The Next Project

As my Macedonian/Hellenistic Morph army winds down, I am contemplating a few new projects.   The  first priority will be improving my terrain collection.  After that, I need to make a decision on what is next.

DBA 3.0

I could start painting up a Persian army for DBA, but I am a wee nervous about changes to the Army lists until DBA 3.0 is finalized.

DBN
I could return to my DBN project. After analyzing the costs and doing a test painting run, I was leaning heavily toward a switch to 10mm.  I'm not so sure now.  I have sunk money and time into 15mm Austrians double row-based for Lasalle and already bought a batch of additional French and Austrian troops.  I may go with single row-based elements for DBN.  In theory, I can use them for Lasalle as well.  With rebasing and some more paint work, I could have single row DBN armies assembed pretty quickly. Ignoring sunk costs (time/money) the switch to 10mm makes sense, particularly for the aesthetic value.  However, it is hard to rationally ignore completed 15mm elements... One reason I am considering this compromise, even though I like the look of double row bases, is a new interest  (really a revived old one) - WWII.

Blitzkrieg Commander II
When I first started down the wargaming path, I stumbled across Flames of War when buying some collectible cards for my son at a hobby store.  In running the cost numbers, I started looking at other options that didn't involve a huge investment, settling on AWI.  (I definitely didn't appreciate the addictive nature of the hobby regardless of era...).  Having read several rules reviews and blog accounts, I'm considering purchasing BKC II and giving it a go.  I would go with 10mm or possibly 6mm for this WWII game.  On all accounts, the rules are well written and fun.

Ideas for an Army-level Game
I remain intrigued on the idea of wargaming at the army/corps level.  I have yet to find any miniatures game that simulates the decision making of an army or corps commander-decisions about logistics and intelligence as well as maneuver operations.  I have an idea for such a ruleset. I could reuse miniatures for BKCII for testing the Army-level rules.

Working on my AWI rules
I have a nearly complete set of rules for AWI that have been tested locally.  I would like to be able to share them and possibly publish them once I return to the States.  I need experienced gamers to test the rules, though.  The rules incorporate innovative ideas about leadership and unit capabilities that seem to appeal to younger (teenage) gamers.  I am interested in promoting the next generation's involvement in historical gaming.

HOTT
Re-reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy recently got me interested in HOTT, but I think that idea has passed for the moment.  The rules look fun, though, and my son Ryan seems interested.

Choices, Choices!

Military Estimates

My recent 10mm painting session led to a recalculation of painting time for my planned Napoleonic collection.  The newest data indicates that I will be able to make progress much faster.  I completed the second batch of 10mm figures at the rate of 55 minutes per base or stand, much faster than the original test results of 93 minutes.

 15mm in the front, 10mm in the rear
(Please ignore the prehistoric-sized flora in the background)

Using the same assumptions as the original analysis, I calculated paint time for DBN and Lasalle Forces.  (See the "Battle of the Scales" post for more information.)

DBN and Lasalle Paint Times

The DBN armies are the French 1805-1812/1815 list and the Austrian 1801-1808 list with all options.  The French Lasalle Force is an infantry division and supporting curaissier brigade.  The Austrian force is an Avante Garde Division supported by an infantry brigade.  The time saved approaches 50 percent.  It was interesting to see how much faster I can start playing DBN compared to Lasalle.




Army Creep

If Napoleonic miniatures are as addictive as Ancients, I won't stop at two armies.  I recalculated my "weeks to complete" analysis for multiple Lasalle forces, estimating five hours of hobby time a week.

The new estimates are motivating.  I should have enough figures painted to play DBN in 11 weeks and Lasalle in 25.

Happy 4th of July!

10mm French Elite

I finished up the 10mm Old Glory French Elite Company figures, practicing my 10mm paint skills and evaluating the efficiency gained in painting larger batches.  For my time comparison test, I painted enough figures for a single double row-based bases for both 10mm and 15mm scales.  As expected, paint time was much faster per base when working on a larger batch.  There is probably a learning curve factor at work, too.

I painted three bases as French grenadiers and one base as voltigeurs.  I will use the grenadiers as elite infantry for DBN, and all five bases (counting the base from the original paint test) will also serve as companies in five Lasalle infantry units.  The figure strips were mounted on craft sticks, and I  generally repeated the same paint stroke on all figures on a stick at one time.

I modified my painting approach slightly for this batch, aiming to speed up the process without sacrificing the quality of the work too much.

Thinning the Paint


I primarily use FolkArt acrylic craft paint.  For my 15mm figure painting, I often use the paint directly from the containers without thinning.  I noticed that this was not working as well for 10mm.  I either ended up with too much paint on the brush or needed to reload constantly.  I thinned out the paints for the large areas, such as the coats, boots, and shakos.  It made a big difference in the ease of painting and time.  If you thin too much, though, you are in trouble.

Sloppy to Neat


On my first 10mm painting attempt, I was very careful to not stray out of an area with the paint.  This time, I didn't worry as much about  collateral damage with the initial colors, particularly the jacket and boots.  I painted fairly quickly, and I cleaned up a few mistakes later.

Highlights


I did take the time to shade and highlight the face, coat front, and pants more.  I'm not sure that it made a big difference in the end.  You certainly cannot notice from a distance of more than 12 inches!

Hat Trick


For my first painting attempt, the shako braiding and edging took a lot of time.  I tried a different approach, pulling out a Number 4 flat brush (That's right, a Number 4!).  For the shako top edge, I loaded up the brush and lightly pressed it to the top of the hat at a 45 degree angle.  Voila - instant edging!  This technique worked well except near the plume.  I also tried to use the Number 4 for the braiding and details on the front of the shako.  This didn't work as well.  Next time, I plan to try dry brushing the details.

Fast Results


I expected to paint faster when working a large number of figures, but I was surprised at the efficiency game.  The total paint time for 40 figures (eight strips of five) was 3 hours and 40 minutes, including the final wash.  I completed the work in five sessions.  The paint time for a single base is 55 minutes, compared to 93 minutes for my first test.

I also timed the basing time.  I kept the basing simple because I was working on a tight schedule due to our move, and I had already shipped much of my hobby supplies.  I used small grey model railroad ballast for the basing, covered in a Vallejo Earth paint wash.  I finished the bases with Woodland Scenics burnt grass sprinkled over Elmer's Glue.  Total basing time was 15 minutes in two sessions.

I'll work out the paint time for a couple of Lasalle armies, comparing to my original analysis in a future post.

The Battle of the Scales

15mm and 10mm French Voltigeurs

I have finished the painting time and cost analysis for a group of Lasalle Armies to support my decision making: to switch or not to switch.  As noted previously, I have bought and painted up a small number of 15mm figures, and my other wargame miniatures are all in this scale.  Concerned about the time commitment to get playing as a new Napoleonic wargamer, I decided to invest a small amount of time in comparing two 15mm basing options (double rows of infantry and a single row of infantry) with 10mm figures, based in double rows.

As described in a previous posting, the cost difference between 10mm double row bases and 15mm single row bases is marginal, when you are comparing the cost of completed figure bases.

Painting Time


My painting test indicates that I could finish single row-based 15mm figures slightly faster.  I used the test results for infantry figures and added a 15 percent time increase for cavalry, artillery, and commander elements.  The chart below depicts the painting time, in hours, for the three options.

While I'm comfortable that the 15mm painting test is a reasonable estimate, I'm less sure of the 10mm test.  The test figures were my first attempt at painting 10mm figures, so I expect that I can speed things up with practice.  


The testing is also limited in two areas for both scales.  I only painted a small number of figures in both tests, so my test didn't capture the efficiency of painting a larger group at once.  I also didn't consider time spent cleaning up and priming figures.  I believe that the clean up for the 10mm figures went much faster.

Integrating the Analysis


Paint time and cost are only a few factors that will influence my decision.  I ran a multiple factor analysis that includes qualitative factors, such as the appearance of the miniature units.  I weighted each factor and used a logarithmic rating scheme.

The (Preliminary) Winner is...


10mm

Considering all of the factors important to me, I'm seriously considering a switch to 10mm scale for my Napoleonic collection.  I like the "mass" look of double-row bases, and the cost and time savings compared to 15mm double-row bases is significant.  I already have an AWI 15mm figures based in single rows.

Before making the big jump, I plan on painting eight more strips of French flank company figures.  Once we arrive at our new home, I may test paint a group of cavalry figures, too.

The Long Road to Lasalle

Even with a change in scale or basing, it will be a long time before I can field two Lasalle armies.  I can spare an average of five hours a week for my hobby time.  At that pace, it will be almost a year before I'm ready to play unless I can find fellow players in Seoul, Korea that happen to have a common interest.

Fortunately, I found another game, with a completely different operational scale and approach from Lasalle, that integrates the benefits of DBA with Napoleonic gaming: De Bellis Napoleonicis (DBN).  DBN requires a much smaller number of elements to play, so I plan to use basing that works for both games. This approach will allow me to play sooner while I work on a collection that suffices for battalion-scale rules like Lasalle.

