SOUND THE TRUMPET, SOUND THE CHARGE .... (from Strawhead's album 'Sedgemoor')

I managed to pick this chap up on ebay. He is a bit smaller than other 54mm cavalry figures so I needed to make the base a bit thicker.

Now the Duke can pass orders on clearly. I must get one of his famous running footmen.

A REVIEW OF 2014'S PAINTING

I'm quite glad to see the back of 2014 for one reason or another, but at least the painting front has been active, if not the blogging....

Here is the annual parade of the year's work (less a few 1/72 Marlburians I forgot about) and I rebased my entire Oldhammer collection as I wasn't happy with the drab modern look (reverted to bright green, much better). Many of these figures feature on my other blogs, or have yet to be posted on this one.

Backdrop painted for fantasy games on reverse of existing green countyside backdrop

Leftside back - Hordes of the Things Ice Dwarf army and Christmas figure

Leftside front- 3 Oldhammer figures for my semi-dormant Thistlewood project

Leftside middle- 28mm 18c Imagi-nation figures 

Middle- Old school Conan figures

Rightside back-Old school Conan Stygians

Rightside front- D &D figures

Leftside back- 2 54mm ECW regiments and Witchfinder figures

Leftside front- 54mm Little Wigs characters

Rightside back-54mm Imagi-nation characters and regiment

Rightside Middle and Front-54mm Army Red for  Little Wigs

A total of

120 54mm Figures

191 28mm Figures

12   1/72 Figures

so not bad, but not as good as last year. For 2015 my aims (ha ha) are the following

Complete 54mm ECW armies to re-fight the Lansdown campaign 

Continue 54mm Little Wigs project including making some moulds to cast my own figures

Finally finish my Oldhammer Thistlewood project, including terrain

Continue my Old School Conan armies with some terrain pieces

reduce the amount of figures I buy... I am running out of room.

it remains to be seen if I get any of this done, but fingers crossed I should get at least 2 of the above completed by the end of 2015.

A Very Happy New Year to all reader. Cheers!!.

4TH DRAGOONS FOR ARMY RED

Although I have pledged to crack on with 54mm ECW figures, I couldn't help dabbling with my Funny Little Wigs project. I have just blown a good deal of next years budget on an order to Rose Miniatures for some Marlburians (bigod, 54mm metal figures don't come cheap).

I have managed to get some cavalry done and varnished, but I will have to find a new supply of yacht varnish as my current batch is drying very yellow (noticeable on pale colours, I had to repaint the white bits on these figures)

Irregular Miniatures riders on A Call to Arms ECW horses with milliput pistol covers.

I'm think I'm right in saying the 4th Dragoons (also known as Essex's) were Christian Davies regiment, that indomitable female warrior, shown here with blue facings, but I'm sure they had green...oh well who cares (not me for sure).

I'll try and post tomorrow with a summary of the years painting.Toodlepip.

A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL (IF YOU HAVE BEEN GOOD)

A tale my father used to tell me was of a mountaineering aquaintance who was hiking in the Alps, presumably in the late 1940's at the same time my Dad was hiking about Europe. This intrepid fellow was making his way along a lonely snow covered track one Christmas eve , when he heard galloping hooves behind him. On turning he could see nothing, so continued on his way, no doubt eager to get to the nearest gasthof for a glüwein and germknodel .Cocking an ear he heard the hoofbeats again getting nearer but still no sign of any animal coming along the track, hurrying on, the traveller was just coming to the village when the hoof beats sounded loud behind him...now severely frightened he took to his heels, and felt a mighty blow on his back as the galloping sound passed over him and continues toward the village, yet no sign of any beast was there. Stumbling to the inn, he managed to find a bed for the night, but in the morning, upon examining the back of his jacket he finds a cloven hoof mark burned into the fabric.......

Perhaps it was this chap Krampus, my Christmas figure for this year. I have just finished painting him, and after a few day of grotty behaviour from the 3 boys, I can sympathise with this tradition which you can read about here . A nice figure from Reaper, complete with birch twigs for swatting naughty children and washtub to carry them off to Hell.

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HEAD DELIVERY

A delivery of heads from Ensign Miniatures came this week, ideal for converting A Call to Arms Ironsides to lisping cavaliers.A selection of feathered hats and helmets should make them identifiable as old school Royalists.

SIR JOHN MERRICK'S REGIMENT OF FOOT

A brief interlude from Marlburian, jumping back to the Civil War. I'm hoping to paint up the regiments to refight the Battle of Lansdown next year, and with that in mind here we have Sir John Merricks Foot of Waller's army, one of the few regiments at the battle with a recorded uniform colour (grey).

rank and file are by A Call to Arms

Ensign by Replicants, Fifer by Ensign (!!!!)

THE FIGHTING PELICANS

Here we have the first part of Army Red for my Funny Little Wigs project, Colonel Horace Bampfield's Regiment AKA 'The Fighting Pelicans'

The regiment in array

Uncle Toby puts the sentinels through their paces

Bayonet practice

The Grenadiers bearing Bampfield's Pelican on their mitre

The colours (pre 1707)

Dr. Hare, the Duke's chaplain blesses the colours whilst the regiment sing a toast to the duke

" Marlborough the great commander

he'll conduct us, into the field

as brave as Alexander, he'll die before he'll yield

Sound the trumpet sound boys

let no man steal your ground boys,

ne'er let us flinch, nor give back an inch

so let his health go round boys.

This is the year of wonders

the gendarmes gor'd with bullet and sword

quake when the General thunders

Almanza was the word

Sound the trumpet sound boys

this to his health be crowned boys

Circle his brows with fresh oaken boughs

and thus let the glass go round boys."

All the line infantry and Dr. Hare are from the Replicants Culloden series, as there are very few early 18c figures available, but I've painted over any non Spanish Succession detail to make them look like Marlborough's troops. The grenadiers are my favourites. Replicants figures are ok, but come with serious flash, and the plastic is very brittle and breaks easily. I had to repair or replace quite a few muskets and bayonets on this lot. Uncle Toby and the ensigns are ebay finds.

I have some cavalry awaiting varnishing and then need to look into getting some artillery (non firing...I have some Playmobil cannons for serious FLW fun). If any readers can suggest sources of suitable figures for this project I would be grateful. I need more line infantry for the Bavarians and French, and suitable artilley crew and pieces.

Off to Reveille in Bristol tomorrow, so I may pick up something useful there. It's a great little show.