Did some explorations of the viewpoints near where I live.
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| high up above the semi-official 'viewpoint' (look closely at the dark speck on the road - that's our van!) |
I've had a number of different projects pulling my attention away from any games activity.
Summertime also brings the lawn care and repairs issues into focus.
This Friday, the 14th I have also decided to run for council in a by-election.
Gonna be a busy summer!
The Confederate half of the OOB for Shiloh 1862 is now completed.
I actually finished the painting in May, meaning I managed two divisions in the one month.
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| ending of painting stage all flocked |
This has been a real labor, with the insert of the Gettysburg game last year, I ended up doing more commanders and Union guns, then needed to get more guns for the Confederate side here ... I'll need to do up the labels and lay out the forces for a final check-in for having the troops.
As it appears that a Napoleon's Battles game will be done this summer, it is unknown if I will get in a Shiloh game with a group this year or not.
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| bare metal |
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| airbrush black base coat applied with a brush |
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| dark chocolate (mix of burnt umber and black) |
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| wet pale tan highlight under layer |
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| color base layer |
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| ink |
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| mid-tones |
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| high lights of grey |
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| all other high lights and metallic |
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| on bare movement stands |
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| fully flocked (same as title image) |
So now I'll need to do much more cleaning in the game space in order to lay out the forces and confirm I have the minimum for Shiloh.
Time also to do some parade ground photos of the collection to date.
Then ... start looking at Gettysburg ...
Hardee's Corps finished.
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| all flocked and ready for tags then action on the tabletop |
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| bare metal |
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| black base coat |
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| dark 'chocolate' undercoat |
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| damp (or wet) light tan |
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| color undercoat (note the white E brigade commander horse) |
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| inks done (note that blue ink was used on the horse) |
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| grey of tunics |
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| grey details |
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| white sections and musket barrels |
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| tightening up details I went with mostly brown or dun pants for this western Confederate force |
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| more details and metallic parts done |
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| matte coating sprayed on |
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| mounted to the movement bases |
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| flocking added |
Only three more infantry brigades of Breckenridge (E) 's command remain to be done.
I plan to start them in the next week.
A multi-year process is coming to another milestone... Shiloh! I may be able to game it this summer?
Project continues
this time foot and horse brigades
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| bare metal |
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| base black |
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| dark brown layer |
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| damp white |
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| color under-coat |
This was all done over the easter weekend, so about 30 mins a day.
Then activities picked up fast and the brush spent less time in hand.
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| ink layer done |
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| tunics |
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| hats, muskets and blankets |
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| on bases |
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| all flocked |
Since these photos they have had flags put on the three foot brigades and then stored - only two more divisions to go ... then all of SHILOH will be ready for basic action.
I am planning on some more draft horses for gun teams and at least six wagons for supply purposes.
Still on track to get Shiloh minis done this year, then comes figuring out what I need to generate for Gettysburg, casting and preparing. Let alone that elusive table time with the Shiloh set ...
Started on March 10, by March 21 all the painting was done and the flocking was finished on the 23 of March.
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| base coat was black then a dark brown coat then a 'light brown' (almost white) drybrush then a color coat (as seen here) |
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| ink layer (fresh and wet still) |
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| base color layer white on the horses for A.S. Johnston |
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| mid-tones and some details |
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| highlights & metallic parts |
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| off the painting sticks and onto bases |
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| flocking completed |
All of these troops are now filed into a Confederate storage space and three brigades of foot and one brigade of horse have been assembled and as I write this, they are at the inked stage.
Moving along on the 15mm ACW project and I can see the light of a Shiloh battlefield coming ... maybe this year?
One last game session at the Kelsey Center in Sayward.
It was an amazing fast-paced game played by two experienced players.
Austrians vs Italians and Bavarians.
Since both players were so experienced there were virtually no delays between moves and both players were fast in taking actions.
Again a time-lapse was made of the game and some images were inserted into the video.
It was a simple Italio-Bavarian attack against the Austrian defenders.
Austrians chose to line up everyone on the front line and push forward along a line of tall hills in the south, with a division holding a lower hill in the north.
The Italio-Bavarians, foot troops moved forward to engage on the low hill, then cover the flank from the tall hills - then on turn four the flank riding light cavalry division arrived and smashed the Austrian position on the low hill - driving over the Austrian field command HQ. It was a 'French' victory with horrendous casualties among the foot troops.
At one point, just before the light cavalry flank arrived the Italians were in danger of retreating from the field - the casualties had been that bad.
I am attaching all the images this time that were used in the video.
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| the many casualties around the Austrian Grenadier Battalion seen here also is the 'shaken' markers that I use a 1/2 wagon wheel and a drum or broken musket |
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| many many casualties pile up around a Bavarian 1/2 foot battery ... |
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| French Light Cavalry Division seen across the top of this image command figure in top right corner |
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| Austrian horse did tough work off a tall hill and into a thicket of woods - defeating a Jager brigade by flank attack while pushing on the front! |
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| In the end Austrian divisions just could not maintain morale while loosing so many men |
All-in-all a really great game!
Thank you Chris for coming out.
Thank you Alex for making the space available.
