Artizan London Bobbies

[Abbner Home]

2011-01-megatrack 117 by brodeurrobert, on Flickr


2011-01-megatrack 114 by brodeurrobert, on Flickr

My first completed figures of 2011. I am away from home and don't have my basing materials here but I recognize they need the bases treated. I'm pretty happy with these guys - I find the Artizan figures easier to paint. Although posted in Pulp these officers will likely see service battling zombies in circa November 1940 Coventry.

[Michi]

Hurra! These look seriously capable of giving hell to those zeds in Coventry. Fabulous paintjob!

[Thunderchicken]

Very nice!  Wouldn't mind hearing more about the project.

I recently got hold of some of these for a similar 1950's project but was thinking of head swaps with tommy helmets.

[Trooper]

Lovely paintjob on those, nice to see them as opposed to the unpainted versions on Artizan's website, definitely getting some for my VBCW.

One teensy quibble though, if those are Metropolitan Police, the buttons should be silvered and not brass. If they are City of London, then brass buttons would be ok, except that the helmet would be wrong for the City force. Also I would query the officer in the cap, the hat band is not  100% for the period, it would normally be plain navy blue. Oh, one last thing are you going to paint them with duty arm cuff bands? Sorry to nitpick.

[Abbner Home]

Wow - that is a lot of detail. Much appreciated. Honestly as American on assignment in Africa I had no experience to draw on and no research materials available. I had to rely only on a google image search.

I did the brass buttons only as a nod to the U.S. myth (if it's a myth, I don't really know) the we call police "cops" take from "coppers" taken from the buttons on London police uniforms.

Can you share more detail about the arm bands. Were they a wartime thing? What did they look like? I may add them if they aren't too much trouble.

[Abbner Home]

Very nice!  Wouldn't mind hearing more about the project.

The project is to do in miniatures the RPG scenario that officially kicked off my Weird WWII campaign (using Savage Worlds rules). It was all inspired by famous picture of the bombed out Cathedral after the Nov 1940 raid on Coventry. In the RPG scenario the luftwaffe used wierd science to direct hyper-accurate bombs on the Cathedral with the intention of releasing an ancient zombie spirit. The players (all elite specialist in an SOE unit called "Alternate Threats Section" have to locate the spy and capture the zombie spirit even as it raises all the dead as zeds.

In the miniature game it will be factionalized. The police will be one faction, commandos another, LDV/Homeguard and civilians lead by the local priest the fourth. Each will have their own objectives and victory conditions. Zed will be run by the gm using a set of standard reactions. The zombies will be largely WG Factory. Hopefully they'll produce women and children soon.

For terrain I plan to use Pegasus Games plastic gothics as well as home made.

Foundry downed aircrew may be a wild card fifth faction.


With my being so far from home I'm doing painting and writing only. The terrain won't get done for two years. Unless I extend my assignment.

[Trooper]

Abbner my comments were not intended as criticisms I hope you understand. The duty bands were worn by all police officers up to Station Sergeant rank but only when "on duty". These were worn on the left sleeve just above the cuff, and were not very wide, about 2 inches. They were navy blue and white vertical stripes. Also as a side note, officers numbers and divisional letters were worn on the collar of the tunics. The Inspector and above rank insignia were worn on the tunic epaulettes. Hope this is of help.

[Abbner Home]

Trooper - I'm very thankful for the input. My research options are pretty limited right now.

[Mr.Dodo]

Really nice job. I can't think of a better way to pass the time when away from home!
 I agree with Trooper, for me the arm cuff bands really mark a British policeman as being in period, it's a nostalgic touch.
 I find the Pegasus buildings can be a bit too 40K wanna-be, though of course it's easier to remove details than to add them.
 I love the idea of the I.T.S - A British B.P.R.D! If you've acquired and painted the zeds, I don't fancy the team's chances of altogether stopping them from being raised!
 Please so let us know how it goes.

[Abbner Home]

Dodo - I generally agree re: Pegasus buildings. But in this case I need St. Michael's Catherdal and I need it heavily bomb damaged. From the pics I've seen of St. Michael's post the 14 Nov '40 raid I think the Pegasus stuff will get me close. The windows won't be perfect but they at least convey "cathedral." I won't use Pegasus for a block of flats or anything.

I'll see if I can pull off the on-duty bands. 2" wide is pretty narrow.

And yes, in the mini game (like the RPG before it) the zombie spirit is loose and raising zombies from turn one.