Terminators and Dreadnaught

 

A few quick snaps of the Terminators and Dreadnaught from the Leviathan box, I received a few years back now, finished back in September.

I love the way these have come out by following the box art and doing the grim colour scheme, essentially, although still having to mix the Ultramarine blue to get anywhere close to the right colour.

The Dreadnaught took a bit of thought and included masking and was only able to come close to the box art by using decals from multiple boxes of SMs.

Think there's only the command figures and another five flamers to go and that's the entire Leviathan box completed.

Complete AWI Collection

 

Thought I'd take some shots of the entire AWI collection now that's its done and dusted. Have grouped it together into some Black Powder brigades for ease of display. So, not so much for detail as that's been covered in other posts over the years (links included in this post), more to cover the scope.

Americans and Their Allies

First up, classic Continentals in their resplendent blue coats and various coloured facings. The core of 4 standard units is accompanied by 2 small light horse and 2 small light infantry units; along with some guns from the armoury.

Units in Brigade: Rhode Island State Infantry, Virginia State Infantry/New Jersey Regiment, 4th Massachusetts, 3rd New Jersey, 2nd Continental Dragoons, Virginia Light Horse, and Continental Light Infantry.

Another standard sized brigade with 4 standard infantry in blue and brown coats, a single small light infantry unit, and a small dragoon unit with dismount options. Further guns from the armoury as above. The unit is also accompanied by a small infantry unit.

Units in Brigade: Patterson’s Massachusetts Battalion, 7th Pennsylvania Regiment, 5th/14th Continental, Congress' Own - 2nd Canadian, 4th New York - Light Infantry, 3rd New York, and 3rd Continental Dragoons

Next, a larger, earlier Continental/militia brigade made up of 5 standard infantry and 2 small infantry, with a light horse unit attached.

Units in Brigade: Maryland Battalion circa 1776, Warner's - Green Mountain Boys, 6th Maryland, 8th Virginia, 5th Carolina, Rhode Island State Infantry, 4th Connecticut and Connecticut Light Horse

Finally for the Americans, its Lee's Legion, accompanied by infantry in pale blue and brown coats, and Lee's famous dragoons with dismounted options, for a total of 4 standard infantry units.

Units in Brigade: Lee's Legion Infantry, Lee's Legion Dragoons, 3rd Virginia Regiment, 2nd New Hampshire Regiment, Sherburne's Additional Regiment

French allies appear as a standard brigade of 4 standard infantry units, with a single small unit of hussars supporting, and a gun from the American armoury.

Units in Brigade: Bourbonnais, Saintonge, Touraine, Soissonois, 2nd Volontaires etrangers de la Marine

Which brings us to the last French brigade and one of the most colourful, Lazun's Legion, made up of 3 standard infantry units (including a regiment of Royal Duexponts in similar colour scheme), a grenadier unit, a small chasseurs unit, and further hussars. 

Units in Brigade: Lauzun's Legion infantry, Royal Duexponts, 1st Volontaires etrangers de la Marine

American Command: General and Brigade Commands, Brigade Commands

American Artillery: Artillery Train, 3rd Continental Artillery, Virginia Artillery, Various American Artillery Teams

British and Their Mercenaries

To start for the British, a brigade of 2 elite/guards standard units and and 2 combined grenadiers units with a small light infantry unit and the 16th Dragoons with dismount options. So apart from the grenadiers, combined from many different units, a brigade of blue cuffs and facings (links below).

Continuing on with the facing-based scheme (so you can tell who's who on the table), a standard brigade of 4 infantry units with yellow/beige cuffs, accompanied by light horse and light infantry in green cuffs (links below).

A larger brigade of 5 standard infantry units of varying facing colours, supported by two units of the 17th dragoons with dismount options. The general of the army also makes an appearance in the bottom right-hand corner. (links below)

As the colours of unit facings cover multiple actual units, here are the links to some greater detail: The British Are Coming, The British Are Coming... Again, Even More British, British Light Infantry and Horse, Guards, Combined Grenadiers, Combined Grenadiers, Combined Guards Grenadiers, Light Infantry (in line), 16th Light Dragoons, 17th Light Dragoons: 1st Squadron, 17th Light Dragoons: 2nd Squadron

On to a Loyalist brigade made up of 2 standard infantry units and 4 small light infantry units, with Tarleton's dragoons - with dismounts - to round off this 'rough ground' brigade.

Units in Brigade: Loyalist Regiment Massachusetts, Regiment of Fencible Americans, Queen's Rangers, Butler's Rangers, and Tarleton's Dragoons

Which brings us to the German mercenaries in the employ of the British throughout the war, with a unit of 4 standard infantry units made up of musketeers and a fusilier unit. A small light horse and light infantry unit accompanies the brigade, to be used as mounted jaegers with dismounts or as separate cavalry and infantry units.

