A Balkan Enigma

The Balkan Wars collection continues to head towards completion despite my best efforts to delay the process! I was originally going to use a stain painting technique on the models (as explained in the designer’s notes of Volley and Bayonet by Frank Chadwick) but have now abandoned the idea as they will look out of place with the WW1 collection. The WW1 collection will of course be getting a fresh coat of paint in due course and I want to ensure that the technique employed is uniform across the whole set up. All the models will be ‘block’ painted i.e. flat colours; I have yet to decide though if I will be ‘dipping’ them using the Army Painter method.

I did some size comparisons of the Irregular Miniatures 15mm Balkan Figures against the Peter Laings and although in terms of height the Irregulars are slightly taller as far as overall build is concerned they are not vastly different. The most noticeable feature I though was the fact that the weapons (rifles and lances) on the Irregular side are chunkier than the Laings. By careful painting and basing though, the whole collection, Balkans and WW1, will be compatible and will not look too out of place on the tabletop. I will be making use of Irregulars WW1 era staff car and generic lorry; as well as the Moraine and Taube monoplanes in due course.

The asute reader will no doubt be thinking that the size issue would be largely irrelevant as early WW1 French, German and British troops would not be lining up against 1912/13 Bulgarians, Turks and various other assorted Balkan types. Ordinarily this would be the case but, as ever, there is a cunning long term plan in the pipeline – details of which will be forthcoming in due course.