2nd Wisconsin Completed!

Finally, we can show you a truly finished regiment (note the basing and flags are in place, unlike some of those scruffy Rebs). This is the first regiment of the Iron Brigade, the 2nd Wisconsin Volunteers.

I'm very happy with how the conversions and painting has turned out. Fairly simple yet very effective stuff. Thanks go to Don Effinger for his notes on the Iron Brigade's blue piping on their collars and cuffs, as well as the blue hat cords. You'll note I haven't painted the piping or hat cords on all the models, as no doubt some wore replacement coats and had damaged hats.

Another thing to note is their haversacks/bread bags. I've painted mine in a dirty canvas color, which is not at all historically correct. History shows that these bags would have been black (although a few regiments did apparently carry white bags). I chose this warmer canvas look to add some color and warmth to the dark and cool colors already dominating the models. Purely a painters choice.

The lovely flags are from GMB Designs who do a great range of beautifully rendered banners. The only slight disappointment is that the side of the Stars & Stripes that has the regiment's battle honors stitched on to it is "covered" by the regimental flag and can only really be seen from the back. Not GMB's fault at all.

Anyway, before my colleagues start asking about the colors for the basing, here they are:

Basecoat: Vallejo Charred Brown
First drybrush: Vallejo Beige Brown
Second drybrush: Vallejo Dark Sand

Paint the edges with Vallejo Beige Brown

The grasses on top of the bases are a mix of Late Summer Buffalo grass from Silflor, Jungle and Highland Tufts from Army Painter, Meadow with flowers Assortment (also from Silflor), and then patches of static grass (I used a 50:50 mix of GW's Scorched Grass and GF9's Static Grass: Green).

I hope you like them, only another four regiments of the Iron Brigade to go ; )

Oh, and don't forget to donate to our Guns Of April Movember team as we try to raise money for raising awareness (and solving) men's health issues. You can donate at my Movember page here.

Cheers
Dave

British Command reaches next level

After a little bit more work adding some greenstuffed sashes and sword belts, my collection of Officers and their staff is now ready for painting!

One of our new sponsors, Dragon Forge Design, provided the bases I used for the command stands. Jeff has a great range of sculpted bases, perfect for lots of sci-fi and fantasy games, but he also has a range of "base blanks" just perfect for this sort of thing. For the Brigade commanders I used 80mm round blanks, and for the Divisional commander I used a 120x95mm oval blank. 

So, here are my commanders: First Brigade - Femor (left) and Von Lowe (right, mounting up).

Second Brigade - Wheatley (mounted) calling for haste with the delivery of new orders to his sub-officer.

Third Brigade - Van DeLeur (mounted with telescope) observing the actions of the enemy and preparing to give orders to an officer of the RHA.

Fourth (Cavalry) Brigade - Le Marchant (mounted, wearing the bicorne) with von Bock (or Alten, I haven't decided, in the KGL Hussar uniform).

And finally, here is Campbell, commander of the Guards Division at Salamanca and "Divisional Commander" of the British for our little game at Adepticon.

As well as thanks to Dragon Forge Design, we would also like to thank the Perry's for their kind support in the form of these command models. Cracking stuff!

Cheers
Dave

Based in Spain

With a bit of hobby activity going on amongst "The Guns of April" crew, I've been asked to post up my recipe for my Napoleonic bases.

The Battle of Salamanca was fought on a fairly dry and dusty plain in Spain in the middle of summer. As such I decided (a long while ago) that the bases needed to be quite light, reflecting the dry feel of the area. As I've just finished off my 5th Caçadores unit (above), I figured they were as good a candidate as any to demonstrate the treatment.

Here are my five steps for "Peninsular Basing" success (from left to right):

1. Basecoat everything with Calthan Brown (GW)
2. Drybrush with Bubonic Brown (GW)
3. Drybrush with Dark Sand (Vallejo, similar to GW's Bleached Bone)
4. Drybrush with Pale Sand (Vallejo, similar to a mix of GW's Bleached Bone and Skull White)
5. Paint the edges with Calthan Brown and glue on clumps of Late Summer Buffalo Grass (Silflor, available in the US from Scenic Express)

Hopefully this little post will keep us all on the same track for our basing ; )

Cheers
Dave