Preview: Lancashire Games' 18mm Napoleon in Egypt

NiE infantry (front)

Lancashire Games is preparing a release of 18mm figures for a new Napoleon in Egypt (NiE) range.  As the range approaches release, Allan from Lancashire Games sent a small package of French figures in Kleber helmet from this new release.  Allan asked me to take a look at the figures, paint a few, and offer my impressions.

NiE infantry (back)

In the package were twelve figures with three poses each of advancing, marching, firing/loading, and command.  Also in the package were eight French artillery crew in four poses.

18mm AB (L), 18mm Lancashire (C), 15mm Lancashire (R)

First off, the figures are billed as 18mm.  That they are.  From the sole of the shoe to the eye is about 18mm.  Compared with AB Miniatures, they are both taller and chunkier.  The sculpting style of the NiE range is definitely of the chunky style of sculpting.  Standing next to the NiE figure, the Lancashire Games' 15mm French infantry from the mid-19th Century range appears diminutive and slender. 

Firing, loading, and command (front)

Command, firing, and loading (back)

Before painting each of the figures, I lined them up for a photo shoot in the bare lead.  Besides being of a heavy, chunky style of sculpting, the figures are reminiscent of a cartoonish style of modeling.  That is, some features are exaggerated while others are minimized.  That sculpting style gives the figures much character.

Marching and advancing (front)

Advancing and marching (back)

While the infantry sculpting and casting is sharp and clean, my favorite figures in the package received are the French artillerymen.  The sculpting on the artillerymen are exceptionally well rendered with nicely raised detail and sharp, crisp features.

Artillery crew (front)

Artillery crew (back)

To get a more enhanced perspective of the nicely raised details and crisp castings, I gave four of the artillery crew a wash with Minwax stain.  Compare the artillery crew figures above with those below.  With the stain, the detailing on these figures really pops.  An army of figures with only a stain over bare metal might be a handsome sight.  I like the look.

Artillery crew with stain (front)

Artillery crew with stain (back)

Since figures often look much different in their unpainted vs painted state, how do the figures look once a coat of paint has been applied? 

Again, my favorite figures remain the artillery crew.  Great looking figures with less caricature than the infantry.  The nicely raised detail made painting easy on my aging eyes.

Artillery crew (front)

Artillery crew (back)

For the infantry, I painted each figure as a different regiment to get a sense of the kaleidoscope of color offered to this interesting and little gamed period.  Jackets, turnbacks, collars, and cuffs all offered various combinations of colors.  The "pouffe" or crest of the Kleber helmet is often multicolored with few regiments having the same color scheme.  The French infantry during the 1798 campaign would have presented themselves as a patchwork of color with variety the watchword of the day.  These are not the blue-clad troops of later years.

With figures sculpted in a larger and chunkier style, this range may not fit in with other manufacturers' ranges.  How many 18mm Napoleon in Egypt ranges are there?  Not many, I think.  The Egyptian campaign was an oddity during the Napoleonic Wars with uniforms designed specifically for the campaign.  Why not offer a unique and characterful range to represent it on the table top?  If tackled, the French army of this period will certainly present a colorful spectacle.

Friendly Temptations

25mm Foundry WWI French Infantry

My gaming buddies often have a gift exchange at Christmas.  Sometimes, the gifts are meant to fill a small niche in an existing project or expand upon reference material.  Other times, the gifts are less altruistic and the goal is to "guide" the recipient into a desired direction.  I, of course, have been guilty of both.  One of the gifts from Scott this past Christmas may fall into the latter category.  That is correct.  One of the gifts from Scott!  Very generous guy.

25mm Foundry WWI French Infantry

With an interest in WWI history and Chain of Command (CoC), Scott had been dropping a few hints that it might be quite fun to build small forces for CoC WWI.  Until listening to Dan Carlin's four part series on Blueprint for Armageddon, I never held much interest in gaming WWI outside of air combat games.  Anyway, without further explanation, I now find the early years of the war very interesting.  

Scott, knowing my attraction to the French in their pantaloon rouge, noted that the French went into battle in 1914 sporting such a uniform combination.  To further "prime the pump" one of the gifts contained an eight figure pack of Wargames Foundry WWI French.  When I opened the package, he said, "here, give these a try!"  Did I hear snickering under his breath?  I cannot quite recall.

With that, the figures went into the painting queue and here they are.  Scott, thank you for the figures.  They were a fun little painting distraction.

The second gift from Scott?  A wargame from Worthington Games entitled, Hold the Line.   Hold the Line is a low complexity hex and counter game featuring a number of battles from the AWI.  While only one game has seen action on the gaming table, it was good fun and a very enjoyable one hour spent.  I look forward to more outings with this one.   

Hold the Line: Bemis Heights

BTD German Gebirgsjager

Rather than succumb to a recent Black Tree Design offer of 50% discount against WWII infantry, I maintained a modicum of restraint and instead struck out to paint a few of these figures already resting at ease in The Lead Pile.  My limited WWII interests tend to focus on the sideshows during the early campaigns of the war.  Since German Gebirgsjager saw service in both Norway and Crete operations, German mountain troops seemed a reasonable addition to my British and German 28mm Chain of Command forces.  A small pile of BTD Gerbirgsjager lay in The Lead Pile so I began by pulling enough figures to form one section.  Going through the BTD Gebirgsjager lead  I found enough figures to field a full platoon of three sections.  A second section is on the painting desk now.  

