Thursday, August 10, 2017

Historicon 2017 purchases.

My plans for  Historicon this year including not expecting to buy much of anything, really. However,  to paraphrase a well know  military aphorism, "The gamer's plans seldom survive contact with the Dealer's Area (and/or Flea Markets!). Just as I was doing may last minute organizing and packing, I saw a post on The Miniatures Page that was destined to wreak serious havoc with the budgetary plans.. . a series of new releases by Brigade Games, namely the addition of Spanish Napoleonic Cavalry to their existing infantry.

    Regular readers of this blog will perhaps recall talk on my part about starting a Spanish Napoleonic army for well over a year. Indeed,  I already have on hand lead for at least 4 line and one Grenadier unit. The sticking point has been the Cavalry. Only Front Rank (and Elite) do much in the way of Spanish Cavalry, and neither range would really fit that well with my other troops. So, I have been procrastinating committing myself to buying more infantry from any manufacturer, at least until I was ready to start my Napoleonic Spaniards in earnest.

    After running my Thursday AM game with To the Strongest, I headed out to the dealer area for the obligatory "walk about" through the hall. Scads of great products there as always, but I didn't see anything particularly new or compelling. Until, that is, I arrived at the large Brigade Games set up. As Lon was to tell me in a little while, they had just gotten the first of said Spanish Cavalry figures a few days before the show, but they already had them on display. Hmm, they don't look like giants (like the Front Rank Cavalry can sometimes next to other manufacturers - seriously, they must be about 35mm!), nice sculpts. I peruse the Brigade Games Spanish Napoleonic listing, which is now becoming pretty comprehensive... Line infantry in two poses, Light Infantry in Tarletons, Militia Infantry, Grenadiers, Artillery Crews, Spanish Infantry in later uniforms, and now dragoons and Line cavalry (2 different poses for each), Garochistas, Militia Hussar types, etc. even a portly Spanish General on foot and a female partisan.

   After hemming and hawing for some time, I sought out Lon Weiss, the owner, to see if he has any of the new Spanish Cavalry with him. "Oh yes!", and the rest of the entire Spanish line as well,. In addition, they had some kind of convention deal, something like buy 9 packs, get one free. Not a barn burner, but still a deal!  No shipping, too, of course. About 10 minutes later, I had purchased 30 packs.  :-)


6 figures each Spanish Line and Dragoon Cavalry (the command for these is coming shortly per Lon - lovely Paul Hicks sculpts!)


1 pack each of 6 artillery crew loading and firing; each pack is enough to crew 2 guns in my scheme. 


Spanish Line Marching - 3 packs/15 figutres.


Spanish Line Advancing - 3 packs, 15 fuigures

2 command packs of 4, 8 figures


and enough additional lead for 2 Cazadore (light) and 2 militia infantry units, and of course the fat General and partisan!


I have lead on hand already from Front Rank for a Grenadier unit (in the outrageous bearskins), which is presently AWOL, leaving behind the  above surplus 6 figures, mostly Command types. 


I also have on hand lead for 4 regular units from Miniaturos Dos de Mayo, a Spanish manufacturer (front), which I have just now started to paint. For comparison, the officer and Fifer in the rear are Front Rank, and the infantryman in bicorn in the rear is Brigade Games. 


View form the left - they all seem pretty compatible, especially if used in their own units. 


Rear view (note the great assortment of camp impedimenta hanging of the Dos de Mayo sculpts!) 


Didn't find much in the flea market, but Fredie and Jeff steered me to a guy selling Old Glory Hungarian Infantry for $10/pack of 30. I bought all 300 figures!  What the heck am I going to do with 300 figures (enough for at least 15 units)? Damned if I know, but I just couldn't pass up a deal that good - that's 30 cents a figure, less than half what they cost even with the 40% Army Card Discount!


I also picked up this paper Terrain 15mm Spanish Village kit from Scott Washburn. 


        Why 15 mm, and why Paper? Because the purchase of the Spaniards pretty much sealed my resolve to run Snappy Nappy "Campaign in a Day" event from the early Peninsular War (ie. in the era from 1808 - 1810) at Historicon 2018 in Lancaster. With that game's ground scale, the footprint of the 15 mm buildings works better... not to mention taking up less space in the car and being much lighter to carry! If I like them after I put them together, I will probably get some more of them.

    So there you have it! Between not sharing a hotel room this year for the first time, well, ever, and spending more on lead than ever before, this was easily my most expensive Historicon. Was it worth it?  Heck, yeah!  :-)


A little mood music, Maestro!    "Malagueña
We performed this in  Band in college, an absolute blast to play, although my friend and fellow bandsmen Tom complained it was "too Spanish", LOL!

