On to Richmond/Washington select your favourite option

This now epic project (one for Llloydy here) nearly raised its head the moment wargames Illustrated put a preview sprue in one of this years issues.  I  looked at it, thought cool idea and then it put in a possibly to do box and forgot.

Anyway looking at the latest list of releases for June decided to jump in and buy the starter box. Whilst waiting for it to arrive and while my enthusiasm  was at its height I decided to have a got at above sprue to see what I had let myself in for .

With the a national predeliction for lost causes I decided to paint above as Confederate ( they were grey plastic, you get the sprues in blue and gray in the starter, with green bases for those who dont want to paint Warren).

Funnily enough I watched the gane questions and answers on You tube a few days back, and the whole idea for epic battles to some extent came from the old Airfix ACW boxes where you had confederates in Grey, Union in Blue, can’t remenber what colour the Artillery was but Remember the Cavalry was in Dark Blue, I was a nipper about 8 when I got my box of Cavalry , which I brought more for bashing Indians (pre pc) than anything . remember could never find a glue that lasted any time when trying stick the horses to the bases with that soft plastic.

Remember during the 1st years of Alumwell Wargames club a couple of guys did a all day Sunday game using the Airfix figures , stuck in massed ranks to green bases, even unpainted it looked good.

I sprayed them GW Grey Seer as a base , and then gave them an all over coat of  GW contrast Gryph Charger Grey to start with.

Now as a starter regiment I decided to paint them as a. n other Regiment ( its a state to the South of Georgia and north of Florida sort of on the border). Hadnt got much research material on Civil War Uniforms so decided to do them based on the old Timpo confederates I had as a kid and did all the trousers blue so gave the trousers a thined out coat of GW Tallassar Blue..

Reading up a bit on the variation with the buttercup colour as the grey dies on uniforms, went over odd tunics with Skelton horde, which seemed to work.

Faces and hands were done in  GW contrast Gulliman flesh . with beards and moustaches occasional picked out in various browns

Boots and belts were done in MP paints dark umbra .

All then given a 50/50 GW agrax Earthshade coat to give them a bit of the rebs grubby look.

This seemed to have worked well but looking at the picture I pulled for the cover of this topic think I can go bit more to town on variation on  the next regiment.

With the arrival of my starter box I decided to balance things with a Union Regiment ( I was sorely tempted to paint all 24 Confederate but wasnt sure if I would find anyone else doing it)

Having sprayed them Grey Seer as the confeds

I tried a couple of methods on a couple of strips at a time, 1st do the jackets basiclum grey and wet blend tallisor blue, then Levidian blue , both with Tallso blue tousers, both looked pathcy and were fidly to do so finally based a bit on the W.I  suggestions

Went do the lot Tallasar Blue, Jackets Levidian Blue, a home brew gray for bed rolls ( if I dont get right shade each time I do them it wont matter)

Faces Gulliman Flesh

Boots and belts as the Confeds, likewise an over the top Agrax Earthshade 50/50 dilution with water wash

I used a an MP paints cream to lightly dry brush the faces for hightlight and

viola!

For anyone interested since these guys were painted I gave them a Texas Regiment set of Colours.

So my 1st Confederate Brigade will be Hood’s  Texas Brigade.

For anyone Interested its orbat was:

• Battle of Seven Pines (May 31 – June 1, 1862); assigned to Whiting’s Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. John Bell Hood
  • 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry regiments
  • 18th Georgia Infantry Regiment