Summer is the time when we wargamers traditionally slow down our hobby activities and this has been the case for me. Aside from some occasional daydreaming about projects and obtaining a slew of 20mm Peninsular War Napoleonics from Kennington Miniatures and Qualiticast, I haven't been doing much. I find myself postponing hobby activities until my retirement (September 30th, 2003) take effect although I am considering doing some consulting work afterwards.
I probably mentioned in MWAN #124 that I am picking up unpainted 28mm Seven Years War figures from time to time and storing them away in battalions or regiments of horse thinking that I'll have the time, interest, and ability to paint them once I retire. Although I really love this period of history, I think I enjoyed the project, started perhaps twelve years or more ago, more than any other wargaming project I was ever involved in. There is no doubt that I had a great time with my 25mm Zulu War project - casting hundreds, if not thousands of Joel Haas' Zulus (followed by Joel's Fuzzy-Wuzzies) - and painting "like a fool" in my corner of the family room while watching the movies Zulu and Zulu Dawn on the VCR! Yeh, that was fun.
I also enjoyed my very first project - 15mm American Civil War - making twice a month Friday night trips to North Chicago to Jeff's "Sutler's Wagon" hobby shop and picking up a few packs of Heritage figures each time and always painting them prior to going back again! As the painted units multiplied, they were placed on my wargames table and I could see the progress I was making. My 25mm Sudan project was fun - the LITTLE WARS convention was a few months away and I took on a painting task which seemed, at the time, to be impossible, yet, I met my goals and everything was ready for the convention. I felt a lot of satisfaction from that painting frenzy! However, my SYW project was different: it was based on the popular CHARGE PROJECT: planned in advance; all of the infantry, cavalry, and artillery was ordered from FRONT RANK (at least for the initial portion of the project, which was supposed to be the beginning and the end), and I set myself on a painting schedule of finishing one unit (defined as an infantry battalion of 37 figures including mounted officer, a cavalry regiment of 24 figures, a light infantry battalion of 24 figures, or a two-gun artillery battery with limbers and one ammo wagon) per week. At that time, I maintained daily records of my painting activities and totaled them up monthly.
I still have my painting "record book" and it is interesting to look back on it. I'd stay up till the wee hours of the morning on Friday and Saturday nights and sneak in fifteen or twenty minutes of painting time in the morning before going to work. I took a little more time in painting and raised my painting standard a step though I never had the interest, nor the ability I am sure, to go beyond that. In fifty-two weeks, I finished off the 48 different "units" for the project and it was a highly satisfying and enjoyable project. Because of all those factors, it is a project which brings back many pleasant memories for me and I think it is possible that I am trying to replicate that period of my life by obtaining additional SYW units to paint. Oh well, there are, I suppose, worse things one could do, aren't there?
It is a rare day if I don't check Bartertown (bartertown.org) to see what there may be of interest. Adam Tobia put Bartertown together and I will be interviewing him soon for MWAN. If you haven't checked Bartertown out, you are missing something. In the "old days," I used to put a list of items together that I wanted to sell; mention it in "Sulter's Wagon;" and wait six or eight weeks to start hearing from people. Then there was a mad exchange of letters with interested buyers with the whole process taking months to complete. Just last weekend, I sold off tons of hobby stuff and the entire process takes about ten days from listing to receiving payment! Simply amazing and a fine service which Adam provides to us. I recently went through a "down-sizing" with my hobby periods again and used Bartertown to sell the items I decided I didn't want.
I also check out E-Bay at least five times a week. I have prepared searches for the Franco-Prussian War, English Civil War, Thirty Years War, and several items of interest. Although I've never bought/sold any figures via E-Bay, I've been very fortunate to find a number of boardgames which I hope will be useful at some point the future to use with wargames campaigns. I've also been successful at finding a large number of English Civil War and Thirty Years War books at very reasonable prices.
