"Despite Introducing The Land Ironclad To The Battlefield..."

“…The lack of involvement in a major European War saw innovative British designs not adopted by the Army.”

This pair of 1/1200th scale Britannic class Ironclads are produced by “Brigade Models” and can be purchased from their Great Britain range of Land Ironclads as product code VLI-103. The medium-sized, twin turreted vehicles are 13mm x 25mm in size, and were each super-glued upon a 40mm x 40mm plastic rectangle as per the Victorian Science Fiction Ground Combat game’s rule-set.

Sculpted by Tony Francis, the miniatures were undercoated using “Vallejo” Earth, shaded with a blend of “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade, and then dry-brushed using (more) “Vallejo” Earth. The Land Ironclads' large circular turrets and wheelhouses were treated to some “Vallejo” Heavy Green.

"Brigade Models" WIPs - Eight Volker Gun Contraptions

These areas were later washed with “Citadel” Biel-Tan Green, and delicately dry-brushed using a spot (more) “Vallejo” Heavy Green. Finally, having resisted a momentary madness to 'pick out' all the warmachines' tiny windows, I applied some “Vallejo” Gunmetal to all their cannons instead, and darkened these down with the odd splash of “Citadel” Nuln Oil.

In addition to one of my final submissions to the recently concluded Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC), I have been beavering away on some German armed tanks to use as opposition. Like almost all of the other Land Ironclads I recently unearthed from a decade-long sleep, these diminutive Volker Gun Contraptions had already been partially based and flocked. So I’ve simply needed to paint over their original “Vallejo” Heavy Bluegrey undercoat to get the ‘ball rolling’ on their progress.

"Warlord Games" WIPs - This Confederate cannon team is having its details 'picked out'

I’ve actually become quite immersed in this alternative Victorian universe, to the point where I have finally bitten the bullet and bought the tabletop game’s digital rulebook, having misplaced my original physical copy from yesteryear. I’ve also bought a few reinforcements for both the British and Germans from “Brigade Models”; most notably some strips of their 2mm infantry and accompanying troop transports.

Lastly, I am hoping to finally get my first 15mm Confederate cannon team by “Warlord Games” finished. I had actually planned on entering this four-man gun into the AHPC, but eventually abandoned the time-consuming piece once I realised I was getting increasingly short on time before the challenge finished and needed some quick points so as to successfully achieve my target tally…