'With a Tow Row Row Row Row for the Scheither's Grenadiers!'*

*To the tune of  'The British Grenadiers' . Well after the Christmas break and problems with the Internet I have finally got these photos of the last component of Scheither's Frei Korps posted.

 

Scheither's Frei Korp was peculiar in that it had a grenadier company as well as jaegers.

 

 

I decided to use a grenade throwing figure - not the most practical but very attractive, different and a charm to cast up . I had to file down the details on the front of the mitre to look like fur and add a bag to the back from 'green stuff'. The Sergeant is a head swop with a halbard weilding figure.

 

 

Here they are seen practising building clearence , with these done it means that I can move on to casting up more cavalry and building up my line infantry units as 'A' has promised me a delivery of old unwanted figures from his lead collection.

 

 

Planning For Next Year.

Its this time of year when I sit down (with a cup of tea and biscuits - of course) and think out what I want to achieve in my wargaming next year. I will continue to build up my 40mm SYW  armies casting up figures and painting them as metal supplies allow, I'm finding this very satisfying and one of the most inspiring thing I've done in my 40+ years of gaming . My 54mm 'Funny Little Wars' has taken a back seat over the last 6 months or so and I need to get back into it and cast up more figures , I also need to make up some suitable terrain for this scale and then I will get to play more games inside on the wargaming table as gaming outside this year has been a total washout due to the weather.To be covered on my other blog http://thesteadfasttinsldier.blogspot.co.uk/ I am starting to do a Old School Franco-Prussian War project using Spencer Smith 30mm figures and Donald Featherstones Horse and Musket rules. I must also get back into playing with my 40mm Imagination (Balkans War) figures - no more to paint in this area although I am tempted by the new 40mm 'Britains' type figures by Spencer Smith - British Expeditionary force ?. Another project I must get up and running is my Napoleonic collection - struggling here with a lack of rules that I really like , but one or two rule sets to try out .Well that's enough to be going on with , will be interesting to see how much I achieve and how many unforeseen ranges of figures and rules intrude ! . Just like to wish everybody out there in 'Blogger land' a Happy Christmas and prosperes New Year .

The Next French Regiment.

 

Been putting a lot of thought as to which French infantry unit to do next . I was loath to do another white coated one and thought maybe one of the numerous 'Foriegn' regiments . Finally decided on the Swiss regiment 'De Castellas' .

 

 

I then had to decide which figure I would be using for the rank and file. Several months ago I purchased a lot of ready cast up figures off Ebay , these were rather rough and my first thought was to melt them down for the metal as the mold I think is one of the older Holger Erickson ones and rather plain , also they have a high lead content and have not held much surface details when cast. But there was the fact that I had about 40 + ready cast up figures on hand and so I decided to paint up a few to see how they looked , I'm glad I did because they seem to have a charm all of their own - so here is the first company of the Swiss Regt. 'De Castellas'.

 

 

 

An Indulgence.

 

One of the things about home-casting is that you are free to indulge in the little quirky things that you would not be bothered with if you were purchasing the figures. I like having dismounted versions of my Generals or personalities, this allows for horses being shot from under them, or leading glorious charges on foot . So when Prince August had a sale on molds I bought a couple of ones that I might not have done otherwise - a standing officer and a trumpeter.

 

 

Col. Scheither commander of the Frei Korp , I used a Prussian officer mold that looks suitably dashing ! ( although Scheithers performance on the table top of late has been anything but ! )

 

 

The Allied commander Brig. General H. Von Karlsberg. ( using one of my new molds for the dismounted version )

 

 

The French commander Le Comte De Fru Fru .

 

 

The other mold I bought was a total indulgence, I have been annoyed by the fact that my two Lt Infantry units have had to have drummers as musicians - this did not seem right so I got the above mold and replaced the drummers with more appropriate trumpeters . On the left  the trumpeter of the Chasseurs De Sombreuil and the right Scheither's Jaeger Company.

 

 

 

 

The Foundry.

 

I thought I would show people were I cast up my figures . I use a camping gas stove and gas bottle to melt the metal , (my wife ominously said "I do hope you will be able to clean it up for when we go camping in the Spring !" Oh dear !). I use elastic bands to hold the molds together and then clamp them with two pieces of MDF . I put the mold in a old saucepan which has some sands in the bottom to catch any spillages .

 

 

The workbench with my collection of molds in boxes , in the bottom right hand corner some old figures for melting down . Our outhouse is unheated and has a concrete floor so is a bit chilly in the present weather so multi layers of clothing are needed .

 

 

A figure is removed from the mold , I try to have 3 or 4 molds in use at a time as this allows them to cool down . It is surprising how long the metal remains hot and no casting session passes without a minor burn and bad language - I believe this placates the Goddess of Home Casting .

 

 

The finished product , these will be a Saxon Guard unit when I get around to painting them .

 

 

 

Attack on the Mule Train (Parte the Seconde)

 

The Scheither Carbineers suffer heavy casualties and are easily driven off by the French rearguard.

 

 

The Allied attack on the centre also is roughly handled !

 

 

The Grenadiers take hits from the French line infantry and the Chasseurs and with the Hussars forming up to their rear they decide discretion is the better part of valour and retire !.

 

 

Colonel Scheither rallying his Jaegers decides to call off the attack as casualties are mounting and the French are almost untouched by his attacks .

 

 

Voltaire is triumphant !. The Allies put up a rather poor show overall , their attacks were poorly coordinated and the French drove each one off easily . In fairness to Col. Scheither I diced randomly for the position of the attacking units and these probably lead to the trap being sprung to early and the French being easly able to cope with them . Scheither retires to lick his wounds and plot his revenge !.