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: 5th/14th Continental, Green Mountain Boys, Grenadier Guards

 
After a 12 month hiatus due to a chronic illness that kicked my arse, a few more units for Black Powder AWI. Can't believe its been 12 years since I started the collection, now with over 46 standard infantry units completed. I reckon I've got another 12 or so units to go plus a few bits and (light) bobs.

Uniforms are again from multiple references, mostly the Black Powder: Rebellion supplement, Osprey references, and internet searches.

5th/14th Continental

Another continental unit from the Italeri Set 6060 American Infantry set. Brown/tan jackets with red facings, tan breeches and waistcoats, and a generic flag.

Still love the command and musicians, have reversed the museos coat just for giggles.

Warner's - Green Mountain Boys

Another iconic unit of renown, this time made up of the slightly smaller IMEX Set 511, George Washington's Army (and a redcoat thrown in from their British set for a standard bearer).

Have done a mix of green hunting shirts, and shirts, with green coats and red facings for the officers. Also a number of hat swaps so that most are wearing the tricorn... with varying success.

Combined British Grenadiers - Guards

A small unit of grenadiers from BnB Miniatures, painted as if units of guards and blue facings have combined during a battle.

Go to admit after 12 years, I'm kinda over painting these guys, especially with the fantastic 28mm ranges now available. But think I'll persist, with a standard unit of combined grenadiers up next, along with a small unit of French, Bourbonnais, grenadiers to boot.

AWI: Combined Grenadiers, Regiments 4th Connecticut & 3rd New Jersey

 

With things available and readily at hand in our new place, I've been able to crank out some more units for the AWI collection, and snap some shots of the grenadiers I finished months ago.

3rd New Jersey

A suitably heroic unit rushing towards their freedom, 1776 pattern star spangled banner fluttering in the breeze.

These are from the Italeri set 6060, American Infantry box of awesomeness, one of four units left to do using these figures. I used the Uniforms of the American Revolution as a reference and it matched the Rebellion! supplement, so I though why not. The flag is once again from Warflag.com but printed at the local printer with better results than my home printer.

I've even used the single 'overly heroic' pose in the box (which you get three of in each box), even though I swore I'd never use it.

I'd swear, even after being wounded in the head, he's yelling "For freedom!" but then that would be mixing up Mel Gibson movies. But another standard unit for Black Powder: Rebellion! down.

4th Connecticut

Next up a small unit (16-odd figures) to bolster the numbers of the rebel ranks. Technically painted as the 4th Connecticut but the 2nd's flag. Not sure where the flag came from. I did a Google search on flags AWI, found it and shrunk it down to 1/72 size. I think its was someone's store... but printed at the local printer... 😨

These are actually from the IMEX set 512, British Redcoats, but having finished all the redcoats I wanted, with some snipping of bayonets, they've come up well. Again the uniform is from Uniforms of the American Revolution.

Combined Grenadiers

Finished these guys ages ago but they got stuffed in a box ready for moving. They're B n B Miniatures grenadiers and really like how they've turned out. Painted up as companies of grenadiers combined from other units, to make one big (standard) grenadier unit.

I um'd and ahh'd about which grenadiers to use and even bought Irregular Miniatures ones to begin with, but, although they were awesome figures, they were also awesomely accurate to scale - so way smaller than even the IMEX figures.

So I bought the B n B ones and they stack up well against everything else in the collection.

Next up, Tarleton's light horse is on the painting table (now I actually have a painting table again) - and my mate Spiro is finishing off Lot 4 of the commission he took on last year.

AWI Loyalists

 The final standard infantry units for the Brits are done and probably the final thing I'll paint this year. 

Its only taken five years to get British line completed but it was worth it... 😂

To finish off the 'sea of red' created by the other ten line units (and some Grenadiers still to come) a splodge of green, Loyalist Green from early on in the conflict.

Loosely based on the Loyalist Regiment Massachusetts and Regiment of Fencible Americans - although flags have been swapped around for ascetics.

Loyalists - Massachusetts flag with blue facings.

This was another joint effort from Spiro at Pants of War (Commission: Lot 2) and some highlighting and shading to move the contrast paints closer to historic colours.

Loyalist Fencible Americans(ish) with speculative flag (read 'made up' - I'm speculating they had a flag) and white facings.

 

So, still two lots of French to come and another four Continental units off their sprew awaiting paint (might be a holiday thing)(and some militia which I've been putting off for years now). Still loving the detail on these IMEX/Accurate figures.

But having received some drummers with tricorns from Irregular and placing the grenadiers I'd brought against some Continentals, I've had second thoughts about using them as they stand a full head shorter than the Italeri figures - sad face.

So as bold as the Loyalist colonel standing above, his drummer clearly wondering what the last order he barked was, I've sent the Irregulars to Coventry and ordered some B and B Miniatures which stand the same height but are a little bulkier in style to the plastics - fricking onwards!

