A Plethora of Molds

 

There does not seem to be a collective name for a group of molds ! (the nearest Google got was 'Fungi'). I took advantage of the offer from Prince August of half price orders on molds last weekend to celebrate their new website and got the above selection , I normally try and buy second hand of EBay but the above never seem to come up for sale . So I am going to be busy this afternoon casting. http://www.princeaugust.ie/ gets you their new website.

A Potential Grenadier.

Been thinking about a suitable figure for the Grenadier company for Scheithers Frei Korps

 

 

Amongst my collection of molds I have the above figure , purchased as a job lot, it was not one I would necessarily have bought myself as it depicts a Swedish grenadier (I think). As I wanted to do something different for the Frei Korps I wondered if I could convert him , my info on Scheither's comes from Osprey's Frederick the Greats Allies and this has a illustration of the grenadier but not a very good view of his cap (a sure sign the artist is not confident in depicting it) , the text mentions that they may be captured French grenadier caps - so I'm going with this . I have filed the cap down a bit scored the front to look like fur and added a bag from 'green stuff' , I know the grenade throwing stance is anachronistic for this later period but now I've got him cast up I find it cute and different and its my SYWish army so I'm going with him !

 

Colonel Scheither.

 

Having been busy casting and painting up elements of Scheither's Frei Korp I thought it time to provide them with a commander.

 

 

So here we have Col. Scheither seen here urging his Carbineers on, I'm not sure who the manufacturer is as it is a casting from a metal mold I got cheap off EBay ( German I think ?). But he looks suitably dashing . The Frei Korps also had a Grenadier company, these had a sort of fur mitre cap which I am at the moment trying to reproduce . I am also bringing my line infantry regiments up to strength by adding a extra company to them .

 

New French Commander

The French have a new commander in the shape of Le Comte De Fru-Fru. here seen being shown the troop positions by the commander of the Regt. De Roi -  Lt.Col.Canonbert . The Comte has been put in charge after the Allies managed to destroy a prized cannon and plans to take the fight to enemy and show them who is boss ! ( Canonbert privately doubts the military abilities of the young C in C ). The Comte is another conversion from the basic pointing mounted command figure . The right arm being cut off and remodelled and the head cut off and refitted the other way around.

Bercheny Hussars.

Have cast and painted up some cavalry for the French in the shape of the Hussars Bercheny.

 

These are slightly more rotund than the older Holger Erikson figures and a bit harder to cast , the molds needed a few vents cutting into them to make sure the metal flowed to the extremities of the molds .

 

 

The Officer is from a different mold to mark him out and the Trumpeter is a conversion from the same casting.

 

 

I cast the figure removed the sword and arm and repositioned the arm , pinning it and using 'green stuff' for the joint . I then cast up a mounted trumpeter figure cut off the trumpet and hand and affixed to the Hussar . Then I  painted him - at this point I was very proud of myself -but 'pride cometh before the fall' and in this case literally - I dropped the figure on the floor and the horses ankles (fetlocks or whatever horses call their ankles) snapped off !. I leave it to my readers imagination as to the language at this point (my wife covered the younger cats ears up). But necessity being the mother of invention, when I had calmed down I drilled through the base and inserted a bit of brass rod , I then drilled a hole in the horses stomach and cut the rod to size and glued all together, a touch of green paint and a drop more varnish and all is well !

 

 

 

 

Dawn Attack (Parte The Seconde)

 

The Allied force moves forward in the pre-dawn dark . I diced for each unit as it moved - 1,2 it moved to the left - 3,4 moved straight ahead - 5,6 it moved to the right . this represented them losing their way in the dark . This caused some confusion in the Allied ranks, the gunners from Scheither's Frei Korps especially getting wildly lost. The French sentries were also diced for each move 1,2 move 6" to the right 5,6 to the left. The above photo shows Scheither's Jaegers capturing the objective and the French sentries running off to alert their comrades.

 

 

Voltaire who is staying at the local inn is alerted by a sentry as he takes his morning chocolate.

 

French reinforcements start to arrive . I diced for each unit for it to arrive - 6 to arrive on the first move , 5,6 the second move etc. I also diced for their point of arrival.

 

 

Unfortunately the French arrived at the same position and at the same time , this caused some confusing  as they tried to deploy under fire from the Allies.

 

 

The gunners finaly reach their objective and prepare to lay the incendiary device.

 

 

The French start taking casualties from the Allied firing lines .

 

 

The Grenadier company is hit hard and loses all its command in one disastrous round of shooting , General Karlsberg has to take control of the unit to stop it running away . Voltaire try's to encourage the French gunners to retake their gun.

 

 

The gunners lay the charge and prepare to ignite it , the Grenadiers are ordered to retire.

 

 

The French forces try and outflank the the Allies .

 

 

But to late, the gun is destroyed ! .A futile attempt by Voltaire to douse the flames with his chocolate is doomed to failure . The Allies have completed their mission (although they did not get anywhere near the gunpowder store) , but at a cost, they suffered heavy officer casualties to achieve it. The French also suffered heavy casualties and are thisting for revenge !.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Lucky Find.

 

Today the postman staggered up the path carrying a parcel for me . I regularly scan EBay for likely figures and molds and was lucky enough to get the above at a reasonable price. They are Hussar castings in 54mm from the Prince August 'toy soldier' range . I already have the mold but lack of suitable metal has prevented me from casting more up - they take a LOT  of metal !. So suitably repainted these will allow me to add two cavalrymen to my 'Red' Army Hussar unit, so finishing it and do a Hussar unit for 'Black' Army (Deaths Head Hussars ?) there being 6 figures to each unit. My 'Funny Little Wars' armies have not seen any action of late - lack off 54mm scenery for indoor games and a VERY  wet summer have been responsible , so these figures will hopefully  inspire me to renewed efforts.