Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Prussian Reserve Regiment 12, 1st Battalion

1st Battalion 12th Prussian Reserve Regiment 

I finally sat down and based these also this week. I plan to build the first and second battalions with a mix of Wargames Atlantic figures with Perry plastic  commands and the third fusilier battalion with Perry metals and plastics. This is the 1st battalion of the 12th Regiment in 1813, I did think about adding a flag but I decided to follow historic procedure and not give them one.




cheers
Matt

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Gladiators Dust and Shadows Part one


We are but Dust & Shadows

Terrain Tuesday Gladiator Arena thoughts

Model at the Museum of Jublains


While I was suffering painters block a few weeks back I turned to movies, books and local adventures to put me back on course. All of the options however added some more kit to my painting and construction tables, and some ideas were moved to the front rather than at the back, moj is back happy to say and going through a purple patch now!

On one of the tours we visited our local Amphitheatre at Jublains, the former Roman capital of the Diablintes tribe about 10 klms away from the Maison. This gave me inspiration for two things. One was the Gallic farm buildings (see previous post) and the other was gladiators.

I am yet to build the amphitheatre, however I want it to be around two x two foot tile, oval which will look a little different, with a removable rear wall so I can remove it then also add a straight section and second corner for chariot racing on the big table.

The arena tile will then also fit on my chess table for extra transportable use around the house.
I have six gladiators already completed for around 10 years or so, but also had a lot unpainted gladiators, animals and chariots, so this week I added another 20 odd to the table front and centre, and most will be off the table this week over the coming days while the blood is up!


I am yet to find a suitable set of rules which would be good for French Wargame Holiday evening games, looking at Steve Barbers gladiators set and possibly the old board game set, any other suggestions ?



Jublains Amphitheatre 1st Century AD






Artists Impression of Jublains Arena I will build something like this with removable wall



Cheers
Matt

Prussian Reserve Regt 12 2nd Battalion

 2nd Battalion 12th Prussian Reserve Regiment 

These guys have been breaking my back for about six weeks and I finally sat down and based them this week. I plan to build the first and second battalions with a mix of Wargames Atlantic figures with Perry plastic  commands and the third fusilier battalion with Perry metals. First off the table is the second battalion of the 12th Regiment in 1813. 





Cheers
Matt

Friday, November 5, 2021

Colonel Ythier-Sylvain Prive, 2nd French Dragoons

 Colonel Prive 2nd Dragoons 

As always when I commence a new dragoon regiment I paint the colonel first, however this chap had to wait for a new Mount to join his regiment.  

I have painted him on a rare coloured horse called in French “isabelle” bay, the Americans and Australian a Buckskin. Not a very common colour, in Europe,  a specialty however of the Swedish kings and the Prince Conde de Bourbon in the 17th and 18th century. 

The miniature is a Elite figure which makes up 80 odd percent of my French Napoleonic collection. Hope to crack on and have this unit completed before December. 





Cheers
Matt  

Oh la Vache (holy cow!)

 Oh cow! 

One of my more favorite local French curses! After almost three weeks of low motivation I am back at it, completed a lot of all jobs and two large projects over the last two days.

First up cows, I know however I do use them in a few games and I now have a modest herd of 12 beasts, which will serve well my purposes plus can be used as table clutter for bigger games. Miniatures are from First Corps range but I cut off the neck hump which is more of a southern thing on cattle. 




Cheers
Matt

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Terrain Tuesday Gallic Village and buildings Part 1


Gallic buildings

My next terrain project is to get back to building some ancient terrain, first thing to complete is some Gallic buildings that can be stand alone or part of my hill fort build.


Inspiration will be taken from our local museum and the archeological report from Moulay Gallic fortress, the oppidum / hill fort is about 5klm from our house.


When wargamers build typical Gallic building they predominantly build round ones, looking at the archeological report on the 60HA site at Moulay only 10% were round and mostly animal shelters, workshops or storage. The majority are rectangular and some are quite big and include a theatre /council amphitheatre in Greek style, and a shrine.

I plan to build a number of buildings for residential, central buildings theatre and shrine and maybe a workshops area and some farms on the exterior of the Gallic Oppidum fortress. 


typical Gallic buildings


artist impression of the workshops



Gaulois building typical at Moulay 53BC



Gaulois building typical at Moulay 53BC


Theatre

one of the buildings was a theatre or perhaps a parliament council, or sale yard, I want to add this model to my village.





Gallic Farms

Gallic Farm steas with it own boundary ditch and walls, these are all along the roads leading into the village along the route of the modern motorway


Gallic farm model


Gallic Head Hunter Shrine

Moualy does have a shrine but no evidence of a head hunter shrine as the current church is built over the site, the Diablintes and Cenomani may of taken heads so I will add one I think.



Gallic head hunter shrine near Tours




Stone pillars the heads were placed in the hollowed out pieces

Excited to get cracking on these!

cheers
Matt