I wonder how many others still have the first army they ever finished. In my loft I found my Hinchliffe Assyrians (and a few Lammings and Garrison figures) that I painted over 45 years ago. I used the Airfix Guide to Ancient Wargaming for my Army List (1100 odd points) and played with the 5th Edition WRG rules. Many a Sunday was spent wargaming with my old friend Chensie Chen who has an Achmaenid Persian army mostly made up of Hinchcliffe figures. Although he hasn't wargamed for many many years, he still has them. Trying to get some pictures of his army for another bit of nostalgia!
Bob is rushing to finish his Egpytian Army which was bought a very long time ago and remained only partly painted and we are going to try a game using the WRG rules. I can't see us getting into Ancients but it would be fun to use them again after such a long time.
So for my enjoyment, hopefully as well as yours, I decided to give my Assyrians a parade!
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| Light Archers |
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| Light slingers |
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| Garrison Light archers |
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| Nubian Archers (need to go off to Bob's Egyptians! |
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| Assyrian Heavy Archers |
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| Light medium infantry, the list said Javelins but Hinchcliffe made these |
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| Garrisons Officer and standard bearer |
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| Lamming Officer? |
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| Garrison LH Slingers |
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| Assyrians Light Archers |
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| Heavy cavalry |
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| Lamming's Chariot |
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| Heavy Infantry |
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| Heavy War Chariots |
If I have mis-remembered the Lamming and Garrison figures bear with me. It was a long time ago. I think I was paying 8d (pre-decimalisation) for an infantry figure at the time. Could be wrong. 6 x four horse war chariots today looks like a crippling sum!
Wow!!That is very impressive!
ReplyDeleteThanks, glad you liked them.
DeleteThey look great - always been tempted by Assyrians. I still have my first 'army' - Hinchliffe British Napoleonics (circa 1978/79), although it's more a brigade plus than an army and I really need to dispose of them to make space for other armies. I also still have my Hinchliffe Macedonians that followed on shortly after and have recently been topped up to cover most Successor options and are getting used with To the Strongest. Finally, I'm currently retouching a large collection I recently acquired of Hinchliffe ECW - really getting into the shiny, nostalgia vibe!
ReplyDeleteHi Rob, I remember writing to Terry Wise for his Observation piece in the old Battle Magazine to complain that the Hinchcliffe Greeks were always going to beat the Persians Immortals because they were so big in comparison. All the basing techniques came from the Hincliffe catalogue which apart from drawings of the figures was a real treasure trove of ideas. I also had an ECW army. Went to the old Harrow Model shop on the day Red Rum won his first Grand National and meeting Stuart Asquith for the first time and coming away with brown paper bags stuffed with Hinchliffe ECW infantry. How about this for a name dropping reply!
DeleteThe Harrow Model Shop was my local, and still would be if it was still there. Unfortunately back in the day I had less money so browsed way more often than I bought anything. Who's name are you dropping Stuart's (I have half dozen ECW cuirassiers that were allegedly owned by him) or Red's (won the family sweepstake with him on his second win)?
DeleteWhere do the ABC Wargamers hail from? My local club (modellers but with a couple of gamers) has re-located and meets on a different day which means I've had to drop out.
Hi, Jack, Bob and I used to be a loose part of Stuart's Rayner's Lane Wargames Group back in the day. There are just the 3 of us and we hail from North London and just meet at one another's houses for the occasional game and coffee and chat.
DeleteDo you ever go to wargames shows - it'd be interesting to meet up?
DeleteHi Rob, only the London ones nowadays. Used to do Reading and Newbury as well. Given that they only gave me a few months back in February this year because of the old cancer, I don't know if I will get to Salute which is the next one now. Whereabouts are you?
DeleteNice looking army that looks as good now as it did 45 years ago .
ReplyDeleteMany thanks. They did take a fair bit of dusting but the colours were still good. Even the reins I made out of twisted coloured cottons were still in one piece.
