Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Age of the Big Battalions => Topic started by: glenning on January 09, 2022, 05:27:42 PM
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Hello again! In this thread I'll showcase my AWI project - focusing on Loyalists, Patriot Militia, Native American warriors and the odd Continentals and British soldiers. Most of the minis featured in this thread are Perry ones with some subtle conversions here and there.
Let's start with some Loyalist guerillas of the so-called Black Brigade. Perry mini's with some head swaps. I'm going to do a small warband of 12 so stay tuned for more.
The so-called Black Brigade was led by one of the British Crown's most competent guerilla commanders - the ex-slave Titus Cornelius, also known as Titus, Tye, and famously as Colonel Tye. Colonel Tye first led a mixed unit of black and white Loyalist guerillas and later went on to lead the "Black Brigade" - a small but effective guerilla force made up of ex-slaves of African descent.
Tye and his fellow guerrilla fighters operated out of a forested base called Refugeetown in Sandy Hook, NJ and often targeted wealthy, slaveholding Patriots during their assaults. Tye led several successful raids during the summer of 1779, seizing food and fuel, taking prisoners - and freeing many slaves.
Tye's group often worked in tandem with another famous and effective white Loyalist unit - the "Queen's Rangers".
The Black Brigade often aimed their raids at former masters and their friends. Because the members of the Black Brigade knew the homes of Patriots from their time as slaves as well as the local terrain, the Patriots in the New Jersey area often feared the Black Brigade more than the regular British army.
Tye was one of the most respected, feared and effective guerrilla leaders opposing the American patriot forces in central New Jersey but he eventually succumbed to a wound sustained while fighting the Patriots, and died in 1780 - aged 27.
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Superb painting giving them a lot of character. Interesting background.
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Very nice, love the palette 8)
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Thanks a lot! Just noticed this thread is in the wrong section though - my bad. Maybe the moderator can move it? Thanks in advance!
In the meantime, here's a pic of some of the the opponents of the Black Brigade, three Patriot militiamen in shirt sleeve order, from Perry Miniatures:
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Very nice, and very interesting. Are these Perry AWI figures with head swaps?
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@Paul Richardson - Correct! Some are from their "Ethopian regiment" sets so no headswaps needed there, the others are Perry "Southern Militia" with headswaps from the "Black militia" set as well as some plastic bare heads from Perry's Zulu range - photos will follow. :)
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Fascinating historical treatment, and I'm looking forward to watching your posting progress here!
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Really nice work and a very interesting piece of history to boot. Queens Rangers are next on my list just as soon as I've completed Butler's men. Looks like I might have to add another unit to my wish list.
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Glenning- Fantastic minis and your history is spot on. I live in NJ, and am familiar with Tye.
Not to nitpick, but it was my impression that the Black Brigade was mounted. Am I getting it confused with Tye's earlier guerilla band?
Do you have any sources you can recommend?
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Thanks guys!
@Pan Marek, AFAIK and according to my main sources - the book "Black Loyalists and Patriots" by Alan Gilbert as well as the Wiki-page, they seems to have fought primarily on foot.
@Ceeteegee I'm planning to do a unit of Queen's Rangers as well!
I've recently finished a couple of Butler's Rangers for my Mohawk Valley project, a pair of slightly converted Butler's Rangers - based on the figures from Perry Miniatures latest release. I've replaced the caps, and the waving hand on one of the Rangers has been replaced with a reloading one (from one of the plastic AWI kits). I've also added some tattered feathers using green stuff. The exact uniform worn by this infamous unit has been up for debate for a long time as you might know, and I went with green coats faced white with black, round hats.
I wanted them to look pretty rag tag with worn clothing and some Native American and civilian items thrown in the mix - inspired by the great artwork of Don Troiani. 2 done - 8 more to go!
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Great work!
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Great stuff!
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Very impressive work, some great painting and conversion work. Nice to get a bit of history too, especially on Colonel Tye, very interesting character. :)
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Thanks yet again! Here's my latest WIP: A scout belonging to the British Indian Department during the Revolutionary war 1775-1783. I imagine this guy being a Loyalist fighter of mixed European/Native American origin, acting as a scout and interpreter between British/Loyalist units and Native American warriors.