Kinda like the light dragoons painted previously, so why not... oh and some Butlers Rangers... and some Queens Rangers... for light duties, why wouldn't you?

... anybody want two BP units of unpainted, AWI British Grenadiers, circa 18mm tall, PM me 😁 .. to be fair on Irregular, they are excellent, well proportioned figures - just accurately 20mm (unlike the plastics which stand between 22mm and 26mm). I remain yours, pendantically JS.

Merry Non-Denominational Holidays 😄

AWI: Even More British

 

Two more AWI units down much thanks to Spiro at Pants of War, the first half of the second lot he's commissioned to do (of 4 lots! 😄).

This time its the last of the regular Brits and by the looks of it the colonel of the 44th is as happy about it as me (he looks like he's smiling).

But having gone through every regimental colour with previous units I doubled up on yellow as the regimental colour for the 44th - primarily as there seems to be more of these units in the theatre.

I've given them blue trousers to distinguish form the other yellow unit and as there are a couple of photos in the BP AWI supplement of Brits with blue trousers, I say its good and it looks great.

Yes, this chap may well smirk as his sergeant barks the order for the firing line of the 44th to open up, as next up the first beige unit for the force.

The 3rd regiment 'The Buffs' waits patiently to engage and I chose the regimental colour for this unit primarily as I really liked the drummer uniform with reversed coat. I must say that the contrast paints Spiro used have brought the details out for the uniform and the faces.

For tiny ~18mm figs (listed as 1/72 but don't go there - I already did in a previous post), this is great detail.

The 44th's colours are from warflag.com and the 3rd's are from warflag and then (because they have a distinctive wreath) I borrowed from other flags on Dr Google and munged the two together.

That these units can take there place with the other 8 finished units is something to smile about...

... and the drummer can continue to hope that his distinctive coat, in amongst the distinctive flags, doesn't make him an immediate target on the field, as he waits for the next two semi-regular units to arrive; two loyalist units in as equally distinctive bright green. 😀

The British are Coming... Again!

 

In an effort to get three epic 20mm projects finished and move away from the scale (to something my eyes can actually see without glasses😏), I commissioned my mate Spiro to undertake four lots of AWI this year (apologies for quality of some photos).

The first commission was four BP standard units of AWI British, the 8th (blue facings), 33rd (red facings) 64th (black facings), and the 58th (pink/purple facings).

8th Regiment of Foot

After the guards unit finished ages ago, I've gone for another blue, primarily to swap the drummer over from the guards who had a reversed coat (which is embarrassing). And while you can say for certain that drummers from blue-faced units didn't have reversed coast (guards especially), you can't say for certain that some blue-faced units didn't-not have drummers with a reversed coat - so there.

Guards regiment finally gets a drummer with the right coat.

Next up another generic unit of red facings, which can be the 33rd.

33rdregiment/red facings.

Spiro used Contrast paint for the flesh and its brought the tiny, plastic, details out really well - but after a slight mishap with some Army Painter varnish, I had to go back and touch up the rest of the units using traditional painting techniques.

After the first lot of generic British units (also commission from Sprio) done back in 2016, this round I wanted to introduce some known units. The first of these and a must have for any AWI collection, the 64th foot.

64th Regiment of Foot - Black unit colour.

The flags are again from warflag.com and this one has the regimental unit number legible which is only right and proper for the 64th. Then I went for the 59th, which is the only unit to have pink/purple facings (I think).

59th Regiment of Foot - Pink/Purple unit colour.

I cobbled together the regimental colour from warflag and pictures of Mr Google, as there was no 59th available.

So that's brought the unit numbers up closer to the goal of achieving a 'sea of red' advancing across the battlefield. 

Spiro's currently doing the last of the standard foot units, two 'redcoats' and two green loyalist units. I found some metal 20mm from Irregular to create a couple of combined grenadier units and after purchasing some test figures to check the scale, reckon they'll fit right in, and then the British foot will be done.

AWI: British Command and Completed British Brigade

Finally, enough troops painted up to host a game of Black Powder: Rebellion! Roughly 12 units a side - still counting small units as 'half', after almost a year since the Hesse-Cassel Brigade was finished, and just enough for two brigades and a command reserve.


So with the 17th Light Dragoons and Artillerymen completed this week, the British commands are also now done-idly-un. So lets start with no other than General Howe himself - How do you do, indeed? Aha hahahaha. (Figures look a little shiny as its been too wet to spray varnish for the last few days.)


More B and B Miniatures for this high command stand, AR21 British Staff Mounted - with heaps of character. One of the figures looked like General Howe (probably intentionally) so, I mean, you just gotta, eh? Which moves us to the first brigade command.


These are the equivalent command figures as the American command painted last week but this time from the IMEX 512 British Redcoats set. Similar reservations as the American figures painted last week - comments can be found in that post - but same good results.

Here's a few shots of the finished British Brigade ready for a game of Black Powder: Rebellion!

Nice stream of Brits rushing forwards in brigade.


