Oxford Blew Two

Been doing a bit more research today into a good Oxford blew colour and came across another contender. Calgar blue is very close to the reference pictures, maybe even closer than Hideous blue. This soldier has been painted in both paints, Calgar for his coat, Hideous blue for his trousers. Both work well together and make for a little bit of variety in the unit.

This soldier may be sporting Oxford looking blues but he’s in the Trained Band being painted at the moment. I just couldn’t wait to see what the new colours looked like under the Dip.

 

Trained Bands

Redoubt, warlordgames, Bicorne figures.

Today I started on another regiment, the trained Bands of London. This is going to be a big regiment with more musketeers than normal. Here are the first tiny batch of bandsmen, some sporting buff jerkins. There’s much debate about the look of the Trained Bands, I’m going to go for everything in one go. Red coats, civilian clothes and jerkins... all bases covered.

Warlordgames plastics can be very useful as their tunics are quite long and can be painted as buff jerkins.
 

Bicorne Miniatures Oxford Pikemen

Oxford pikemen marching, they have no armour just coats, another nice set.

Price has increased since I bought these to £12 on website.

Warlordgames plastic pikeman in comparison.

 

Bicorne Miniatures Oxford Infantry Marching

This set is another nice one like their salvo firing brothers. The figures are chunky and match the other codes in the range.

The packs have increased to £12 since I bought these a few years ago.

Warlordgames plastic in comparison.

London Trayned Band in comparison.

Warlordgames plastic, Oxford, Trayned Band.

There are some nice head positions in this pack. 

Since this pack came out, 1st Corps have released their own range of ECW figures and have some lovely figures that could be used as Oxford troops. Although these Bicorne figures may just pip them slightly in terms of sculpting, the price point between the two may tip things in 1st Corps favour.

However, with the salvo firing pack with its two poses, the two pounds difference is probably worth paying.

 

Bicorne miniatures Oxford infantry firing salvo

I bought these about three years ago at MK Campaign. As I photographed the Trayned Bands yesterday, I thought it only right to cover these codes too. Again, these have no photo on the Bicorne website so I thought I would cover all three codes on this website for other frustrated gamers.

This pack has two poses which seems better value somehow to me and the figures are quite chunky, much in keeping with the rest of their ECW range.

Here is an older kneeing pose from their range, very similar but not the same. 

These are nice figures, especially given the fact there are two poses which could lead to some nice dynamic bases. This is a pretty fantastic pack and will take some beating in my eyes.
 

Painting Oxford Blew

Image from Osprey publications.

It seems I have stumbled on the perfect colour to represent Oxford blew. Over the years I have collected different hues of paints looking for that choice blend of chalky, powered blue, but tonight I found it!

 It’s an old citadel colour, now long gone, funny shaped pot and all. Hideous blue produces the colour I was always looking for.

It not all bad news for painters out there who share the same painting struggle. I believe the old range of citadel paints were bought and renamed by a company called Coat’d’arms. I haven’t had time to check but in theory the colour is still in production just under an altered name.

 I also managed to get some paint on a few of the new plastics tonight and they paint up very well. A couple will be added to a base of Fore Lorn hope I am painting and they should fit in seamlessly. 

Not sure how long I’ve had this paint for but it’s full and in very good condition, good for many regiments to come. Although in an army of six regiments, two will be more than enough.

Another base of skirmishers get dipped. My soft tone tends to dry very quickly and is safe to touch within an hour. I always leave it 24hrs though. I have a smell test, if it still smells...it is still drying so leave it be, no matter how tempting it is to matt varnish it.

 

Bicorne Trayned Bands figures

Bicorne produce arguably the best ECW miniatures on the market but they do come with a price. For some time now there has been ‘new’ codes on the website but with no photos to illustrate them. So to buy them you have to take a leap of faith.

Knowing that the quality of the figures is good I took the jump and to fill the frustration of others like myself, I thought I would photograph them ASAP and get them in the internet.

 You can see from the older sculpt in the centre, I think the newer codes have got slightly smaller heads and details. However this is not really notable in a mixed unit.

Here is BIC-ECW066 London trayned bands firing.

I intend to mix in some Warlordgames plastics with mine as the scale is a good match. Plus the WLG figures can be painted with buff coats on their sculpts.

I do have the packets of Oxford army upstairs I will have to do the same for those when I come to paint them.

BIC-ECW065 London trayned bands marching.