Following up on my proposed new project, I decided to test out matchstick (actually craft stick) army construction.
Here are my initial test stands - cavalry, artillery, and infantry.
Try looking at them from afar..jpg)
Definitely better.
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One thing that really made Fergusson's original matchstick minis pop was the black separation between each "man." I thought it would be hard to do but I used a marker and it was actually quite easy. I'm curious how it will work out for blue uniforms. We'll see.
Although I still have some issues.
- I'm not all that keen on the artillery. I may add some artillerists with the cannons.
- I ended up using black for the bases so that the brown horses and cannons stand out. I would rather have brown bases so I may play around with colors a bit.
Evaluation
- This seems like a plausible approach to build cheap armies
- Stands are lightweight and seem sturdy. Perfect for portable games and I can just toss them in a bag without worry
- I am concerned about the amount of work cutting the sticks to shape
- I still may go back to old reliable Irregular Miniatures. The jury is still out.
The matchstick troops look OK Kevin, but for me personally I’m unconvinced that the time and effort involved will make much of a saving, given that Irregular Miniatures 2mm castings do look much more realistic & are quite inexpensive.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I suppose matchsticks would have the advantage over wooden blocks/card counters in that they would occupy a realistic battlefield footprint. And - especially for infantry - would probably be better not stuck to a base. Just a thought…
Cheers,
Geoff
I'm still. waffling. Irregular are easier, but I have to wait weeks to get them
DeleteBy coincidence I’ve just placed an order with Irregular Miniatures earlier today. Mostly 2mm, but a fair few 6mm too (Byzantines, Arabs and generic Dark Ages Balkan & Eastern European types).
ReplyDeleteWith the 2mm strips I have recently started to order “a few more than I need” each time and eventually hope I can build up a “stock” from which I can complete … whatever mini-project I have.
Cheers,
Geoff
Even more ironic. I broke down and ordered some Irregular 2mm as well.
DeleteThanks Kevin. I know times are rather bad at the moment, but there’s every chance your order may well be the difference to the British economy - growth rather than recession. 🤣😂
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