Perry Miniatures metal and plastic parts and green stuff 'bandana'. I'm going to paint the coat red with yllow facings and give the face some warpaint - stay tuned for the finished result! In-game I imagine this guy being used as some kind of special character or objective marker.
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Fantastic figures! Lovely conversion work! Gorgeous brushwork! And good idea to make an under represented demographic of the participants! A++++
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WOW! Interesting setting and great brushwork! :-* :-* :-*
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Thanks! As promised, here are some quick shots of some 5th NY Continentals - Perry minis with good old square GW bases:
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Glenning-
Thanks for the source!
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great stuff - you're really bringing out all the character in those figures.
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Very nice work there.
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They look good to me!
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Veery nice painting and project. :-* :-*
Will follow with interest. :)
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Thanks a lot - really appreciate it!
"The Punisher anno 1778"
Here's another militiaman, this time from Perry's continental plastic kit - pretty pleased with this one as I wanted him to look like a weathered woodsman as well as a seasoned veteran. Also, since the head was kinda "bulgy" I decided to give him a faded black eye as well - aaand a broken nose ... Note the bald head just visible underneath the hat - survivor of a nasty scalping attack perhaps? :o
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Very nice work and good to see those Perry figures painted. Mine are mostly made from Warlord's FI War Rangers with a few round hats and blue bonnets for variety. Looks like I'll have to pick up those Perry packs.
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Perrys are such a Joy to paint. Wonderfully clean paint jobs ,Don Troiani paintings are such an inspiritaion.
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Thanks a lot! Speaking of the great Don Troiani, here's my Mohawk war party so far - greatly inspired by Troiani's work. Perry minis with some Stronghold Terrain ones in the mix. I'm going to add a couple more (including Joseph Brant himself) - so stay tuned!
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Great work! I particularly love your Punisher, talk about clever adaptation with modeling. Brilliant!
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These look terrific too, and I'm liking the common-colored warpaint! (actually, their look has created quite a scare in my 28mm Patriots already) ;)
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Those indians are very nice. :-* :-*
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Those Indians and that militia feller sure look good. Well done!
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Thanks a lot - appreciate it!!
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I've finished my Mohawk war party - 20 minis, mostly Perry ones with some Stronghold Terrain ones in the mix - I'll post a group shot soon but in the meantime I'll show my latest painted mini - the big boss himself, Thayendanegea, also known as Joseph Brant!
This is yet another Perry sculpt and it was a pure joy to paint! I drew inspiration from contemporary paintings of Brant as well as some modern day plates from various books.
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Very nice :)
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Looking good!
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Fantastic!
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A very nice figure and a cracking paint job to boot.
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Just catching up with this thread. Loving the historical information and background, some fascinating stories there. Great painting and clever use of conversions to get the figures you want. Look forward to seeing more.
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Thanks a lot guys! I'm currently working on the last batch of black Loyalist guerillas - so stay tuned for an update soon!
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Very nice! I presume you knew Brant was educated at a church school and spoke better English than many of the militiamen he fought against.
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Got the 'North American Farmhouse 1750-1900' from Perry/Renedra the other day - and what a kit! Super easy to build and very fun to paint! I got super excited so I finished this one in under 2 hours and I'm pretty pleased with the result!
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Some 'action' shots:
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Great stuff, particularly like the addition of leaves to the roof.
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Cracking work, definitely inspirational!
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I just stumbled upon this post and must admit your figures and farmhouse look great!! I also never heard of Colonel Tye so also vey educational. Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
Hitman
8)
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Great stuff!
Cheers
Matt
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Loving it!
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Thanks a lot! Really appreciate the feedback!
I've also finished some more Mohawk warriors (Perry and Stronghold Terrain) as well as some black Loyalist guerillas - Perry Miniatures from the "Ethiopian Regiment" codes as well as the southern Militia codes - with some headswaps from the Sudanese and Zulu kits.
My Mohawk warband is currently 20 strong + Brant himself as the leader and the Black Brigade warband is now 14 strong (just need to add another guerilla and maybe a conversion of Tye himself - on horseback).
I'm currently waiting for some Continental artillery as well as some more Patriot Militia to arrive - so stay tuned!
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Great miniatures. And the house is excelent. :-* :-*
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Tremendous work again. Very dynamic and certainly food for thought.
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Fantastic! I love your skin-tones! Inspirational!
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Thanks a lot yet again! :D
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Great work! I have to acquire those Butler Rangers figures.
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Late to this thread. I am impressed. Well done & more please.
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Well, it seems like DHL lost my big Patriot package from a German dealer so I guess it'll be a while until you see some more militia and artillery (they're gonna send me another batch when they have them in stock again) - BUT, here are two new conversions for your viewing pleasure.
First up is my rendition of Colonel Tye himself, second is a mounted commander for my Militia force. Both are conversions using Perry AWI British Dragoons in "Southern dress" and ACW horses, a French head for the Patriot, as well as a great sculpt for Tye from their Sudanese kit:
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I've finished the Militia commander as well as my rendition of Tye and I'll post some close ups later but until then here are some "potato cam" photos of my Militia "force" and the Black Brigade so far - the BB just needs another fighter while as I've said before I'm still waiting for a lot of reinforcements for the Militia force.
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Sterling work there. Inspiring stuff.
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excellent modelling and painting.
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More great work there! Huzzah!
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Your work on the Black Brigade figures is fantastic!
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Thanks a lot - appreciate it! Here are some more, better pics of my rendition of Tye:
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Masterful brushwork! Gorgeous figure!
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Lovely work :)
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Another well-done figure. I particularly like how the horse came out...
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Thanks a lot! I've finished the Militia commander as well:
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Masterful brushwork!
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Yep - he looks good, too!
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Excellent job!
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They both look excellent.
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Thanks a lot - really appreciate it!
A small update - I've finished two more Black Brigade guerillas - conversions using the last of the Perry Ethiopian Regiment bodies with some arms from the WOTR range as well as rifles from the AWI range - combined with a head from the "Black Militia" Perry AWI code as well as another one from the plastic Zulu kit. The Black Brigade warband is now 16 man strong (not including Tye himself) - I'm going to convert 4 more and then it's ready for action IMO - in smaller games like Muskets & Tomahawks, En garde! etc. I imagine using them together with Loyalist Militia and Queens Rangers(I've ordered some codes from Perry as well ...) backed up by some Royal Artillery in bigger battles.
Besides the Queens Rangers mentioned above also ordered a LOT of other Perry stuff - including British Grenadiers, Mounted Militia, Continental infantry, Tarleton's Dragoons, civilians and more - so stay tuned!
Oh, I also ordered some Hessian Jägers ... lol
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Lovely :)
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Great work, already looks like an impressive bunch!
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Excellent work on the white / off white clothing.
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The Black Brigade guerillas look great. :-* :-* :-*
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Just gets better and better. Nice work.
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Looking good, like others, did not know of Tye - which is a might embarrassing considering how much reading I've done for the period but it is always good to have the joy of discovering of something new.
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Absolutely cracking!
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Only just found this thread - absolutely splendid work, and a relatively unusual subject that probably is a lot more representative of much of the guerilla-style fighting that took place in the NY/NJ/PA area for the middle part of the war, than serried ranks of Redcoats and Continentals.
If you want to make your black figures a bit more versatile and shift to an early war context, you could have them represent Lord Dunmore's Ethiopians who supported a mixed force that included Loyalist militia, British Marines in white facings, and 14th Foot in buff (with the usual buff belts and small clothes). In fact, I seem to recall that one or two officers and sergeants from the 14th were attached as instructors for the Ethiopians.
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Those guys look great. Well done, lad!
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Lovely work. Of course I now have to add some of these to my own M&T forces ;D
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I think the Militia officer is just great. The conversion is seamless, and I at first thought it was a Perry model I had never seen before. Colonel Tye is very good, too. I had toyed with the idea of including him in my line-up, but to my knowledge he never made it up to Westchester.
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Thanks a lot yet again!
