Saturday 29 March 2014

Veterans (Off Topic #23)

Having settled down for a painting session this week I decided instead to sort through my soldier cupboard (yes I have a whole cupboard to myself) and I chanced upon my 28mm Gripping Beast Carthaginians. They were looking a bit sad crammed into a plastic storage box with a few shields and spears drifting around in the bottom so I thought I’d better get them out and give them some TLC.

Veterans supported by...er...veterans!

Some of my other Punic War figures have featured briefly on this blog before (click here) but I was never really happy with the Warhammer bases I put them on – I just don’t like thick bases – so when we moved house a few years back I de-based them and stuck them in the cupboard. I had a vague idea of re-basing them some day on plasticard but the prospect of cutting up all those little squares put me off.

 "Blimey I feel like a right Nellie - some of them there frogs av' got round behind us!"

Then by chance I came across the Renedra website and ordered some of their 20mm square plastic bases together with a bigger one for Nellie (I have to say that their service is fantastic – ordered Monday evening, delivered Wednesday). The lads are looking much happier now they are upright again and I hope soon to have them back in full fighting trim.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Carthaginian's look good, like the shield designs and the elephant, but more importantly the Old Guard are looking near completion?

Look forward to seeing your French army "Tout Ensemble". How far are you off completing the French?

Paul

Stryker said...

The old guard are almost done, just need to varnish and base the final batch. After that I need to paint up one more gun crew and I'm pretty well there - for phase one anyway!!!

the Archduke said...

can't wait for the parade. I bet Roy's polishing his artillery as we write........

Stryker said...

Yes, a parade would be nice but a battle would be better!!!

Anonymous said...

A battle followed by a victory parade?

Paul

Michael said...

Ian, please hurry with the Old Guard. I have been quite ill lately and have not been able to paint, so have been looking in regularly for inspiration!!!!What I can see looks superb. On another note, having seen what someone was prepared to pay recently on ebay for a collection of HH cavalry, I am beginning to think HH are really cast in sterling silver rather than white metal!!!

Phil said...

Great looking troops, love the elephant!

Stryker said...

Michael - sorry for the slow rate of painting on the OG. I have frustratingly little time for painting at the moment and I really shouldn't have diverted to the Carthaginians but I'm sure you know what its like! I promise to get on with them as soon as possible.

PS Get well soon!

lewisgunner said...

Which cavalry were they Michael??

HH prices are quite variable. Some sellers seem to think its a pot of gold and for some things it is. However, others do not make the high prices.

Michael said...

Hi lewisgunner, they were a collection of around 144 French Napoleonic cavalry. They were not listed by the seller as HH. It would seem the seller was unaware of their value, however several regular HH buyers seemed to recognise them immediately and they went for around £450 in the end, probably not as expensive per figure as some, but a huge overall sum.

the Archduke said...

It strikes me that the seller was lucky indeed that more than one HH afficionado spotted this lot. Otherwise somebody would have landed the bargain of the century. Even so, £3 per cavalry figure is my idea of a bargain. But then, it was only French cavalry........

lewisgunner said...

I suppose it depends if painted or unpainted and if painted well. 144 decent cavalry is a really decent find well done. If they are originals then you got a good deal
Roy

Michael said...

Sorry to say it was not me who bought them. I followed the sale but did not bid as I realised the direction it was going. The lucky buyer seems to be buying anything HH at the minute, and good luck to him. They were painted examples, although the picture was not detailed enough to make an opinion on the standard of painting.