Paint 'em or Purge 'em

After 18 months of no additions to the ECW collection, I decided it time to revisit the project.  With most of the ECW figures having been painted and mustered out from The Lead Pile long ago, the project is considered finished.  A few bits and pieces linger but no pressing needs remain.  Is this true that the project is finished with little need for expansion?  From experience, this is rarely the situation.

Digging through the boxes of metal, a box of TAG figures emerged.  Ah, I remember these.  Seems only one unit of TAG cavalry has seen the paint brush to date.  Why not add another regiment of horse?  Indeed, why not?

As work progressed on the next nine horsemen, I dug around some more in the pile.  Out of the figure stash came about two-dozen musketeers.  Now, these are really dressed for the earlier Thirty Years War but they could see service in my ECW project in a variety of roles.  But does the project really need more musketeers with no complement of pikemen?  

These musketeers could be pressed into service as commanded shotte, militia, or baggage guards.  Since there are no dedicated commanded shotte or town militia mustered out in the collection, a need could conceivably exist.  Oh, and the figures are beautiful too!

Having never fielded either commanded shotte, town militia, or firelocks/baggage guard in a game, perhaps simply purging these figures is the prudent way forward.  Of course, maybe the right scenario has yet to make it to the table?

As my decision hangs in the balance, what would you do?  I will count up the responses and see where the issue stands.  Perhaps someone will lay a convincing claim to these figures before I push them into the painting queue? 

Paint 'em or Purge 'em? 

I may have answered my own question...

State of the Painting Desk

Lancashire Games' 15mm French

Having returned this week from a two week holiday in Italy, I sat down at the painting desk midweek.  With paint to the face and greatcoat applied to the French line shown above before I departed, I picked up where I left off.  At the first painting session, I discovered my eyes must be reconditioned to see the detail on the little buggers clearly.  Painting almost daily must exercise my eyes for this close work and condition them for the task at hand.  With more than two weeks between painting sessions, my eyes required a bit of retraining.  Oh, the hazards of aging.

With a coating of Minwax stain, the 15mm French line infantry for the 1859 project are in the final stages of completion.  The high gloss of the Minwax makes it difficult to distinguish detail in the photo.  That will be resolved once they get a spray of Dullcote.  Needing only sufficient curing time for the stain, these 36 figures will soon receive an application of Dullcote and then move on to basing.

Next up are a dozen Old Glory French hussars for the 1859 project shown in the foreground and three figures from Casting Room Miniatures for a Great Italian Wars' command stand in the back. As seen from the photo above, only the horse base coat has been deposited.

Figures are lining up in the painting queue as I prepare for the fourth quarter painting push to field sufficient figures before the year-end painting tally.  With a 2016 personal painting goal of 900 figures, I should make that objective handily.

Of course, a battery of travelogue photos from the latest Italian trip will be forthcoming as I work my way through the hundreds of photos.  Venice from the 2009 trip gets a revisit as does Rome from my 2014 trip.  Included in the 2016 review will be visits to the fortress cities of Verona, Peschiera del Garda, and Mantova.  With three of the four fortresses in the Italian Quadrilateral covered in this trip only Legnano remains to visit to complete the foursome.

Finally, a BatRep describing the night assault by Trimble and Lawton to finish off the Action at Brawner's Farm is in progress.        

State of the Painting Desk

Having finally returned home after a week away for work, I find the painting desk exactly as left.  That is, several projects in work.  After I catch up on a few household chores, hopefully, I can get back to the painting desk.

What lurks on the painting desk today?  Well, I real mish-mash of projects are posed on the desk.  The figures in work comprise:

• 2 x 25mm Russian limbers and teams for the 19th Century Great Game project.  Each limber has four horses, limber, and two outriders.
• 1 x Sikh gun and four crew for the 19th Century Great Game project.
• 2 x Mounted knights as a command group for the 28mm Reconquista project.
• 2 x Mounted officers as a command group for the 28mm Great Italian Wars project.
• 5 x 28mm U.S.A Rocketmen by Bob Murch. What?  I surprised myself by pulling them from The Lead Pile!  Very cool models and a blast to paint.

