More Eureka 18mm SYW

The top picture shows a 30 figure Eureka Hungarian battalion . Under that is a red facings Austrian battalion.

Then three pictures showing a Eureka 30 figure Prussian battalion in front of a Foundry (20 figure) 25/28mm for size comparison.

18mm Eureka Prussian SYW Cuirassiers

I'm a great fan of Eureka's range of SYW figures. They are sold as 18mm and the cavalry are certainly big. The infantry, which I'm less keen on, are slightly larger than big 15mm ranges, like Old Glory. I keep buying figures, painting them with a mind to keeping them, then a few months down the line I sell them on aBay.

The range from Eureka presently has Prussians and Austrians and those are more or less complete. Russians will be available early in 2008, I'm told and they are researching the French army.

The 30 painted figures (moulded as one-piece) are of Prussian Cuirassier Regiment No.1

There are three variants of both horse and cavalryman for the rank-and-file and a single figure for the officer, standard bearer and trumpeter.

This week I have finished a 15mm Napoleonic unit (above) of Prussians. This consists of 2 battalions of IR49 Muffling, each 30 figures, plus 2 schutzen or skirmishers armed with rifles and a mounted colonel. The figures are by a UK company called AB that no longer sells these ranges, though its still possible to get these figures from Eureka in Australia. They are the most expensive 15mm figures made and also by far the best. Anthony Barton, was the designer and he also had something to do with Battle Honours, which I looked after a few years back in south London.

This unit participated in the first serious encounter in the 1806 war, between France and Prussia, at the battle of Saalfeld on 10th October. The Prussian-Saxon advance guard was destroyed by Marshal Lannes and its commander, Prince Louis-Ferdinand was killed in combat by a Sergeant Guindey of the 10th Hussars.

Painting a regiment with white facings presents special problems because the cross-belts are normally white as well. The white cross-belts lie over the top of the white facings so in this instance you need a very steady hand to allow a thin black line to make one stand out from the other.

Last blog showed the first battalion of a Prussian regiment of the Seven Years War. These three pictures are of the regiment's second battalion. These pictures were taken using a flash which explains the colour difference in the flags. I'm not quite sure which method works best but at least with the flash the painting details are more evident. I particularly like the expression on the officer's face - he looks like he means business.

These two pictures are of a 30 figure SYW Prussian Battalion (1st battalion IR12 von Finck). I'm just finishing off the second battalion of this regiment and it should be done by the weekend. Not sure about my photographic skill though. I think I need to clean the lense. These figures are, again, the 40mm from S&S.

What I will try to do tomorrow, time permitting, is to get a photograph showing 40mm, 25mm and 15mm together.

Next weeks project is 2 more Prussian battalions, this time in 15mm.

As its the painting that I enjoy this blog is going to feature my painting methods for figures of 15mm through to 40mm. Please forgive me if I leave out smaller figures, the 5mm and 10mm, as I don't derive much pleassure from painting these.

Currently, on my painting desk, I have 40mm SYW Prussians and Austrians (and I'll post some pictures of these), 15mm 1806 AB Prussians, 25mm Republican Romans and, lastly, 15mm 1809 Austrians. But I tend to work on a number of projects at once and when I have time to post this blog, I'll discuss what I'm painting that day or that week. That moves around, as you will see.

The 40mm Sash and Sabre range are excellent and cheap. At $2 a figure they work out at less than many manufacturer's 25mm figures. I have a gripe about the lack of variety in the command but hey, its a new range, and one has to be patient.

Here is a 28 figure Austrian battalion: