ACW Collection WIP....Part 5

Looks good but I am really not enjoying the soundtrack....

I have finished the varnishing of the six 30mm artillery pieces for the ACW Spencer Smith collection!

Yes, you read correctly, I have finished!!!

This means that phase one of the project is at an end and I can't tell you how pleased I am with the outcome and overall look. I shall be positing the pictures over the weekend but trust me, they are glossy, old school and a fitting tribute to the style of Kurz and Allison.

To get me in the right ACW frame of mind I decided to allow myself the luxury of watching the Director's cut of the film Gettysburg. Now I know that this was in the East and my interest is Western facing but I wanted a dose of ACW flavour that was not Gone With the Wind! I have seen the original version some years ago but not the Director's cut. I should extend a big thank you to Mr Fox for the digital download code for the film using the now defunct Ultraviolet platform. As an aside that portion of my digital film library is now safely ensconced in Google Play. I have not seen Gods and Generals - the prequel to Gettysburg which has less than impressed most viewers by all accounts - so may well look to do so in due course. I am very early into the film - subtitled in a rather tongue in cheek way by some gaming acquaintances as Gettysburg: Men in Beards - but already I am less than thrilled by the Randy Edelman soundtrack. One wonders what John Williams would have done with it....

There will be three further stages in the ACW project but for now I have sufficient to get some Portable Wargame or Memoir of Battle style games in. I could even tackle Rebels and Patriots if I wanted to so there is a good deal of flexibility in the collection. the further stages are as follows:

Ships. I am more or less settled on using Peter Pig 1:600th scale models for purely naval actions but I will build some cartoon style warships for combined arms style games. These will be very generic and I reckon that i will need no more than half a dozen models in all.

Rounding out of units. For reasons that will be become clear in a later post I want to add some additional figures to the existing set up to round out the numbers. The infantry will add a further 8 other ranks (making 48 in total) and another couple of foot officers and drummers. The cavalry will add a further 4 troopers and an officer whilst the artillery will add a further 3 gunners, 3 officers and a mounted commander.

Additional units. Each side will add a unit of Zouaves and a unit of sharpshooters. I already have a painted Zouave unit for the Union but I want to add one for the Rebels.

Of the three stages above I suspect that the first two will be tackled first and probably simultaneously as it will be a collaborative effort. the additional units will be something for next year methinks.

As I have spent a lot of time rambling on about my small contribution from the painting perspective to this project the photo shoot will be picture heavy and rambling light!

Now to plan some games!