@Baron von Wreckedoften: Thanks! I've thought about that as well! As you can see I use the Ethiotpian Regiment codes mixed with Militia since I wanted some of the members to look like veterans of that Regiment.
@Gangleri: Thank you - appreciate it! Make one for yourself, he should fit your collection too! ;)
Here are the parts used:
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Superb thread, keep ‘em coming!
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After a three week wait for a bunch of minis needed I've finally
converted and finished two more guerilla fighters for my 'Black Brigade' warband - only two more to go now (which are being painted as we speak)!
Perry metal AWI rifleman and Southern Militia bodies with a couple of Perry plastic Zulu heads.
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Looking good! 👍
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Very clever conversions.
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Great work! :-* :-* :-*
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Thanks a lot guys - really appreciate it!
Here are the last two guerilla fighters of my Black Brigade warband - Perry "Southern militia" with some headswaps from the Sudanse an Zulu kits! Check out the post after this one for the promised "army" shots!
Next on the list:
Patriot Militia
Continentals (5th NY)
Continental 6-pounder
Mounted militia
... and more! 8)
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As promised, the "army" shots - complete with a scenic backdrop! They came out a little grainy, might take some better ones in daylight, but you get the idea. Anyways, thanks for looking. :D
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Fantastic paint job on these.
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Great work on those BB figures. :-* :-*
Looking forward for more stuff. :D
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Wow! awesome work! :-*
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A very solid job if ever I saw one. Great work.
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They look really great! How did you paint the skin tone?
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Heck of an army, really enjoy this thread.
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Thanks a lot - really appreciate it!
Here's the recipe for the skin - hope this helps:
Method one:
Mournfang brown undercoat
Watered down Devlan mud wash
Mournfang brown highlight
Super super light Khorne red highlight for cheeks/nose
Gorthor Brown highlight on lips
Occasional streaks of Khorne red here and there to simulate cuts etc.
Method two(mostly used):
Tamiya TS-90 undercoat
Watered down Rhinox hide wash (the heavier the darker, so I used a different water mix on each figure, some are lighter some are darker)
Super super light Khorne red highlight for cheeks/nose
Gorthor Brown highlight on lips
Occasional streaks of Khorne red here and there to simulate cuts etc.
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Thanks a lot - really appreciate it!
Here's the recipe for the skin - hope this helps:
Method one:
Mournfang brown undercoat
Watered down Devlan mud wash
Mournfang brown highlight
Super super light Khorne red highlight for cheeks/nose
Gorthor Brown highlight on lips
Occasional streaks of Khorne red here and there to simulate cuts etc.
Method two(mostly used):
Tamiya TS-90 undercoat
Watered down Rhinox hide wash (the heavier the darker, so I used a different water mix on each figure, some are lighter some are darker)
Super super light Khorne red highlight for cheeks/nose
Gorthor Brown highlight on lips
Occasional streaks of Khorne red here and there to simulate cuts etc.
Thanks for the info! (I have some modern African guerillas in the pipeline)
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Beautiful troops! Thank you for your method!
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The guerilla loading his rifle is particularly characterful! And what a great army!
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Those guys do look good all together. Well done!
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It's finally time for an update! Lately I've been sidetracked by 40k and some real life stuff but now I'm back in the AWI game - and I've finished three more Patriot militia, including a converted sergeant. I've also built and painted one of the superb log cabins from Pegasus Miniatures so yet another scenic shot is in order, don't you think? Anyway, I've assembled and primed a bunch of Patriot militia cavalrymen, so stay tuned. Until then:
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Looking good! 👍
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They look excellent, nicely precise colour - and on the log cabin as well.
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Thanks a lot - really appreciate it!!
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Nicely done. And the Pegasus kits work very well with 28mm.
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Thanks - really appreciate it!
It's time for another update - I've finally finished three more of my converted Butler's Rangers, using the new ones from Perry with some hat swaps. I also added a yelling head from the plastic Continental kit as well as a Tomahawk wielding hand from one of the Indian Warrior codes. As told earlier, I went with green coats faced white with black, round hats - inspired by the great artwork of Don Troiani. Five done - five to go!