After the desk is cleared from these items, focus likely returns to either the 15mm 1859 or 18mm 1799 projects but who knows?

Still in work is a recap of painting analytics covering the first half of 2016 and a replay of the Battle of Brawner's Farm.  Seems summertime weather is drawing my attention away from the hobby.

Until next time...

State of the Painting Desk

On the painting desk this evening, I near completion of a large tranche (for me, anyway) of figures for the Great Italian Wars project.  The 28mm figures are from The Assault Group's (TAG) Renaissance range.  Outstanding sculpting with a more slender build than either Old Glory or Foundry.  These figures will look fine on the gaming table along with the other manufacturers' works.

Coming in at 39 figures, these Italian pikemen will form 3 x 13 figure, Impetvs-sized stands to form one pike block.  This is a lot of figures to contend with on the painting desk especially considering the unwieldiness of the pikes.  I look forward arraying these lads onto their bases and lining them up into one block.  First a Minwax treatment is due for these guys.  

At some point, complementing this pike block will be a couple of 'S' class stands of arquebus and crossbowmen.  These forthcoming missile troops will also be supplied by TAG.

Before work on the pike block finishes up, a twelve figure regiment of Austrian hussars for the 1799 project will see the inside of the photo booth.  

NB: Phil suggested the pikemen should be wearing gloves to protect hands from the pike.  I agree but saw no gloves modeled on the figures.  I considered repainting as suggested but remembered my painting inspiration for these TAG figures.  That inspiration was Funcken's cover of The Age of Chivalry Part II seen below.  Note the fellows are all barehanded.

Mobile State of the Painting Desk

Paint station still life

This week saw my routine monthly journey to Seattle for a week in the home office.  Rather than may usual, fair-weather companion of the bicycle tagging along for the 600 mile round trip, I added a twist to occupying my time spent after work.  At the last minute, I decided to include a mobile painting station into the car for the week away.

Packed and ready to go

The mobile station consists of an interlocking three-tiered, stackable container with a handy carrying handle.  The container caught my eye while shopping for additional storage boxes in which to house painted figures.  Upon inspection, I thought this solution would be ideal for transporting a few items for a mobile painting desk.  Into these compartments were placed the paints needed for the tasks at hand, a handful of brushes, a couple of knives, bottles of glue and epoxy, and figures.  Everything needed for a mobile painting kit.

Mobile painting kit

The figures brought along were enough to build two units.  One figure group consisted of 17 figures to complete a 28mm Baden infantry battalion for the 28mm Penninsular War project; the other a five figure unit of mounted Gendarmes for the Great Italian Wars project.

Badeners and Gendarmes

Midway through the week, the Badeners by Murawski Miniatures are about half finished.  The Foundry Gendarmes only have a base coat of horse flesh laid down.  By Friday how much further will each of these progress?  Even if I make no more progress while away, I will arrive home with a solid start on two units.

State of the Painting Desk

Sikh Nobles

With work taking me away from home for a week, I return to the painting desk to find my painting elves used my absence to take the week off from painting too.  The rascals!

Activity at the workbench is slowly returning to normal with two groups of figures currently in progress.  Farthest along in the painting process are a dozen Wargames Foundry Sikh noble cavalry for the Great Game project.  These wild guys outfitted in all manners of dress will likely roll off the painting desk this weekend.

The second group of figures in work is 36 x 15mm Lancashire Games' Austrians for the 1859 project.  These 36 figures will comprise 2 x 18 figure battalions of a four battalion regiment.  The other two battalions will make it into the painting queue a little later.   

Lancashire Austrians

Soon to go under the brush is a BTD Egyptian chariot as a test model.  A single chariot was picked up in one of BTD's 50% sales as a glimpse of the Egyptian range in person.  First impression of the chariot is that the model is first rate.  I look forward to slapping a bit of paint on this fine contraption.

