Cossacks! Urrah!

Well being banged up at home with a sprained ankle its probably time to do my monthly post. Nothing like an enforced lay-off to get productive with the hobby!  Anyhow I finally finished off my Perry Cossacks.  Lovely figures in well animated poses with an officer in a classic Cossack 'follow-me' pose leading his swarm or sotna (which sums up their battlefield tactics too!)

A scruffy-looking lot in simple blue uniforms (have I made mine too blue?) which fit the bill nicely. But as we know appearances can be deceptive for they were universally acknowledged as the finest light cavalry of the time. They are brigaded with my earlier Front Rank versions with the plumed fur kolpaks. And Platov - can't forget my legendary Cossack general! Also a rather nice Front Rank figure.

Urrah! The cossack sotna sweeps forward.

Platov and his Cossack pretty boys in the fancy kolpaks with the showy plumes (just like his!)

The Cossack Brigade

The only thing slightly out of place is the gun and crew which pedants will have noticed is of Crimean vintage. The fact it fits in at all just goes to show how little the Russian army had changed from 1812. The Cossack gunners also look very much like the Russian Opolchenie (militia) of the time - have a look at the Perry's versions in their Napoleonic Russian range. To go with them (or not) I also have a regiment of rather nice Front rank Russian lancers I've done up as the Lithuanian Uhlans. Three regiments of Russian lancers - its enough for any Frenchman to require a change of undies.

I must admit I prefer the Perry's versions only because of the poses - the Front Rank are beautiful figures but it just doesn't look very Cossacky to be just standing there holding your lance as it were! Its a pity because a more animated version would be perfect. I used the classic dark blue for their uniforms too - sans washes or highlights which may have been a mistake however, given the number of Russians I still have to paint, not one I have the time to correct!

The very bright sunlight I took these photos in make the Perrys Cossacks look like they have sky-blue uniforms in comparison to the Front Rank boys behind them - but they don't. If they look too light a blue I can always put another black wash over the uniform.

The Front Rank Platov figure - a beauty with his mace of authority and painted in the days when my eyeballs allowed me to paint theirs!  I should spruce up his base though - its a bit sparse for a commander of his stature!

To be honest I'm not unhappy with the results.  Now hopefully to get a game with them. I've got to try and get Doug lined up for a GdB stoush - he hates Russians!  Trouble is I've only got four 24 figure infantry battalions - I need to paint up another eight - yipes!  Better get cracking then!

Before I go it would be remiss of me to mention something very exciting to 28mm collectors and gamers.  The German firm Pro Gloria have recently announced their intention to release a box of plastic Landesknechts in early 2015.  Pro Gloria make some of the most beautifully sculpted late Renaissance figures around. In my opinion these figures are as good as anything the Perry's or Paul Hicks do i.e. the standard  is incredibly high - the benchmark for figure makers; the best there is! 

Also check out their Facebook or even better their IndieGoGo page: 

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/plastic-landsknecht-box

The latter is a very good means of funding projects over the Internet.  I'm currently examining my rapidly shrinking hobby fundage with a view to investing in these beautiful figures for my Impetus armies. They have a lot of great deals going so do yourself a favour and nip on over to their IndieGogo site and check it out.  If you spend a squillion Euros on an order they even offer to get your mug on the head of one of their figure releases!  Awesome.  Never heard of that before (although Alan Perry sculpted Michael as a squished/dead Rohan on their Muamak base) but given the standard of the sculpts they've already put up on their site, I can believe it!

Until next month, Doc out.

French Napoleonic Artillery Limbers

I know many of you are Napoleonic enthusiasts - as am I - despite my eclectic postings on just about everything else lately!

I recently obtained a couple of beautiful Front Rank French artillery limbers  for a song (and a few more $!) from my mate Dean at Olympian (see also logo left side of this blog).  Quite a bargain considering how good they are.  They were a bit banged about and were just the limbers - no artillery pieces attached.  

After a few repairs and some minor repainting and a bit of touching up, I made up two 8 pdr artillery pieces to go with them and finished them off.  The following (below) is the Line Horse Artillery limber - my favourite of the two.

French Line Horse Artillery - after 1807? - the rider at the front has a new plume!

No, second thoughts the Guard (Foot) Artillery limber is my fave, no wait...  Actually they are both beautifully done.

French Guard Artillery limber

Don't know how I'll use them on the table in a Black Powder game but they'll make great eye-candy anyway.

While I'm at it I'd just like to say a big thank you to my Irish mate Angry Lurker for his generous donation to the Movember cause (my previous post) - the only one so far - so I'd like to again appeal to my fellow bloggers to donate to the very good cause of men's health.  The link takes you to the Movember site and my son's account on it.  Any donation (click under the Mo symbol, left hand side) will generate a receipt for tax purposes.  Last shameless plug - I promise!

Well, that's it for now - still sorting out computer problems with my old PC but have another battalion of FPW French line and Turkos about half done.  Also got a regiment of Spahi - French colonial cavalry used in the Republican phase of the conflict - that will make a very colourful addition when I paint them up.

And another thank you to BRB for pointing out my brain-fart calling them all caissons rather than limbers - now corrected - cheers mate - what can I say - its been a long day!!

Cheers,
           Doc

'Movember' - a bloody good cause

As the many visitors to this blog may or may not know, I usually refrain from naked appeals for money, and particularly on behalf of others, but on this occasion I'll throw caution to the wind.

You see my eldest is on a quest.

Its a very noble quest.

Its a quest to grow a mo.


He's part of 'Movember' and is trying mightily to grow a mo like his old man once had - see the above pic (not really)

So, think of a skinny Lebanese version of Burt Reynolds with a Zapata and you'll get the picture.

He will definitely NOT look like this showoff.

So, like Kitchener says, your country needs YOU - not to grow a 'tache like him - but to donate to those who are trying to emulate famous mos through the ages.

You see its for a very good cause - research into men's prostate cancer - which kills far, far too many of us middle aged bewhiskered chaps every year.


The figures are as bad as those are for breast cancer in women or even worse because with us it frequently goes unreported and thus undiscovered until its too late (if you're aged 40 or over and haven't done so yet, go and have your prostate examination NOW!)

Follow the link below and donate (click on the 'Donate to me' button on the left hand side) to a very worthy cause for us blokes:

http://mobro.co/ruggedgentleman88

It would do a young lad's confidence no end of good if he could see that his scraggly rat-like whiskery sprouting will eventually flourish into a luxuriant mustache of the sort sported by famous generals and film stars, encouraged by generous (tax deductible) donations from bloggers all over the world!

Donate and no doubt he'll end up just like a chip off the old block!

         

Cheers,
             Doc