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Miniatures Adventure => Colonial Adventures => Topic started by: Will Bailie on 08 September 2009, 06:43:54 PM
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Thanks to a tip from TMP, I've just ordered some Bengal Lancers!
http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=178869
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Not too impressive without a picture, although I'm sure they'll measure up to the usual Perry quality.
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No photos on the Perry website yet, but there are now a couple on TMP:
http://theminiaturespage.com/news/878106/
(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x96/WillBailie/Miniatures/878106c.jpg)
(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x96/WillBailie/Miniatures/878106d.jpg)
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Nice. How do their uniforms differ from the WWI pattern? I seem to recall Kitchener reformed Inidan army uniforms in, what was it?, 1904?
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I don't know how much the uniforms changed (sorry, not my speciality), but lots of photos and drawings on this website, from mid-19th century to early twentieth century. These particular minis are for the 188os, so will be armed with Snider carbines, rather than the Rifle, SMLE of WWI.
http://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armyuniforms/uniform.htm
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Hammers, according to Mollo "Bengal Cavalry were little affected by 1903 reorganistation, retaining their pre-1903 numbers, and apart from a few minor details there was little change to their uniform."
Main things that would be different would be (as Will said) their guns; by the time of the Great War there would be almost nothing colourful on their field service order uniform (everything khaki); and in almost every photo you see of Indian cavalry in WWI they have bandolier equipment. By mid-war some of the cavalry are wearing Brodie helmets, too.
The British officer is of course totally unsuitable.
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They look a neat fit with the Bengal Lancers the Perrys did for Foundry all those years ago... Updated versions of same really.
One thing very apparent though - they've got a whole lot better at sculpting horses in the intervening 15 (?) years
Dammit - I have no option but to add these to my collection! :D
Not quite convinced by the cast bamboo lance though... :? Looks a bit short to me, and a tad too knobbly.
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Hammers, according to Mollo "Bengal Cavalry were little affected by 1903 reorganistation, retaining their pre-1903 numbers, and apart from a few minor details there was little change to their uniform."
Main things that would be different would be (as Will said) their guns; by the time of the Great War there would be almost nothing colourful on their field service order uniform (everything khaki); and in almost every photo you see of Indian cavalry in WWI they have bandolier equipment. By mid-war some of the cavalry are wearing Brodie helmets, too.
The British officer is of course totally unsuitable.
Thanks. Good news. I think what little is seen of the rifle butt on the mounted lancers I think I can live with or convert. I never had the officer in mind so that's alright.
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They look a neat fit with the Bengal Lancers the Perrys did for Foundry all those years ago... Updated versions of same really.
But Perry is more slender than Brigade and Copplestone, aren't they?
Not quite convinced by the cast bamboo lance though... :? Looks a bit short to me, and a tad too knobbly.
My thoughts to. I am trying to develop a method for producing brass bamboo lancers with a Dremel tool but haven't succeeded yet.
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Thanks. Good news. I think what little is seen of the rifle butt on the mounted lancers I think I can live with or convert.
Except that at least one of those figures is carrying his rifle on his back. And no bandoliers...
But Perry is more slender than Brigade and Copplestone, aren't they?
I would concur with that, from my experience.
I think the lances are okay for length comparing them with pictures in the afore-mentioned book (shorter than some you see, but within the ballpark, as they say) , but they are indeed slightly too knobbly. Not too bad though. I like the horses.
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I think the lances are okay for length comparing them with pictures in the afore-mentioned book (shorter than some you see, but within the ballpark, as they say) , but they are indeed slightly too knobbly. Not too bad though. I like the horses.
I'd prefer smooth lances and then paint the bamboo effect on using very thin bands of a darker brown colour. I did this with my Almoravid spearmen and it looks quite good.
The Perry's horses are very good indeed - maybe the best in 28mm. Certainly far better than Gripping Beast!
I think these figures are the best 28mm Bengal Lancers I have seen, so I am going to try and get over my dread of painting horses and buy a unit. So what if horses didn't generally survive long in East Africa - they will still get posted there in my world ;)
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Bugger. Just when I thought I'd dragged myself out of buying more things for the colonies. :'(
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The Foundry Lancers may not have as fine mounts, but they surely looked like they were ready for the business of running down the enemy, be they Pathans or devotees of Kali!
http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/collections/NWFRONT/1/index.asp
I thought we discussed lances not so long ago. The bamboo shaft of a lance is not knobbly like that at all.
http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?p=1073505
And those lance heads on the models: brrrr. Those are for pig sticking, not combat. Note the broader heads for making sure the boar goes down:
http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?t=92219
If you make your own--and given these, you ought--note the proper narrow shape of the head and (from the first link) the ball on the shoe of an Indian pattern lance.
Allen
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They look a neat fit with the Bengal Lancers the Perrys did for Foundry all those years ago... Updated versions of same really.
One thing very apparent though - they've got a whole lot better at sculpting horses in the intervening 15 (?) years
Dammit - I have no option but to add these to my collection! :D
Exactly! Seems like a must-have for me as well. Just when I thought I'd finished my unit. Well, can't be bad to field two units of lancers ... :D
I quite liked the Foundry horses, especially in comparison with Copplestone ones, but these here are even better. Lances are not to my taste and won't stay straight through wargaming anyway, so I'll go for my method of using steel wire painted like bamboo as Gluteus Maximus does.