Units in the Brigade: Mirbach 1st and 2nd Battalions, Prinz Karl 1st Battalion, Regiment von Lossberg, Jaegers, Mounted Jaegers Squadron

And rounding off the collection a smaller brigade of German grenadiers made up of 2 standard-sized units, 1 small grenadier unit, and a small standard infantry unit. Again, small units of mounted and dismounted jaegers accompany the brigade.

Units in the Brigade: Jaegers, Combined Grenadiers, Regiment von Rall (Grenadiers), Prinz Ludwig/Brunswick Dragoons, Mounted Jaegers Squadron

British Command: General and Brigade Commands, Brigade Commands

British Artillery: Artillery Train, British Artillerymen, More British Artillerymen

Having played a few games with these, as I was ordering bases for a 28mm ADLG project, I ordered some more bases for these guys, to remount the individual/paired bases of light infantry figures onto larger bases - as shifting them individually is a nightmare during a game. Have also decided to rebase artillery figures on the artillery bases, as the chance of the artillery being overrun during a game, and then recaptured, is so close to zero as not to be worth keep track of individually-based 1/72 scale figures 😆

AWI: The Last Commands and Collection Done

 

Its finally completed. After 16 years, the last command units, for this Black Powder American War of Independence collection, have been completed and the collection (as I'd planned) is finished.

In the end there are: 14 command units, 47 standard infantry units, 24 small light infantry and infantry units, 14 small light horse units, 19 artillery and 47 artillery crew, split over both sides.

The last lot to come off the painting table were the final brigade commands for both sides.

Final British and German Commands

(Left) I made up a drum major with a head swap and used the final drummers to create a foot command from the IMEX British Redcoats set. Then used a couple of left over Italeri 17th Light Dragoons and a commander from the Italeri French Infantry set for a mounted command (Centre). Finally, I needed another German command so used the command figures from a leftover sprew of the HaT 7YW Prussian Infantry Command set.

I'd bought two lots of command packs from B and B Minatures, for both sides. So as to avoid painting the same figures up on each side twice, I swapped the packs around and used the Americans for Brits and V. V. - can't tell the difference at this scale. (Edit: Looks like B and B don't exist any more as their site has been down for over 6 months now.)

And I found these already prepped and undercoated in a box when sorting out commands, so painted another small infantry unit up just for shits and giggles.

Final American and French Commands

Some more B and B miniatures from the command set and extra standard bearers from other foot sets (Left), for another American command, flags fluttering towards their freedom. Then a whole raft of figures from the IMEX George Washington's Army set, plus another Brit painted as American command holding the '76 flag (Centre). Finally for the rebels, I needed another French brigade command so used the B and B Miniatures command leftovers (Right).

Also, having increased the Brits by an additional small infantry, it wouldn't to have been right to leave the Americans wanting. I used some remaining figures from Hat's new AWI American Infantry set for another small infantry. Returning to where I started, I finished these off as Rhode Island State infantry, after the first American unit I painted  - and the circle of life was complete.

Feels a bit strange to have actually climbed the mountain of shame and conquered an entire peak. In the end I've got a massive AWI collection which I'm grateful for. Admittedly its at a scale and quality of manufacture which often don't stand up to close scrutiny, but which are good for an 'arms length' finish on the wargames table.

I think I achieved my goal of getting colour on the table after painting the endless sandy khaki/grey of the Sudan uniforms. Having moved on to 28mm painting, I'm glad this is finished - no more tiny white straps!!!!! 😆

Thanks to Paul for taking the leftovers from all the years of collecting.

AWI: The Last American Units

 

With the last British units done, here are the last units painted in the push to finish this Black Powder collection. This time its the last two standard American infantry units, some artillerymen, and a light infantry unit to finish across the line. 

8th Virginia Regiment

This is another unit from the HaT Set, 8342, AWI American Infantry, released earlier this year. It's nice to get the option of hats cocked to one side, rather than the more common Tricorn, and enough make up a standard BP infantry unit. 

The uniform is of the shorter cut that appeared as the war progressed and various campaigns wore on, and the coloring is from the Baccus uniform guide on their website - blue coat, facings and cuffs. I also seem to have produced a Schrodinger's drummer, as their coat is perpetually in the superstate of being both reversed and not reversed at the same time 😲

5th Carolina

This is the last unit I'll be painting from the  HaT Set, 8342, AWI American Infantry, and the last standard BP unit for the collection!

