Perry Travel Battle - Completed and ready to use

Having completed all the figures - painted, based & varnished - I thought I'd give them a quick look over before packing them away to take on my hols.

You'll see from the picture I'd cut a couple of bits of scrap foam to fit the two figure storage recesses in the box. I'm hoping that this will secure the figures in transit and avoid unnecessary movement and consequently - damage!

I must say I'm impressed with the overall look of the set. It really looks like a miniature battlefield.

I have given the rules a read through and they seem simple enough (The mechanisms reminded me of DBA to be honest). I also printed off the collective notes I'd found on-line (The Perry's own notes from their website together with some from the various review I'd read) in case they are of help.

This prompted me to attempt a QRS to save flicking back and forwards in the book. Now all I need is my holidays to arrive and an evening free to play a game....

Perry Travel Battle - Cavalry Continued

Now I had the technique sorted out, painting up the remaining "Blue" Force cavalry didn't take me too long.

Once again I painted them whilst they were still mounted on their moulding sprues.

The colours I chose were from the old Banford Uniforms of Waterloo book and were just what I fancied to make a contrast with those I'd chosen for their opponents.

Dragoons in dark green tunics and Hussars in light blue.

The Brigadier figures finished in a similar style to the "Red" force, but this time with dark blue tunics.

That's it all finished......

Firestorm Games Bring & Buy

It was that time again...Firestorm Games Autumn Bring & Buy.

Run in their playing area, this is an excellent venue to pick up  a few bargains and perhaps dip your toes into a new project at a bargain price!

Most stallholders  (as they are most times) were selling off their surplus Sci-Fi and Fantasy stuff.

There were, however, a good few things to temp us dyed in the wool historical gamers.

I was very pleased with my stash.....

• An old self published guide to the Franco-Prussian War (50p) - hoping once again this will encourage me to get on with those 10mm armies I've owned for over 25 years!
• Osprey Union vs. Confederate Infantry book (£2)
• Three WAB supplements (£2-3 each)
• Open Combat hardback book (£5)
• Chicago Way (£2) - shame I didn't realise it should have a deck of cards and a map with the book😕
• Warlord Games 28mm ECW Dragoons (£15)

A good day out and an excellent opportunity to add to my ever growing "to do" shelf!

Perry Travel Battle - Cavalry Figures

Only at home for three nights this week, so the weekend was vital to getting on with my Travel Battle armies ready for my hols next month.

 Having finished my "Red" army infantry, I moved onto the Cavalry & Brigadier figures that were still on the sprues.

I painted the standing cavalry loosely as Dragoons and the galloping figures as Hussars. The Brigadiers were finished as a generic senior officer in smart colourful uniform!

The lighter coloured horses were painted Vallejo Orange Brown with a Vallejo Sepia Wash once dry. Their hooves were picked out in Vallejo German Camo Beige and their tails and mane were picked out in Vallejo Game Black with a Vallejo Game White blaze and socks added to finish them off. At this scale I didn't pick out the bridle etc as the final Vallejo Black Wash of the rider also highlights these sufficiently.

The darker horses were painted all over in Vallejo Dark Grey followed by Vallejo Black Wash once dry.

Once again the finish was all about giving the correct impression at a reasonable distance from the battle boards. Thees figures just need to have their coat of spray varnish and they're ready to use.

Blog Updates

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Tim

Perry Travel Battle - Infantry Figures

As I've set myself the tall order of having this set all ready to go by the first week in November (so I can take it away with me to play!) I need to get a move on with the figure painting.

In effect you get two identical armies - one moulded blue and the other red, plus a sprue of bases in grass green (the same colour as the battlefields) that also included the wood canopies for the battlefield.

These have already had a coat of Vallejo Game Colour Camouflage Green

Now you could just use them as they come, but I couldn't live with myself using un-painted figures so I have to finish them off.

There are the following troops in each 3 Brigade Army; -

• 8 bases of 10 infantry 
• 2 cannon with 3 crew
• 2 bases of 3 light cavalry
• 2 bases of 3 heavy cavalry
• 4 Brigadier/Generals on horseback (you only need 3 but get a spare just in case)

They are all in generic Napoleonic uniforms of the Peninsular/Waterloo period so can be painted as you wish.

So far I've only finished the "Red" team's infantry and Artillery. These are painted up loosely as British Troops.

I chose to try the method described in the Rule/Guide book that is included with the set. That is I did not undercoat the figures (I did, however, wash the sprues in soapy water to ensure coverage of the acrylic paints). Then I painted them whilst still attached to the sprues as this gives you something to hold on to.

Not a good photo (limitations of an iphone7 I'm afraid)  but gives you an idea of the colours used.

I firstly painted the trousers, rolled greatcoat and cannon in Vallejo Light Grey. The Cannon barrels were painted GW Beaten Copper (A very old pot!) the shakos, packs, cartridge pouches and boots were all picked out in Vallejo Game Colour Black and the muskets and ramrods in Vallejo Game Colour Brown Leather.

Then once was all dry, I washed the figures overall with Vallejo Black Wash. Once dry I picked out the faces and hands in Vallejo Pale Flesh and put a dot of GW Burnished Gold on the shakos to look like there was a badge. Afterwards I picked out the cross belts with Vallejo Game Colour White.

Finally the edge of the base strip that would remain visible was painted with Vallejo Game Colour Camouflage Green. This colour was also used to finish off the bases - the central section being painted before the figures were glued in place, as it will be inaccessible afterwards.

The very last job was a quick dusting of Army Painter Ant-Shine varnish.

I'd gone more for overall impression, than for a detailed finish so they won't win any prizes, but will be just fine for gaming.

On with the cavalry.....

Perry Travel Battle - Terrain Boards

Well I've completed these two, and very quick they were to paint-up too!

As they are moulded in such a pleasing grass green colour, I decided to keep the finishing minimalist.

Firstly I painted around all the sloped with Army Painter Green Wash to emphasise the shadows around the hills.. Then I painted the tree trunk areas surrounding the woods with a Vallejo Black Brown before dry-brushing them with Vallejo English Uniform Brown before a final Vallejo Iraqi Sand light dry-brush.

When dry, I dry-brushed the entire boards with Vallejo Dark Yellow. Then I painted in the roads & ploughed fields with Vallejo Mud Brown.

Once this was dry, the farm yard areas were picked out in Vallejo Light Grey and the walls with Vallejo Buff.

While waiting for stuff to dry I painted the buildings whilst still attached to the sprue. I dusted them with sprayed white primer before starting and then painted them up to give a bit of variety between finishes. Once painted I removed them from the sprue for assembly only to find I'd got mixed up with two of the smaller buildings and painted their two halves in different colours....Doh!

Once glued together the buildings were touched up and glued to the base boards.

Now the farmyards, walls, buildings, roads and fields were all given a coat of Vallejo Sepia Wash.

Whilst waiting for the wash to dry I painted the wood canopies in a Vallejo Game Heavy Green followed by a dry-brush of Vallejo Game Camouflage Green.

Finally I dry-brushed the fields, roads, buildings, walls and farmyards with Vallejo Iraqi Sand.

To seal everything and blend it all together (taking away any sheen from the unpainted plastic areas) I  gave the boards a light dusting of Army Painter Anti-Shine Matt Spray.

And there you are.... two boards finished, just the figures to go.