The Foot bases are particularly packed and dark so I needed to optimise the use of light/bright colours. These artificially vibrant colours are intended to make the blocks pop - shocking close up but more visible further away.
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| Swedish Pike-and-Shot and Commanded Shot. These represent ethnic Swedes and German Protestants in Swedish service. Scots in Swedish service are in hodden grey and blue bonnets (front rank, centre). The Swedes have a higher proportion of shot than the Spanish, Catholic-Imperialists and Saxons. This will be more obvious when I replace the pikes. |
My painting reference has been Steven Thomas’s series of uniform articles on
Balagan, but my painting inspiration has been the 2mm (!) armies on
Roundwood's World. Yes, a 2mm approach to painting 6mm figures is quite enough for me.
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| Spanish Pike-and-Shot. The drummers are picked out in yellow so I can quickly identify the blocks. |
Swedish blocks (i.e. ethnic Swedes or Germans in Swedish service) and Saxons are uniformed but the Catholic-Imperialists and Spanish are not, though the latter are distinguished by particular use of red and yellow.
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| Catholic-Imperialist Pike-and-Shot and Commanded Shot. Here the drummers are all in red. |
Most of the coats don’t really show unless you view the blocks at eye level. Once again it’s the headgear that stands out.
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| Saxon pike-and-shot - awaiting uniform information. Steven Thomas is painting his own Saxons at the moment and will be publishing uniform guidance in due course. |
Flags will be attached to dress pins. Pikes will be brush bristles in a natural brown colour, but I'll have to wait on the Coronavirus emergency before I can go out and shop for brush-heads.
I'll be adding a little more detail to Foot and Horse over the next few days. Then they'll be put back in storage so that next month I can move on to working on my many Rampant armies...
From a distance, the overall mass effect is impressive.
ReplyDeleteJonathan, it's all about impression rather than the literal...and the ability to see the figures in an indifferently lit wargames club. I've seen plenty of 6mm figures which are better painted but harder to see!
DeleteRichard
That really is quite effective at table top height.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see what they look like on a mat with scenery...
DeleteHi Richard,
ReplyDeleteAs someone who plays and paints a lot of 6mm Napoleonics I have to say your approach to basing and painting is refreshing. I cannot wait to see how they look with the pikes attached.
I was wondering what thickness of MDF you went with in the end? I saw an earlier post where you were discussing the point, but could not see an outcome. Sorry if I missed it.
Best,
Edward
Hi Edward
DeleteI can't remember discussing MDF thickness but I would have used the thinnest possible, i.e. 2mm. I think the steel is about 1mm.
I'm currently focusing on computer wargaming so it will be a long time before I make any further progress.
Richard
Hi Richard,
DeleteAh ok, perhaps I mis-read one of your previous posts.
Fair enough. I must admit that is a shame to hear as your project has re-started my interest in the period and I find your painting approach to be quite inspiring for 6mm. I did see that Baccus now does their advancing pike with open hands, so I am thinking to start with those models. I also looked at the 3mm blocks, but I would agree with your opinion that in the end they are too small.
Wish you all the luck with your computer gaming. The P&S game does look very tempting.
Best,
Edward
Hi Edward
DeleteI'm not seeing the pike with open hands...what's the code?
Baccus were very resistant to investing in these because most people preferred cast pikes, such is human folly.
Best wishes
Richard
Hi Richard,
DeleteFrom my reading these chaps have open hands: WEC02 - WEC2 - Armoured pikemen - charge
WEC04 - WEC04 - Unarmoured Pikemen at charge
They might need deeper bases, but could look good and saves time with snipping and drilling.
I would agree. Cast pikes and lances are a pain. But it seems that most people are able to treat their figures with better care than I manage!
Best,
Edward
Hi Edward
DeleteYou're quite right! But I'd only have been able to use the back rank figures with my basing scheme.
My pikes began to look like limp spaghetti when I was still in the painting phase.
I've drilled some 10mm ensigns but I doubt if I could drill 6mm figures, and I wouldn't want to drill 6mm or 10mm in large numbers.
As it is I've just lopped off the pikes above the hands but not below. I've no idea how easy or difficult it's going to be to get the bristles to stick.
Kind regards
Richard
Hi Richard,
DeleteAh, yes, very true. Although I think you could get away with just losing the front rank. I plan to order some and test. I will comment on here if I have any significant findings. :)
As for drilling 6mm. I drill out my Napoleonic ensigns, to fix a steel wire pole instead of the bendy Baccus version, for the flags. I would say that it is certainly possible. One the odd occasion it goes a little wrong and I have to 'replace' the arm with some painting, but it is not noticeable at table top distances. Looking at your basing, I would suggest that you can get away with only drilling the front rank, and the remainder have the pike glued to their front and to the base at their feet. As long as it is roughly in the right spot, left to right, on the miniature I doubt anyone would be able to see it.
As for sticking, I dip the end of the wire into the super glue tube, so there is some on the bottom few mm, and then hold it in place for a moment. Sometime the wire goes too far into the glue and you can end up with a blob of glue on the wire, but once painted I find this doesn't show.
Best,
Edward