Some more ACW!

Well, my pots of grey and blue paint are running low! I've been painting ACW for a a while now and there is no end in sight.... well, actually maybe after Nashcon at the end of May I'll be able to take a break. At the moment I'm adding a few more units for a Shiloh game I'm running with John Hill to promote his new rules "Across A Deadly Field". I'm painting a 25mm Frontier Figures CSA infantry unit (17th AL) and I also ordered some Sash and Saber figures (mounted officers and the 14th Brooklyn). The castings are wonderful and I'll post some pics of those figures as soon as I'm finished. Here are some pics of the odds and ends I've been painting.

Confederate prisoners captured after the first days fighting at Shiloh. 28mm Dixon figures

Some Union engineers start on some entrenchments. Well, one man is working and the other is "supervising".

Some CSA engineers start on some works in front of an old farmhouse. 

A 10mm USA officer. I'm simultaneously working on a 10mm Shiloh project!

Fresh off the painting table!

Here are some troops fresh off the painting table. I'm getting ready to run a 28mm ACW game at Nashcon in May and have been painting more morale markers for the game. I'm trying to move away from lots of table top clutter and have all my morale markers, statuses, casualties, etc. represented by some kind of miniature figure marker.

28mm War of the Roses - I've been painting some personalities for a game me and my friend Titch are going to run at Nashcon. These are old Wargames Foundry figures.

The yellow markers are for "Shaken" status in Johnny Reb and Across A Deadly Field. I like the way the fallen standard bearers turned out. Dixon and Wargames Foundry (Perry) figures.

Orange represents "low on ammo" in Johnny Reb, and will work for "Disorder" in Across A Deadly Field. These are 28mm Dixon figures passing out cartridge boxes.

Some individually based artillerymen (and a lone pioneer) to help man the guns in JR or to represent a section in ADF. 

A few more 28mm ACW figures!

I've been on a roll lately painting more 28mm ACW figures! It's nice to get some time at the painting table every day. I'm still painting through my mountain of Dixon's, but I plan on buying some Sash and Saber in the near future. I've been checking out their website and they look fantastic!

I've been building ACW units for the OOB for the Battle of Franklin, 1864. I figure I'll just keep painting until I have them all painted! We'll anyway, here are a few pictures of units fresh off the painting table:

111th Ohio - stationed on the main line of works at the Battle of Franklin. I painted them as a veteran Federal unit with brown leather equipment and faded blue uniforms. The flags are the free Warflags, but I've touched them up a bit and added a little glue to give them that "waving in the breeze" look. This is a 20 man unit for "Johnny Reb 2".

Dismounted Rebel cavalry - I painted two stands to play test John Hill's new grand tactical ACW rules (two stands is a regiment). The remainder of the unit is on the painting table.These are going to part of Gen. Nathan B. Forrest's dismounted cavalry corps.

A recent eBay purchase - a set of 25mm Frontier Miniatures Confederates. I'll likely paint them as western Federals. I really like these old figures.

One last note: In my opinion, the best book on the Battle of Franklin is Eric Jacobson's "For Cause & For Country". It covers Spring Hill and Franklin in great detail. Highly recommended!

Take care and good gaming! - Cory

What's new on the painting table?

Well, my painting table probably looks a lot like the "typical gamers"...I usually have 3-4 different projects going on at once! I don't have any new painted units to share, but here's what I've been staying busy working on:

*  A 28mm, 20 figure, western Federal Dixon ACW unit for "Johnny Reb". I've been eying the Sash and Saber figures lately and I plan on adding some of them to my collection soon.

* A gang of Dixon Wild West figures for Dead Man's Hand. Dixon still sets the standard Wild West figures!

* A unit of 10mm Games Workshop Elven bowmen for Warmaster. I've only played a couple games, but my friend Chris has a bunch of Warmaster armies and I'm building a High-Elf army to play some more games against him. These are the little, black primed guys in back!

* A bunch of 25mm Knuckleduster Gunfighter figures I picked up at Nashcon. This is a great little company! They make wonderful 25mm Western figures and 25mm War of 1812 figures (and a few other ranges).
Here's a link to their webpage: http://www.knuckleduster.com/store/cart.php?target=category&category_id=5

The chaos on my painting table! What are you painting?

A close up of the primed Knuckleduster figures. I really like the look of these guys. I see a few familiar movie characters in this crew!

Take care and good gaming! - Cory

28mm ACW

28mm ACW Odds & Ends

 

 

Here are the last bits of odds and ends that I painted over the Holidays. I avoided painting any large units during that time, and tried to focus on things that I could get done quickly. Well, those days are over and  I currently have a large 28mm Federal infantry unit on my painting table, but here are some pics of the small stuff!

 

 

Dixon stretcher bearers and wounded soldier. I enjoy painting these kind of figures that add a little character to a game.

Overhead shot: A wounded Federal infantryman being carried to the rear.

Time for a drink! A 28mm Dixon figure takes a break during a lull in the fighting.

A wounded Confederate officer. The red base designates a "routed" unit in "Johnny Reb".

