Paint it black

From Blogger Pictures

Notice anything in the photo above? I mean, can you make out any detail, period? Neither can I. This is part of an experiment in Changing my Ways. For over 30 years now I have primed my miniatures white. This rendered detail very easy to see, Austrian infantry was ludicrously easy to paint, and I was happy with the results. However, almost every painting guide I read online recommended black primer. So after three decades I gave it a shot.

I nearly freaked when I saw the results. Details which had been so easy to perceive with white primer no looked like little black blobs against a black background. Adding the first block of color--white for lapels and trousers--did little to ease my concerns. However, I found the black to be very forgiving as the figures neared completion. I did not have to cover every nook and cranny with paint as I did with white primer, where unpainted areas gleamed like a beacon. Instead, any unpainted crevices would become instant shading. At worst, they would blend with the wash I use to seal the completed minis.

So the experiment continues through a brigade of French infantry. We'll see how it goes with the Austrian grenadiers coming up next.

A Marshals Baton in Every Backpack

Below is the first draft of the rules I have written for 10mm Napoleonic gaming. My goal was to make them simple, fun, and to frustrate the hell out of players as they balance the need for action with the need for control.

Enjoy and feedback welcome.

The Rules

The Charts

10mm Austrians

Well, I sold my entire collection of 15mm Napoleonics in order to buy...10mm Napoleonics. Here's why:

1) I was tired of the amateurish paint job on most of the old figs. No shading, no wash. Just sloppy primary colors.
2) They had been based and rebased so often that it looked like the dog had gotten to them.
3) I liked the idea that I could create true swarms of figures in 10mm, and still have them look pretty good on the table. I was not thrilled with the 6mms I painted up, and while I think Polemos is a great game, I kinda want to see tactical formations on the table.

So I sold the old troops on eBay, joined the Old Glory Army (great deal! 40% off!), and bought a mess of Napoleonic French and Austrians. With the home brew rules I plan to use, I have enough for a large corps on each side, with a corps consisting of 500+ infantry, 80+ cavalry, and 12 guns.

The Austrians painted up quickly. I'm still learning the technique, but I think they look pretty good. I completed this batch--consisting of 6 line infantry battalions, 1 jaeger battalion, 2 dragoon regiments, 3 heavy guns, 2 brigade commanders, and a division commander--in just about a week.

The Austrian Artillery.
My primary reference work claims that the Austrian gunners wore wolf grey. However, every miniature painter online depicts them in brown. I like the brown better, so I went with it.

From Drop Box

Hungarian Line Infantry.
The 'Magic wash' treatment really brings out fine details, even at this scale.

From Drop Box

The Dragoons, with generals and jaegers in the background. As you can see, I still need to texture the bases.

From Drop Box

Here's the whole batch--roughly a division of troops completed in just over a week. I'm well into their French counterparts now. If I keep up this pace, I should have my two corps ready to rumble by April.

From Drop Box

Yippie ki yay!

So I've decided to write my own rules for an Old West skirmish game. I wanted one where gunfighters could shoot it out, and one in which a tiny band of shootists could tate on an army of Mexican banditos like in The Magnficent Seven. I'll post those rules here when I've completed a draft I'm happy with.

In the meanwhile, I've painted up my first batch of figures, enough for a moderate-sized shootout. The cowboys are "Cowboy Wars," and the banditos are 'Villa Expedition Mexicans' from Old Glory.

I'm testing out the camera on my Droid. The photo quality could be better--I'll keep experimenting.

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

"Moo Can"

My six year old son has been asking for a "moo can" lately. We had no idea what he was talking about until he showed us a scene in "Despicable Me" in which one of the little mutant Corn Pop minions turns over a can and it makes a "mmmooooooo" sound. "Oh," says I, "A moo can."

So it arrives tonight, and the look on the little guy's face was priceless when he figured out what was in the box before he opened it. After mooing for about twenty minutes straight, he looks at me, still delighted, and says "I like it because it's annoying!"

Anyhow, here's where I found one. It was trickier than I thought, since Spencer Gifts closed their doors.