Happy New Year

 Happy New Year 2025

Happy new year chaps, I gave quite a list this year. Planning on focusing on Napoleonic and ww2, with gusts of coldwar, medieval and ancients, an odd ww1 piece and a bit of Star Wars. 

All the best to everyone 

Cheers

Matt

 3e Chevau Leger Lancers 1812-15 1st Squadron 

After visiting five of the 1814 battlefields this year in spring in the champagne district. I have decided to add lancers to my French army collection, the options are wide however I elected to purchase 4 boxes the warlord figures and a few sprues at the sales last year and finally got around to assembling them all in the last 6 weeks. After purchasing more sprues in the last Black Friday sale to make up three sqaudrons in each regiment that I intend to paint. The warlord horses are a bit of a worry with puddle type feet rather than a whole base and the metal horse is particularly week at the hocks as the metal is really soft, I needed to pin the officers horse in three places on all the command horses in the four boxes, another gripe is the lances I would of preferred no pennant on them and not enough vertical lances in the boxes and soft sculpting on the turnbacks flaps and portmanteau. For the elite company I added plumes from the plastic Victrix Bavarian infantry set, as a simple solution. 

With the units organisation  I commenced with the thought of the 1814 battles predominantly. The 3rd regiment of Chevau Leger Lancers served in a number of battles from 1812-15. An added bonus was pink facings that always look great contrasted against the green of the uniform. I am undecided upon the next regiment I am thinking either 5th with light blue or the 6th with its buff belts red combs and red facings. 

I am very happy though with the result and they paint up quickly. As always I commence with the horses, I have elected to have the dark bay, light bay and chesnut sqaudrons, in reality in 1814 I doubt much uniformity of horseflesh existed. The horses for the first regiment were completed by the end of November, the riders however sat to one side of my painting desk as I was renovating the house completing another bathroom on the third floor. With the commencement of the XV Analogue Painting Challenge I picked them up with intention of completing them as the first entry. 

Regiment history 

Created in 1811 from the 8th dragoons. The regiment retained one of the 1804 model eagles of the 8th dragoons and the standard, until 1812 they had a standard with the battle honours of  Ulm, Austerlitz, Jena and Eylau, the standard and Eagle were lost at Beresina (although conjecture surrounds some eagles being thrown into the river). A new 1812 model eagle and standard were issued for the 1813 campaign, using the 1812 pattern flag and served until surrender in 1814. The regiment was renamed with the restoration the Dauphin regiment, then with napoleons return in 1815 the regiment returned to regiment 3, receiving the 1815 model standard and its old 1812 eagle. After 1812 they did not carry the eagle into the field.

Colonels

1811: Baron Lebrun (Alexandre-Louis-Jules) (died of wounds 26th October 1812)
1813: Hatry (Charles-Joseph)(killed 14th October 1813 at Liebertwolkwitz)
1814: d'Hautefeuille (Eugene-Gabriel-Louis-Texier)
1815: Martique (Charles-Francois)

Battles 

1812: Polotsk and La Beresina 
1813: Bautzen, Reichenbach, Dresden, Leipzig, and Hanau 
1814: Champaubert, Vauchamps, and Troyes 
1815: Ligny and Waterloo

Battle Honours Polotsk 1812, Bautzen 1813, Dresden 1813 and Champaubert 1814

Cheers

Matt

Greek skirmishers

 Greek skirmishers, these figures are First Corps which are lovely figures, although getting long in the tooth they are one of their best ranges. Again LBMS decals 

Cheers

Matt

Cuirassiers Waterloo Part 2

 Another batch completed this week, onto the next lot 100 to go to complete the commission

Cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday - ww2 bits

 Terrain Tuesday

A bit of terrain completed before Christmas. A few roadside shrines, the cross is metal and possibly Ral Partha the Madonna is plastic. The plinths are bases glued together. 

Roadside Madonna 

Roadside cross

Cheers

Matt

Ancient Greeks

 I have finally commenced my Immortal/Warlord Plastic Greeks over the last three weeks as a change up from Napoleonic cuirassiers. 

They are quite a simple paint jobs, based for Impetus, base colour, wash and one highlight.  I have used LBMS decals on these, but they are a little oversized (I am thinking perhaps they sent the wrong set) 

Cheers

Matt 

Merry Christmas to all for 2024

 A big Merry Christmas to everyone, we are home in France this year for a cool winter, I do hope Santa is good to you! I will be painting g for the analogue painting challenge as usual! 

Cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday - Recycling bins

 I was gifted some recycling bins at Partizan by Shaun on “the Bunker “ Samurai game. The bins are 28mm and I will add them to my modern skirmish and 2000AD collection I think. They need some graffiti so off to search for some suitable images to print out on decal paper. 

German glass recycling bins 

Cheers

Matt

Bavarian Napoleonic Artillery

 Completed my battery of Bavarian Artillery, quite happy with my artillery uniform blue colour. The Front Rank figures are a pleasure to paint and once I got motivated we’re completed in three nights. The guns have been completed for almost two months. 

I plan to commence the Victrix infantry for the Analogue painting challenge, I have some metal Front Rank command and light cavalry also to do to complete the division.

