Signs of life: patience, progress and plans

Providence decided to test my patience and level of unconditional love.

I returned home yesterday to find that our youngest dog, Raven, had enjoyed a little party, more like a one-dog orgy of playful destruction, in my wargaming shed. I was not amused.

Spot the difference: one of these pachyderms has been Raven's plaything

I had a more minor incident of it early in the week, but thought that I had been necessarily firm with her in indicating that the table and all the 'delights' on it are clearly out-of-bounds. Obviously not. This time is was some lovely elephants from one of the sets of "Hannibal Crosses the Alps (Elephants)" by Linear-A that were her 'target'. I had washed them and they were under a towel for drying and to keep dust off. I'm guessing that she began by playing with the towel and then the 'bonus' of the figures were presented to her...

Mauled v not, with the bits that I retrieved.  I'm hoping to be able to rectify them with a bit of knife and putty work. It will be an enjoyable challenge to try!

Raven's first strike'. This Roman cart, now three-wheeled, was not too badly affected. I assume that the fourth wheel is deposited somewhere in dog poo. Fortunately I have some spare wheels that will do the job.

This time I was more effusive in expressing my anger (and I was more angry). Let's hope it got through this time. But hey, it's hard enough to be angry, let alone to remain so with such a beautiful creature, your mate, who knows the meaning of unconditional love and looks at you with those puppy eyes, shivering with fear at being told off so severely?! She is but one year and one month old.

How could anyone remain angry at this? I certainly cannot. Raven with her older, more sensible, 'sister' Xena behind.

I had been leaving the door of the shed open as she likes it as a haven in case of thunderstorm, other loud noise or 'scary occurrence'. I'll keep it closed for now when I am not around, with no rain nor storms forecast for a while. Hopefully she'll grow out of it, with a bit more reinforcement of boundaries from me.

Progress?

I have not posted for ages as there has not been anything much to report. Covid going around at work messed up May. Nearly everyone caught it then, including me, who passed it my wife. It slowed us both down for around 10 days followed by mild (for me) and more serious (for her) long-covid effects. June and July were a mixture of busy at work, being too cold to paint at night and a bout of the 'flu that got hold of me a bit. I got a little bit of painting (and organising) done last weekend, but it was kinder steps. This is chiefly because I have lots on the go at once and tend to throw more in as I go along (current count is 2 535 in the ‘active’ painting queue). I'll take a few hours here and there to apply some more colour to some more figures today and tomorrow.

On my desk/painting board: some of the 2 535 in the 'active' painting queue. Great Northern War Saxons and a few undercoated Roman slaves/prisoners (above) with more Saxons and some Prussians for the Great Northern War (below)

 

Julian is coming over in a couple of weeks for another game of Klissow 1702, this time testing out the Polemos Great Northern War rules. That will provide fodder for a more substantial post!

Saxons and Poles, ready enough for the next go at Klissow, at one-and-a-half times the scale of the previous game. Hopefully I'll finish them completely before the game, but we'll use them regardless.

Some more Saxons which, along with those on the desk/board will make up the army at the larger figure and ground scale.

Swedish army. As with the Saxons and Poles,  I hope that I'll finish them completely before the game, but we'll use them regardless.

 

Verdun 105 (7) Miscellaneous update

A bit of slow and steady painting has been happening (in addition to the acquisition, reading and reviewing books), along with a bit of other miscellaneous preparation for 'having a go at Verdun'.

Figures

It doesn't look like much and the figures in the photo below look dark, 'cause they are! They have been undercoated, had basing material applied and their faces, packs and rifles painted (plus a bit more on some of the artillery and 2 mm figures). They should come along quickly now as I move to uniforms, helmets and then finishing touches.

Progressing: French canon de 155 Grande Puissance Filloux (GPF), canon de 105 mle 1913 Schneider and infantry in 1/72 scale (left & centre), plus an army in 2 mm at right.

These 210 mm Mörser 10s are all but completed, requiring only the red piping to the uniforms and red bands to the caps, plus perhaps a couple of touch-ups, and then varnish and plastidip.

