First WSS Brigade or My New Obsession With 10mm

I've continued with painting up my 10mm War of Spanish Succession troops (Pendraken Miniatures) and I've finished my first brigade ~ Montmorency's brigade at Blenheim. I think I've mentioned it previously, but the reason I selected this brigade is because the suburb right next to where I live in Melbourne is called Montmorency. I grew up in this area (and moved back after many years serving in the Australian Army) so the name and place are very familiar to me.

I love this scale. The only issue I have is that I have to order all the figures from the UK because there are no distributors that I know of in Australia. But that's no real problem. I just have to order large and wait on the flippancy of Australia Post.

I did order a box of Van Dyck miniatures but I have issues with them. Let me expound: The VD miniatures are fantastic and incredibly detailed as you can see by the command figure below. However, I've been trying to paint an infantry battalion and I' just can't do it. The figures are so detailed at 12mm (and: No! They do not scale with Pendraken 10's) that I can't see them well enough to paint them properly. The mounted officer below was easier as a single figure but 30 infantry figures lined up on tongue depressors are beyond what my eyesight can manage these days. (I wear two separate pairs of glasses in order to see both distance and close up. My eye's ain't what they once was.)

Anyway, enough of my whinging.

I love the look of these battalions. The figures are pretty basic but on mass they look fabulous. I'm still sticking with the oversize flags and the VD officer figure sits well with them. He's a bit larger but he is the commander and he is separate so the difference isn't really noticeable.

The two new battalions are 1st Bearn and 1st Vermandois. 

1st Bearn. I'm not really keen on this marching pose for these figures. It's okay but looks a bit off to my eye. I've ordered more from Pendraken but this time I've opted for the march attack pose (below) and a mix of figures to make up some nice looking firing lines.

1st Vermandois: The same march attack pose I used on a previous battalion (1st Bourbon) but this time I didn't snip off their bayonets and they look much better for it.

So that completes my first brigade. I still have figures from my initial order (French army pack) that I can get stuck into before the next lot arrive. I prepped a couple of cannon last night and they look like they won't take too much effort so I should have them finished quick smart. After that: some horse!

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Soooo... Van Dyck miniatures... Those infantry are just beyond the limits of my eyesight - and, before you ask, I do use a head set with magnifying lenses when I paint. I am going to press on ahead with painting up some of them but I just don't think they're going to work out, which is a real shame. If they do work out okay I'll use them for the Guard Française or something.