On the gaming front, Kevin and Jake joined to give Impetvs Baroque its first outing on the table.  Despite this being the first game, the game progressed smoothly.  A few questions surfaced during the game but most were addressed satisfactorily.  Play was quick with a decision taking under three hours.  A BatRep and rules' review will follow at some point.  

Finally, in a continuation of the running battles of Pharsalus using Commands & Colors Ancients, Caesar beat Pompey twice.  In the first of the two contests, Pompey was thrashed 7 banners to 0.  Impressive victory for Caesar!

State of the Painting Desk

While the gaming table remains cluttered and inactive, the painting desk remains active.  Well, the painting desk is cluttered too bad that is SOP!

With Front Rank Vistula lancers waiting for a photo op., on the painting desk are 36 cavalry.  Quite unusual for me to tackle 36 horsemen at one time but with room on the painting block, I put them all into the production line at on time.

The 15/18mm cavalry are nearing completion and consist of a dozen French hussars for 1799 project (foreground), a dozen French Chasseurs d'Afrique for the 1859 project (middle ground), and a dozen Austrian dragoons for the 1799 project (background).  All three groups are from a different manufacturer with French hussars from Eureka, Chasseurs d'Afrique from Old Glory, and the dragoons from AB.  The early French hussars in mirliton are actually Eureka Saxon cavalry.  When finished, each will get its parade review.  For now, I will add that the Eureka hussars are exquisite!

After a long gaming hiatus, looks like a game is on the docket for this weekend.  My plan is to get in a couple games of Commands & Colors: Ancients.  No need to clear the gaming table for this event.  The kitchen table is perfect for laying out the hex mat and deploying the 6mm miniatures out for battle.  Battle under consideration is Pharsalus.  The Society of Ancients' Battle Day features Pharsalus this year, so I figured I ought to give it a run-out as well.

State of the Painting Desk

With work taking me out of town for a week, the production line on the painting desk fell silent.  Not only was the painting desk inactive but the gaming table has become a convenient resting place for things to be categorized and put away later.  As the game room photo shows, the Chain of Command layout from several months back is still laid out on the table.  I keep thinking that I will return to the scenario and play it out solo.  Maybe I will; maybe I won't.  Nevertheless, gaming at the table has been silent since that last "Home" game way back in November.  Time sure flies.

Now, for the painting desk.  Upon returning from my business trip, the production line is once again beginning to churn back to life.  At present, I have three groups of figures in work.  Likely to be the next off the painting desk are 32 French chasseurs for the 1859 project.  These 32 figures will be fielded as two battalions.  The yellow on dark blue caps make these fellows very distinctive on the battlefield.  Sharing the painting box with the chasseurs are a half-dozen Perry Stradiots for the Great Italian Wars project.  With a unique and interesting headgear and shields, these light horse will make colorful additions to the collection.

Also in the production line are eight Front Rank lancers for the Peninsular War project.  When building a Peninsular War project, who cannot help but field the Vistula Legion lancers?  Remembering the success of the Vistula Lancers at Albuera, I could not resist fielding a unit of these beauties.

Well, that sums up the state of the painting desk for this time.

State of the Painting Desk

Four different projects are currently seeing progress on the painting desk as 2015 winds down.  Those four projects witnessing action are:

• 28mm Peninsula War - two French legere skirmishers left out of the earlier deployment of the 4th Legere Regiment
• 25mm Great Game Project - 24 Sikh infantry
• 25mm Spanish American War project - two Gatling guns and crew
• 28mm Reconquista project - four camel troopers. 

Quite a variety but all common to the 25/28mm size.  Will these muster off the painting desk before 2015 takes its last breath?  I think so.

While too early for me to plan and then commit towards plans for 2016 painting goals, my year-end thoughts have been drawn to a notion of attempting to focus painting output on 15/18mm projects.  High on that Wish List sits the 1799 and 1859 projects.  Add in the SYW and Samurai Battles projects and 2016 could be wholly consumed by 15/18mm grist for the painting mill.  Without the 2015 analytics to back up my hypothesis, seems much of 2015 output concentrated on 25/28mm figures.  Was that the situation?  I will confirm in a week or two when the annual painting totals are tallied.

