(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Wargames Foundry" September 2024

"Valeur et Discipline."

As I seem to still be very much enthused by both "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games", as well as 28mm Napoleonic wargaming in general, it seemed pretty obvious to me to continue working through my considerable collection of early Nineteenth Century soldiers by "Wargames Foundry" for another month. Indeed, having managed to whittle away a fair few of their figures during August, I've actually found myself rather embarrassingly adding to my backlog by (finally) purchasing a couple of packs of British Redcoats, and even a blister of Great Big Bellicose Bears from their European and Eurasian Animals range.

With my eye also on using four-model units as tiny regiments for "Black Powder" by "Warlord Games", I'm therefore hoping to rattle off a good number of infantrymen from the various nations involved in the European conflict. First up will be a couple more Prussian foot-soldiers in peaked caps to 'fill out' that particular contingent. I've since bought some Prussian Infantry At the Ready to give Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher's forces a boost, so am pretty keen to get a quartet of these miniatures tabletop ready too - especially as I intend to use the Army of the Lower Rhine as something of a 'floater' for both the Coalition and French depending on the scenario being played.

"Chasseurs, or hunters, are light infantry who are excellent at skirmishing and ranged attacks."

To get things started on a positive note I've therefore completed a (fourth) 28mm scale metal Chasseur In Campaign Dress Advancing. Nowadays this model can be found in the identical eight-figure FN054 - Light Infantry Chasseurs Advancing blister by “Wargames Foundry", although my Michael and Alan Perry sculpt has actually been gathering dust for over two decades.

As with his comrades-in-arms, the Frenchman was predominantly pigmented using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade. Whilst I tackled the soldier's numerous leather straps using a few of layers of  White Star by "Two Thin Coats" and a touch of watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I also applied the odd smidgeon of "Vallejo" Heavy Green and "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green to his epaulettes and sabre-briquet ribbon, as well as "Two Thin Coats" White, Skulker Yellow, and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade to his helmet's plume.

August 2024 - "Wargames Foundry" finally enter the table for my Top Ten Manufacturers

Despite all the time-consuming collars, cuffs and belts of tackled over the past four weeks, I seem to have had my third most productive month of 2024, and definitely appear to have put my early Summer stupor behind me. Admittedly much of this fervour was caused by a long-forgotten horde of partially-painted Sea Devils by "Black Tree Design". But I still had to put a finishing brush-tip to them so as to get them tabletop ready.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, this half a dozen more "Doctor "Who" themed miniatures has helped catapult "Black Tree Design" well into the lead as my current favourite manufacturer. However, "Wargames Foundry" have understandably almost made some ground and may well close the gap a tad if my cunning plan for September comes to fruition. Furthermore, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see some seldom-seen companies make a brief appearance, as I've dusted down another handful of models taken from one of my long-forgotten and dusty drawers...