Editor's note: Steve sent Kenn some photographs which would not reproduce well on these pages. Please use your solo wargamer imaginations (wondrously creative) while reading the following.
These snapshots show part of my 6mm 18th century set up, in fact all the figures shown are just part of my Prussian army advancing into battle. The whole army consists of 48 infantry regts, 13 cuirassier regts, 12 dragoon regts, 8 hussar regts, plus 10 batteries of guns, although not all of it is shown here in the photos. I also have a similar size 18th century Austro-Hungarian army, and have nearly finished a Saxon army (in all about 18 regts.) of the same period. Looks like I'm splashing out a bit doesn't it? But if I told you that so far, of all these figures and of all my terrain features (which you can't really see in these snaps) I have bought only some river sections (not in the snaps), one or two of the houses, and only the artillery figures. ALL the rest - and I do mean ALL - have been home made!
The road shown in the photos is made of old. slightly dimpled, wall paper, suitably cut to size then painted with a drab colour (a quick tour of the DIY shops and you can easily pick up odd rolls which can be put to good use). Road sections bought commercially cost a small fortune. They can't be cut to size, nor can they be used to run over hills either - my paper roads can, and I use stepped contoured hills in my games. Most of the houses are moulded from plaster or polyfilla, then painted. One or two house I bought years ago, but I may be ready to buy a few more, if I can find suitable scale period buildings somewhere.
The trees (on all the snaps) and hedges (see the picture with the buildings) are home made. Trees made from teasel string, flower arranger's wire, masking tape (for the trunks), coloured sawdust and textured card (for the base). Painted up they look pretty good - I made over I00 of them in a week! Hedges are made from green pan scourer (available at most good hardware stores), cut to thickness and stuck onto painted card with wood adhesive.
Explosions (bomb-blasts, shell bursts, whatever you wish to call them) are cut from the white portions of old Christmas cards, shaped, then painted and glued together onto a thin card base - they look quite effective when used in large numbers. They (can also be used as shell splashes in naval games if painted with suitable blue/green colours (I use them as "straddle" markers in my wwi naval games).
Finally the figures. (I wonder it you've guessed how I made these?) Well, they are ALL made from "match-sticks"! Yes, match-sticks!!! Perhaps you remember articles in earlier Lone Warriors' expounding (the benefits of these types of units? Well, they work! To explain: They have been dead headed, glued together (2 for each Infantry line, 6 for each cavalry) and card feet added, cut to length then painted up and flags added on dress makers pins (flags have been produced on my PC and colour printer). A whole regiment takes only a fraction of the time to produce that a metal regiment of 6mm figures would. And they look brilliant en masse.
OK, so individual figures can't be produced in this way, there's no need for them at 6mm scale. I tend to buy in my general officers, and when these (and the artillery) are the only figures needed to be purchased, it doesn't half save cash for other more important necessities.
Anyway Kenn hope you like the snaps. As I said earlier, I'm working on other 18th century armies at present, all from match-stick units of course. I intend producing some Roundhead & Cavalier armies later, and even (if I get the chance) branching out into the Ancient era with the match-stick idea. Maybe they're not for the purist, but I don't care 'cuz they work for me. If others want to spend hundreds of pounds on 25/15mm metal armies with perhaps no more than a couple of dozen units per side then that's up to them (and if I win the lottery maybe I'll consider gaming in 25mm). At today's prices there's no way I can afford to.
[Thanks Steve. Sorry the photos will not re-produce in Lone Warrior, having seen the mess done in other publications I will just have to leave the rest of the members in the dark. Having said that I can confirm that the units do look effective and take me back to the days when if you wanted a figure you either converted it or made it. At least in those days I could keep on top of my painting, I think. Kenn]
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