Eureka 15mm Naps Arrive

The Eureka 15mm Napoleonic miniatures arrived today.  These are great quality miniatures that require little to no cleanup.  There is detail everywhere, much more than I’m going to bother painting but the great thing is that all the usual weak points such as plumes and bayonets have been sculpted a little thicker to make them stronger.  Which will help since these are going to get a bit of handling being used for skirmish gaming.

I was going to use 20mm washers for the infantry and 30mm for the cavalry but decided to go down a slightly different path.

They’re maybe a millimetre or two smaller and they’re not magnetic like the washers would have been but they’re cheaper.  And cheap is always good.

All based up we have the Russians to the left and the British to the right.

All done in fifteen minutes and with $1.10 worth of “bases” left over.  I’ll leave then to dry tonight and I’ll start painting the Russians tomorrow night.

Aren’t You A Little Short For A Gladiator?

I’ve had these Museum 15mm minis laying around for a while now and I thought they would be good to practice on before the Eureka Miniatures 15mm Naps turn up.

The paintjobs are simple but effective.  The photos bring out every blemish and missed brush stroke so you’ll just have to trust me they look better in person.

 

 

 

The obligatory “comparison shot”.

I bought these way back when I picked up a copy “Red Sand Blue Sky” from Two Hour Wargames.  I’ll have to drag it out and have another game or three, once I finish the skirmish table that is.

15mm Skirmish Terrain

One thing that rears up every time you start a new scale is the issue of terrain.  Sure I already have some stuff that would work ok but most of what I have will be out of period or slightly too big (28mm) or too small (10mm).  Luckily most of my buildings are pdf/cardstock so all I need to do is reprint them at the appropriate scale.  I’ll wait until my miniatures arrive before I make any decisions about trees and hedges (I’ve made enough of them lately anyway).

The one thing I can start on now though is the terrain boards.  Just about all the skirmish games I play recommend an area of 60cm square (2 feet in the old measurement). 

So the plan it to make a 60cm game board with a raised lip that holds the boards in place and rogue dice on the table.  Simple enough and shouldn’t cost much to make.  The only dilemma I have is what size should I make the terrain boards?  Option 3 (30x30cm squares) offers the most flexibility but there’s more “join lines”.  I’m not sure if this will affect the aesthetics of the board.  I’ll flock all the boards so that should help hide the joins but they’ll still be noticeable.

I’ll probably go with option 1 to start with and have a river flow through one corner of the board.  I’ve always wanted to make some river sections so this will be good practice.

Alright then I’m off to Bunnings.

What? Another Scale… in Another Period

Yep, 15mm and Napoleonic's.  I’ve had the rules for Ganesha Game’s Song of Drums and Shakos (SDS) for a while now and had neither any miniatures or interested opponents.  I’d get a bit of attention at the club when I’d mention Napoleonics but I’d always lose them when I mention that SDS was a skirmish game.  Apparently that’s a dirty word in the Nap community.

Anyway when Mick mentioned an interest in the game I jumped to it and ordered some miniatures.  We eventually went down the 15mm path for a few reasons:

• Price: cheap, nuff said.
• Availability: there is just so many manufacturers to choose from.
• Small usually means easier to paint.
• Smaller playing area (and less terrain), maybe 3 feet square for most games.
• Mick already had some.

So I did a little reading, did some thinking and placed and order with Eureka Miniatures.

1812 Russians

1 x Mounted officer
3 x Musketeer/Jager, advancing
3 x Musketeer/Jager, firing and loading
2 x Musketeer/Jager, march attack
1 x Standard bearer (senior NCO)
1 x Musketeer drummer
2 x Kurassier, charging
2 x Kurassier
1 x Kurassier officer

Peninsula British

1 x Rifle officer
1 x Rifle bugler
3 x Rifleman, skirmishing
3 x Rifleman, marching at trail
1 x Mounted officer
1 x Highland piper
1 x Highland infantry officer
2 x Highland infantry centre company, marching, shoulder arms
2 x Highland flank company, skirmishing

I was going to get some cavalry for the British but they’re really just my second army and when I say these guys I just had to get some.

Can’t wait for these to arrive, and being just a few hours down the road I should get them mid next week.  Which should give me time to get them cleaned up and based ready for painting next weekend.