Over the last several weeks, a number of wargaming items have plopped into my mailbox.  Books, games, rules, figures, and supplies are a few of the categories having been deposited.  Likely, at least a few of these will be recounted in coming posts.

Finally, holiday social activities continue tonight with card games (no wargaming fare, though) with friends and family followed by a wargaming session on Sunday.

State of the Painting Desk

I have been traveling for a week.  To help remind me of what is currently in work on the painting desk, I snapped this WiP photo before my departure.

On the painting desk awaiting my return are two works in progress.  The first WiP on the left are the horses for four Russian hussars for the The Great Game project.  These four hussars will be recruited to bring one of the hussar regiments up to a full complement of twelve troopers.

The second WiP is a regiment of 24 ACW Zouaves to be fielded as the 114th PA.  While I currently have no plans of adding a 28mm ACW project to the Project Ledger, I picked up several handfuls of the Sash & Saber figures a few years ago.  Remember when Sash & Saber had a huge 50% sale?  That seems like a very long time past.  Not being able to pass up a bargain, I added to the Lead Pile a couple hundred of these figures.  With these figures, I plan too muster at least four or five regiments of Federals.  Hopefully, Scott will let me slip these into his next ACW game? 

Something to look forward to when I return to the painting desk.

State of the Painting Desk

With work taking me out of town for the week, I snapped a couple of photos to remind myself what was in work when I departed.  What was on the painting desk when I left?

Nearing completion are two units.  The first, is a twelve figure regiment of four squadrons of Sardinian light cavalry for the 15mm Risorgimento project.  The cavalry are Mirliton.  The second is a sixteen figure battalion of combined light infantry for the 28mm AWI project.  Figures are from Perry Miniatures' excellent AWI metal range. 

Perry AWI and Mirliton Risorgimento

As noted, both units are nearing completion having undergone the Minwax treatment and a spray of Dullcote before heading out for the week.  Once I return to the painting desk, it will be time to base the figures.

In a less completed state is a French line infantry regiment of 36 figures.  These 36 figures will comprise 3 x 12 figure battalions.  Figures are primarily Lancashire Games with a few Old Glory command added.

Lancashire and Old Glory Risorgimento

Completing these works will get August painting off to a good start.

State of the Painting Desk

With sizzling summer temperatures outside, one might think painting would pick up as I head down into coolness of the basement for long painting sessions.  That has not been the situation. Increased travel and more time spent outdoors on the bike and in the yard have decreased the amount of time spent bent over the painting desk.

Given those distractions, the paint desk did see some activity this week.  On the desk are three works-in-progress.  Up front are 24 Wargames Foundry Sikhs from the Indian Mutiny range.  These fine fellows will likely see service in one of Kevin's many colonial expeditions.  In the center are eight Renegade Libyan javelinmen to be fielded as two, four figure stands of skirmishers for Impetvs.  In the back ranks are 16 Wargames Foundry Landsknecht/Swiss handgunners.

It is the latter group of handgunners that is giving me the most consternation and hesitancy.  These represent the first of the many Renaissance figures I need to paint in order to fill out a collection purchased from Phil this past winter.  The problem is that I am filled with indecision about how to tackle these potentially, colorful troops.  When I gaze upon the serried ranks of Phil's excellent pikemen, I wonder, how can I do these justice?  Oh well, somehow paint will get applied.  Perhaps, after the first few of these kaleidoscopely dressed handgunners are under my belt, I will see the light.

One final note, I took advantage of Front Ranks' recent offer of one free figure for each BP10 spent.  When I made the 28mm Napoleonic push over the winter months, I discovered that several units were not up to muster.  Also needed to recruit a few more skirmishers too.   The 28mm Napoleonic project should be set for the foreseeable future. 

Having a forecast of hot, hot, hot for the next two weeks, an opportunity to escape the oppressive heat in the coolness of the game room would be welcome.  Another episode of the Raab battle is possible this long, holiday weekend.

