Finished! - 10mm Pendraken Confederate American Civil War Army (+ Birthday loot)

Hi Folks,

This is (almost!) the end of a project started back in December/January. The Old Guard Wargames club members decided to attempt a club project using 10mm Pendraken miniatures. In my stupidity, I volunteered to collect a Confederate force using the starter army pack on offer by Pendraken. Thankfully I was not the silliest bugger, as some people bought more than one pack. Fools that they are. I added a couple of extras (casualties, horse holders and horses, wagon, extra guns, limbers, stretcher bearers, dismounted infantry, staff officers and general...) to the basic set. When I see that list I realise this was maybe more that a 'small' project!

I say this is almost the end of this project as I still have 4 limbers for the guns and some destroyed gun markers to complete. But I have really run out of steam with these guys for now, so the army will have to limp along without them. But I'm counting them as done!

We're planning on using Fire and Fury for rules (regimental or brigade - or both) but also potentially other sets as well. Models are all from Pendraken. The infantry unit flags are also from Pendaken's range.

This was my first attempt at an army other than my WW2 and 3mm Modern stuff. This force isn't too uniform, has a larger range of colours and is just generally brighter. My original idea had been to make it really really rag tag, but this just didn't work for me. So I stuck to a certain range of colours while trying to vary the highlights and mixing in the odd butternut trousers and the likes. I did make a very conscious choice about the blankets and such, deciding early on that I would try to use the same red and blue as the flags, and scattered these guys through the bases in order to try and make the units tie together a bit more and link the colours to the flags. I think this worked.

Anyway, onto the pics. First up, the 'whole army' shot.

The full layout... From left to right we have some 'heavy casualty' markers. These were done using some casualty figures and some stretcher bearers. 2 Casualties and 1 stretcher team of the infantry markers. These are on 40mm bases.

Then we have the infantry. These units are in 5 stand groupings. With commands there are 6 with 5 bases in each and 2 with 10 bases - this is just how the use of the standard bearers and stuff went. I can drop command bases and combine units into whichever size needed for the rules/scenarios. Bases are 25mm by 20mm.

Total comes to 42 standard infantry bases (a mix of 3 and 4 men per base, or 2 men and a casualty), and 8 command bases.

At the front on the round base is a 'brave Colonel'. He was supposed to be based on his own on a small base, but I gave him a drummer and a slightly bigger base (25mm).

Then we have some single figure 'low ammo' counters, comprised of some loading figures. These are on small bases (20mm).

In front of these we have the Brigade Commander - with dispatch rider and state flag (South Carolina - from Wargames Designs - these flags are a little smaller than the Pendraken ones, but worked OK for this base and for the cavalry battle flags).

The cavalry comes next, both mounted and dismounted. Mounted are on 25mm by 25mm bases while the dismounts are on the same bases as the infantry. Just looking at these pictures I can see I forgot to add the yellow details to the dismounts that I did to the mounted cavalry...

Also included are the horse holder bases and a cavalry 'heavy casualties' base (all on 40mm bases). This is 1 casualty, 1 unmounted horse and a stretcher bearer team.

And at the back we have two x 2 gun batteries ('Napoleons') and the ammunition wagon for the army. Spot the red facings on the gun crews... The guns are on 25mm by 30mm, while the wagon is on a 25mm by 70mm base! I've more guns available, but figures two batteries is enough. The others will be used to make the 'damaged gun' markers required for the Fire and Fury rules.

Just the limbers and the markers to do really. I'm pretty happy to get this lot 'done' and that I managed to do a reasonable job on them.

For basing, I tried to be a bit different from my usual 'Normandy' style. The bases were covered in fine sand, which was painted a mix of Vallejo flat earth and green ochre. I then added some 'dead grass' static grass, being careful to leave some bare patched along the edges. I did my usual tidy of the bases using my small scissors, then drybrushed the edges with green ochre. I then added tufts - 2mm 'Straw' and 'Yellow Brown' tufts from serious play. I was worried about having enough of these, so bought more - the 'Yellow Brown' ones were a totally different shade from the first batch. I ended up mixing this type in, to make sure I didn't run out and keep the army looking consistent. There are roughly 6 tufts on each base, although the bigger bases have more. The aim had been to get a dry, hot, height of summertime look to the bases.

My knowledge of the period is pretty limited, so hopefully I've not made any truly horrendous mistakes painting wise! This project has been a real experience for me and as much as I hated it, I also enjoyed it... oddly enough! Something a bit different.

Thursday was my birthday, and I'm lucky enough to have a wife who asks what I want then goes and gets it for me! Long may this setup continue...

A few bits to add to my terrain - the village square set and a 4Ground 15mm church are very welcome additions. The books something different, but sounds interesting.

I was also lucky enough to get to go to the Green Howards museum over in Richmond for my Birthday day out, where I learnt a bit about a chap named Company Sergeant Major Stan Hollis VC. The only person to win a VC on D-Day and someone with his own special character which I have the model for in Flames of War. He was a local lad (from Middlesbrough) and served in the Green Howards.

Sudan Green Howards stuff, as I thought Dave would be interested!

Some WW2 uniforms. I was interested in the variation in shades on the webbing. 

Boo!

Later, we went into Middlesbrough for dinner (Amy's suggestion of venue), and across the road from the restaurant was a statue:

So a great day out topped off by a coincidence!