A wounded Federal soldeir. Again, a "you can't miss it" routed marker for my favorite set of ACW rules!


 



25mm Dixon ACW Sharp-shooter

25mm ACW Dixon Sharp-shooter

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I have slowed down painting large units

during the holidays, but I managed to find the time to paint this fine fellow. He is

a finely cast Dixon figure sold as a vignette piece. I added a few rocks and shrubs to

the base and I think he turned out OK. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and got plenty

of hobby stuff in your stockings and a game in or two! Take care - Cory

 

 

 

A close up.

 

Here he is looking at a big Federal officer off in the distance, and reaching
for another round!

A close up. His uniform is well worn and dirty. I love using washes!

He has a fine position behind the rocks!


Another fun time waster of mine recently has been this ACW game "1863"  for the iPhone:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/civil-war-1863/id514588332?mt=8
 

23rd Michigan Infantry

The 23rd MI Infantry

Hot off the painting table....the 23rd Michigan Infantry regiment! This unit fought at the

Battle of  Franklin as part of Col. Orlando Hurley Moore's brigade. They were stationed

on the Union right flank between the 183 Ohio (2 companies) and the 118th Ohio.

I've tried to paint them with the look of a grizzled, veteran, Western theater Federal unit. The fences

were built with a bunch of craft sticks and I spent many hours gluing about 12 feet of fencing! I experimented with some different fence colors, but I think they look most natural with a grey "weathered"  wash. 

 I've had enough painting for a while and it's time for a game! 

My next blog report should be an AAR about a battle we have set up on the table right now!

28mm ACW Dixon Federals marching to the sound of the guns!

Dixon has an excellent ACW range. Check it out!
http://www.dixon-minis.com/dixoncatalogue.php?maintype=7

The 23rd MI Infantry - 20 figures (400 men)

A closer view of the 23rd MI.

I'm sure my neighbors wonder what the hell I'm doing taking pics of all
these little men and trees in my backyard!

28mm ACW - The 15th / 30th TN Infantry

28mm Dixon ACW Figures

I haven't been gaming much recently (just a little DBA / HOTT), but I have been

spending some time at the painting table. These guys are my latest creation and are hot of the table and  ready to hit the tabletop! 

I painted this unit as a late war consolidated CSA Infantry unit, the 15th and 30th TN

Infantry. They fought at the Battle of Franklin in Nov. 1864 as part of Brig. Gen. Thomas

Benton Smith's brigade (Cheatham's Corps & Bate's Division). Other units in the brigade included the 2nd/10th/20th/37th TN Infantry, the 37th GA Inf. and the 4th Battalion GA Sharpshooters. The brigade was fortunate to have been engaged on the Federal west flank, where the fighting was less intense. At the battle of Franklin, the brigade suffered 47 killed, 253 wounded and 19 missing.

I have a unit of Federals on the painting table right now and I'm making a bunch

of rail fences. I don't like shopping much with my wife, but I don't put up much

of a fight when she wants to go to the arts & crafts stores. I can always find something 

useful for gaming!  I recent picked up some bags of cheap cut wooden sticks that make 

perfect 28mm fence posts! 

The boys advancing through a farm! It's a Hovel's barn and a
Perry plastic fence. I really like Hovel's buildings.

A close up of the TN boys getting ready for some action! The
Dixon figs have some odd sized heads, but have a lot of
character and charm!

Back of the unit. I included two flags since it's a
consolidated unit...why not?!

Advance! 

The command stand.

I like the figure waving his hat!

This is a large regiment for "Johnny Reb 2". This is a 25 figure unit
representing 500 men.

81st Regiment Indiana Infantry

81st Indiana

This regiment was organized and mustered in at New Albany, IN on 

August 29, 1862. They were a veteran unit, having served at: Perryville, 

Stones River, Chickamauga, the Atlanta Campaign, Battle of Franklin and the Battle of Nashville. They

were mustered out in Nashville on June 13, 1865. 

These are 28mm Dixon figures that kicked my butt! They took forever to paint because of 

their "full kit". I had forgotten how much more I like to paint simpler "campaign" figures. Even though

they don't look too bad, these guys had all the bells and whistles like: backpacks, blankets, straps,

canteens, gun straps, buttons, socks, etc. It could only have been worse had they been NAP or SYW

figures! 

81st IN - painted as a 25 figure unit for "Johnny Reb" (approx. 500 men)

The officer seems like a confident chap!

I painted them like a veteran "Western" Federal unit might have looked
like at the Battle of Franklin in Nov. 1864

Marching to the sound of the guns!

Rear view of all those packs and straps!

A close up of the Hoosiers.

March attack!

Rear view of the line.

28mm Dixon Miniatures Confederate General

28mm Dixon Confederate Command Stand

I have been painting a lot of Union infantry lately, and it was nice to put away the blue

paint and break out my greys and browns. Here are some pictures of a CSA general

I painted this week.

A front view of the general and standard bearer. Hovel ACW
building in the background. 

One of the local lads came out to cheer on the Rebs!