Thursday 24 January 2019

At last an update..... 15mm Blue Moon armies.

It's been a long time since I went three weeks between updates to this blog. Fact is that I felt that I needed to post something other than images of small groups of figures representing a weeks painting so have held off until I have something more substantial to add here.

The Blue Moon 15mm Napoleonics continue to be my main focus, and I have been knocking them out around 30 to 40 figures per week, thus the collection has grown to close to 350 painted French and British. This is turn has raised the issue of the need to multi base them and what you see below is the French army based in 4 foot or 2 cavalry on hand cut 30mm square card bases, true old school style! These will all be textured with  filler/glue mix before earth colouring and the addition of static grass. I have just started on the British, you can see some Light Dragoons and Guards below.

Unit sizes - these are flexible, but I have organised into units of 12 foot or 6 cavalry for the small table games I intend to play. This gives a better impression of mass I find, maybe 12 figures are not representative of a battalion, but then are 24 figures or even 30 figures? I still intend to use a (subtle) grid as I can't get my head around playing any other way these days, the frontage of the units is 90mm so a 100mm square grid will be required, which leaves plenty of depth for terrain features.

On the subject of terrain, I have now painted the items I ordered from Steve Clay at Battlescale. These are all 10mm scale but fit very will with 15mm figures. I gave them a generic paint job, maybe a touch Ballamory in my choice of render colours but pleasing to my eye. The bridges and artillery earthworks are very nice models too. As said before they are very robust resin castings - survived the journey to Spain in the post with no problems - and there is little if any sign of air bubbles that can spoil the look of a model building. They also remarkably inexpensive in the days of costly MDF kits, excellent as they may be, so well worth a look by any wargamer.

My copy of Bob Cordery's latest book 'The Portable Napoleonic Wargame' arrived yesterday and I hope to start reading it later today. I really like Bob's choice of cover picture as it very evocative of Wargame books of the Seventies and works well with the solid bright red frame.

So next I need to focus on basing and terrain, the end of the beginning is in sight and I'm remaining true to my  concept of a small space (portable?) Napoleonic wargame system based on a subtly gridded board, albeit one that has outgrown the original C&C board idea.The board will now be 3' x 4' and sit comfortably on my dining table It's coming together slowly but surely, I don't plan huge armies, just up to 20 elements per side, and with the French and British about done I'm turning my attention next to a Prussian Army using the Blue Moon figures.

I like this lot, French Chassuers, Hussars and lancers.

Overview of the French army, the guns yet to be based. The British force is the same size but still in the box as need basing.



French heavies, 2 units of Dragoons and a unit of Guard Grenadiers (as I had them).


Converged line Grenadiers in bearskins.

French artillery, will add more guns and expand the crews as I seem to have packets of them!

My favourites among the French, line lancers.

The French lights, Hussars, Chassuers .

Voltiguers, two such units.

Could be fielded in 24 figure battalions for 'off grid' games!



A battalion of Foot Guards, run out of command figures!

Light Dragoons of course.

A gaggle of Scotsmen awaiting basing.

More Brits in the box.

Couple of units of heavies... I like these.


The completed buildings and accessories from Steve Clay... will be back for more.



Latest arrival, Bobs book.
Edit: image for Rob of plastic Warlord pin/damage markers fro Bolt Action!


18 comments:

  1. Some great looking troops you have there Lee!

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    1. Cheers Ray, like yourself I enjoy being able to churn them out :)

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  2. They look really nice - line CàC are my favourites, I look forward to seeing them in action. Also still looking forward to a posted photo of the pin markers from your earlier Tiger posts... Made some more ECW progress lately will send some photos soon.

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    1. Rob, I had the pics, meant to post them, have added to the post :)

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  3. Very impressive Lee. 30 to 40 15mm naps a week isn't something to be afraid of showing off!

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  4. Thanks James, I can paint loads of figures and enjoy it, but really need to get to use them :)

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    1. Sometimes you just have to take the stress out and do the bits that you enjoy the most - in your case the painting - have you ever thought about earning some beer tokens by doing it for others?? you definitely seem to like the painting and project building bit the best... :o)

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    2. Hi Steve, you have hit the nail right on the head! I can sit and paint for hours without tiring of it, and love looking along the ranks of painted figures, but when it comes to putting them on the table and using them, well......

      I am currently discussing a possible 15mm commission, because the subject matter would present an enjoyable challenge to me. For now I'll just say Arabs and Turks :)

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  5. Replies
    1. Thanks Andy, the Blue Moons are very nice little figures and a joy to paint.

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  6. Lee enjoyed the post (replied yesterday, but my iPad keeps 'eating' comments that I post, very Harry Potter). That is a good mash-up, 15mm, 4' x 3' and the grid, very interested to see where this all goes. I pulled out some of my pictures a couple of days ago of when I last did napoleonic on a square grid (in 6mm),so the interest has re-awakened.

    Agree on the quality and suitability of the battlescale resins, Steve's buildings have a lot of charm.

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    1. Hi Norm, it WILL come together I'm sure, and as you say the combo of 15mm figures, a 3 x 4 board and a square grid offers me the best way of bringing this project to fruition. The 40mm figures continue to look down upon the dining table 'God like' and I do love them, but I have a tidy and orderly mindset,and to me a huge table with all that entails would seem like chaos these days, partly why I'm so attracted to a 'portable' set up that can be enjoyed in comfort. Does that make sense to you Norm? When I see some of the beautiful model railway quality terrain boards at the conventions I know my days of such are behind me, wonderful as they might be.

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    2. Absolute sense, the grid brings an order and functionality that my mind is attuned to.

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    3. Agreed... many many moons ago a younger, slimmer and fitter Steve the Wargamer was an ardent windsurfer, I would sail and race twice a week, this was the hey day of the sport, mid to late 80's... thousands of people involved, but now a bare fraction... and what killed it?? Well in my view over-specification, kit changed monthly, for no perceived benefit, but a view that you were no-one if you weren't sailing the latest kit... as a result vast numbers drifted away from a sport that had become too 'elitist'.. I have long held the view that most hobbies are the same, it's the magazines that promulgate (oo-err - dictionary corner) this view, in the case of the wargaming press, and the wargame shows, it's the view that if you're not doing four layer shading on a 6mm figure, or you aren't using actual clumps of soil from the battlefield your depicting, or etcetcetc, you are somewhat worthless ... boll*cks say I... that view is disincentiv'ising and puts people off just having a go and finding they actually love the game aspect, or the painting aspect, or the research or whatever... as long as we're true to the history I say do it any which way you please.. even on grids.. :o))

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    4. Hi Steve, excellent comment. I agree that the incredibly high standards of painting and modelling in the hobby today must surely be putting newcomers off, because the time alone required to produce such models and terrain boards must be prohibitive for many. Personally I have lost my enthusiasm for such, but still want to be able to play wargames in my own way, and while I'm lucky to have time on my hands I'd rather spend it painting figures. I think that's why I'm drawn to the smaller type of game, a smaller table, smaller units and basic terrain. I know where I'm going with this project and I'm very happy with that :)

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  7. Lee - you must try out Tony's excellent Ramekin rules. A great C&C variant system!

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    1. Hi Ian, I have seen a draft copy and I do fully intend to give it a go once my board is up and running.

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  8. Lovely French and British troops!
    Best Iain

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