I received the DBN rules last night, so I'll post a review and my plan for creating a collection that works for both games in the future.  My first impression is very favorable.  I've wondered if I could find a corps-level miniatures game, and DBN appears to get the mechanics right.

The French Rapidly Advance

French Line Infantry - painted 15mm and primed 10mm figures

I have finished the first phase of a painting time test, comparing the paint time for 15mm and 10mm infantry figures.  I will use the test results to help in choosing a scale for my Napoleonic armies.  I don't have a lot of time to devote to painting, so the time test and the cost analysis shared in the last post will be important.  Of course, I will also consider other factors, such as my preference for the looks of the two scales.

Test Conditions

I will track painting time for eight 15mm figures and ten 10mm figures.  Because I had already cleaned up and primed the 15mm figures before deciding to perform a test, I won't compare this part of the work.  All figures are primed in white paint and mounted on craft sticks.

Eight 15mm figures is enough to create one double row-based stand or two single row-based stands.  The Old Glory 10mm figures are cast in groups of five, and the ten figures are enough to create one double row-based stand.  I plan to play Lasalle and DBN with the armies.

Based on the results, I will project the total painting time for four Lasalle armies, using the same armies as used in the cost analysis.  I plan to estimate the additional paint time for cavalry, probably applying a 15 percent time increase for each cavalry stand.  I welcome thoughts on how much longer three cavalry figures take to paint as compared to eight infantry figures.

15mm French Line

For the 15mm test, I chose four French line infantry figures and four French Voltigeurs. The figures are Battle Honors Line Infantry, 1809-1812.

I aimed to paint quickly, so these figures are not my best work.  I didn't perform much highlighting, and I kept the details simple.  If I'm ever going to finish a couple of Lasalle armies, I need to advance rapidly.

The painting and wash was completed in five sessions.  I made a few tactical errors on the paint order, such as forgetting to paint the hair until the last session.
Session 1 - 33 minutes - Flesh, boots, ammo bag, shako, pants, small clothes, jacket front
Session 2 - 21 minutes - jackets (blue)
Session 3 - 39 minutes - backpack, rifle, plume/pompon, canteen, bed roll, collar, epaulets
Session 4 - 55 minutes - base, yellow on Voltigeur pompon, rifle barrel and bayonet, hilt, hair, touch-ups
Session 5- 8 minutes - light burnt umber wash

Total Paint Time: 2 hours, 36 minutes

The Results

I'm satisfied with the results even though I was painting faster than normal.   Overall, the figures were easy to paint.  Here's a shot of the Voltigeurs:

I used a medium grey to shade the shirts near the cross belts, providing some contrast.

The line infantry were even easier to paint because of the rifle positioning.  I didn't need to fiddle much with cross belt shading or details on the front of the figure.

Here's another shot.  The 1st company of a French battalion wore green pompons on the shako.  I chose to paint  1st company soldiers to speed things up because I needed to use green for the Voltigeurs' plumes.

Scaling Out

At this painting pace, I could paint one double row-based French battalion for Lasalle in 10 hours and 24 minutes.  With single rows, a battalion would take 5 hours and 12 minutes.  I recognize that this test may not represent actual paint time precisely.  I normally paint more figures at once which is more efficient.  However, I also normally paint when in the same room as my wife while she is watching TV.  We chat during the painting which also slows me down. For the test, I was down in my hobby room and uninterrupted. Overall, this estimate seems reasonable.

Mark Severin ran a test speed painting British 15mm figures which is posted on his website, www.deepfriedhappymice.com and his result was consistent with mine.  He cleaned up, primed, painted, and based 24 figures in four hours.  The painting time was 2 hours and 30 minutes.  I was not trying to paint as fast as possible, and I don't plan to do so when I work on my armies.

Up Next

I'm anxious to see how the paint time compares for 10mm .  I bought a pack of Old Glory French Flank Company figures for the test.  They are cleaned up and primed.

As a relatively new wargamer who hasn't had the chance to attend any conventions, this was my first time seeing 10mm figures.  I was impressed with the level of detail at this scale.  For example, the figures have a plate and braiding on the shakos.  Clean up wasn't too bad, but I had to be careful when trimming the flash on the plumes and bayonets.  I managed to break one half of a plume off...

