These Figures Mean Trouble

My 25mm Hinchliffe collection usually fights using my rule set, a mash-up of bits from Victory Without Quarter (VWQ) and Command and Colours (C&C).

One of the VWQ elements I've shamelessly copied is the addition of random events which can affect how units and commanders behave.  Because it can be hard remembering which units have been affected and how, I decided to make up some markers.

Firstly, my preacher who fires up a unit's morale.  He's clearly a puritan but has to serve both sides as I haven't made a high church Anglican for my royalists yet.

He was a fairly simple modification from Hinchliffe's rather dodgy[1] royalist pikeman   as can be seen here with the unpainted preacher alongside an unmodified casting.

Another event sees a unit's powder supplies affected through incompetence, in this case standing the powder barrel in a puddle with obvious consequences for the unit's firepower.

When all these random effects get too much, there's always another which sees a unit weakened as some decide they have a pressing appointment elsewhere.

Notes.

[1.]  By 'dodgy' I'm referring to his appearance; a common pikeman sporting long hair; a Van Dyke beard; wearing a sash (scarf); and, a broad-brimmed hat decorated with ostrich feathers is a rather outdated (Victorian?) idea of how the armies looked. 

Fusilier Chasseurs of the Guard

These are the latest to emerge from my glacial painting process for a quick photo shoot.  Firstly some 'studio shots'.

The command strip, as Hinton Hunt (HH) never did standard bearers or drummers in greatcoats these two had them added with solder, followed by much filing.

Then the men.  These are a mix of original HH "FN/6 Voltigeur 1807/12 in plumed shakos (marching)" and recasts.  The large plumes, and the opportunity to paint the greatcoats blue, inspired me to paint them as Fusilier Chasseurs of the Imperial (Middle) Guard.  In this photo I meant one of the 4-figure bases to show the rear view but didn't notice their reluctance to show their backs.

The only changes to the rank and file were to repair about half of the bayonets, beef up the plumes a bit, and paint eagles instead of lozenge shaped cap badges and eagles as opposed to bugles on the cartridge boxes.  The latter required the badges to be filed down a bit so the bugle device was not proud.

And then all together...

...all twenty eight of them!

My foot units are all usually 24-strong but these are 28-strong, using every figure I had.  I did this because wielding a soldering iron entails some risk, so I was expecting some losses, but all went well so I thought I'd paint them all up.

And so, into the field: in line...

...in square...

...under Cambronne's command...

...and finally.

=============ADDENDUM=============

Spotted I had left something unpainted!  No prizes for spotting it - here's the finished article.

Book Clear-out - All Must Go

When I knew we were looking to move house I realised I'd have to downsize my toy and book collection - so went on a massive eBay selling spree.

Now I've moved I still need to downsize further, and that principally means culling my book collection.  Having got fed up with eBay constantly changing the rules on selling I'm offering these to anyone who's interested, otherwise they'll all go to a charity bookshop.   

So, this is what's currently on the must go list:

If you are interested in any of these, let me know in the comments your email and which books you're interested in - I will accept almost any offer but you will have to pay p&p which can get expensive with books.

As the cull will have to continue further, if you're looking for books on a particular topic, let me know as I may have something that I can part with.