Old Glory orcs, part 1

Regular readers of this blog might remember my Piles Of Minis post way back last year, where I sorted through a bunch of old minis that had recently resurfaced. While working on my Tsolyanu minis, my orcs have also found some time under the paintbrush.

Here are some work-in-progress pics:


Pictured are two packs of orcs from Old Glory Miniatures Ghost line - Orcs with Scimitars and Orcs with Axes.


These minis are not top-of-the-line sculpts, but I like them a lot and they paint up easily. The sculpts are animated and I have only one repeat in the collection. My favorite is the orc in the back row, trying to be sneaky.




Here's a close-up:


The base skin color is Reaper Pro Paints Ruddy Flesh, with a wash or two of GW Ogryn Flesh. I did not want yet another set of green orcs. Greenskins have their place but not in this bunch. Sometime I will add some bow-armed orcs to the mix...


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Notes on Figurehead ironclads

Just a couple of observations on the fine ironclads from Figurehead...


The first point is minor: all of the Figurehead ironclads, all of them steam-powered, have sails set. I could probably live with that point; it does not seem to detract from the models at all. But, if one wanted a bit more realism, the sails would need to go. On Regina Maria Pia and her sisters, it would be easier than others as the sails of the fore and main masts are actually separate from the mast itself. Others in the Figurehead line have the sails cast as part of the masts, making replacement of the entire piece necessary. For me, more thinking is required before getting my clippers ready.

The second point is more important, at least to me: the base is too small. I would like to put some labeling on the base itself and the included base, although sculpted with a nice wave effect, has no room for labels.


Here is Regina Maria Pia resting upon a 1" x 2" metal base. I think that a centimeter or some would be enough at the stern for the labels .


Is 1" too wide? Or maybe I should apply the label along the broadside edge of the base???

Old projects, part 1 - Figurehead ships

I have been slowly sifting through boxes of hobby stuff, and some surprises have been uncovered. There are some pics of some items over at my other blog, but the discoveries have not been of a naval variety, until now:




I was quite shocked to find these! These are a nice set of Figurehead Ships ironclads in 1/2400 scale. I purchased these 9 or 10 years ago, I think, at a convention in British Columbia. The dealer had them at 50% off and I bought what he had left. Figurehead's selection is based on the Battle of Lissa, 1866, at the end of the Seven Weeks War. Now, I'm not sure but it seems that I have a good selection of Italian ships, but only 4 Austrians; not nearly enough for the actual battle. There are also some 'generic' steam ships, which I think I bought with the intention of using them as Turkish ships. Figurehead minis were originally cast in England, but they are now available from Noble Miniatures in the USA.

I assembled one of these fine minis, long ago:


Regina maria Pia, one assembled and one still in the bag. The mini is in four parts: hull w/masts, 2 sails, and a base. On the assembled ship, the base is augmented by a piece of magnetic strip trimmed to the size of the original base.


Not quite 1½ inches long including the base. The mini is very nicely detailed, with individual gunports and some deckwork.


The sails are well detailed also. In all, a fine looking mini!

This looks to be a significant addition to my list of naval projects. Although I am rather short on Austrian ships, there are enough to start working on learning some rules and then building up to the full Lissa fleet rosters.

Mustering Sérqu, Sword of The Empire

In an attempt to become more organized in both my painting and purchasing, I have dragged my Legion of Sérqu minis out into the light to get them into nice, orderly 'unit' groups PRIOR to painting them. At this moment, my 'unit' groups for heavy infantry consist of 6 minis. This unit size is specifically chosen for it's usefulness in a number of different rules I'm *still* researching - Fantasy Rules!, the yet-unreleased Song of Armies & Hordes from Ganesha Games, and maybe even some others like Fantasy Warriors, Irregular Miniature's Ancient Rules Box, or Command & Colors.


24 of Eureka Miniatures' finest Tékumel minis! (My apologies for the poor pics)


I must actually have 25 minis for Sérqu - one of the officers is missing from these pics (2 officers come with every large economy-size pack from Eureka). Obviously I have sent him off to join my special command stand unit with one from the Legion of Ever Present Glory and Kettukal himself.

One little project that I am going to try with Sérqu is to equip at least one unit with their handweapons instead of a long spear. These minis from Eureka come with two different ones - a sword or a mace. That should provide a bit of visual flair for the different units, and in skirmish games it will make quite a difference. If this works, I intend to convert some of my Ever Present Glory troops, especially the ones with leveled spears...


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