Barbed wire

Thanks to a page on the website of Nikolas Lloyd (aka 'Lindybeige') I was introduced to the idea of using car repair mesh for barbed wire. This is easy to do and looks really convincing (to me at least). I am musing as to whether to darken the resulting 'wire' with a bit of a wash, or simply to leave it as is. I'll probably use it as is and then see what it looks like. The shiner finish will likely work better with figures on my western front mud terrain.

Car repair mesh to use as barbed wire, a fantastic idea c/- Nikolas Lloyd at lloydianaspects.

Some coils of barbed wire attached to bases/posts.

Assorted others

A few other things on the go along with this main focus on First World War figures, guns and wire (not to be confused with "Lawyers, guns and money"...) are some Austrians and Poles for Ottoman-Hapsburg wars (and others) of the late 16th and early 17th centuries and some animals and 'early humans' to use to have a go at a game of "Paleo diet: eat or be eaten'" with the grandkids in the coming holidays. These are all really close to completion (having received base-coat, basing and black-wash) and will be getting their finishing touches when I use the required colours on First World War and/or Napoleonic troops.

(At left) Mars figures of Sobieski's Poles and late 16th/early 17th C Austrians.

Figures, men and beasts for 'Paleo Diet'.

 

Book review: The History of Toy Soldiers

My father would have loved this book. It’s full of the model soldiers from his childhood, but so much besides. Such is the extensive history provided by Toiati that Dad’s nostalgia would only have begun a few chapters into the book!

With his aptronymic name Toiati was destined to this. He has produced a sumptuous book that is like an encyclopaedia of toy/model soldiers and their manufacturers down the ages. His descriptions and explanations are written with the knowledge of a master of the subject, but one who has an absolute passion for it.

This ‘encyclopaedia’ is arranged in historical and thematic chapters. The journey begins with four chapters about the history and development of figures from the earliest known toy/model soldiers to the birth of what he calls the ‘modern’ toy soldier—a chapter with plenty of photographs of lovely flats. The remaining 12 chapters are thematic around styles and materials of production, uses or both.

Some of the lovely flats featured in chapter 4

 

Model soldiers in action. This photo of some of Ian (Stryker)'s beautifully painted Hinton Hunt figures is from the only chapter about wargaming.

Toiati is not a wargamer. He has an understanding and even some appreciation of wargaming, but the book is about model soldiers as individual representations or used in their tens or dozens as playthings. There is but one chapter about wargaming*. I would have liked to have seen more photos of figures in ‘action’, hundreds and thousands of model soldiers used to represent history in dioramas or wargames and fewer presentation or cabinet-type photos; but that is the bias of the wargamer^. This is Toiati's book, not mine!

*Reminds me a bit of when Battle Magazine was absorbed into Military Modelling and content of the former was relegated to a few pages, amongst pages and pages of absolutely beautifully painted display figures.

^Mind you, a functional approach to toy/model soldiers was ‘drilled’ into me at a young age. We all played with Dad’s Britains figures, which received quite a bashing in the process, chiefly because he considered that toy soldiers were to be played with, not left in a display cabinet. In his later years he did have a few, selected purchases in such a cabinet, but, of course, we had the less-expensive, wargame figures for ‘active duty’. 

A two-page spread of some of the paper figures featured. I have some like these in an old scrapbook.

While not a toy soldier aficionado nor collector, there is still plenty in the book for the likes of me. There is the nostalgia associated with photographs and descriptions of flats, paper figures, elastolin figures, ‘classic’ wargaming figures and plastic figures. Added to this is the pure joy of seeing so many lovely pictures of beautiful figures, from makers around the world, some battered ‘veterans’ and others with a pristine paint-job. Many of the photos are from the author's collection, some from other collectors and quite a number simply taken from various internet sites (all sources are noted).

Some battered Britains, reminiscent of the look of Dad's old Romans after he and then we three offspring had played with them. (The ones photographed here are a little older though circa 1910).

Britains souvenir figures. The Henry VIII was amongst those that my Dad had.

Airfix French cuirassiers in one of the early boxes; part of the personal nostalgia for me.

A childhood favourite; mine were the Timpo version (currently stored in my wargames room).

