Toysoldiers - A comparison of ConteCollectibles to JohnJenkinsDesigns

Manufacturers:   ConteCollectibles, JohnJenkinsDesigns 

Scale:   60mm (1:30)

Hi,

Still in hospital, but I am hopeful to get released on Wednesday. After more than four weeks in hospital I can’t await to get back home. My cool cellar is awaiting me with lots of minis to be painted and some modeling projects that want to be finished.

In order to forget about the cruel temperatures outside and to distract from being here, I scrolled through my pictures on my phone. I have found some photos comparing two manufacturers and their ranges of FrenchIndianWar. ConteCollectibles and JohnJenkinsDesigns.

First of all I have to point out that my absolute favorite manufacturer of toysoldiers is JohnJenkinsDesigns, maybe because of the lots of ranges that caught my interest. The different ranges concerning the FrenchIndianWar are absolutely stunning and the woodland Indians in my opinion are the best sculpted ones from all manufacturers. Maybe FirstLegion could be of more detail , but I like the style of JohnJenkins most. 

But I also like the ranges of ConteCollectibles. The rangers are also fantastic and look like the ones from the movie „Northwest Passage“ with Spencer Tracy.. The small vignettes showing rangers and woodland Indians in hand to hand fight are also very cool.

So here are some pictures comparing both manufacturers.

Cheers

Mike 

A set of ConteCollectibles. A ranger in melee with a woodland Indian.

Another set of ConteCollectibles.

Two sets of JohnJenkinsDesigns. These are my favorite ones.

Again ConteCollectibles.

A comparison of Roger’s Rangers. From left to right -
1 and 2 are Conte, 3 and 4 elder JJD, 5 and 6 newer JJD.

On the left ConteCollectibles, on the right JohnJenkinsDesigns.

Again Conte on the left, JohnJenkins on the right.

Left ConteCollectibles, right JohnJenkinsDesigns.

Just guess.

Toysoldiers - Some Teutonic Knights by TeamMiniatures

Manufacturer:   TeamMiniatures

Scale:   60mm (1:30)

Hi,

Within my last post I forgot to introduce my Teutonic Knights made by TeamMiniatures. This manufacturer makes very nice ranges and one of by favorite is the range of „The Battle of Legnica 1241“, where Teutonic Knights, Templars and Livonian knights fought against the Mongols invading Europe. Within the battle the combined army of Polish and German knights had been beaten. 

The figures have very dynamic poses and that’s what I like very much. The combination of the martial look of the Teutonic Knights and their poses is really fantastic. If you look at the first figure (picture 3) just notice the pose. The horse is standing on two hooves and the complete weight of the figure is perfectly outbalanced. Remembering that this is not a plastic figure but metal, this must have been a real challenge for the sculptor.

So here they are - hope you enjoy them.

Cheers

Mike

My collection of Teutonic Knights placed in the battlefield of Legnica by AI.

The original picture of my collection.

One of the two additions I got about half a year ago.

The second one.

Toysoldiers - Latest additions to my collection

Manufacturers:   JohnJenkinsDesigns, King&Country, TeamMiniatures

Scale:   60mm (1:30)

Hi,

Though I would like to post some stuff about my actual project of building up an early Republican Roman army for an army list suitable for the rules of LionRampant 2, I am again out of order due to another stay in hospital and a second upcoming operation. 

So this is why this post is (again) about my collection of 60mm toysoldiers. Just to get over the boring time here without any possibilities to assemble figures, painting them or crafting terrain. And not to spend the time searching eBay for more figures to buy 😂.

The figures shown here are additions I got within the last few months, but I haven’t shown them here on my blog yet. As my collection is a bit widespread there are different periods of warfare they belong to.

The first newbie to my collection is a variation of Jim Bowie from King&Country‘s range of „Remember the Alamo“ (RTA048). I also got another figure for this range several months ago that I have not shown. It is a wounded Texian (RTA057). This range is not my focus, so there are only three figures within my collection at the moment. I don’t want to expand this range very soon. I’ll take chances on bargains on eBay or somewhere else, but as I mentioned before it is not my focus.

The next models are really on my focus. I love the FrenchIndianWar ranges from JohnJenkinsDesigns. Once for the period and twice for their sculpts. I was lucky to find this boat (QBOAT-01) from the range „The battle of Quebec“. With these boats the British landed at Quebec in the night from 12th to 13th September 1759, climbed up steep cliffs in order to launch the attack on Quebec next day. So - I’ve got a boat. Now the search for the crew will follow. I have already spotted a seller on eBay. But he is located in Canada. So costs of shipment and also taxes and customs made the offer far too expensive. Maybe I will be lucky some day to find the crew for an affordable price.

