Tuesday 25 August 2015

At them Scots Greys!

Hoi,

Recently I had a bit of a luck on "marktplaats" a Dutch version of Ebay. I obtained two lots of 1:72 plastic toy soldiers. The first lot was a set of Airfix British Guards which I held to be the one trooping the colour. The set had been on sale for some time with no bids to name, since I'd like to have a set of both the Colour Guard and the Band, I put in a bid of €2,- and this was duly accepted...

The same vendor offered several o9ther lots including a set of Napoleonics. In this lot where a set of Italeri French dragoons, Revell Life Guards and Guard Chasseurs, an Airfix Napoleonic Highlanders and a set of Airfix French Napoleonic infantry including one gun. My bid of €10,- for the lot was also accepted...

When we came back from our Holiday in Switzerland, the envelope was awaiting me and I went at it sorting all the sets out. Unfortunately, all the sets are missing parts and the Airfix Guards set is actually a combination of both the sets and pretty incomplete at that. That said I will try to do my best to turn them into something nice.

But I first started with something else. For some time I have reached the conclusion that the Revell Life Guards are pretty much the best set of British heavy cavalry for the Napoleonic Wars. Therefore I have decided to represent several regiments using these figures and with the set out of this lot I had a try in converting them to Scots Greys. The heads used are mostly from the inadequate Italeri set (really bad poses and totally the wrong horse furniture) with the 3 command figures sporting HäT heads. The bandaged head is a Bruno Arnal piece and very nice!

Now before you start commenting about it: I know that I made a mistake by using the Life Guards horses for the Greys but seeing as I have no others here at present, nor know where to get some more, I went with these. And since I was blaspheming anyway I also made the chequered border along the shabraques blue... Yeah I know, but at least it looks spiffing!

Without further ado:



Cheers Sander

Sunday 23 August 2015

Golden Oldies...

Hoi,

Lately I have seen some other gamers give their old (often Childhood) soldiers a new life in the hobby by re-basing and -painting them. I too have quite a lot of the figures I started out with when I was 15 years old. Two of the most coveted sets of 1:72 figures are my Revell British Life Guards and French Chasseurs a Cheval de la Garde.

In the years since, I have gathered far more of these sets, but have the originals still. Some time ago I used most of the Life Guards to portray a unit of Horse Guards, already shown on this blog, now the time is up for the Chasseurs to be renovated. I also have some Italeri French Dragoons left over from earlier days (and quite a heap of new ones at that) and some of these I will use to recreate the Empress Dragoons of the Guard.

Here are some pictures to show the state they are in before the make-over.

Two of the Chasseurs:


Some of the Dragoons:


Cheers Sander

Listening to: "Accept no Failure" an Audiobook by Gav Thorpe