The Count for the Year

Well it is the last day of the 2014 and I have finished the year by making four small Masai houses for the WWI in East Africa. This is part of a planned Boma that I hope to have finished by the time I go back to work on 5 January.

With those four buildings, 15 Franco-Prussian French infantry and nine Austro-Prussian Austrian hussars completed in the last couple of days (the latter two items had been sitting around in a partly finished state for some months), it is time to tally up all of the hobby work for the year, and what a busy year it has been - possibly the busiest for ten years or more.

Since my last tally in July, the count of new items completed is:

Ten bases of woods, around 5.6 metres of hedges, a large farm house, 4 x Masai huts, 4 x kopjes, 37 x British Crimean guardsmen, 58 x Crimean Highland infantrymen 4 x Crimean mounted officers, two Crimean British guns and 8 crew, 72 x Russian Crimean infantry, 33 Franco-Prussian French Infantry, 9 Austro-Prussian War Austrian hussars, 2 x scratch built Krupp 4.7inch howitzers, 20 x gabions, 4 x Russo-Japanese Russian field guns (each with five crew), 6 x Russo-Japanese Japanese field guns (each with three crew).

This gives a grand total for the year of:

464 foot figures

45 mounted figures

23 guns or HMG models

16 scratch built vehicles or weapons

37 scratch built buildings

28 1:600 scale ships (complete with that cursed rigging)

64 pieces of terrain

5.6 meters of hedges

First Crimean Russian Infantry Completed

On Christmas Eve I completed the first of my Crimean Russians. Seventy two figures that make up the Azov Regiment. I must say that Russians are remarkably easy to paint, since the are all in greatcoat, but they become a bit monotonous when there are 72 to paint. The next purchase will be the first two battlions of the next Russian regiment, as well as a battalion of French line infantry and one of chasseurs to get some variety. Then the order after that will complete both the Russian and French line regiments.

By then I am hoping that Tsuba miniatures will have the Japanese cavalry ready for purchase, and I can finish the Russo-Japanese arimies.

Two battalions of the regiment

The whole regiment in column of battalions, two battalions abreast

Russian Napoleonic Command

Recently saw on fellow Kiwi wargamer Roly Hermans' blog, "Dressing the Lines", his article about the Foundry British and French Napoleonic command groups (https://arteis.wordpress.com/2014/11/09/napoleon-and-wellington-with-their-respective-staffs/) and I was reminded that I had a set of the Perry Russian Borodino command set that I bought on a whim a couple of years back, and were now stacked away in a box somewhere, painted but not based.

So since I am waiting for my order of Russian Crimean infantry to arrive, I thought that it was time I based it up. After a brief search I found the set of eight figures in a box with some other forgotten friends and set about sorting out the base. Here is the result (sorry the photos could be better).

Front and centre is, of course, Kutuzov, with his map spread before him on a drum. To the right of him following the general's pointing finger, is the Artillery Chief, General Koutaissov, while the cavalry commander, General Ouvarov looks on.

In the group below Quartermaster Colonel Toll discusses something with the British observer General Wilson, watched by General Osterman-Tolstoy. 

While below General Barclay de Tolly is pointing out to something to Kutuzov's Chief of Staff, General Yermolov.

Who knows, this might even inspire me to build that Russian Napoleonic army I have been thinking of.