I also finished two of six Perry's mounted Militia - these guys were a pain in the a** to clean and "assemble" but I think they turned out pretty good in the end. Oh well, four more and then I can move on to other units. ;)
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Great looking figures. Well done!
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Very, very nice work. The work on the Rangers really lifts what are already great minis.
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Those rangers are brilliant and really add to everything that you've done so far.
How did you paint the green coats? I've some loyalists to paint and I can't settle on how I want to do with them...
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Lovely :)
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Thanks a lot!
Ruire here's the recipe:
Warpstone Glow undercoat
Caliban Green wash
Warpstone Glow highlight
Light Rhinox Hide wash, in creases etc. some stains here and there
Light Caliban Green highlight
Superlight Zandri Dust highlight on elbows
Hope this helps! :D
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Lovely miniatures. :-* :-*
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Thanks a lot!
Ruire here's the recipe:
Warpstone Glow undercoat
Caliban Green wash
Warpstone Glow highlight
Light Rhinox Hid wash, in creases etc. some stains here and there
Light Caliban Green highlight
Superlight Zandri Dust highlight on elbows
Hope this helps! :D
The brown wash and weathering do a lot for it! I'd turned down these colours when I tried them before because I thought them too vibrant, but you've made them work really well here.
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I've also built and painted one of the superb log cabins from Pegasus Miniatures so yet another scenic shot is in order, don't you think?
Definitely!!! I particularly like the militia sergeant with is hand raised. I don't recognise him from the Perry catalogue (and I have pretty much every pack they've made, having helped them with the research!) so is he a "kit bash" or similar sort of conversion?
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Ruire Give it a go - I'm sure it will look great!
Baron von Wreckedoften Thanks! Yes, it's a conversion - the head is from one of the Southern Militia coats, the body is from the Hunting Shirt command and the left hand+rifle is from one of the British 'Saratoga' codes, hope this helps! :D
Here's a quick WIP pic btw - more Militia snd some 5th NY continentals:
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Quick question - did artillery crew always wear Artillery uniforms or would soldiers in regimental uniforms (for example 5th NY - brown coats with blue facings) also operate artillery? Or could I maybe even mix and match? I've read that when operating with infantry or in forts like Stanwix, they’d stretch out what artillerymen the had so that each gun had maybe a gunner and bombardier or two and used the infantry as the mattrosses. If so, which of the minis would be most authentic in artillery uniforms and which would look authntic wearing the 5th NY uniforms? Thanks in advance!
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Only part of your question I can answer is that, yes, infantry were pressed into service manning artillery pieces, probably more often than not. Hope others can fill in the blanks for you.
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I've only found this on the regulation thereof. Maybe it helps?
http://www.srcalifornia.com/uniforms/p13.htm
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Thanks! I noticed that one of the crew is an infantryman, so I guess I’ll paint most of the crew in artillery uniforms – and the infantryman in 5th NY uniform. I’m aaalmost finished with some more Continentals, so stay tuned.
In the meantime: I’ve been working on my table for AWI skirmish games – a couple of 23x23 boards with removeable trees, buildings, roads, walls, fencing etc. I also used a smaller board representing a coastline – which is also removable.
Anyway, I’m going for an early spring look – as often seen in the paintings of Don Troiani (which in turn has been the major inspiration for me when it comes to painting my mini’s) and AMC’s Turn. I have also visited New York, Virginia, and Maryland in early spring a number of times, so there’s some kind of personal connection too, I guess. I'm going to add some more to my scenery collection in the future - more fences, a barn, church, wagons, hills, more trees etc.
Anyway, some photos of the table som far – I’m pretty pleased with the result and can’t wait to play some scenarios on it:
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More shots:
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A great looking table!
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Thanks - appreciate it!
Did two more quick setups hence the dark cellphone shots - but you get the idea:
A small clearing/field with a stone wall and a smaller, lone harbor of sorts.
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Terrain looks good. I really like the water colour and gradient 8)
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Like that you've included various grounds that are not just 'green'.
But curious as to why the water feature at one end of the board (which may do double duty as a mid-board river?)? It looks good, of course, but wondering what the reasoning is? Or is just because you wanted it?
