Anyone who knows me knows that I tend to like larger figures, and generally have to be forced to even consider figures below 40mm. Something in the photos, though, made me think that there was somerhing interesting about these tiny figures.

Now understand, I do use 15mm scale figures on occasion, and in fact, I have a fairly large collection of them for the WWI era. However, my interests remain in the larger sizes. Since getting involved in ACW gaming about four years ago, I have, as you can all understand, gotten more and more enthused about it, to the point where my 60mm figures were just too big to allow me to really experience gaming in the period.

My companions tried to talk me into 15mm figures, and in truth, the price of a hundred figures for less than 20 cents each was pretty tempting. However, I have never been a fan of the "caricatured" figure design school that seems to have influenced most figure manufacrurers, and I decided to take a chance on the GHQ range.

Yielding to Advice

Yielding to the advice of my companions, I did not order an entire army right way, but instead sent for a few sample packs, enough to play with if they caught on. Well, I anxiously waited the package to come in the mail, and when it arrived, I tore into it like Sidney Greenstreet tore into the paper wrapping the Maltese Falcon! My first gut reaction was basicalIy "Whoa! These little guys really are tiny" But then, I started to look more closely, and the details began to leap out at me.

The figures were absolutely incredible. I can in alI honesty say I have not seen detail like this on any figures smaller than 40mm which were also anatomically correct and were not misshapen dwarves. The poses were great; the advancing packs contain four variations on the pose, enough to avoid the "cookie cutter" look, but not so much that they looked like they were in skirmish order rather than line (another pet peeve of mine regarding the figures of other manufacturers' ranges.) There was virtually no flash, and I had only to do some minor filing on the bases of some figures, before they were ready to paint.

The only complaint I had, which I passed on to Jim Moffet of GHQ Miniatures, was that the officer supplied with the Confederate sets appeared to be larger than the other castings. I painted all that I had within a week - a total of 140 figures and two guns, and I was totally hooked. Several conversations with Jim Moffet yielded some good painting tips, which along with my own, I'll pass on to you.

Magnification

First of all: magnification. I am in my mid-forties, and have never worn glasses, nor used any sort of aid to paint figures. On Jim's advice, though, I tried painting with an inexpensive pair of reading glasses, and the difference in my painting was dramatic. The glasses did not so much make the figures larger, but rather, made the details clearer, and allowed me to paint them without eyestrain. If you are already using some type of magnifying lens, then you will need something stronger for these. The first thing I saw, when I put the glasses on, were tin cups hanging from the haversacks, and then I noticed that the officers wore a different pattern haversack from the rank and file!

Priming

Second, consider priming. This is definitely a case where white primer has to be used. Black simply will not work. Jim suggested using spray primer and applying it in very light coats. I did this at first, and probably will again when I have large numbers of figures to paint up. But after spraying the initial group, I went back to my normal method. I found that a thinned, Gesso type primer, put on with a thin brush, is quite effective and in no way covers up details. Also, it is a must to mount the figures on some sort of stick or bases, so that you are working on several figures at a time. I try to do ten or fifteen at a shot, since I use five-man bases for infantry.

Details

As for detail, these figures will require a steady hand and patience to really bring out the best in them. As I said, they are fully detailed, with all appropriate belts and equipment, and a careful painting will bring it all out. I even managed beards, mustaches, and sideburns on most, and a slight dot of color for eyes on the figures with forage caps.

The secret is to lay the colors on lightly. After the initial uniform colors are applied, you are almost dry-brushing the rest, especially with the small details. One great tool I have found invaluable for thin lines, etc., is a bamboo cocktail stick. They are about ten inches long, and have a fine sharp point at one end, perfect for picking out details. It is even possible to do buttons and badges if you take your time.

Jim also gave me an interesting idea for flags. He said that instead of trying to paint an entire flag in this scale, find a picture of what you want to paint, and then fold the picture to resemble the folds in the cast flag. Then, paint what you see. The result is surprising. Up close, you see a bunch of paint splotches, but on the table, even at arm's length, you see what appear to be carefully painted flags which will astonish your friends.

As for finishing, here is where it gets tricky. I was able (with care) to wash and dry-brush the figures, which I think really brought them to life. I used a dark blue wash, basically the same color I used for jackets, for the trousers on my Federal troops and any Rebs wearing light blue trousers. For everything else, I found that a dark grey was is the best choice. I even managed to do a deep pink was over the flesh, to give the faces some depth.

Once the washes are completely dried, I then take an off-white paint and lightly drybrush the figures. If done properly, this really brings out the details, but it is hard to do. Practice on extra figures (drummers?) A tiny bit of the color on the face really brings out the nose and cheeks.

Basing

So yes, they can be painted with as much detail as larger figures, and very quickly, given their size. You may, however, have to be content with knowing yourself how well you've painted them, as your fellow gamers may insist they are too small to tell the difference anyway! How you base them is largely a matter of personal choice. Most of the current batch of rules don't seem to be too hard and fast, as long as all the figures in the armies are consistendy based. I discovered mine quite by accident.

I was playing a game with my youngest daughter, a commercially produced Hangman game, when I started to look the pieces we were playing with. Hmmmm, I thought, these look like great bases for something. (This was before I even thought of 10mm figures.) I made a quick call to the company, Milton Bradley, and ordered two extra sets of playing pieces, about 200 plastic tiles 1" by 3/4", with rounded corners. They turned out to be perfect for the 10mm figures.

I glued together, to add some weight and to create a thicker object to grab onto, and I found I could mount five figures, or a cannon with a crew of four, quite comfortably on a base, which again, with consistency, would work for any rules. Single figures, which are required in some instances, can be mounted on bases cut off from any extra 20mm plastic figures you might have. Needless to say, a single mounted 10mm figure will require some careful handling.

The size of the figures has opened up all sorts of new vistas for me. I am planning to build a couple N Gauge river gunboats to do combined and amphibious actions, and of course, it is easy to find N Gauge trains to fit the period. As detailed as they are, they are small enough that you can convert them to other things simply by painting. For instance, I am already planning to do troops for William Walker's adventures in Nicaragua, and by adding figures from another company, as well as some post-Civil War actions along the Rio Grande, a la "Major Dundee." I passed on a number of suggestions and requests for the additions to the ranges, including American Indians; Jim said he would see what he could do. There are rumors of other releases in this scale, none scheduled definitely. I am also planning to produce a couple of really nice pieces to mount on finished wooden bases. These will be a fully rigged limber and caisson with gun and outriders, one for each side.

In closing, these figures have re-energized my gaming. I can't praise them or recommend them enough.

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