Gordons and Gunners

I'm a bit of a 'Billy No Mates' at present as far as games are concerned, with both Phil and Jon being mired in more pressing real life issues. As a result I've had a little more time to paint than I might have otherwise enjoyed. The product of this unexpected extra time has shown itself in part as welcome additions to the Rhanzlistan Field Force in the form of an 18lb field gun and crew and the first of the Gordon Highlanders.
The 18lb gun is made by Great War Miniatures and sold by Gripping Beast under their Woodbine Designs label. The six gunners come with a choice of different heads sporting all sorts of appropriate head gear. Mine have Wolseley Helmets of course ~

The Gordon Highlanders are my default choice when it comes to kilted chappies in any of my armies, a kind of 28mm homage to my chum Kevin who served with the regiment earlier in his life. The figures are by Pulp Figures, although you will search in vain for these in the web site's catalogue, as Bob only makes them in tin helmets {for some reason I really don't grasp, given all the other Brits are in Wolseleys!} But, his range, his choice I have to say. I might of course have chosen the new Empress Jazz Age highlanders but I felt, nice figures though they are, the slightly bulky look of Pulp Figures better fitted in with the rest of the RFF, being mainly Pulp Figures, Copplestone Castings and Brigade Games figures. I removed the heads carefully, using a jeweller's saw I picked up once on a visit to the Birmingham Jewellery quarter, and drilled out the neck of the tunic to take the neck stem of the Woodbine Design heads I had purchased at the same time as the 18lb gun. I think they look quite acceptable, with perhaps one minor exception which I'll get to in a minute. The most difficult decapitation was the piper, where the pipes were partly moulded on the head, but I don't think it turned out too badly myself even so ~

The enlarged photo following shows the figure I am least satisfied with {on the right}, as well as my poor kilt painting skills which I thought I ought to confess to now before folk pick me up on it. The head just does n't ring true for the portly look of the torso does it? Green stuff double chins are beyond my paltry modelling skills and I used up all my credit with Phil on the radio mule set conversions of the previous post. Perhaps its just that I know what the original looked like and the casual observer would not notice? I don't know, but you can perhaps judge for yourself.

I have the other nine figures in various stages of production so I hope they will all be posted to Rhanzlistan before Dan pops over from Wargames Illustrated to take the photos which will accompany my most recent offering when its published in a future issue. So, back to the painting table go I...