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One of the great temptations of running a web page is to want to create the ultimate list of links on a given subject. Keeping such a list current is always 6 to 8 times more work than you think it will be, and it inevitably falls by the wayside. So what you end up with is a page with half of the links dead. With search engines as good as they are - especially Google - there’s simply less and less need to create these static lists of links.

My goal here is not to create the “ultimate” anything. Instead, I hope to provide just a few key links, that are themselves “portals” out to even more web sites and other resources. The links are all kept here on one page for my administrative ease, rather than being scattered around the web site. The organization into categories is loose, and in most cases my selections reflect my interests, rather than an editorial search for balance or completeness.

LINKS CATEGORIES

GENERAL MINIATURES GAMING WEB SITES
These make great first stops on your cyber-tour (are you sick of the whole “cyber” hyphenation deal too?) of the miniatures gaming world. Each of them covers, in some way or other, miniatures, painting, gaming and history.

  • TheMiniaturesPage - A home-style web magazine run by Bill Armintrout. Affectionately known as TMP it has three major attractions. First a message board for every aspect of the hobby. From the 18th century, to painting to sculpting, there’s a message board for everyone. Whatever your question about the hobby, you can get a helping hand from fellow TMP visitors. Posting requires that you register (it’s free), but you can read everything without registering. Second, the Hobby News helps keep you informed of conventions, new releases, etc. Finally, there is a list of manufacturers of everything mini. From bases to paints to miniatures to terrain, finding someone to take your money has never been easier.
  • [Closed] WargamesDirectory - Of primary interest here are a lot of reviews and a directory which will tell you which companies make a given era in a given scale. Civil War in 6 mm? World War II in 28 mm? This may not be exhaustive, but it covers 80% of the ground that matters. Also includes a forum, links etc.
  • Miniatures Wargaming - A “blog” style web site that covers the entire gamut of the hobby. Since it is blog-style I like to drop by at least once a day. I’ve run across some really handy articles and links that I would not have found by looking at the categories I’m interested in.
  • Bartertown - A free “classifieds” site for gamers to buy, sell or trade all kinds of gaming stuff. You can find painted and unpainted miniatures, terrain, and books all for sale. Plus, you can submit ads to sell your stuff, free!
  • Total Model - This site has an outstanding Miniatures gaming section, but also covers modeling in general. Trains, planes and automobiles. Not to mention the daring, the dashing and the dastardly. Big nasty robots. Chicks with guns. Undead and undead killers.
  • Wargames@Nordalia - A blog that does, among other things, excellent figure reviews in a “side-by-side” manner similar to yours truly.
  • The Wargames Journal - An online (usually) weekly e-magazine.
  • [Closed]Wargames Central - an online calendar of events listing everything from gamer nights at local stores to the big gaming conventions (aka cons).

MINIATURE GALLERIES

You can’t swing a dead e-cat on the internet without hitting a miniatures gallery in this hobby. Here’s a list of some I like (an eclectic mix, but whaddya’ want for nuttin’? A rubber biscuit?)

  • Gilles Daquin’s Paintfront - Some awfully good work in 15mm.
  • Roly Herman’s Valeur et Discipline - Stunning 28mm regiments from a variety of eras. You’ll see some of his work used to illustrate the Lexicon.
  • Spencer Keen’s home page - fantastic 28mm work in the “Foundry” style.
  • Elhiem.com - Devoted to the 20 mm figures world. It is not specifically Napoleonic, but it is first rate work. (There you go Matt!)
  • Ioannis Mavromichalis has some great galleries, especially for the ECW and SYW.
  • Achtung Painting (hey, I like ‘em I plug ‘em) has some nice pictures published on their Yahoo group (that’s the Royal “we” - it’s just one guy, Piers).
  • TW Figurines: Fantastic work, mostly in 28 mm, again in the “Foundry” style of painting.
  • Napoleonics Gallery: Beautiful work in all scales. This site also hosts the Napoleonic reviews from the old Spanner & The Yank web site.

HOW TO PAINT MINIATURES
This is a whole web site in and of itself. Just not this web site. Although you can check out my two cents worth, if you like. Fortunately there are no shortage of good “
how-to” pages out there. Here are some I found especially useful:

  • Wargames Journal Painter’s Shed: Follow the links to the Painter’s Shed. You need to register with the site, but it’s free and easy, and worth 15 seconds of your time. Lots of handy articles here, all well written and illustrated. Be sure to check out Ian Marsh’s article on painting Napoleonic French infantry.
  • Ellsweb: This great site has it all, with lots of helpful photos, illustrations, and examples. I found the notes on horses especially helpful - not to mention the articles on terrain, dry brushing, etc.
  • Vallejos Paints: Click on the Union Jack for English, then on Model Color in the drop down box. Just under the first photo is a link “Painting Figures with Acrylics.” An outstanding soup to nuts introduction, loaded with illustrations.
  • Campaign Game Miniatures: Lacking photos, this is still a useful introduction to painting miniatures.
  • AB Figures: Anthony Barton, co-founder and sculptor for AB Figures, offers up these tips on making your figures really stand out.

