1750 New France & Osage Nation Skirmish Project (New Pics 24 Jul 2023)

[WillPhillips]

A year and a half ago I was inspired to take on a New France skirmish project inspired by my Osage heritage and the history of the St. Louis, Missouri area I now call home.

I got started in 54mm, you know, to mix things up.

This was a mistake: storage requirements plus the types of 54mm figures available stalled my interest on the project.

I've pivoted and have started to acquire the figures needed for the same project in 28mm scale.

Pictured here are the first five miniatures that have arrived for the project, all by Firelock games:

• Blood & Plunder: Coureurs des Bois (FGD0109 1)
• Blood & Plunder: Woodland Tribe Commander (FGD0131)

I'm creating this thread as a project log, but also will be posting to my gaming blog:

https://tabletop.willphillips.org/2022/08/23/28mm-new-france-project-begins/

[WillPhillips]

As you can see, I'm still struggling to photograph my minis decently! 

[marianas_gamer]

A very interesting project and even better that you have a personal tie to it. I look forward to future developments.

[WillPhillips]

A very interesting project and even better that you have a personal tie to it. I look forward to future developments.

Thank you, marianas! The personal tie does make it fulfilling for me.

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Some more progress log sorts of photos.

https://tabletop.willphillips.org/2022/09/23/new-france-sept-progress/

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I’ve sourced twenty figures: six regular soldiers to serve as my French, six native warriors as my Osage, six to serve as coureurs de bois, and two Jesuits (one much more historical than the other!).

Plus… a good number of North American wildlife miniatures, which will function as the “wandering monsters” and “random encounters” as inspired by Frostgrave and its siblings.

This figures are all WIPs in one way or another: some are painted, but basing remains, but the Natives and the French Soldiery have even to be painted. This post is a progress log, more than anything.

[Kelly_]

Great start on those!  Where did you pick the bison up from?

[marianas_gamer]

Good work. I really like the bison.

[WillPhillips]

Thanks, guys! I'm pretty pleased at how they turned out.

The bison are from Acheson Creations. Heavy white metal, for sure!

[mikedemana]

Great project! I like it when people use their heritage as inspiration for projects!! Have you picked a set of rules to use, yet?

Mike Demana

[WillPhillips]

Great project! I like it when people use their heritage as inspiration for projects!! Have you picked a set of rules to use, yet?

Mike Demana

Because I like pain and frustration, I'll be spinning up a set of my own rules for this project.

Very much a beer and pretzels, easy to pack to a friend's place or the game store sorta thing.

Rules will be an ultra-light, micro-skirmish (five figures per side) affair that riffs off of lightweight hex-grid games like Warhammer Underworlds and Riot Quest, as applied to 18th century North America. Plus wildlife as random encounters based off the Frostgrave model.

[WillPhillips]

I got my French painted up, varnished, and on bases, so...  yeah let's put a completely BS layout together just to see how it's coming together.









Will post the detail views of the French in a day or two.

Osages / Native come next.

Then to fancy up the bases and circle back to the hex-based terrain.

Also on Instagram, if any of you are over there:

[mikedemana]

The project is looking good! Can't wait to see the Osage figs.

Mike Demana

[bluewillow]

Nice work, and a interesting project

Cheers
Matt

[Bloggard]

great figures and paint-jobs.

and you're using Hexes !  Hexes = cool .

[WillPhillips]

Appreciate the encouragement, guys.

great figures and paint-jobs.

and you're using Hexes !  Hexes = cool .

Yeah, I'm riffing off some of the easy hex-based games from GW and Mantic on this one!

[WillPhillips]

Update crossposted from my blog:

https://tabletop.willphillips.org/2022/11/compagnies-franches-and-osage-warriors/

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Is this possible? Is this happening? Has Will actually finished a project? Well, the primary figures for one, at least? Pretty much. I’ve wrapped up my French marines, Osage natives, a bonus nun (for the sake of the story at the table, an Ursuline headed up country to explore establishing a school), and a pair of mastiffs.

Here’s the deal, of course. I’m not a great mini painter and am an even worse photographer!

Lots of animals remain, though!

Compagnies Franches de la Marine

Here we have a mix of Brigade Games and AW Minis. Both are noticeably smaller than the larger scaled (32mm, even?) Firelock minis that comprise most of the Woods-Runner and Osage warriors.

The kneeling figure is from a 3d printed Etsy source.





Osage Nation Warriors

Most of these figures – the ones armed with warclubs and muskets – are again from Firelock Games (i.e. Blood & Plunder). The bearfur-cloaked figure is from Crucible Crush’s Flint & Feather range of their Iroquois/Haudenosaunee War Companions pack. The figure with the bow and arrow is from the Dead Man’s Hand range from Great Escape Games.

Lemme tell you these guys came out way, way too dark – and that’s from a guy of Osage heritage who has grown up around fullbloods and nearly-fullbloods.





Well. Live and learn.

https://tabletop.willphillips.org/2022/11/compagnies-franches-and-osage-warriors/