ACW Project Pt.2

After dry-brushing all the black and most of the brown leather equipment, I have moved on to hats and kepis. I am starting to use the dry-brushing method more and more the better I get at it. In addition, it saves a lot of time over the two and three shade methods. Next up trousers and jackets/coats.

ACW Project Update

Since my gaming is going to be very limited for the next few months due to Thursday night swim meets, I am going to be limited to posts on what should shape up to be a several-month ACW painting project (and maybe an occasional post on terrain).

I have quite an eclectic mix of minis that will end up ordinary, rank and file infantry - about 60 - 70  Rebs and about 40 Fed. With my 40x40 infantry bases holding 4 minis (some 3 including a lying casualty), this will add between 28 and 30 bases to my armies, or close to 6 regiments worth. The lion's share are Sash and Saber with an even mix of Dixon, Redoubt, and Foundry...and one Essex I found in a box thrown in for good measure. Once primed in black (cheap Wally World or Home Depot for me), I slap on a base coat of flesh.  Since I like a bit of variety, I use all kinds of base coats with Foundry Flesh 5A getting the most work.

After each gets its base coat, I use a single highlight color (again, a lot of variety). For personalities I will spend more time by using a three-shade method.

Once highlights are completed, I give every model a splash of Citadel Brown Sepia wash (I think they now call their washes shades) over the flesh. In my opinion, this blends the shades a bit for a nice look. Then it's on to hair where I do everything from blonde to gray to black.  Except for black where I simply give a light drybrush of white right over the black prime, I use a 00 brush to pick at (for lack of a better phrase) the hair so to leave some of the black prime for shade. At this point I give a select few eyes (all Dixons and some Foundrys).

After all flesh is completed, I start drybrushing packs, brogans, belts, ammo pouches, cap boxes, etc. that will remain black with a very very light dusting of Delta Ceramcoat Hippo Gray.  I like it for bringing out the highlights of the leather.  Here is the rear of a batch of Sash & Saber Union infantry.

Following this, I do the same thing with items that will remain some shade of brown (primarily Rebel leather goods), but I will brush it on a little harder so it's apparent the color of the item is brown, but with a nice weathered look.  I do this with many Reb hats too.

I am starting to take more and more advantage of drybrushing, as for me it leaves a nice look on some items (primarily leather and reb hats) and it goes a lot faster than 2-shading. I like my infantry to get finished fast without sacrificing too much quality.

Here are a few more pics of the batch.

Victory Decision Battle

Last night was a WWII night at the Baron's.  We hadn't played Victory Decision in quite some time, but Jaye recited the rules in pretty simple terms, thus we were off and rolling.  Unlike our previous games using these rules, this time with the help of assigning a playing card to each unit to determine order of activation, each turn would introduce a new unit to the game (we would later learn while this system offers a more realistic effect, more thought will need to be used in choosing which unit(s) should be placed on the field to begin the game).

The scenario featured a battle pitched within a small, French town.

Contact was made between a squad-size element of the 2nd Rangers and a fire team of German Spahtrupp (recon).  The U.S. squad did a great job of not letting the German team set up an MG-42 in an upper floor of a bombed out church.  After several attempts (and lighter on personnel), the Krauts had to pull back.

While all this was going on, a larger mixed unit of Wehrmacht and Waffen SS moved up on the right and a Panzer IV started to move on the town center.  To counter this, the first of three Shermans (with a second squad of 2nd Rangers in tow) made a move on the town as well. A nice shot from the Panzer turned the Sherman into a burning hulk for the Ranger unit to find cover behind.  It appeared the Panzer might be able to control the town center...until a second Sherman moved up shortly thereafter. This second Sherman would put two nice rounds into the Panzer and things would begin to turn with the Krauts flat out of armor and only a PaK40 to try and stem the tide of oncoming U.S. armor (the PaK40 would never really be a factor).

The German infantry unit on the right made an attempt to flush out the first Ranger unit out of a building where it had been wreaking havoc, but the attempt turned fatal by return fire from the Ranger unit and a third Sherman that had moved in on the German left.

Following the third Sherman was a unit of 101st Airborne. After linking up with the second unit of Rangers, it became apparent the Germans were in real trouble as a team of another unit of mixed Wehrmacht and SS got caught with their pants down in the open and was chewed up in no time.

The Krauts were never able to take advantage of a medium mortar team that began to move up (and never even got a sniper team on the field) and the Americans wrapped up a pretty easy victory with minimal casualties.  There was some debate over the minimal effectiveness of the German MGs compared to some U.S. BARs, but with some careful planning the next time around, the Germans should be able to take advantage of what was historically a much more feared weapon in the MG-42.

Corvus Belli Early Imperial Roman Archers

I recently finished up a few units of EIR archers. The lion's share of these little guys are from the Corvus Belli line.  I have purchased several packs from the CB line including legionnaires, cavalry, and ballista w/crew. I am extremely impressed with the detail and cleanliness of these models. In addition, they are very easy to pain due to nice relief. These are mounted on magnetic bases and movement trays from Shogun Miniatures.

After finishing these I'll be shifting gears back to 25mm ACW.  With Sam Mustafa's Longstreet rules coming out this fall, I am embarking on, for me, a massive project where I'll be painting up over 100 Union and Confederate infantry.  I don't pretend not to be a man of little patience.  I like to see results. I like to get guys on bases and be finished.  The largest number of 25mm models I have painted and based in a single batch to this point is about 25...I'll have to key my eye on the prize with this bunch.