State of the Painting Desk

After more than a fortnight away scrambling around the Peruvian Highlands, I return to the painting desk.  In my absence, the painting desk lay fallow and the gaming table quiet.  With much activity on the home/work front following my return, I was unable to get in even one short painting session in this week.  Hopefully, I can make some time for a painting session or two this weekend after wrestling the yard back into shape following two weeks' neglect.

What is on the painting desk this morning?

State of the Painting Desk

Well, in the background are three battalions' worth (36 figures) of French Line infantry for the 15mm Risorgimento project.  After fielding a few French battalions of Freikorps, When the Navy Walked, and Lancashire Games, I turn to the large pile of unpainted Old Glory French.  The Old Glory figures are much more dynamically posed than the others and offer an interesting contrast.  Sculpting is quite good but many of the bits are molded fragilely.  Already, one officer's handgun has been lost.  I am interested to see how these figures fit with the three manufacturers mentioned earlier.  My Old Glory Austrians and Sardinians are very handsome and I see no reason why these French should not be as well.

In the foreground is a sample of five offerings from Zvezda in their 1/100th (15mm) line of plastic WWII vehicles.  The pieces snap together with only a bit of glue and the results are good.  The few other vehicles on hand for this project are molded in metal.  Once painted, I will make a comparison.  An assortment of fifteen such kits were picked up about a month or two ago when they were offered on discount.  

State of the Painting Desk

WiP on the painting desk

With house guests over the weekend, the painting desk experienced a drop off in activity (as in none).  Progress was seen earlier in the week, though.  The resolution of the Battle of Raab, which has recently begun raging across the gaming table, has been slowed by guests too.

On the painting desk are an assortment of units from three different projects.  Nearing completion are 12 French cavalry for the 15mm 1799 Suvorov project, 12 Austrian Uhlans and 12 Sardinian Bersaglieri for the 15mm 1859 Risorgimento project, and 96 Roman infantry for the 6mm Punic Wars project.  All of the 15mm figures are Lancashire Games' figures and represent my first close look at Lancashire cavalry.  The 15s should be ready for basing and completed this week with individual reviews to follow.

French battle cavalry from the early Napoleonic Wars

Returning to the topic of house guests, I am often a little uneasy about having to explain my hobby to strangers.  Why?  That is a good question.  Anyway, this unease is magnified when the guest is a work colleague of my wife to whom I have no relationship.  How would I explain this to her and her husband?  Of course, sometimes it can be avoided but not when the primary guest quarters are reached by passing through the game room.  When a battle is out on the table, that is a distraction hard to miss.

In this instance, however, I was quite in luck.  As I brought their luggage downstairs and through the game room, we paused to discuss what exactly they were seeing.  Turns out, he has an interest in history and game theory.  How about that?

After discussions on history, game theory, probability, and game design, I suggested we have a go with an introductory game of Commands & Colors: Ancients to illustrate some of these points.  He agreed and I set up the game as I explained the rules.  The Battle of Cannae was chosen as the battlefield is featureless and no elephants are present.  I took the Romans and we began.  After about an hour of instruction and play, I found myself on the losing end of a lopsided 7-2 defeat.  Ouch!

State of the Painting Desk

With work taking me out of town for the week, the painting desk lays quiet.
What awaits when I return are three battalions (36 figures) of French infantry for the 1859 Risorgimento project started before my departure.  

Lancashire French in work

The colors on the tunics, gaiters, and pants have been blocked.  Work will progress quickly once webbing is added.  The French uniform from this period is one of my favorite uniforms.  Blue tunics, pantaloon rouge, and white gaiters are a striking combination.  The figures are Lancashire Games and are the first of the Lancashire French to see paint.  Nice figures!

Having so much Risorgimento lead hit The Lead Pile recently from Mirliton and Lancashire, motivation is high to focus on this project.  While enough Sardinians and Austrians are under arms for a good-sized game, French troops are sorely lacking.  Time to field a few French battalions so Napoleon III can take have a shot at glory on the battlefield.  Besides, it has been about two years since the 1859 collection was last out on the table for a game.

