A happy new year to you all. The Christmas Tree is down and the mince pies and unhealthy levels of wine consumption are behind me. Time to get back to the serious stuff starting with those Guard Chasseur-a-cheval. All the one-piece castings and the horses are done and I'm now working my way through the remaining 7 riders so the whole unit should be finished soon.
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| I prefer to paint the horse and rider separately and then glue them together before finishing the detail on the riders. |
An early Christmas present to myself was replacing the frozen PVA with a smart new 500ml bottle.
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| Note to self - do not store at less than zero degrees! |
I also pushed the boat out and asked Santa for a board game - this is entirely the fault of Norm (click here if for some inexplicable reason you have never visited Norm's brilliant blog) enticing me to have a go at something with "high solo playability". I've cut out the counters but haven't played it yet.
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| I think this is going to be good. |
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| The counters are nice but the board is not mounted which is a bit disappointing. |
Santa also brought me some lovely vintage Hinton Hunt Prussian Guards. I know I already have some but I couldn't resist as the marching figure is one of my favourites. I'm sure Blucher will be pleased too.
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| Who doesn't need more of these - well, not me obviously. |
Buying more figures is probably not the way I should be going with this project. My master spreadsheet shows that I only painted 89 figures last year whilst I acquired 131. At this rate of course I will never finish so this year the plan is to paint at least 150 figures and buy absolutely NOTHING!
Wish me luck...
Happy New Year, and your Chasseurs of the Guard are coming along swimmingly! A very sensible approach where figure purchases are concerned. I am in a similar boat here, and decided a year of more ago to focus on painting out from under the small mountain of mostly Minden figures in the Drawer of Lead. Of course, the gift of a 28mm Black Hussar coach and team does not help matters, but those are not really fighting men, are they?
ReplyDeleteKind Regards and Happy 2024,
Stokes
The cavalry are looking a treat and the boardgame looks very interesting. I will try to keep spending your money :-)
ReplyDeleteFor paper maps, I play on a large pinboard, place the map and then put a piece of perspex over the map (that has been cut to fit the pinboard).
Thanks Stokes and for the record 'gifts' don't count as acquisitions!
ReplyDeleteNorm that’s a handy hint about the map but I’d better not mention your offer to help me keep spending money to Mrs S (hopefully she won’t read this!).
ReplyDeleteMore nice work on the Chasseurs…
ReplyDeleteAnd what’s not to like about more Prussian grenadiers.😁
All the best. Aly
Guard Chasseurs are going to be great - excellent job. Hope you have a less stressful year in 2024 - all the very best to you all. My current situation not looking promising for much involvement on the wargaming front for a while, but it's still good to have a hobby to go back to!
ReplyDeleteAly, my thoughts precisely with shako plumes like that!
ReplyDeleteThanks Tony!
ReplyDeleteYour Chasseurs are going to be magnificent, Ian! As for the Prussian guard, what a beautiful minty-looking set. I hope it's the Second Garde zu Fuss you have in mind, with their menancing black plumes....
ReplyDeleteYour painting deficit is very modest indeed compared to mine!
All the very to you and yours for the New Year
WM
Thanks WM, well yes it HAS to be black plumes!
ReplyDeleteEverything seems to be coming along nicely!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year.
Perhaps a bit too much wine over the festive break as I make 6 riders rather than 7?
ReplyDeleteEither way, I'm looking forward to seeing the Guard cavalry all on parade to welcome the latest addition once complete.
I wish my lead pile was only growing as slowly as yours but it's so hard to resist when some more figures come up which will add a little something to the envisaged master plan - not that there is such a thing as a plan in my case.
Thanks for the blog tip, it's one I've missed but looks pretty certain to be added to the regular reading list.
May 2024 be all you want of it.
The Chasseurs are lovely, really like them and the Prussian guards are not too shabby either, very nice indeed! Boardgames are a thing I want to give a go this year, we shall see!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, to you and your readers.
ReplyDeleteMy painting total is similar to yours but my purchases fewer. We'll see what 2024 brings but it's about fun and relaxation, not burden or guilt, so enjoy whatever happens.
Your guardsmen for both armies are very desirable.
I shall follow your posts with interest.
Stephen, whose troops are alsoin glossy coats.
Cheers Matt!
ReplyDeleteRob, definitely worth keeping an eye on Norm’s blog!
ReplyDeleteDonnie, I played a few board games years ago and they seem to have come on in the meantime. The main problem is they distract from painting time!
ReplyDeleteStephen, you’re right it is about relaxation but at the same time I do like a target!
ReplyDeleteA happy new year, Sir. Those chasseurs are going to be fabulous. Can't wait to face them with the Grand Duke of Tuscany's own and make inappropriate remarks about chicken chasseurs. Yet more Garde zu Fuss, eh? That way lies, well, victory, usually.
ReplyDeleteNigel, chicken chasseurs eh? You can have the Toscana’s but they will never again ride as A+!!!
ReplyDeleteThose Prussians will look fantastic and menacing in black plumes. Can't wait to see those, not to mention the Guard Chasseurs. I feel so left out however, not having any Prussians and Austrians in my armies, but were I too start down that road the unpainted pile would be too insurmountable to conceive!
ReplyDeleteDavid, given the size of your splendid British and French armies the Prussians may be a bridge too far!
ReplyDelete