PLASTIC ZULU INDUNA

Here is an example of what can be done with a Wargames Factory 28mm plastic Zulu. I wanted an Induna for one of the regiments that I am painting and decided to do a little bit of extra work on one figure to make it special. Using a pyrogravure hot needle tool I added to and textured the feathers of the headdress - a feathered head comes on the sprue. I then used some Green Stuff to add the body apparel and a metal bracelet like those worn by important Zulus. The Martini Henry is one of the rifles that comes on the Zulu sprue. It wasn't hard to do and I think that the end result is a figure which does the job nicely. I used Vallejo paints, except for the bronze bracelet which was Lumiere Acrylic, and the black base which is Citadel black.

AN ORCISH NEW YEAR TO ALL!

Shagrat, Gorbag and all the lads wish you all a great new year for 2011. What we have here are mostly Reaper figures with a scratchbuilt skull standard. The standard bearer is not Reaper and was a figure I found in a specials box a few years ago. He wasn't a standard bearer but a few deft touches and some stern words, in the Fel Tongue of the place whose name we do not mention, soon convinced him of his new calling.

Montrose Scots- The Irish Brigade and Scots Lancers

I haven't been posting too much recently, because I have been consumed with the painting of grey!  These units are the latest addition to my Montrose Royalist army.  No Montrose army is complete without the Irish brigade.  These troops were arguably some of the most experienced and competent to fight in the civil wars.  They were desperate men, many had served as mercenaries on the continent and about a third of them were displaced Scots; many of them MacDonalds, looking to return to their piece of the homeland. They knew that the stakes were high and that there would be no privileges given if they were captured.  The figures below are a mixed bag.  The Shot are Foundry figures and the pike are made by Warlord Games.  There is a converted Foundry drummer in there somewhere.  The Colours are hand painted.

Irish Foot (Shot)

Irish Officer

The Scots lancers are all Warlord Games figures and are armed to the teeth.  Many have minor conversions, with the addition of bonnets and extra pistols. 

Lastly, the highland gentlemen (in a previous post) and the Irish Boys need a  leader.  The reputation and prowess if Alasdair MacDonald or MacColla the Devastator!  He is a character who was literally larger than life, apparently he stood a good foot taller than the average man and was a charismatic and ruthless leader.  He is credited for uniting the highland clans with Montrose and gave the Covenators something to think about!
The figures here, which will form the command of my highland gentlemen are all Warlord Games models, with MacColla being the tallest one!

On the painting table: Strathbogie Regiment of Foot (90% finished, Scots Frame gun and Crew, A Falconet Gun and crew and Montrose Himself!

ZULUS...ZULUS...ZULUS!

Still painting Zulus for the Isandlwana game at Cancon 2012. I have also indulged myself by painting some personality figures to use in the game. Empress Miniatures make some truly lovely 28mm figures for the Zulu War. Two of them I recently painted are below.

58 Zulu stands completed - a mere 5800 Zulus!

Mounted Zulu Induna - Empress Miniatures 28mm

Colonel Durnford - Empress Miniatures 28mm

Painting tips..

People are always asking on forums about undercoating and varnishing and I always mention my preferences, now I will have a spot I can link to..huzzah!!!

For priming, and in the case of my cheaper paint jobs  undercoating I use these sprays, .I purchase them from Bunnings or Magnet  Mart or anywhere I come across them.  They are around $11AUD each. .These are superior  to other purely  hobby branded spray cans , being much more robust in their finish  and only half the price. The Primer ,I have been told is an acrylic lacquer, and  dries quite  hard, goes on easily and covers well. From that point I either spray them with  the Matte black or undercoat in Tamiya flat brown through the airbrush.Always allow 24 hours for the Primer to dry. It dries dead flat..if you have shaken it up well. The black, on the other hand being only Matte has an annoying sheen.

 When the miniature is finish I then coat it with the above, with a thick big brush..and allow to dry. If you are going to use  Testors dullcote then I find this to be a crucial process.this being a Matte, not a flat, dries with a bit of an annoying sheen..but..

then comes the final varnishing ..I am just beginning to use Dullcote again..I used it all the time when I painted in oils and enamels.. but I found Acrylics a bit delicate . It is usually safe if you have sealed your mini with the Jo Sonja's Matte..if not it can eat you acrylics right off to the metal.
But my favourite is  seen in the last picture .Gunze H20 flat clear..if you have let the Matte varnish dry completely, and conditions are  perfect, or near perfect, then I run it through the airbrush, mixed well in my paint shaker  for about 2 minutes,  with about  1:5  ratio of Windex window cleaner/Varnish  and spray away .