24 comments:

  1. This is quite a haul! How large are your units going to be for the Spanish and the Hungarians? Did you get command for the Hungarians or any mounted officer types? The reason I ask about command is that sometimes it is hard to get an exact color match with the other ranks that have been painted.
    Have a great time painting your new found treasures!

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  2. My usual unit size for Napoleonics is 18 infantry, 8 Cavalry, or 6 - 8 crew with 2 guns. The Hungarians won't. I suspect see paint for at least a year, and I do need to do a complete survey of what I have, as I think I will need some Command. Now that I think about it, I believe these are actually German Line in Shako.

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  3. I'm going to the Other Partizan show on the 22nd with a list. Lets see if I can do any better. lol

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  4. Peter, you really backed up the truck and filled it up this time, didn't you? Massive additions to your lead pile.

    I like Hicks' Napoleonic work very much. You are quite right that the Brigade Games' cavalry are smaller than Front Rank. Still I put them both on the gaming table, just not in the same unit.

    All of your display of Napoleonic lead has me itching to add a Napoleonic unit into my painting queue. Does the madness ever end?

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    1. "Backed up the truck", LOL! In my defense, the Spanish were absolutely a planned project to get underway after Historicon... I just hadn't decided non the manufacturer I'd use. The Old Glory Austrians were sheer madness.
      I could use Front Rank cavalry in separate units as you say; my troops go up against Barry's "giants" all the time! There may yet be a unit or two of them in there if I can't get what I want elsewhere.

      There is only pone end to the madness, Jon, so "Vive la Folie!"

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  5. Who can resist a good deal, and why would you even try to? Well done sir!

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    1. My lead pile *was* under tight control until the past 8 years or so, courtesy of too many deals too good to pass up, LOL!

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  6. What are you using as your Napoleonic Spanish painting guide? I have a handful of units, but sort of stall out because I can't seem to find a comprehensive guide to the uniforms that covers everything. (Maybe I'll just wait until you do all the research and post it on your site... :) )

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    1. When I start posting, I'll give some Spanish Army uniform links (plus probably my own tables, LOL). I have the #2 and #3 OSPREYS, but they mostly cover the later army (vol #1 covers the early army but has long been difficult to obtain). I have an excellent hard cover book on the Peninsular War from a French perspective, with a lot of uniforms illustrated, but again a heavy emphasis on the later uniforms. There are a number of good on line sites. I was hoping that the Rawkins book on the Spanish Army would be out, but not yet. I am seriously considering the "Godoy's Army" book due to be published in October. The basic information in Funken and Knotel seems reasonably accurate for facing colors etc of the early army. I am sure Summerfield's books on the Spanish are excellent, but the cost is just more than I am willing to pay, especially with shipping. I rthink I am going to need a copy of at least some of Oman's work for the Campaign project...

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    2. I recall picking up a Spanish painting guide in electronic format. Don't remember who or what but will rummage through my hard drive and see if I turn up anything useful. I used it when painting my Spanish for Albuera.

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    3. If you find anything of interest, that would be great, Jon!

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  7. Would have been criminal not to get those Hungarians as you say. You did the right thing! :) Looking forward to seeing your Spanish come to fruition too!

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    1. I'll refer my wife to you if necessary, Mark! :-)

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  8. A nice haul and I can't wait to see how the Spanish comes together.

    Eagle Miniatures might be another you could consider for Spanish hussars and chasseurs - much slighter than Front Rank.

    It's a pity that you can't find volume one of the Chartrand Ospreys - that was very much my go-to book, and got me through my project. The Nafziger paperback was a decent back-up source as well. I would have been interested in the Summerfield books, but had just completed my last Spaniard when they were released.

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    1. Thanks for reminding me about Eagle, Lawrence. I will probably get the Godoy book. The other book is "Napoleon's War in Spain, byLachouque. Tranie, and Carmighniani.

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  9. Quite the haul Peter! I look forward to your work with those Spaniards.

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    1. I am looking forward to painting them as well!

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  10. Gaming and purchasing who said the male of the species can't multi-task !!??

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  11. Perusing the Osprey summer sale, found Volume 1 of the Spanish Army is back in print! Purchased (at a discount), along with the Atlas of the Peninsular War, Spanish Guerrillas, and Macedonian Successor armies. Whee!

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  12. Nice haul, it would have been madness not to get the old glory figures at that price!
    Best Iain

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    1. That's what I was thinking, of course. Still three HUNDRED?! :-)

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