm figures for a while, but maybe I will add to this force in the future.