The Gordon Highlanders

I 've finished the latest addition to the Rhanzlistan Field Force in the form of my converted Pulp Figures Highland infantry, which as you know I've painted as the Gordon Highlanders in honour of my good chum Kevin, who served in the Regiment as a young man. I removed the original heads, as they were mostly wearing steel helmets, with a jeweller's saw; drilled out the necks within the collars using my trusty pin vice; finally replacing the heads with some from Gripping Beast's Woodbine range. As I said in the previous post, with one exception I'm pleased by the results ~

The Regiment deployed to Rhanzlistan

The portly figure on the left is the one I mentioned in the first paragraph as being the one conversion I thought looked least convincing. I have to say that he does n't look nearly so bad in this photo, so perhaps its just me?

Major Hilton & Pipe Major Imrie

The Lewis Gun Section is made up of figures from all three packs Bob produces, unified by the advancing pose of the figures I think ~

Capt O'Brien's Lewis Gun Section

Again, the Rifle Section includes figures from at least two packs, all unified in appearance this time by their standing pose ~

Lt Jack's Rifle Section

The great joy, for me at any rate, is the fact that Bob's  sculpting style produces a figure which seems to really love the brush; an unfussy yet detailed end product will always result, even for a less than gifted painter like me. As I said in the last post, the kilts were my greatest challenge: painting thin, straight lines and following the flow of the kilt really is difficult, but I'm satisfied the end product will do, if you don't look too closely. They just need to be varnished now and they will be ready to take on those nasty chaps from S.P.I.F.F. or even those cunning Bhurpas!

Capt Calder
 

Capt Calder, seconded to the Royal Geographical Society's Expedition to find the Yeti! Note his patented waterproof sporran!

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...

The Very Latest Technology

I've been trying to finish this piece for a while, but my putty pushing skills are far from the necessary standard, so eventually Phil found time to do the honours for me! The result is a vignette for the RFF, based on a photo I saw on the net when trawling for ideas one day. The very latest in modern technology, the mobile field radio makes it to Rhanzlistan at last ~

The mules are from Tiger Miniatures; the two figures from Copplestone Castings; the base from Warbases and the tufts from Mutineer Miniatures for those who crave to know such things. The radio set and battery pack, as I said, were made by Phil. I hope you approve!
I'm currently working on an 18lb gun and crew from Woodbine, via Gripping Beast. The gun of course comes from Great War Miniatures, which I've painted before for my 1914 game, but the crew by Woodbine are a first for me and I'm pleasantly surprised by them, as I'd always thought the style a bit awkward in adverts. Just shows how wrong you can be, does n't it? If I have time later in the month I have a few Pulp Figures Gordon Highlanders to paint ~ I swapped the steel helmeted heads for Woodbine heads with Wolsley helmets to suit the rest of the RFF. Pop back later to see how they turned out!