Not quite a sea of red yet as the other brigade is Hessian, but definitely on its way.

Which brings me to the next thing to do.

Yes, there's still four brigades to do, for each side for the AWI, but the white smallclothes and plethora of white strapping, plumes, and buttons has done my head in after a year of painting. Time for a change and here's what's on my painting list at present:

• the mess of figures that have been in the nooks and crannys of my painting desk for over two years
• finishing a 20mm US WII American mechanised and tank platoon, started in 2007 (yes, 2007 - its not a typo), which I forgot to take to the bring and buy a couple of weeks back. Its painted but awaiting stowage conversions... and painting new infantry, since I sold my very old Matchbox mech platoon at the same bring and buy - I've got the figures, the stowage, the Vallejo paints and a copy of Bolt Action and Crossfire - so what's stopping me?
• start the recently acquired Perry's French Ordonannce army - the figures are beautiful - but they give me 'the fear'. I've never painted 28mm before, they'll need a better finish than 20mm, that's for sure.

... or maybe another British AWI brigade and some French... :)

AWI: British Artillerymen

Was able to finish these guys off in between work. Finally some British cannoneers for the artillery painted months ago.


They're from the IMEX 554 American Artillery set and painted up well, to the standard for the time: blue coats, red facings and white lining/turnbacks. Several of the figures are sculpted in their waistcoats, which makes for some good variety.


There's good detail on these IMEX figures which made them enjoyable and easy to paint, including the correct metal water bottle - which still makes the IMEX American Artillery set better used for the Brits - see the previous American artillerymen post for 'box swap' details - but that really is splitting hairs at this scale.


Lancer Miniatures guns from 7YW range go well with these figures.

Some construction needed for the figure damping the barrel, whose arms and damper come separately. It was a bit fiddly and the shaft was a bit fragile, but after a couple of tries, the slots on the forearms seated in the armholes on the body, with the exercise bordering on the polite side of the use of expletives scale.


More Lancer Miniatures guns from 7YW range.

So with the American brigades finished a few weeks back, that's one more thing off the list. Only the 17th light dragoons to go and a couple of command bases - already prepped and ready - and the armies will be ready for a game of Black Powder: Rebellion!.

AWI: American Commands and Completed Brigades

So with more contracts rapidly approaching, I've continued this sprint to get things finished to host a Black Powder: Rebellion! game.

With Lee's dragoons finished in the last post, its enough troops to field around 12 units for the Americans (counting small units as 'half'), so time to get some brigade commands done.

So not doing anything by halves, and introducing a new 20mm figure line for this blog, first up is B and B Miniatures American Staff Command Mounted (AR79), painted as no other than Washington himself and including a sword conversion to provide his headquarters' standard-bearer.


The figures are well detailed if a little small compared to the Italeri stuff but fill the gap in the plastics market well (with an extensive range of 20mm AWI figures BTW). When I first got them they looked bad to be fair, but this was only because none of the sprew flashing from molding had been removed. But lo and behold, after only a couple of minutes with a file, they were prepped and I realised that the were well molded and had hardly any mold lines at all, once the sprew flash had been (quickly) removed - nice.

Which brings us to the first brigade command and for this one, I've tied it to one of the completed 'territorial' brigades, New England.


The figures are from the Italeri 6060 American Infantry set and a mounted officer from HaT Set 8282 7YW, Prussian Infantry Command, posed as drummers pulled in from the regiments and pooled together to give brigade orders - so quite a 'low level' brigade command - meh, "...they sure are prudy".


The drum detail comes up well for 20mm, that pale ugly thing on the left is my thumb for scale comparison :).

To end with the final and more generic command from the IMEX Set 511 George Washington's Army, including the mounted officer and dragoon, and some distinguished looking chap/officer in all his finery, having a chat to the commander.


I was a bit worried about using these mounted troops as in the PSR review and on the sprew, they look kinda staid and overly 'posed', but no, they paint up well.

So here's a couple of shots of the finished brigades, starting with Maryland/Virginia.


L to R, F to B: 3rd Continental Dragoons (dismtd.), Maryland, Virginia State Infantry, Lee's Legion Dragoons (dismtd.) and Foot, 3rd Virginia, Lee's Dragoons, and 3rd Continental Dragoons, Virginia Artillery and command.



And the New England brigade.

L to R, F to B: Continental Dragoons (dismtd. across front), Sherburne's Additional Regiment, 2nd New Hampshire, 4th Massachusetts, Rhode Island State Infantry, 2nd Continental Dragoons, 3rd Continental Artillery and command.


Note "Mount Napping Cat' in the background, so called because of its vague resemblance to a sleeping cat, remarkable geology.

To be honest it hasn't hit me that they're finally finished, but on the final leg now. Time to finish off the Brits: command, 17th Light Dragoons, and artillery crewmen.

PS: 3rd Virginia is actually missing in photos above. 2nd New Hampshire seems to have turned up in both brigades! Here's a link to 3rd Virginia.