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Thanks! Well, I wanted a piece of removeable coastline for the superb Laketown house. It could also be used as a river bank, a shore on one of the Great Lakes etc. etc. Or mid-river board as you mentioned. A nice addition IMO that can be included in missions including seaborne raids, escapes or the likes - don't you think? ;D
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Great scenery. :-* :-*
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Thanks yet again! Speaking of which - I also made this 'test' wigwam yesterday from scratch. Very fun to build and paint, I might try some different techniques for the next one (planning to do a couple more as well as a longhouse of sorts) but I'm pretty pleased and even though it was a "test" it will still look good one the gaming table IMO.
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Your set-up boards and the wigwam look really good. I especially like the shots of the wigwam with warriors in/near it...
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Was wondering what you used for the structure and then saw the later photos showing it was wire - which helped explain those short pieces sticking up. Might want to use longer pieces for the next builds. Looks like you did some soldering to hold the wires in place.
What gauge of wire did you use and what material for the bark? Thinking the bark might have been a tree wrapping paper, have some for some projects of my own - though not like yours, I have some of the Blue Moon 15 mm resin models, primed and ready for paint (for a while now! :o).
Nice looking build.
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Thanks for the feedback guys! I used aluminium wire, very bendy and nice and easy to work with, the branches sticking up was actually done intentionally, inspired by the ones sticking up in this pic, used for reference:
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Quick update - three more Militia miniatures finished! Perry sculpts as usual and these great looking minis were a joy to paint. Can't wait to paint the rest - 7 to go! This group of Patriot militia will feature my usual mix of Perry riflemen/southern Militia with some conversions in the mix - like my other Militia unit already finished. I've also ordered some figures for a third unit so stay tuned for more! Included is a WIP pic of some civilians as well!
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Continually great work mate! 👍
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Nice militia chaps there. Like the civilians, too - straight out of the Carolinas low country...
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A quick update - civilians! I've finally finished the first batch of the superb Perry AWI civilians! I'm also working on Militia cavalry as well as the last of the Militia on foot so stay tuned for more AWI goodness soon! :D
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Excellent work on the wigwam.
All ways nice to have buildings on the table.
Very cool. Thanks for sharing.
I may have to try my hand at making a few.
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Quibbles time: On the sticking up 'stick' on the inspirational wigwam, certainly a recreation and probably the stick came loose and either not yet repaired or no one sure how to repair. In period, unless it was tear down and move on time, I'm pretty sure the occupants would fix that straight away before more damage occurred. So, if building your own for in period gaming use, I'd recommend not doing the loose stick.
Model still looks good, just thinking it wouldn't be that way in period. Of course, I could be wrong - I think I was about something once but I don't really remember! lol :o :D
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The Militia chaps are great! You have painted the skintones nicely on them. They also look gritty to boot! :)
The civilians also look nice and fit the palette. :)
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Great job with the terrain and figures. Inspiring me to look at Colonel Tye in more detail for my own AWI Forces.
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Always enjoy dropping on on this thread and seeing what you've been up to. Really appreciate your work and creativity.
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Those civilians look great. Well done!
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I would check out Walter Butler, who was exactly what you are describing.
I believe he was an officer/scout for his father's Loyalist Regiment, Butlers Rangers.
Interesting character who spread terror throughout the Mohawk Valley.
He raided with Indians loyal to the Crown.
Perfect choice for your figure.
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It's been a while - but I'm back! I've finished A LOT since I last posted - over 40 minis from various factions so watch this space.
Anyway, let's start off with some Continentals, 5th NY:
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Patriot command of the 5th regiment of New York, 1779-80. Perry Miniatures - the officer is a conversion of metal and plastic parts while the rest of the unit is from the Continental command codes.
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A torn, grizzled and ragged militia officer, could be Patriot or Loyalist (I'm mostly using him as a Patriot though, I also imagine him as a Dutchman, don't know why lol). Perry plastic body with Perry metal head and green stuff eye patch.
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get work and very nice base.
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Lovely :)
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Nice ones.
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Great stuff.