Anyway, I've been listening to Tolstoy's War and Peace on Audible for the last few weeks, after watching the superb BBC adaptation on Netflix, and it's got me really, really interested in Napoleonics again. So much so I've actually started in two different scales.
This blog post is about the smaller scale bigger battles that I can get with my old 6mm stuff. After looking around I spotted the Blucher ruleset, and reading it, it really grabbed my interest as having some excellent mechanics and a very modern free-flowing style.
I've been rebasing my 6mm models and have plumped for 60mm x 30mm bases, which seems to be a semi-standard size in 6mm these days. I have created some trial Blucher cards in 60mm x 40mm, that can be used face down for concealed units and then turned right way up with models on top (maybe blu-tac'ed) for revealed units.
The photos below also show how I used to have the models based. I think I have enough in this old army to get a Blucher force going without having to paint any up. A good thing as well, as my interest really is in French vs Russian, not British as these all are.
The painted models are all Heroics and Ros and I actually have a 6mm H&R Russian army still unpainted in it's bags from all those years ago. I will have to get me some French though before starting on those!
I do hope I don't stall with this again and end up leaving it for years and years...
Very nicely done, congrats!
ReplyDeleteI have to ask, as i now have seen all your fine work rebasing all of those troops and the results are pretty awesome i think.
ReplyDeleteI plan to do the same thing, mine are based on 40x20 but are mostly blend looking bases to be honest as they're from my youth and i didn't have the experience i have now.
I was thinking of rebasing everything as you did on 60x30 to make the bases a little more lively. Different formations, skirmishers included, ...
Did you find it a chore to rebase everything ?
I'm affraid to start, not by the amount of work but i'm affraid of breakages and damage to the miniatures.
Did you experience much damage to your miniatures while rebasing or did go mostly well ?
Thanks for your insight :p
It wasn't too much of a chore as I didn't have to rebase that many really. It was quite exciting getting them ready to play a new game after so many years.
DeleteAs for damage there was some definitely my previous basing had involved splattering BaseTex all over the bases and this had a made a mess of the minis. I had to repaint some parts as a result.
A few models also broke as they were removed. Luckily they were just glued onto cardboard so it was possible to slice that off and so they didn't get too badly damaged. Also luckily I had quite a few spares to use.
So in conclusion your experience is going to depend a lot on your previous basing system.
As for the re-basing it's basically the same technique I have used for almost all my minis in all scales for quite some time.
1) Glue the models to MDF base with "Aleene's All Purpose Tacky Glue". Wait to dry.
2) Cover base with premixed filler (spackle). Wait to dry.
3) Paint with cheap burnt umber acrylic. Wait to dry.
4) Dry brush with Vallejo Beasty Brown.
5) Dry brush with 50/50 Vallejo Beasty Brown/Pale Sand.
6) Dry brush with Vallejo Pale Sand.
7) Stick self adhesive tufts on*
* I make the tufts myself in advance in large quantities.
Hope that helps.