From NoelW: Another Mixed Bag

This week I thought I wouldn’t get much painting done as I’ve spent most of my time rebasing a Union army. When my wife and I were courting (that’s right, in the nineteenth century) one of the things we did together was wargame. Although our armies had quite a few imaginative flourishes, they were essentially Airfix Union and Confederate. In our current lockdown state, we were reminded of this and she has suggested a revival game, though our armies are no longer Airfix. Mainly Wargames Foundry, in fact.

As they’ve not been out of the box for a dozen years, they needed reorganising so we can use Black Powder. Hers first. So I’ve been sitting out in the sunlight, prising figures from various old cardboard stands and creating units of 6 bases on 50mm square mdf.

I’ve been standardising on 50mm for several reasons. I’ve been using it for cavalry for some time, with 40mm for infantry. So three cavalry bases are almost the same length as four infantry: 150mm to 160mm. Using two ranks of foot to a base gives me normal foot units of 16 figs or 6 cavalry in one rank. That’s been my basic approach for some years. However, in the last three years, I’ve been building most new armies as individual figures on single bases, to make their use for skirmish games, sieges and rough terrain easier. In mass battles I put them in sabots, generally four figures per sabot. These sabots have to be 50mm square. 

As I rather like lots of variety in my forces, I’ve some armies built of units of 12 individual figures in those sabots, so still the 150mm frontage. Small units are not everyone’s cup of tea, but they’re (obviously) quicker to paint, meaning more scope for variety in the army as a whole, and they can be brigaded together into “brigades” of 24 figs, if I want that. My wife’s Union army is basically units of 24 fig foot and 12 figure cavalry, now on 50mm bases to fit that general pattern.

So here’s the rebasing for this week, about two thirds of her army. The sharp-eyed amongst you will see that the rearmost unit and general are Confederate. I sneaked those in! 

No points for the rebasing, of course, but I’m going to count them off against my British Intervention Force target, as these forces will form the opponents for the BIF who're on the way to support my Confederates.

But I also have managed to find time to finish some of the painting I began the four weeks ago. Two armies: the Zulu War, which is a current particular fascination, and Afghans which, though strictly for the North West Frontier, I’m including as irregulars in my Sikh Wars project.

For the Zulu Wars, I’ve four infantry that I found skulking in the back of a drawer, a mix of manufacturers:

three mounted Frontier Light Horse

and six dismounted

And five Natal Carbineers scouting the plains of Zululand:

These are all Perry figures.

The Afghans are also designed by the Perrys, some from their current range, some from their Wargames Foundry Afghan and Sikh sculpts. Firstly, 8 irregular infantry:

And finally a command stand, which I’m particularly pleased with:

For the imaginary scoreboard, that’s 9 cavalry and 19 foot, so 185 points, all of which, Stuart, will add to our little Bolt Action side challenge, to give me a current total of 275 points. I'm closing in on you!

However, I’m slipping behind my overall plan, having filled only 13 of the 16 slots I should’ve completed by now.

Project	New Task	‘Points’	Old Task	‘Points’
Agincourt
AWI	Farmstead	3
Black Seas (1/700th)
British in Egypt: 1801			Generals de Rolls’ regiment	30 60
Cape Wars	12 infantry	60
Carthaginians
Crusades	Command group	20
ECW
French in Egypt: 1801
Frostgrave/fantasy	3 Treemen	24	Frankie	5
Italian Wars
Lord of the Rings
Minden (15mm)
Ottoman
Peninsular War			12 Spanish	60
Republican Romans
Sikh/Afghan Wars	Command stand 8 Irregulars	15 40
1860s British IF/ACW			Union rebasing	0
1880s, the Sudan	Buildings	15
Walmington/Sealion			3 Civvies 6 zombies Bandstand	15 30 2
Waterloo
WW2 Desert
Zulu War	NNI Frontier Horse Natal Carbineers	30 60 50	Pearson & Chelmsford 4 foot	25 20
TOTAL		317		247