I was also lucky to find this set of Lt.Brown and an officer (QB-02B), that also belong to the „Quebec“ range. I placed the figures next to the boat just to give a better impression of the boat’s dimensions. The two figures can be seen in a painting showing the death of General Wolfe and do complete the scene. The painting shown in this post is not the original one, it is done using AI, but it comes close to the original 

Also belonging to the „Quebec“ range I got me some more marching British soldiers to increase the advancing forces. You never will get too many soldiers for an impressive marching line. 😊

Again JohnJenkinsDesigns, but this time from the range „Raid on St.Francis“. Some marching soldiers from the Connecticut Provincial Regiment.

Finally again some JohnJenkins miniatures, this time from the „GreatWar“ range. Not a focus again, but I got a suitable piece of artillery for a very good price that has already arrived while I am here in hospital. But here is the gun crew and some more infantrymen resting. Normally the guys I am calling „resting“ are Tank riders and bus passengers. But their poses are ideal for calling them „resting“. In combination with this piece of terrain (I don’t remember the manufacturer) this is quite a good setting and they look like waiting for orders.

This was a short report about my newest additions. I hope you enjoyed it. 🙂

Cheers

Mike

Toysoldiers - Australian infantry for Gallipoli

Manufacturer:   JohnJenkinsDesigns, King&Country 

Scale:   60mm (1:30)

Hi again,

Got these retired and hard to find guys from a seller on eBay to prices even below their original price. Seldom for retired sets. 

Though it is not my favorite period of warfare, Australian infantry for Gallipoli (also Turkish defenders) and Australian Lighthorsemen for Beersheba always caught my attention. So has been a must-have for the offered price.

I also asked AI again for setting the figures in scene. But here you can see that AI also does mistakes. Asking for a picture with the battle of Gallipoli in the background it created a version there the Australians are storming from an entrenchment to an hidden enemy and not from the coast uphill. But I liked the first version and also recreated another one, there Australian infantry us storming uphill from the coast.

The second mistake had not been a mistake done by AI. It has been my fault. I combined my earlier parts of my collection (4 infantrymen and one lighthorseman from King&Country) with the new additions of JohnJenkins. Then I asked for the background of the battle of Beersheba. Complete nonsense as there was not a combined attack of infantry and cavalry. But again the AI-created picture came out wonderful, so I will also show it here within this post. But I also asked AI for another version without infantry. The program then added a Turkish piece of artillery.

Cheers

Mike

The new additions to the collection.

The bayonet of the right figures was broken, that I knew
 from the description by the seller.

But the bayonet was included within the box, so some superglue
 did the job of fixing it.

The AI-Version with the Aussies storming from the hill.

The more correct version with the Australian forces storming from the beach uphill.

The newbies from JJD combined with the few figures
from King&Country I already had in my collection.

The wrong picture of Beersheba with a combined attack of infantry and cavalry.

The second version there AI replaced the infantry but added a Turkish artillery.

Toysoldiers - "The last of the Mohicans"

Manufacturer:   JohnJenkinsDesigns (with one single figure that does not belong to this manufacturer

Scale:   60mm (1:30)

Hi, 

this is another post about a display I tried to optimize. I have several mounted woodland Indians, two canoes, two wigwams (the greater one is not JohnJenkins), two female prisoners and the three heroes of the novel written by James Fenimore Cooper - Hawkeye, Chingachgook and Uncas. All of these figures don´t really fit to my other displays. So why not combining them into a separate display and call this one "The last of the Mohicans"?

The setup is different to the movie, but it had been the best way to combine all the figures of my collection that had not found use in other displays yet. It shows Major Duncan as a captive in a canoe, while Alice and Cora are already lead to the centre of the village as prisoners. The canoe that transported them is carried next to the women. From the woods Hawkeye, Chingachgook and Uncas are advancing in a hurry. Some Hurons already noticed them. They are shouting and threatening. 

Again the display needs a suitable background. Watching the video (please turn on the tune) you will recognize that the glass in the background worked like a mirror. You can see my daughter and me filming the scene. I had also a closer look and saw that my daughter looks really fascinated at the display,. She said to me "Daddy, this looks very nice!". Maybe I will have the luck to get her in touch with wargaming and toysoldiers some time.:)  (Dream on, you little fool!)

Cheers

Mike

Alice and Cora are lead to the village as prisoners.

Major Duncan is still in a canoe.

The mounted Hurons are watching the captives.

Hawkeye, Chingachgook and Uncas are advancing...

..and are noticed by some Hurons immediately.