"Saxon Garde du Corps en masse" Topic

You have seen these in preparation
TMP link

Finally got the figures based, so here are my dozen Saxon Gardes du Corps from Black Hussar. I have also shown one image of them next to my earlier attempts, using Eureka figures (and yes, I am going off those circular bases).

Both products each had their strong features. I have never forgotten the sculpting of the Royal Monogram and the dual lace on the saddlecloths from Australia, but I did have to build up their shoulders as they did seem a bit puny for heavy cavalry. Obviously much more "heroic" poses, but I tend to favour the parade figures generally. Plus anything by Paul Hicks I now think.

The flag is GMB, because I already had one, but I now see Black Hussar do their own.

Amazing work!

Great work.

Stunning!

Impressive! I like how the yellow, white and black work together.

Gorgeous work Liam!!

Superb yellow!
Everything else looks fantastic too.

Excellent work Liam! What is your yellow recipe, and the blue?

Gorgeous!

Wonderful figures, thank you for sharing. A must have for any late period collector!

Thanks all. You have been very encouraging, all of you!

The answer to my paint strategy/recipe is embarrassingly simple (like everything I do).

I have learnt so much on this forum. One idea, which I used over and over for the lace stripes, was painting a thick stripe and then the next over it, up almost up to the edge and then another over that. By the time I got to the blue saddle cloth, there were five layers of paint, each over the predecessor! Not my idea…..brilliant for thin lines.

Only yesterday I learnt from those AB Hungarians to use satin varnish to allow the washes to flow better into crevices without staining the whole surface.

The buff yellow is;

Yellow Ochre from Vallejo.70913
Washed with Citadel Agrax Earthshade
Re-highlighted with Yellow Ochre
Final Highlight with Vallejo Iraqi Sand 70819

The officer is the same but using sand yellow (Vallejo 70916).

Both are little too yellow in the photos. Notice how the bases are almost green in places (to the right) and in others (Left edges) the correct dark earth, even though really the same colour throughout. Bottom two especially bad. Depends which lamp was shining where (Tungsten, fluorescent and even a daylight bulb) I simply could not find a perfect white balance, with the mixed lights I was using. Reality is slightly browner (and more accurate I think)

The blue? This is controversial I know but I want black blue. Years ago I bought two bottles of Citadel Necron Abyss. One I halved and mixed it with black in equal proportions. The other half I mixed with mid grey. I now have three pots which are gradually running down.

Polish Crimson? The same, three of my own mixes of Citadel Screamer Pink and Pink Horror.

My real problem is that my Citadel Tallarn Flesh and Ogryn wash pots are almost empty……and irreplaceable.

Sascha at Black Hussar tells me he may use some of these pics on-line. Fame at last! Actually, Lon at Brigade games Miniatures also shows my KGL and the 95th on his publicity postings (both are the same sculptor's work as these)

Great work and great basing.

inspiring, great looking unit

Very nice indeed sir, on to the Zastrow now?

I do have the Zastrow and the other chaps, whose name escapes me as I type this (red facings…you know…same but different)

If anything the figures are even better, with a nice sensible variety of poses. My favourite is a chap sheathing his sword, right arm across his chest.

I am trying an experiment which will destroy one figure…purely to see if it can be done. Black Musketeers of Louis XVIII First Restoration. I have made two before from Perry Plastics to escort his fleeing carriage, but would love to do a whole troop. Purely because no-one has ever done that and I can imagine why.

If it doesn't work, yellow facings on white indeed, for the rest.

awesome

Great looking figures. Just a quick question, why the circular bases for some? Like I said, they look great, just curious.

Dale

Because I had hundreds of circular bases.

It is like this. Every time I did an ear operation I used a Zeiss binocular microscope. It comes with a very, very, transparent plastic lens cover that is binned and later disappears into the Ocean every time. So my scrub nurses learned to save them instead and saves the Planet.

Like everything else, they seemed like a good idea at the time. Enough room for three cavalrymen and a little vignette eg a wounded Russkie. Perfect for artillery and still my chosen option. It was Mark at Work who first set me thinking they might not be the best idea for the rest…….

They are a mistake. He was right……

I am back to perforated steel plates. They are dirt cheap and massive….masswise that is…they weigh a ton in Earth's gravity too.

Wow, great brush work!

Deadhead:
Thanks for the reply. I tried something like that years ago with my10mm WW2 figures. One of my regular partners suggested that might not be the best idea too. Also use metal bases. Love the low profile but a lot of added weight.
Dale

Most impressive work.
Was wondering what was the size comparison for Black Hussar figures?

Good point. Let me show fairly crude picture. A Black Hussar Cuirassier, a Front Rank Carabinier and a Perry Chasseur a Cheval of the Guard….all on the appropriate horses. These fit in perfectly with Perry I feel. Slightly less chunky that FR or Calpe, but I think far better proportioned for that.

The Black Hussar figures fit well onto the Front Rank heavy cavalry horses but the reverse does not apply. The FR riders will not sit on the much nicer BH horses.

Thank you for the most helpful response to my question.

It was a particularly good suggestion/question. Barn door obvious for a relatively new range (actually they are so like the old Westfalia figures, which were stunning).

Glad you raised the point.

Paul Hicks does incredible definition on his figures. I recently showed his Brigade Games Miniatures Chasseurs, with much upgrading to Guard figures. But the original detail was superb.

Let us then be honest. His faces can be a bit…well, in my trade, we would say "syndromal". There were a few Poles in the Murawski range whose features did raise a few laughs on the forum. The suggestion was that their parents should have got out of the village more. The "Chosen Men" from BGM, we all know who they are meant to be, are a bit small, next to most 28mm figs, again as suggested here. The worst example is the chap who gives his name to that whole TV series, who almost a midget.

But I do not think there is anyone who can sculpt better right now. My Eureka G du Corps had the incredible saddlery detail ( and got the officer's holsters right, which BH did not), the BH riders are just so easy to paint. Such sharp detail.

and they are far more compatible with most 28mm ranges