Another small irony added in at the end after painting so many different coat colours, was a unit with blue coats, and cuffs and facings of a slightly different blue 😏

4th New York - Light Infantry

One final light infantry unit for the Americans, the 4th New York LI in late war pattern gear, taken from Strelets, Set M071, British Light Infantry in Egypt. I think, now I'm at the end of painting, this is my least favourite set I've used for this collection. They don't stand up to close scrutiny but will at least work for 'arms length' wargames figures on the table.

Artillerymen

Finally to finish the absolute last units off, the remainder of American artillery crews to man the guns painted previously.

These are from IMEX's, Set 555, British Artillery and were some of my favourite figures to paint - well proportioned and detailed.

But with all the units done, its time to finish of some BP command stands and call the whole collection done!

AWI: Last British Units

 

After 13 years, I have finally finished painting all the units I had planned for Black Powder AWI, including these Brits.

Light Infantry

A couple of 'light bob' units were left to do including making a small unit up from the A Call To Arms, Set 65, British Infantry 1775 above. And also another small unit from the Strelets, Set M071, British Light Infantry in Egypt below.

17th Light Horse

The second unit of the 17th Light Horse, to round out the cavalry for the Brits. Like the first unit done, there is a dismounted option from B and B Miniatures range, which I can't find on the internet any longer.

The guidon, I think, is of first squadron and the previous unit is 2nd squadron, taken from a general Google search and resized.

Tavington's Horse from 'The Patriot'

The last unit of British light horse from the Revell Set, 02573, Austrian Dragoons, from their Seven Years War range. 

Having searched for a decent color scheme for some loyalist horse - that's wasn't Tarleton's legion horse - I've settled on the only completely unhistorical unit for the entire collection.

Based on Colonel William Tavington's horse from the movie 'The Patriot', I've gone for red coats and green facings. But that's it, no more British unit updates as this part of the collection is complete. What an effort 😀

15mm Sci Fi: Killer Space Vegetables & Solo Battle Report

 

Some more 'bad guys' painted up for the growing 15mm Si Fi collection, this time it's a whole lot of deadly flora, 'Day of the Triffids' style.

Bought about ten years ago, I got these out to alleviate painting the endless white straps of my AWI collection and then promptly gave to my wife to do... she offered, honest!

Alternate Armies

These are mostly 'Triffic' (not Triffids) from Alternate Armies.

Above and below are from the SHMP25 Triffic Killer Plants pack.

Below are some Death Spores from AA's HOF46 Creegan Doom Spores pack.

Khurasan Miniatures

A score of Triffids more on the 'human' analogy - these kinda have arms and are holding 'weapons', with a great colour job. All from their Alien Civilizations Listing.

A couple of packs of Botanoid plantman heavy weapons specialists.

Some Botanoid plantman commanders and high commander.

And finally a swarm (several packs) of Botanoid plantman battleteam.

Battle Report

Nearly as far back as I bought these guys, we've been developing a home-grown set of rules we're calling Universal. I think it's finally reached its zenith in terms of development and I used them and a supplementary pack to run some of Khurasan's Defence Force troopers through a jungle romp.

The board is set up with random placement of the KSVs with an objective down one end of the board - in this case an APC. This was done by dividing the board up into a 10cm x 10cm grid and rolling 2 x 1d10s for general placement - then scatter dice and a 1d10 for final placement - this took a while. 

The random placement added a few KSVs right next to the objective. But with the board set, I headed the platoon down an edge of the board, trying to avoid certain death.

But once the good guys have moved, the plants move by themselves using a scatter dice and a 1d10.

My strategy worked all the way up the board until it didn't and a plant randomly moved into contact with the squaddies. 

They fired and cleared out a whole bunch, taking a couple of casualties... 

... and triggered reactive responses by the plants who (within a certain range) headed directly towards the troops.

Things were looking grim as the plants surrounded the troops so they went quiet again and tried sneaking the rest of the way...

... only to have their way to the transport blocked.

More firing ensued, drawing in further nearby plants, with only two death spores left to get past.

With this being the first real wargame I've played in nearly five years, its nice to know that I can still make dumb decisions, even when playing on my own. I was so fixated on getting to the transport that instead of shooting up the plants some more, I ran at the spores, triggering their attack and firing back at them.

The result is that the troops were worn down to 50% and failed their leadership test. They should have gone fleeing off into the jungle to meet their death, or until rallied, but I prefer the above result where they all reached the safety of their transport...

It was great to play a solo game with these figures  - given I live in the middle of nowheresville and  especially with the excellent paint job from my wife. 

My step son even came up with a game of his own using the same figures and rules, and a 60 x 60 gridded play area we made for DnD.

Nice job Khurasan Miniatures and Alternate Armies!