THE TECHNICAL ASPECT
Ever wonder how miniatures get manufactured? Take a look at these links:

  • Sculpting 101: A nice article on how sculpting is done, over at ScotiaGrendel.com
  • SpinCasting: Just 6 easy steps from ingot to soldier. Take a look at how it’s done.

THE NAPOLEONIC WARS
There are literally hundreds of thousands of books that have been written about Napoleon and his times. Fortunately there are only tens of thousands of web sites! As with all things, the cream rises to the top.

  • NapoleonSeries - One of the best sites on the web - amazing content, and the message boards attract actual scholars like Rory Muir and Dave Hollins on a pretty regular basis.
  • Napoleonics Gallery - A really nice site with pictures sent in by Napoleonic figure painters (including a few of my own).
  • Napoleon Guide - Over 1800 pages of information on the man and his times. Worth an hour or two at least!
  • Histoire et Figurines - Predominantly French language site which includes extensive links and resources related to the Napoleonic Wars.
  • Napoleon Online - Internet site of the magazine Depesche. A German language site with a wide variety of brief articles. Covers uniforms, organization, daily life of the soldiers, etc.
  • War Times Journal - Includes historical articles, free rules sets for Napoleonics, Naval and other games, message boards, etc. Aimed both at gamers and history buffs in general.
  • 1789 - 1815.com - A diverse but very useful French language site, which includes uniform information, biographies, and general historic information about the period.
  • HistUnif: Another site in French with lots of really good uniform detail.

THE PENINSULAR WAR
My particular interest is in the Peninsular War - the war between France and her allies on the one hand, and Spain, Portugal and Great Britain on the other. From 1808 to 1814 Spain was the site of some of the most vicious and brutal campaigns of the entire era. In fact it was the irregular forces in this war that gave birth to the term “guerilla” to define both a style of warfare, as well as a kind of citizen-militia.

  • Guerra de la Independencia Espanola 1808-1814: Recommended. Comprehensive Spanish language history of the Peninsular War. Includes maps, historical information, biographical sketches, etc.
  • [Note May 1, 2005 Update: Site Closed] Peninsular War w/Maps: Recommended. A very complete site outlining the course of the entire war in the Iberian peninsula, along with a large number of maps both of campaigns as well as individual combats and battles. Provides detailed battle accounts as well as descriptions of some of the battlefields as they exist today.
  • 1808-14 Historia Militar: A comprehensive Spanish-language site covering the entire war. Includes some uniform information (and illustrations) as well as a little OOB’s for some battles.
  • British Battles: A nice site covering battles of the British army in the 18th and 19th centuries. There are articles on many Peninsular battles. Each article includes brief notes on the size of the armies, an OOB, recaps of casualties, and interesting quotes from contemporary sources. Covers many other wars as well. The only caveat is that the selection of battles is somewhat hit-or-miss. For example, it includes Vimiero but not Talavera.
  • Libros Reyes: This online bookseller is based in Spain, but carries quite a few new and used titles in French, Spanish and English. If your language skills extend that far, you should take a look. Also a lot on the Spanish Civil War.
  • Siege of Zaragosa: Spanish-language site devoted to the famous siege. Includes some maps, a history of the siege, and biographical sketches of many of the key leaders involved.

THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR (ACW)
Known by the acronym ACW

  • Civil War Interactive: Tons of great links, especially to reenactment sites, plus a message board, calendar. And a cookbook! I love any site with recipes!
  • Open Directory: A volunteer edited directory of the internet. This is their ACW category.

THE AMERICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE (AWI)
What we Americans call the Revolutionary War is known as the AWI in the gaming world.

  • American Revolution.Org: A fairly broad web site with, among other things, brief recaps of all the major battles; an online forum; biographical sketches of major figures of the period.
  • AWI Loyalist InstituteLoyalist Institute: Focuses on information about Loyalist forces in the AWI.
  • British Battles: A nice site covering battles of the British army in the 18th and 19th centuries. There are articles on many Peninsular battles. Each article includes brief notes on the size of the armies, an OOB, recaps of casualties, and interesting quotes from contemporary sources. Covers many other wars as well. The only caveat is that the selection of battles is somewhat hit-or-miss. For example, it includes Vimiero but not Talavera.
  • Open Directory: An edited directory of the internet. This is their AWI category.

Page Last Updated May 1, 2005

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