Before the 1859 project can take to the field for a contest, preparations for a refight of the Napoleonic Battle of Raab, 1809 are underway.  Raab has been fought on more than one occasion and time to revisit this battle and get my 18mm Napoleonics out onto the gaming table after too long of an absence.

Also nearing completion is the last unit of my Napoleonics painting push that spanned nearly two months.  Needing basing and flocking is one battalion of the 60th Rifle Regiment.

Once the 60th is finished, a group pass in review of the recent Napoleonic additions is in order.   

State of the Painting Desk

Despite interior painting in full scale this past weekend, time was found for a few relaxing sessions at the painting desk too.  Both painting tasks I find relaxing although time spent figure painting is much preferred. 

On the workbench, the finishing touches are being applied to two battalions of 28mm Napoleonic infantry: one British (foreground) and one Swiss (background).

With both having red jackets, I figured why not knock out two red-coated battalions at once?  Of course, with different accoutrements only a little time was saved.  In the end, two battalions will march off the desk instead of the usual one.

To the right of the photo is a portion of the next unit to see action on the painting desk once the infantry have mustered out.  That next unit to see the brush with be French chasseurs a cheval from Front Rank. 

This edition's look at the painting desk shows a surprise entry.  The surprise is a jump start into my planned Great Italian Wars project in 28mm.  Part of the recent haul of lead for this project included about 100 painted figures of Swiss and Landsknecht.  The pike figures arrived expertly based on 40mm x 40mm bases with four figures per base.  At first I considered mounting three such bases onto an Impetvs sized sabot but quickly realized I would not be able to duplicate the basing technique.  With an overnight soak, the existing bases were removed and the figures dried and affixed to the standard Impetvs base.

That is where I am in the rebasing process.  Now, the bases need painting and flocking.  Once completed, ten pike blocks, four doppelsoldner, and two gun stands (not shown) will be ready for action.  Nearly an instant army.  Nice, eh?  

State of the Painting Desk

Today's snapshots of the painting desk show, not surprisingly, a bit of variety.

One project seeing some attention is the 15mm 1859 Risorgimento project.  In work are two, 12 figure Sardinian grenadier battalions from Lancashire Games and three Austrian limbers and teams from Freikorps 15s.

1859 figures in work

Also on the desk are eight, Front Rank British hussars for the Peninsular War project.  Once I get a little further along with the horses, I will need to pick the regiment to field. 

Front Rank Napoleonic horse flesh

Finally, a second group of 15 Old Glory U.S. infantry for the Spanish-American War project await the brush.  The Americans for the SAW project are a great diversion in between painting the more complex uniforms for either SYW or Napoleonics.  Switching between scales and projects is an excellent deterrent to brush burn-out.

Old Glory SAW U.S. infantry

The last two weeks have witnessed a large influx of unpainted lead into The Lead Pile.  Some of this was not my fault.  No, really.  From the postman came about 100 Front Rank Napoleonics, several hundred Old Glory Italian Wars figures, about 100 TAG Italian Wars figures, handfuls of BTD Trojan War figures, close to 400 Lancashire figures for the 1859 project, and about 100 Foundry Italian Wars figures.  Hmm.  Looks to me like a couple of new projects are in the offing.

I was pondering the notion of having 2015 as the year of painting more than purchased.  Thankfully, that was not a New Years' resolution.  Clearly, I am already behind the eight ball.  I need some restraint...

Project Plans for 2015?  Well, that needs more careful thought.

SAW U.S. Colored Infantry - Old Glory

With a year-end painting push, holidays, two games in the rear-view mirror and a return to work, I found myself with little time or motivation to get down to the game room for quality, evening painting sessions this week.

What I did get accomplished on the painting front was a 15 figure unit of Spanish-American War U.S. Colored infantry.  Figures are 25mm Old Glory and utilize the same, advancing body poses as the other U.S. infantry but the faces have been redone.  The detailing on the faces is disappointing compared to the fine quality of the other U.S. figures in this range.  On the gaming table, the figures will look great.