DeleteThank you for sharing, a really great army. I am always a little envious of the older style of miniatures especially when painted so well. A great looking army and well painted.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lee, although I have to say the eye's look a little odd now. I dread to think what it costs to build an army like this today.
DeleteAh the eyes, I tend to just ink them as I used to spend too long doing them without the good outcome. The cost of such an endeavour would be a mortgage or three.
DeleteSuperb! Given the vintage they are in remarkable condition. You brushwork is also great considering the paints available back then.
ReplyDeleteThanks Milsey, probably because they haven't been used for so long. They were in an open box under the eaves in the loft and then I eventually moved them into click boxes. When I came to take these pictures I started to brush off some of the dust and them realised just how dusty they were. The bases had turned from a sandy yellow to grey. I am also surprised at how well the colours have held up.
DeleteVery nice, there seems to be a resurgence in Ancients. I remember using 6th Edition WRG with airfix armies that had pins replacing spears :-). My first two armies were Airfix British / French, based on hardboard strips and kept in a biscuit tine between layers of cotton wool - I don't even remember what happened to them.
ReplyDeleteHi Norm, I remember the pins. I got a lot of Arabs from Terry Wise who used them to illustrate on of his books on the 'Punic Wars?'. The number of times I stabbed myself just moving the figures about! All these figures are based on beer mats! If you got to the pub early you could get 'fresh ones' which had been laid out on the tables and bars for new customers! Some of the bases have slightly rounded corners!
DeleteWhat a gorgeous force! They have held up well and, I think, give any modern figures a run for their money. It is indeed frightening how figure costs have gone up since you collected and painted these. 'Skyrocketed' might be a more apt term.
ReplyDeleteBest Regards,
Stokes
Hi Stokes, as I said above I dread to think what this would cost to buy today. Unfortunately, given my condition they will have to go at some point but who on earth has the money these days? They will probably be a bargain at the time. But I am determined to give them one last outing.
DeleteThey are quite lovely; I have 8 of those 4-Horse Hinchliffe chariots in my Assyrian army. ! if I might suggest, perhaps give "To the Strongest" a try; you might wind up getting a lot more than one more outing with them!
ReplyDeleteWow, 8 x 4 horse war chariots and I thought my little force of chariots looked impressive. I'll have a look at the rules, the problem is that the old cancer may stop me from trying more than the one game. I am trying to get some games in with all the various figures I have and ones I have never yet got out on the table! Bob and I have old copies of WRG 5th Edition laying around and we thought we would give them another go.
DeleteReally very nice indeed. A great pleasure to look them over - as has been said, they must have been particularly impressive when first painted. Thanks for posting these up.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to post, glad you liked them. I did use the old Humbrol varnish on them and the wonderful thing is that it hasn't yellowed.
DeleteWow! Impressive and superbly painted. Must have taken ages to play a game of 5th edition with this lot! I always regret giving my first armies away (Airfix ACW). But I still have my first box of Airfix figures 😄.
ReplyDeleteHi Jeffers, I am not sure why I kept these, mostly because my girlfriend and now my wife of 40 years liked them. I have had other armies which I have let go and deeply regret it now and others which have gone but I can't remember selling them, when I sold them and who too, but I remember then fondly every now and then.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully painted and full of character.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for looking and posting, glad you liked them
ReplyDeleteWow! This brought back some happy memories. My 1st army was also 25mm Hinchcliffe Late Assyrian and is currently sitting in a toolbox in my loft....last seen = ???????? I may now need to get out the loft ladders and see how they are looking as also painted 40 odd years ago. As a member of Pinner Wargames Society back in the day, your post and the other comments were a real trip down memory lane. Thanks for posting the pics of what looks to be a really well painted bunch of Late Assyrians!!! Mark
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing to get out these lads after all those years and recall the games I had with them. I hope your tour of your loft yields the same happy memories.
ReplyDelete