Cheers

Matt

Are you not entertained! Roman arena civilians

 One of the side projects I commenced last year was to build a gladiator arena, one thing missing was civilians, I picked up 80 seated figures to paint, this is the first lot completed 

Cheers

Matt

Judge Dredd - mixed mobster, mutants, robots and apes

 Judge Dredd - Mobsters, Mutants, Robots and Apes 

A few bits off the table in preparation of the Analogue Painting challenge commencing next week, some of these figs have been kicking around for a long time. I found more this week whilst looking for Napoleonic lancers! 

K7 - mongoose games 

Mutant - foundry 2000ad  range 

Zombie mistress mongoose publishing 

Mutant - Foundry 2000ad range 

Orangutan-  I think Foundry 

Big Al mobster - Warlord Games 

Cheers

Matt

Analogue painting challenge XV - my projects

 Analogue painting challenge XV

The commencement of the 15th Analogue painting challenge is 8 days away and I am settling on my projects. We commence on the 21st of December and finish on 20th March. My goal is 500 points this year, but I do plan on surpassing it. 

Scoring will be 

28mm foot - 5 points 

28mm mounted or crew served 10 points

20mm foot - 4 points

20mm mounted or crew served weapon - 8 points 

20mm vehicle - 15 points 

Napoleonics 

I plan to paint my French Guard cavalry, some Bavarians and some line cavalry also.  

- Mameluke Band

- Empress Dragoons de la garde

- Grenadiers a Cheval de la garde

- Artillery a Cheval de la garde

- Chassuers a Cheval de la garde

- French lancers three regiments 

- Bavarian line 

Ww2

- American Infantry

- American Armour

- American Soft skins 

- American Artillery

- Landing Craft 

- Aircraft 

That lot should keep me busy 

Cheers

Matt

Wip Wednesday- Bavarian Artillery

 Working on Bavarian artillery battery from Front Rank, they are lovely figures and should be competed this week. 

Cheers

Matt

French Gendarmerie Alouette III

 Completed a little side project this weekend. A very old Heller kit. I plan to use this in an upcoming scenario. The kit is a little vague on assembly instructions  however with a few google searches you will find suitable images to help. I have added two Elhiem pilots but I did need to cut the seat height down by a few mm. I have given it a single coat of clear Matt varnish, I think it may need another.  Overall quite happy with the build, now to build a carry case! 

Cheers 

Matt

NATO pilots and ground crew

 Another small project completed. A mix of Airfix and Esci Miniatures. The pilots are a mix of RAF, USAF and Luftwaffe. I could not resist painting some of the ground crews in aircraft carrier jackets. 

 

Cheers

Matt

Panzerkampfwagen AMR35 VMF701 (f) 81mm

  Completed two panzerkampfwagen AMR35 VMF701 (f) 81mm mortars for my 91st Luftlande division for Normandy. The either served in the 91st or the 11th Panzer, Wikipedia article 

A mix of Battlefeild/Blitz and AB crew. I did add numbers which the originals did not have according to the images in the salvage dump in Manche, Normandy. The location of the dump points towards the 91st Division.. 

Cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday - ww2 bits

 A few 20mm ww2 terrain pieces, first up a fettlers railway shed, entrenchment, hay stack and some French fuel drums for a supply dump. 

Cheers

Matt

WIP Cuirassiers 1/72

 More progress on the 1/72 project, another 9 almost completed. 

Cheers

Matt

Wip Wednesday

 On the build table are a few items first up a 1/72 Heller areospatiale Alouette III. I am undecided if it will join my French Armee or airforce elements.

Cheers

Matt

Winter Wargames Escape Plan 

It’s a dull time of year, my insightful wife has suggested we gather for all day wargaming! 

Escape winter with our all day wargaming escape plan 

225€ per day, Bed, Breakfast, Wargaming 

Add meals- transfers - touring, if you want to brave the elements 

This winter book a two to five night holiday at the warm and cozy L’Hotel de Hercé in the Loire. 

Come by yourself, with a mate or your partner (we will spoil her) in one of our 4 star guest rooms. 

Winter Wargame with convivial company 

Play with one of our thirty two 28mm and 20mm armies from Caesar to Cold War, plus our wide selection of board games. 

For full details contact us and book here  

Sutton Hoo

 While we were in England I finally visited Sutton Hoo, what a great site, the reproduction pieces were magnificent and was shocked to find out about the horseman and the queen burials I had no idea they were also undisturbed burials also. Seems there are more mounds along the river with a further two being investigated this year bringing the total to 22. 

We had a great time recommended anyone visiting the Uk should visit leave at least two hours to fully visit the site, house and museum. 

Cape clasps

Drinking Horn 

Warriors belt

,

Spoons were remarkable 

Septre 

Sheild 

Standard? 

Harp

Queens clothing 

Gilt serving bowl 

Coins from around the Mediterranean 

Pouch

Tablet when belt

Belt buckle is very Merovingian 

Belt plaques

Reproduction of the horseman 

Horseman’s grave goods, extraordinary  

Horse bridle 

Cheers

Matt