Sunday 27 May 2018

Guard Foot Artillery - Completed (again!)

According to this blog I apparently completed my Guard Foot Artillery in 2011 (click here) but I decided after the recent battle that the expanding French army needs a bit more clout in the ‘Emperors Daughters’ department. This was brought home by the fact that the Austrian Artillery had to be drafted in to the French line of battle to bring it up to the six batteries required.

My intention is to take the French Artillery to a total of eight batteries which is the top limit per side on my maximum 8’x4’ playing area. This will be made up of four line foot batteries, two Guard foot batteries and two Guard Horse Batteries. Unusually, all the artillerymen will be vintage Hinton Hunt ones although the guns are a mishmash of Hinton Hunt, Hinchliffe, Newline and RSM.

I applied three layers of gloss varnish to the new figures as a bit of an experiment. This meant I had to re-varnish the original four gunners as these had been completed with my old satin varnish. I’m still not totally sure about a high gloss finish for my figures as I find it does make seeing some of the detail harder although in the long run this may be an advantage.

12 comments:

Rob said...

I really like the high gloss finish - very tactile as well as aesthetically pleasing (well to me anyway). Eight batteries sounds like pretty serious stuff but a bit of a shame the line horse artillery can't get a look in - is that a Hinton availability thing?

Stryker said...

Rob - yes, Marcus Hinton never produced any line horse artillery however the Guard HA uniform is one of my favourites so two of those side by side should look good!

Wellington Man said...

Beautifully done, Ian. The only thing better than a battery of Guard foot artillery is two batteries!

Stryker said...

Thanks WM, just imagine how things might have turned out if this extra battery had been available at our game!

Mark Dudley said...

Very nice indeed. I do like gloss finish. Does this mean that you now going to gloss the rest of your collection.

Stryker said...

Mark - when I had everything on the table for the game I realised that my varnish ranged from almost completely matt to high gloss! I don't intend to go back over everything but where I add to units or expand them I will gloss varnish so that everything fits.

Springinsfeld said...

Great work. I much prefer a very high gloss finish,the figures just feel nice to handle among other things. My only worry is yellowing, but so far with Windsor and Newton varnish I have been ok.

KEV. Robertson. said...

Ian- Superb effort there on the French Artillery...I just marvel at your patience and attention to detail- well done. ( I have re-joined your Blog and will upload it to my Favorites...apology for being away for ages). Cheers. KEV. (Australia).

lewisgunner said...

Lovely, a great unifrm beautifully rendered. I do just wonder, though, whether they actually served the guns with the bonnet a poil on? Also would they not have piked packs. Serving 12 pdr guns is hot enough work without porting a fur titfer. Still full parade uniform is de riguer for HH's

DC said...

As Zardoz might have said - gloss is good!

The Archduke said...

Re LG, Marcus only seems to have gone for full dress for French gunners; and slung muskets, to boot. Re WM, I have just thought of something better than two guard batteries.....nice work, Ian. Your batteries have serious class.

Phil said...

Great job, no doubt!