I've always loved the Napoleonic period, however, I felt it was far too massive to become involved with. Thus, I made a decision some years ago that I would do the Peninsular War. You still get the flavor of the era, the uniforms, the personalities, etc., but the total picture is much smaller. I've gone from 28mm to 15mm back to 28mm and recently decided to go with my new scale - 20mm. I sold all of the 28mm Napoleonics that I'd managed to collect over the last few months and decided to go with a dual approach to the period. Build British, French, Spanish, and Portuguese armies at the battalion level 3 that can also be used for Bill Gray's FIRE N' FURY variant for Napoleonics.
THE HELIOGRAPH, a Newsletter for the Colonial Era is still being published by Richard Brooks, 207 Ivory Road, Saluda, SC 29139 (rbrooks@srarp.org) for$18.00/six issues. There is always something interesting for the Colonial wargamer and Richard does an excellent job of covering new releases in the Colonial wargaming period!
Flagship Games (www.flagshipgames.com) has a number of rules sets you may find of interest: 25mm ships, rules, and accessories; Tuiko! - rules for Samurai warfare; Panzer Marsch - WWII rules; and RAMPANT COLNIALISM - rules for recreating the great colonial conflicts of the 18th-20th centuries. Their Pirates! rules are in the third edition and they report the rules have been streamlined.
WALTHERS Terminal Hobby Shop, PO Box 3039, Milwaukee, WI 53201-3039 is an excellent place to pick up wargaming table accessories. I get my static grass through them. Great plastic kits for "N" and "HO" scales.
MWANer Ron Lizorty of Hazelwood, MO created the adobe buildings for Ron Barzso's (28 W. 177 Marion Rd., Winfield, IL 60190) 54mm "War with Mexico" playset. The illustrations from the Barzso Playset catalog of Ron's buildings look really good! Congratulations, Ron! Don't these 54mm figures sound tempting at times?
Caliver Books (www.caliverbooks.com) has extensive lists of books for virtually any period. I love looking through their English Civil Wars 1639-1660 offerings!
International Historic Films (www.Historicvideos.com) has a 67-page catalog of great films of interest for the wargamer.
Hinds Figures LTD (www.HindsFiguresLtd.co.uk) offers second hand painted and unpainted armies as well as other wargaming items.
Smoke & Fire Co., 27 N. River Rd., Waterville, OH 43566 (www.smokefire.com) offers items for "Living History" including Colonial, Scottish, Medieval Patterns, books, and clothing.
Belle & Blade, 124 Penn Ave., Dover, NJ 07801 offers a very extensive list of movies and DVD's we'd be interested in.
The Virtual Armchair General (littp://hoine. att.net/-patrick.w i lson33/Studio3 3 Page. html) has 25mm gunboats, Sikh Battle Flags (I have to see these!), wargame hexes, barricades, and more. Check out their website.
Heiser's Models Inc., Po Box 6187, Lakewood, CA 90714-6187 offers plastic model kits for the wargamer. They seem to be able to find such kits from foreign countries.
Fidelis Models (www.fidelismodels.com) is offering 1/72nd Russian Revolution figures by Nexus. They also offer "used" kits at reduced prices.
HMGS SOUTH has established a new web site at the following address: http: / / hmcis-south.com
Doug Carroccio of The Miniature Service Center (www.miniatureservicecenter.coni) announces that REDOUBT has released large war and native trade canoes for their 25mm FIW line and is now producing a new range - The Rise of Rome - starting with the Samnites. They also carry GMB 25mm flags from the UK.