We are in the midst of moving, but I plan to use my birthday (today) as an excuse to hide in the basement and paint for an hour tonight after the packers have left.  I hope to share a post with the paint results in a day or two.

Comments Welcome!
Dave in Ellicott City, MD, USA

A Question of Scale

From the beginning, I planned to cover all of my wargaming interests in Xenophon's Ghost: Ancients, American War of Independence, and Napoleonics (for now).  I also aim to explore factors in the historical wargaming hobby that are entry barriers for new players, particularly youth.  I happened to start playing DBA simultaneously with the blog start-up, so my posts have focused on DBA almost exclusively.  It's time to turn to a new topic: Napoleonics and the entry barriers of cost and initial painting time required to start playing.

Returning to Lasalle

The end of painting my Macedonian Morph Collection is within sight, and the recent release of Maurice, by Sam Mustafa, prompted me to peruse my Lasalle rulebook.  Mr. Mustafa's Lasalle rules are designed for tactical level Napoleonic games.  I picked it up as I finished painting and playing American War of Independence games over the first 18 months of my wargaming life.  See Sam's website, www.sammustafa.com for more information.

Sam's rulebooks are reknown for photos of well-painted miniatures, and he recommends infantry basing with double rows of figures.  The units look great, and I decided to give it go, fielding an Austrian Avante Garde Division and a French Infantry Division.  I made it through two Austrian large infantry units before burning out.  The painting effort and investment to field two Armies is significant as a new player. DBA was appealing because of the limited number of figures needed to start, so I set the Napoleonics aside.

Considering a Scale Switch

Nonetheless, I do want to complete two Lasalle Armies, and I began pondering a switch to 10mm figures for my Napoleonic collection for multiple reasons.

• Cost - I estimated that I might save quite a bit of cash.
• Time - I might be able to paint more quickly, given the limited detail.
• Variety - my AWI and Ancients figures are 15mm.

Before jumping to 10mm, I have decided to perform a cost analysis and a painting time test.  I did a similar painting test for DBA, trying my hand at two 6mm Elephants to compare the scale to 15mm. 

6mm Carthaginian Elephants

I decided to stick with 15mm for DBA, but I might use 6mm in the future for the American Civil War or Seven Years War.

Green Eyeshade Analysis

For the cost comparison, I planned for the reality that two Armies won't be the end of the story.  I expect to continue growing my collection over time.  I planned for expanding my collection in the following phases:

• Two Armies to get started
•  French Infantry Division with Cuirrassier Bde
• Austrian Avante Garde Division with Infantry Bde
• Two Extra Brigades
• French Infantry Bde
• Austrian Hussar Bde
• British Guards Division with Dragoon Bde
• British Infantry Bde
• Russian Grenadier Division with Reserve Artillery Bde
• Russian Dragoon Bde

The chart below compares the cost of this collection for two different 15mm basing approaches and 10mm figures.

The figure counts used for the analysis follows:

• 15mm single row basing - 4 infantry or 2 cavalry figures per base
• 15mm double row basing - 8 infantry or 3 cavalry figures per base
• 10mm double row basing - 10 infantry or 3 cavalry figures per base

I used pricing from several websites:

• 10mm figures: http://www.oldgloryminiatures.com/ with the Old Glory Army membership cost included.
• 15mm single row basing: Battle Honors or Old Glory figures from http://www.warweb.com/
• 15mm double row basing:  http://oldglory15s.com/catalog/ using the figure packs suitable for Lasalle.

Although I really like the look, the cost analysis helped me to decide against 15mm double basing.  I cannot afford the investment given my other interests and limited hobby budget

Excluding Sunk Costs

Making a decision between single row 15mm bases or 10mm bases won't be as easy.  I have already invested time in painting up two double row-based units, and I have purchased and primed enough 15mm figures for several more units.  I decides to compare the costs of my additional purchases, excluding sunk costs.

As you can see, the switch to 10mm will initially be more costly.  I'll need to spend $264 instead of $192 to get two Armies fielded.  As my collection expands, 10mm will save me money in the long run, but not by much. The cost difference for the entire collection is only $86.

The Painting Test

Given the minor cost difference  (not to mention the psychological cost of not using the already purchased and painted 15mm figures), I am proceeding with a painting time test before making my decision.  I definitely like the look of double row basing, a plus for 10mm.  I'm still unsure if I will like the look of the smaller figures.  I bought a 10mm French Flank Company pack from Old Glory, and it was primed up today.  I'll try to post the painting test results soon.  We are in the midst of a major overseas move, but I'm trying to finish this little project before my kit is packed up.