Tuesday, September 28, 2010

First 1866 Austrians

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Oh its been a while. this is the first post in 2 months!!!!
a combination of work, homelife and a small holiday have meant there has been virtually no time for painting let alone gaming. having said that i have started regular boardgaming every week with some friends, which has led onto some roleplay which should start next week.
on the painting front the last week or 2 have been mildly productive and the most exciting thing for me is that i have finally completed my 1866 austrians. These are 28mm models from Helion and personally i love them, the much quoted largeness of these models is actually only a minor thing as i would keep units separate anyway on the tabletop. besides this from a personal point of view although i love the perry twins models the fact that one of the most comprehensive ranges available for the franco-prussian war etc. is their range from the mid 80s which looks really quite dated and static now compared to some of the other metal and plastic models currently available. The tragedy is that i have recently seen on matts blog that Helion are not going to develop the 1866 range any more and are looking to sell. this is a tragedy but unfortunately i am as much to blame as anyone else as whilst i have loved painting these models i have not yet bought anymore (this will change tonight) and as such am one of those who claim to love the models but dont put their money where there mouth is. The reason is due to the massive implications of new baby, busy job, finishing a PhD, financial insecurity and self imposed wargaming purchasing abstinance.
anyway i have painted these models as the KuK IR23 with are the same as every other austrian unit but with red facings. I would have got them done sooner but i always seem to take ages when i am learning how to paint a new uniform. i think i have managed an ok result though even if it did take me an age. the Helion flag really creates the perfect effect and draws the eye away from my mediocre painting
anyway, next up will be a few things some rebased FPW models and ECW generals
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