Ian Hinds would like us to know that the new HINDS FIGURES LTD web site is now complete. It contains photos of most of the armies for sale so should be a lot easier for everyone to use. The link below should get you straight to it(it is not on GOOGLE and the other Search Engines etc yet) www.HindsFiguresLtd.com
MWANer Len Brewer forwarded this information about a company producing uniform prints. I hadn't heard of them before. Four new Second Empire Prints from JOB. French 2nd Empire Trooper of the 9th Hussars 1855 Col. Dupin Commandant "La Contre Guerilla Francaise" Mexican Campaign Chef de Musique Horse Artillery of the Guard 1855-1867 Trumpeter and Trumpet Major Legion D'Antibes ou Romaine 1866 Only $5.95 ppd. Also, Second Empire References Toussaint and Lalisse. These two sets have a total of 87 prints covering just about all of the French Imperial Guard and Lalisse covers in depth the regular army. Normally $77.90 but $32.95 plus $3.50 for shipping. On the Seven Years War they are offering Vol. I of our Knbtel 18th Century Series with 15 Prussian SYW prints and 32 Austrians, and 21 Russians of the 18th C. for $39.95 plus $3.50 for postage. They also have ACW Prints with a set of 24 paintings by the late Dallas artist Gordon Davis for $24.95. Uniformology, 105 Coates Trail Weatherford Texas 76087. E-mail: UniformoloŠaol.com www.uniformology.com.
MWANer Craig Martelle (1290 First St. Westmoreland City, PA 15692) would like us to know that he still carries all the RCW texts with a couple of new volumes. These are wonderful reference works for the Russian Civil War and Craig has translated many of them into English. Check out his website: http://www.gauntletinternational.com
Is there anyone out there doing 20mm metal for the Franco-Prussian War, American Civil War, Seven Years War, Napoleonics, or English Civil War? I'd sure like to hear from you as to which manufacturers you use and your rules selection/organization. I can't believe I am the only person in the USA who collects B&B Miniatures 20mm FPW line!
From time to time I get the urge to do the American Revolutionary War. When I started wargaming, one of our group members, Dave Corbett, had a large 25mm collection and we played quite a few games using Scotty Bowden's AWI rules. This was around the time that the "CHARGE PROJECT" was getting popular and it always struck me that the AWI was a perfect period to do a "CHARGE" type of approach where you mount your figures on individual bases. Whenever I see a set of AWI rules, new line of miniatures, or a new scenario book come out, it comes back to mind. This is one of the few periods where you wouldn't need many units to have a really enjoyable wargame.
I am really in need of quality AB color photo prints for the covers of MWAN having just about exhausted my supply. I don't have the ability/knowledge to take such pictures off of the internet so they would have to be color prints. If you have some shots that are really good, please consider sending them to me for use in MWAN. Thanks!
AB FIGURES has just released some three more packs of WW2 Germans and an accessory pack. Photos are available on their website. www.abfigures.co.uk
MWANer Patrick Wilson of THE VIRTUAL ARMCHAIR GENERAL would like us to know that they are offering Richard Houston's 25mm Gunboat models and the first of two new Chinese Junks and a Sampan to make those "Sand Pebbles" games complete! Studio 33 Productions is offering the "SMS Grendel" for German Colonial gamers with an extensively modified version of the Stone House Miniatures resin cast model of the "Queen Rose," the "Grendel" has been assembled, painted, armed and outfitted so that all you need to add is the crew. The ship comes with her Ship Record Sheet for the soon to be released rules "More Gunboat Diplomacy." In the next week or so, the first of Studio 33's own 25mm wooden hulled Gunboat models will go on sale as well. TVAG is now accepting orders for the complete Sikh Wars Battalion Flags sets designed by the indefatigable Chris Ferree. Many of these Colors will do double duty for the Mutiny as well, but every British Army and "John Company" unit that carried its Colors into battle is represented in three sets, and the first of two sets of flags for the Sikh Khalsa is also ready to go. The average flag costs about 80 cents, and have been duly researched and frequently reworked to get them "just right." But, perhaps best of all, they are available in three scales: 25/28mm, 20mm, and 15mm, all at the same price. Sample photos of three flags are up, but the sample Sikh Flag is AWOL at the moment, but will go up as soon as we can catch it and drag it back to camp. More Colors are to come for other conflicts (First Afghan War, the Mutiny, to start) in the reasonably near future, all in support of the release later this year of "John Company: The Conquest Of India, 1750-1860" by "And That's The Way It Was..." Press. Indeed, look for more flags from Colonial conflicts outside the Sub-Continent. To view any of this, please check out www.thevirtualarmchairgeneral.com.