The BTD figures looked good with much character in their unpainted state.  After applying paint, I am even more impressed with these German mountain troops.  Excellent figures with enough raised detail to make the figures a snap to paint.  Looking forward to diving into the second section of these models.  First, the painting desk is a bit backed up with several other units readying themselves for departure from the work station.

Commendable Service from...

Yes, Campaign Games Miniatures (CGM) and owner Dermot provided a most satisfactory experience on a recent order.

I have always had exemplary service from CGM over the years.  That, based on a handful of orders over the years.  As a figure manufacturer, CGM's 15mm Napoleonic figures are first rate and rank only slightly below AB.  Some figures I rate over AB.  CGM Napoleonic cavalry are especially well done.  Shipping from Barcelona, Spain to Spokane, WA has always been incredibly fast.  On one order, Dermot tried to connect me to an order while I traveled across his great Spanish countryside.  He gets high marks for effort on that one!

CGM's Shopping Cart user interface is the best I have encountered.  Adding and deleting from the Shopping Cart is a snap.  No 40% of order value for shipping to USA either.  Rather, CGM's shopping cart calculates shipping charges on the fly so a buyer always knows the shipping cost upfront.  Now, I encountered a few glitches with the shipping costs but that was due to the webmaster entering in incorrect weights for some of the Battalion Packs I was planning to order.  A couple of quick email exchanges with Dermot and the issue was resolved with shipping cost computed appropriately.

What this interface means for the buyer is that orders can be optimized to minimize shipping cost.  Three examples follow:   

Two Battalion packs of infantry carry a 4.00 euro shipping cost to USA

and 12 Battalion packs of infantry carry a 10.60 euro shipping cost to USA

While 13 Battalion packs of infantry carry a 21.50 euro shipping cost to USA.
Shipping threshold identified with 12 battalion packs!

Given this little exercise, I optimized my order to maximize figure count and not exceed the 10.60 euro shipping cost.  Well, not exactly maximizing figure count since I added a battalion pack of cavalry into the order.

My order for 15mm Napoleonics came to 120 foot and 8 horse for 63.27 euro.  Breaking these down on a per unit basis, these figures cost 0.45 euro per foot and 1.11 euro per horse including postage to USA.  That is a bargain!

In addition to his own CGM figures, Dermot also stocks Mirliton Miniatures from Italy.  Mirliton manufactures my favorite cavalry for my 15mm 1859 project and ordering through CGM is much less expensive than going direct to Italy.

As for shipping speed, I placed my order on 13FEB2017 and the package from Dermot arrived in my mailbox on 22FEB2017!  From ordering to receipt from Spain to Washington State in eight days!

Great product, user-friendly shopping interface, reasonable shipping rates, and fast service; four good reasons to give CGM a look.  Well done Dermot!

Italian Archers for Great Italian War

Two Impetvs skirmish stands of Italian archers muster off the painting desk.  These bowmen are a forerunner to a larger tranche of Italian Wars' figures preparing to debouch from the workbench.

These eight figures are from The Assault Group (TAG) and will provide some light infantry support for a potential Venetian contingent.  Rather than fielding an entire Venetian army, more likely, they will be utilized in whichever army could use some bow-armed skirmishers.

Decked-out in a red/white motif, these figures lend a touch of Venetian flair to my eye.  The TAG figures are excellently sculpted but more slight and slender than many other manufacturers' figures.  Having painted a TAG pike block (see TAG pike block), a few arquebusier (see TAG arquebusier), and now a few archers, I find the TAG Renaissance range quite pleasing.  I ought to consider investigating TAG cavalry.

Assyrian Chariot #9 Rehab

The last chariot in the long rehab project rolls off the workbench!

This last chariot is the King's chariot adorned with sunshade and leopard skin covered horses.  Quite a spectacle of conspicuous consumption.

The King's chariot required more rehab than the others before.  The riders were detached with arms missing on a few, one wheel was broken, and the sun shade was in three pieces.  To fit into the storage box, the King's ride had to have the sunshade "chopped" making his ride even more customized.  Put back together with the standard touch ups, the King and his fleet of nine chariots are ready for battle.  Next, plans for painting and fielding a gameable force is in order.  

With a large number of Assyrian figures summoned to The Lead Pile in anticipation of this project, time to get out the pencil and paper to draft an army list or two.  A group shot of the nine refurbished chariots arrayed for battle is a good idea.  That activity I will save for a future post when the game table has sufficient cleared space.

Assyrian Chariot #8 Rehab

After more than one month halt in the chariot refurbishment project, work resumes on the two remaining war carts.

Chariot #8 required the removal, flipping of the yoke, and reattachment like all of the other chariots.  One reader asked how the yokes were originally attached, why they needed to be flipped, and how could I tell?  To help answer those questions, see the photo below showing the original attachment to the yoke.

Yoke affixed upside down

The yoke ought to be connected underneath the tongue with the yoke collar fastened through the top and not the bottom.  A quick pry off from the tongue, a flip and reaffixing is all that is needed.

After that, a few paint touch ups, a coat of stain, and Dullcote are all are needed to bring #8 up to specs.  Chariot is from Wargames Foundry.

Eight down and only one to go!