"Confederate Cannons Built In The South..."

"...Often suffered from a shortage of quality metals and shoddy workmanship."

This 15mm scale plastic Confederate Artillery piece is produced by “Warlord Games” and came free on a sprue accompanying Issue 397 of "Wargames Illustrated". The ensemble is from the Nottingham-based company's "Epic Battles: American Civil War" range and is supplied complete with it's square stand. Rather embarrassingly, I first started painting this three-part unit back in March 2022, so it felt good to finally get the quartet of Johnny Rebs and their cannon finally finished.

The miniatures were all glued together in situ on their base and initially primed with a couple of coats of “Citadel” Abaddon Black. I subsequently focused upon the big gun's wooden carriage and wheels with a layer or two of "Vallejo" Heavy Grey, and plenty of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to help 'muddy it up'. The artillery piece itself was 'picked out' using a combination of "Vallejo" Bronze and (more) "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"Florida troops were organized into eleven regiments of infantry."

Due to my wanting the unit to have originated in Alabama, where the recruits actually wore "a dark blue frock coat" and "black broad brimmed felt hats at the war's start," I pigmented two of the crewmen with "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade. I then tried to 'Confederate up' the rest of the gun's team using a more typical palette of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown, Heavy Bluegrey and Sombre Grey, with either a "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade or Nuln Oil wash.

With my first cannon completed, I have also managed to 'rattle off' another strip of American Civil War infantrymen too - this time for a regiment of Florida-based recruits. I've got these little fellows down to approximately four hours of hobby time per ten-figure line, with most of the effort being caused by the multitude of colours I use for their footwear, trousers, jackets, accoutrements and headwear - albeit as this particular regiment were famous as the Straw Hats, any broad-rimmed bonnets were simply treated to a mixture of "Vallejo" Heavy Ochre/"Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"Pendraken Miniatures" WIPs - Some BMW R75 motorcycles with sidecars, a Panzerjäger and a Panzer

Resultantly, several soldiers were given a good walloping of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey or Sombre Grey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil, whilst a few others were slapped with Vallejo" Heavy Sienna or Heavy Brown and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade. I even managed to 'bless' one private with a rather eye-catching pair of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson pants - a blushing blend I ordinarily reserve for the Confederate's blanket rolls.

Perhaps understandably needing a break from such ferocious detail, I decided to once again rummage through my collection of 10mm World War Two metal models by "Pendraken Miniatures", and delightfully discovered some more German vehicles which would be suitable for my upcoming Early War/Operation Sea Lion campaign. Slightly disconcertingly, I did find a (fourth) Panzerjäger, which I have immediately super-glued together, complete with a driver. But I also 'dug up' a pair of tiny Panzerkampfwagens, as well as a veritable brigade of German BMW R75 motorcycles with sidecars...