Also on the painting desk are two squadrons of Eureka 18mm SYW Prussian dragoons.  These troopers with become two, 6 figure squadrons from Dragoon Regiment #1.  Two squadrons from the 1st mustered out long ago so the addition of these will bring the regiment up to four squadrons.  It has been a long time since Prussian cavalry has seen action at the painting desk so very good to get to work on Prussian cavalry.

My Secret Santa should recognize these figures as they were part of my package from my generous benefactor.

Secret Santa, I respect your anonymity but I would appreciate the knowledge of your identity for proper recognition.

State of the Painting Desk - Black Friday

No, not that Black Friday but a few days spent black priming figures.

With warmer but wetter weather hovering overhead and year-end looming, time to restock the painting queue for the final painting push of 2015.  Often in mid-December it becomes too cold to prime even in the garage but this week temperatures have remained in the low 40s (F).

These moderate temperatures allow for a few good sessions of figure priming.  I pulled a number of unit equivalents from The Lead Pile and set to work with the black priming. 

Hit with the primer were a variety of figures in various sizes and periods.  A couple of 28mm Napoleonics units are ready for paint as are 28mm AWI, 28mm ACW, and 28mm Ancients.  For 15mm, the SYW and 1859 projects have figures in waiting. Perhaps some of these will see the brush before year-end. 

On the painting desk, two 28mm units are nearing completion with only base work to complete.  One of these units is a 24 man British battalion for the 1st Afghan War.  Just behind the Brits in the photo is an Impetvs stand of Celt warriors.  These are the first Celts painted for the Punic Wars project.  A second group of Celt warrior figures are in the painting queue.  In the background is a SYW Prussian musketeer battalion of Blue Moon figures with only their flesh and coats finished.  In the foreground, two battalions' worth of 1859 Austrians wait in queue.  The Austrians are the first of the Lancashire Miniatures I picked up a few weeks ago.  Looking forward to giving these fellows a slap with the paint brush and then seeing how they look alongside their Old Glory brethren.

On the 15mm AWI Chadd's Ford battle, the opportunity to make progress on this rules' test did not materialize over the Thanksgiving holiday.  I did manage to churn through the first three turns but little contact of note yet.  The British are driving towards the Brandywine but Maxwell's light infantry are doing a good job in delaying the British right column from making timely progress.  The British left column is pushing towards the creek with no opposition. 

Looking at my painting log over the last 20 (!) years, I noticed a bit of seasonality to my painting output.  Is that perceived seasonality significant in a statistical sense or merely notional?  Expect a deeper analysis in the coming weeks.  Does your painting production exhibit any seasonal tendencies?  If so, what is the pattern?

State of the Painting Desk

State of the Painting Desk is really just a random snapshot of the works in progress on the workbench.  Last month's snapshot featured Napoleonics with Elite infantry and Front Rank cavalry in work.  The October snapshot illustrates that the Napoleonic theme continues although other units have passed across the table in the interim.  More 28mm Napoleonics are seeing action at the paint station in today's photo.  Elite Miniatures and Front Rank are again featured with 14 Elite British rifles in the background and 16 Front Rank French legere in the middle.  In the fore are Battle Honors' ACW figures that will stand in for Garibaldi for the 1859 project.

A number of other figures have been prepped, stuck to golf tees, and awaiting their turn at the brush.  What else is coming up?  More French mortars for the Narvik project; heavy this time.  The 28mm Punic Wars project has a unit of African spear in queue and the SAW project soon will have American dismounted cavalry undergoing the brush.  Oh, I have a handful of old Minifig Native Americans to paint for the 15mm AWI project.

The 15mm AWI project has been dormant for a long time.  At one point, I figured the project was complete.  My problem is that a dose of AWI gaming has energized me to add a few more units to the project even if not needed for gaming.  While all of the Jeff Valent and Frontier figures are long gone, a few packets of Minifigs and Freikorps remain to be painted.  I am afraid LotF may see a return to painting German and British units in 28mm too.  Does it never end?  Woe is me...