Monday, March 7, 2011

Russian Ahead

I was starting to worry. I've been focussed on the 19thC for 3 months now and with the first 6 Royal Scots on the table, there was no sign of a change in the air though I was over due for a dabble in ancients or maybe moderns which were missed altogether last year. Was I becoming one of those single period gamers??   However, with one eye on the mailbox I have been starting to do a little bit of reading on WWI & the RCW.   

Another great Christmas present from the 60's. Marx 30mm Hard plastic, factory painted figures from their Over the Top playset. The sandbag emplacement, a shell stuck in the mud and a square tank turret are the only accessories left. I'm surprised that there are any rifle barrels left. 

Then there was an alarming visit to Irregular Miniatures where they have some gorgeous shiny 40mm WWI pictures. It had previously occured to me that my old Crescent 18pdr is just the right size for my 1900 Zinnbrigade  homecast figures, and I was starting to wonder if I should be doing WWI with glossy 40mm toy soldiers?  It would make sense from a point of view of terrain, buildings, wagons, farm animals etc. But 40mm toy soldiers are by and large a solo thing for me.

  I really need to grab a few more of these while it is still possible.

But at last, there was a pick up notice in my mailbox. Could it be........

5 minutes from box to trimmed and glued. My kind of tank!

Yes! Michigan Toy Soldiers came through, Hoorah!

 Of course there are the usual issues, 3 companies, 3 humanoid races. Once painted and based in separate units, I'm sure they'll be fine.

My goal now is to assemble (hope the rest are easier than the 1st!) and paint up at least a few of  the Russian Infantry, make a gridded playing surface and try out Bob Cordery's latest game.

If I enjoy painting the 1/72nd Zvezda figures, their Germans may be next as I slide more towards WWI with the RCW as a side show. Time will tell.

5 comments:

  1. I particularly like the stahlheim chorus line on the left hand side of the first picture.

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  2. Ross Mac,

    I am glad that I am not alone in being tempted by the very nice 40mm figures from Irregular! I have considered buying some of their Balkan Wars figures for Funny Little Wars, although they will be in addition to any 54mm figures that I buy for FLW (If I buy them, the 40mm figures will be for my private, solo use).

    By the way, you are right about the Crescent Field Gun; it looks better with 40mm figures than 54mm ones. Mind you, I have seen 40mm figures next to the Britains 4.7-inch Gun, and they don't look out of place alongside that either!

    All the best,

    Bob

    PS. I agree with Conrad Kinch; the left-hand Marx figures look like they are part of the chorus line from 'Springtime for Hitler and Germany'.

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  3. Conrad, In those days one couldn't have Germans without goose stepping (Don't mention the war! ). As a kid, I didn't know what to do with them, probably why they survived and the grenade thrower didn't.
    -Ross

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  4. Bob, has anyone ever told you that you are a bad influence? :)

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  5. Ross Mac,

    Many times ... most of them by my wife!

    All the best,

    Bob

    PS. You were right about the arcs-of-fire in Morschauser's rules. I confused two different sets of rules with my interpretation of what they meant.

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