Toiati states that he chose to limit his research up to around the year 2000 as his focus is on “…figures already part of history. Today’s figures will have to wait for their turn to be included.” His cut-off is a little earlier than this though as, of the more wargame-related figures, there is a description of Hinton Hunt, Les Higgins, Hinchliffe, Minifigs, Scruby (and so forth), amongst the metal figures, but none of Foundry, Élite, Essex, Front Rank, Dixon, Peter Pig, Warrior, Old Glory or any of the plethora of post-60s–70s manufacturers. In plastic we have Airfix, Matchbox, Atlantic and Esci/Italeri, but no Hat, Strelets, Zvezda and so on.

Nevertheless with its 621 pages packed with beautifully reproduced colour photographs and Toiati’s descriptive text full of interesting details and anecdotes, it’s a book that will naturally appeal to the collector of toy soldiers but also anyone who has had the pleasure of using and enjoying them as children or in adulthood.

Rating

Reference

Toiati, L (2019) The History of Toy Soldiers. Pen & Sword Military, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. 621 pp.

Verdun 105 (4): German Army

Having painted nearly six hundred figures* in a month, I am pretty chuffed and feeling nearly as productive as Dean at WAB Corner. 

There are a couple of 'minor' differences;

 - mine were 2 mm scale, and

- they are an abstract version compared to Dean's works of art!

 

*The actual count was 598, plus 26 horses, 16 guns & heavy mortars and 17 vehicles.

I really enjoy this tiny scale. It's great fun identifying what is what (glasses a necessity) and trying to bring them out in their best light. Looking at the photos you may well ask why I bothered, but the types are clear enough even to the naked eye and there is some remarkable detail that becomes evident on closer inspection. 

As well as the pleasure, challenge and sense of achievement in painting them, they are fit for purpose—to represent the entire Battle of Verdun in its entirety (and later other, huge battles of the First World War).

Trucks and headquarters: generic models for 'modern' periods

Looking closer at the headquarters (note two officers sitting at desk).

Trucks and a staff car

Machine guns. Clearly identifiable.

Infantry, from the front (stormtroopers at left—a bit of green and brown camo. on helmets).

Infantry from rear. Note the packs.

Cavalry column from the front.

A clearer photo taken under natural light

Above and below: cavalry from the rear under artificial and natural light. Note the leather belts.

 

Above and below: 21 cm mörser in artificial and natural light

Their big brothers. I threw these into the same 'production line'. They need final touch-up and then will be set for the larger-scale representation of sections of Verdun.

Field artillery

Heavy mortars

Trench mortars. Not such good figures in either natural or artificial light, but 'okay' and clearly differentiated.

Probably my favourites of all: the A7Vs and captured MkIVs (beutepanzers). Not for Verdun, of course, but for later battles.

One can try to photograph these figures and models too closely and this large-scale complete army effect is probably a better way to look at them!

It's interesting when the sand grains that I use in my basign mix are almost as big as the figures, but I am happy with the mud effect and smatterings of men and matériel in the mire.

Next is the French army and then I'll put them to the 'test'.

A splash of colour

Having been immersed in feldgrau, horizon bleu and mud for the past two weeks or so, it is time to go for a bit more colour.

Back to working on Napoleonic figures, but also some for the Great Turkish War (and such).

A bit of white for the shirt cuffs and cravats and these fellows will be ready for black washing, basing and the final touches. I will hopefully be back with the finished items before too long, along with a related book review.

World War One Noises

Is that by the Runettes?

No, the French and the Germans

I was disheartened by the photos of the completed First World War figures that I took last night, so tried again by the light of day. I should not photograph my painting so close-up, but the result was much improved by natural light. The gloss of the plastidip that I used appears leas 'blotchie'. Nothing can make my painting look better at close quarters, but I am happy enough with the effect to the eye (my eyes at least!).

Airfix French, classic and still 'all good' these years later. How iconic is that figure running with his arms extended?

 

 

A Hat soixante-quinzes, below arrayed in Napoleonic grand battery-style

Strelets Germans in gas masks

Predominantly Strelets German stormtroops, some Caesar and Emhar in the mix

Above and below, base coated applied to the 'big guns'

Set-up for my first play-test of Westfront: the 701st ready to attack the ant-hill

German defenders in place

The ant hill. A fictitious scenario inspired by "Paths of Glory"