People don't take seriously the paint shaker..bad luck for them I say. An absolute must in my opinion. especially using tear dropper acrylics. I routinely  shake all my new dropper bottles before first  use., and it is a boon in "recovering" paint that has dehydrated to some extent..a small amount of Window cleaner and a five minute shake and you can usually bring  dieing GW paint back to complete a useful life.
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/rob/rob411.htm
http://www.robart.com/store/hobby-tools/paint-shakers

The King and Queen of Brussia

His Emminence The Elector Spiritual,

His Emminence The Elector Spiritual, The Prince-Archbishop of Witzboldfeld, Johan-Louis von Christofberg, Primate of all the German People of the Reich, and some of the habitues  of, and visitors to, his most colourful of courts, seen at the ceremonial consecration of the new colours of the Elector's Guard Grenadiers, so sadly and recently lost at the Battle of Grosser Feuerbach.

The Elector Spiritual and some of his  friends
More at

http://cardinalhawkwood.blogspot.com/2010/12/elector-spiritual.html

General Stahl, the Undefeated ... completed

Major General Friedrich Phillip-Emmanuel Kristian von GansPflücken, Baron Stahl, Count of Sontar , Proprietor of Ir10., von Sontar and his chum Don Emillio Estevez ,Alban consul at the Court of the Elector Spiritual

 more to be seen at
http://cardinalhawkwood.blogspot.com/2010/12/general-stahl-undefeated.html

YETI & OGRE

A Yeti and an Ogre have some words over who will be boss of the block! The Ogre is a Reaper figure. The Yeti was given to me by Nate who lurks on the fringes of this blog and I painted it a couple of years ago. Both are nice big well detailed and nicely animated figures which I have yet to use on the tabletop - still trying to figure out how to include a Yeti into a Fire and Fury Regimental game, anyone got any ideas?

inGobamakhosi

ISANDLWANA ZULUS PROGRESS

45 stands done with five figures per stand - at 1 figure equals 20 that's 4500 Zulus. Only another 16,000 or so to go! Almost finished the inGobamakhosi Regiment which had 4000 men in it at Isandlwana - that's 40 stands.

General Stahl, the Undefeated ... a WIP

http://thecardinalspaintingblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Stahl

69th New York at 1st Bull Run.

Here are some 28mm Redoubt Miniatures painted as the 69th NY at 1st Bull Run. The flags they are carrying are the ones they carried at that battle. The Green flag is the "Prince of Wales" flag presented to the regiment for refusing to parade in honour of the visiting Prince of Wales during his visit to NY City. This was similar in style but different in detail to the flags later carried by the 69th NY and other members of the Irish Brigade. During the battle several color bearers carrying the POW flag were shot down and it was ordered that the flag be furled as it was attracting undue attention. The order was refused! At 1st Bull Run it was a very hot day and the regiment had ditched its coats and gone into battle wearing shirts or even bare chested. Finding a figure to represent a bare chested soldier is a challenge, but I would like to find, or even make one.

None Can Resist the Highland Charge of Montrose's Highland Rabble and Gentlemen!

Here are some images below of the highland lads who joined with Montrose to give him a hand defending the highlands (and lowlands) from the protestant Covenanters.  These boys probably were'nt worried about religious differences as much as taking up the opportunity to give the Campbell Clan a good kicking.  Armed with an array of weapons, both improvised and manufactured, the sight of these wild and hairy men bearing down upon you with their lochamber axes, claymores and anyting else at hand would have made the most stoic of faith question their convictions to the cause!

Old Glory Highland Rabble.

Wargames Foundry Highland Gentlemen

There's nothing 'gentle' about these lads though!

Stop! Stop! -you brutes! This Foppish highland fodder is made by Essex  with a Warlord plastic mount.

*On the painting table- My Montrose Scots army is coming along well (now that I am back from the USA)- The Irish Brigade are near completion along with Some Scots Lancers.   

ROMANS IN THE MIST

Some of my 54mm Romans lost in the German Mists.

MY GLORIOUS OBSESSION

In 1983 I started pottering around with Milliput and made some masters for 35mm early C18th infantry. I then made some drop cast moulds and cast a score or so figures, painted them and then for the next twenty or so years did nothing more. In late 2008 I decided to finally do something about this, dug out the moulds and started casting again. I now have eight 32 figure regiments, four Allied and four French. This is an ongoing project. I am currently working on remastering the infantry and have the beginnings of a mounted cavalry man. I need to make gunners for the Price August guns I have. Once these new masters are done I will make drop cast moulds for them and cast them myself. It is an excellent way to recycle all that useless unpainted lead we all have. I must admit I do enjoy doing this. It is one way to be completely independent of the hyper commercialized fad driven 'industry' the hobby seems to have become today. I have been accused by some of being 'obsessed', I have no arguments with this so here are some pictures of my Glorious Obsession.

A Very British Civil War

Played a game today at the Goulburn Valiant Stormers club using the Very British Civil War rules. The scenery was very good as were the models used. Here are some photos.

Defending the Fence Y'all!

Here are some of my 54mm Rebs defending their fence-line against the oncoming Yankees. They are actually in my display cabinet but the photo looked so good I had to share it. The fence was scratch built for another project, but stands in nicely as a Civil War prop.