Anyway, brilliant sculpts, and the first figs on my buying list for Crisis ...
:)
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Hmm, not bad. I can find a use for them in my Daftest Africa set-up. :)
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I received my new lancers a few weeks ago, and naturally they charged to the front of the painting queue. So I put on some good cavalry painting music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa7N7MsTp80&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1V3JW4HeBs&feature=related
and got to work.
Inspirational art print
(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x96/WillBailie/Miniatures/central-india-horse.jpg)
And the result (obviously, I haven't decided what to do about basing yet, but that will come)
(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x96/WillBailie/Miniatures/ToysinKandahar003.jpg)
(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x96/WillBailie/Miniatures/ToysinKandahar004.jpg)
(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x96/WillBailie/Miniatures/ToysinKandahar005.jpg)
I would have preferred if the officer had also been given a lungi instead of a helmet, but that is my only complaint. I even liked the "bamboo" lances, as it meant I didn't have to fabricate an alternate solution!
Cheers
Will
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nice paint job, and I digged the music videos also, reminded me of some pics of my great grandfather dearing the Mexican border insadent
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I'm still not convinced about the lances - far too "knobbly" for me, but they are lovely figures. I'm a bit leery of all those stripes on the turbans etc, but I'll have to bite the bullet and try and match your excellent results :)
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I'm still not convinced about the lances - far too "knobbly" for me, but they are lovely figures.
I agree, I once handled quite a lot of original Indian Army bamboo lances, and they were very straight and the ridges were quite subtle. However, I also agree that the figures are lovely. I wonder how well they'll mix in with the Bengal Lancers the Perrys sculpted for Foundry some years ago.... quite well by the look of it. :)
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Yes, I picked them up at SELWG last week, and they are a perfect match for the earlier figures for the Foundry NW Frontier range. In fact, truth be told, they are almost exactly the same figures remade, and so slightly better - but more or less the same.
I will add them to my existing lancers in the same colour scheme - but I won't be using the knobbly (and too short to my eye) lances provided, but good old piano wire ;)
Here are my originals.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/1/577_12_09_08_10_06_23_1.jpg)
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Yes, I picked them up at SELWG last week, and they are a perfect match for the earlier figures for the Foundry NW Frontier range. In fact, truth be told, they are almost exactly the same figures remade, and so slightly better - but more or less the same.
I will add them to my existing lancers in the same colour scheme - but I won't be using the knobbly (and too short to my eye) lances provided, but good old piano wire ;)
Here are my originals.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/1/577_12_09_08_10_06_23_1.jpg)
But the new Perries come in two variants don't they? Sikh plus another kind of fancy head wrap.
EDIT:Muslim, apparently.
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Odd how our perceptions differ, isn't it. The Perry ones are bit on the knobbly side but to my eye the Captain's lances look too long and too smooth. ??? :)
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But the new Perries come in two variants don't they? Sikh plus another kind of fancy head wrap.
I believe so, so do the Foundry ones: Bengal Lancers & Guides Cavalry, in the "North-West Frontier" range. Sounds like a mix of Perry and Foundry (earlier Perry) would work well.
Beautifully painted unit BTW Richard, Skinner's Horse?
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Re the Perry cavarly - there are three packs, with three mounted figures each: a command pack, Sikh sowars, and Muslim sowars. Command has a British officer, a Sikh Rissaldar or Daffadar and a Muslim bugler. I chose to go with Muslim sowars as there seem to often be entire armies of Sikhs and Gurkhas, and other sepoys end up completely ignored.
Cheers!
W
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I believe so, so do the Foundry ones: Bengal Lancers & Guides Cavalry, in the "North-West Frontier" range. Sounds like a mix of Perry and Foundry (earlier Perry) would work well.
Beautifully painted unit BTW Richard, Skinner's Horse?
Yes indeed. That was the idea anyway ;)
Odd how our perceptions differ, isn't it. The Perry ones are bit on the knobbly side but to my eye the Captain's lances look too long and too smooth. ??? :)
My dear Plynkes, long and smooth is preferable to most people :D
(Actually, you might be right, they probably are a tad overlong - I shall make the next ones a wee bit shorter...)
What were the originals? 10-12 feet? I think I might have used 14ft 'pikes' as stand ins...
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Odd how our perceptions differ, isn't it. The Perry ones are bit on the knobbly side but to my eye the Captain's lances look too long and too smooth. ??? :)
There's a simple trick to doing effective bamboo using smooth wire or whatever, by painting slightly darker rings around the lances. It looks very good, giving the illusion of slight knobbliness on a perfectly smooth shaft. Even when done by an average painter like myself it is still effective. The idea came from the WAB "El Cid" supplement for painting the various muslim spearman.
I'm sure all you true artists could improve it by adding a couple of highlight rings to the shade one or using some other cunning trick.
Those "full dress" lancers do look splendid by the way and I'm tempted to do some in that uniform, even though I know they really should be in khaki.