Steve Shaw of FEUDAL CASTINGS in the UK would like us to know that they have a website: www.feudalcastinqs.co.uk where you can check out their list of 15mm Danish figures along with photos as well as their excellent 15mm Sikh War line.
Check out "What's New in Hal's Mailbox" for a mention of the BACCUS 6mm Seven Years War range. MWANer Peter Berry of BACCUS 6mm recently turned to his figure business in a fulltime manner and apparently, based upon the number of new releases and the high quality, made the right decision. I would like to hear from MWANers who have 6mm collections. Anything you do with the scale would be interest: manufacturer(s), organization, rules systems, basing, terraining of bases, etc. I think many of us would find this of interest.
I have heard from several gamers who attended the recent Historicon convention who related how they were surprised at the number of "younger" gamers in attendance. There has been much written about the "graying of the hobby" in the wargames press over the years and although I pay this little attention, it can't be a bad thing to be attracting new, younger gamers. I am agreement with many MWANers who have voiced their opinion concerning this subject along the lines that if we attract more and/or younger gamers, it is a good thing, however, they, as I, don't feel an obligation to go out and recruit newcomers. I've already done that and it was a very foolish decision to take time away from my family in favor of a "hobby activity." Nonetheless, it's a good thing to hear that people think we are attracting newcomers!
Let me say just a little bit about the method I have been using to notify you of the fact that your MWAN subscription has expired. A number of MWANers have expressed confusion with it and I should take the time (someday) to change it to make it easier. I have an index card for every MWAN with their name, address, and the period of subscription. This subscription number is the MWAN issue that their new sub starts with. So, if someone subscribed starting with #120, their sub number would be #120 and it would end six issues later (with #125). Thus, if the code number prior to your name on the address label reads #120 or less (i.e., #119, #118, etc), then your subscription is due. Does that help? I hope so as I don't wish to make it difficult for you.
There are still a number of MWANers who haven't resubscribed and since it is my practice to continue sending MWAN to those "old-timers", if you do not wish to continue, would you be so kind as to let me know? Thank you! . A number of MWANers have commented on the front and back cover photos of William Haggarty's 54mm figures! Thanks, Bill, for sharing them with us. I think we all take a trip back in time when we see 54mm plastic figures; I know that I do. Whenever I read Charlie Elsden's column, I think of how much fun it would be to actually put together a collection of 54mm plastics for a single period. However, I know it would never end just there! Is there anyone out there doing a "Charge" type of project with 54mm figures? There must be someone who is collecting 54mm plastic American Revolutionary War figures mounted individually to form large battalions. If so, I would really enjoy hearing about it. That would be the direction I would take.
It seems as though all of the MWANers reporting their activities with 54mm figures do so on a "skirmish-type" level. I did purchase quite a few boxes of 54mm American Civil War artillery and infantry about five years ago after I started having visual difficulties. I thought that perhaps I could work better with the larger scale. However, that project, like so many, fell by the wayside. But, Seven Years War - that could have a different outcome! Perhaps someone could tell me - is there a 54mm plastic manufacturer producing SYW figures? I could never "convert" figures; I don't have the interest or the ability. I suppose one could "get by" using AWI figures, don't you think? There probably isn't much, if any, AWI cavalry available in 54mm plastics, I would assume. I'm going to have to check this out on the internet but I'll bet someone like Charley Elsden could tell me in a "New York Minute!" What about it, Charley?
As usual, thanks for your continued support of MWAN!
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© Copyright 2003 Hal Thinglum
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