Haitian revolution project (fort pics added 30Dec)

[Aaron]

I don't think they have a Yahoo group. If you email Rob at Eureka USA he can add you to the mailing list I bet.

[Schogun]

Google Fu found that Reiver makes 1792 British:

BFRW1  Line infantry, bicorne with rosette & plume
BFRW2  Grenadiers with fur cap
BFRW3  Line infantry command, bicorne with rosette & plume
BFRW4  Light infantry, top hat with comb
BFRW5  Line infantry, bicorne with rosette

http://reivercasting.wordpress.com/french-revolutionary-wars-1789-1799/british-army-1792/

Reiver is sold through Under the Bed Enterprises:
http://www.underbed.co.uk/

10 figs to a pack £ 10.00 per pack.

[cdr]

There is nice article (in French tough) on the Republic of Haiti uniforms (1804-1810) by René Chartrand in 'Soldats Napoleoniens' april 2011. (eg blue and red flag, blue and black flag)

Carl

[Schogun]

Thanks to Oxiana, btw. I liked his Haitian leader conversion, so I went to the Artizan site to look at the pirates. Turns out I had already purchased that pack and another pirate pack. But...I realized suddenly that, having soooo many pirates, I had thrown both packs into my box to sell at convention flea markets AND I knew one of the packs had been sold already.

So which pack was still there?

<Drum roll for drama>

The one with the fig I needed!

Whew. The gaming gods were kind.

[oxiana]

Thanks to Oxiana, btw. I liked his Haitian leader conversion, so I went to the Artizan site to look at the pirates. Turns out I had already purchased that pack and another pirate pack. But...I realized suddenly that, having soooo many pirates, I had thrown both packs into my box to sell at convention flea markets AND I knew one of the packs had been sold already.

So which pack was still there?

<Drum roll for drama>

The one with the fig I needed!

Whew. The gaming gods were kind.

Ah – the universe provides. Good find on the Reiver Brits too. 

Fresh off the paint table, my first Trent minis:




A couple of minor green-stuff additions to the two top hats – a revolutionary red for unit coherence.

And two boys/camp followers, from Redoubt and Foundry respectively:




The Redoubt mini had his shirt and waistcoat lengthened with green-stuff, and another bit of revolutionary red tied to his arm. The Foundry boy was a kind donation from Overlord – thanks.

A converted Vodou priest is also finished, but I'm still working on the altar. It's coming soon though!

[WillieB]

Lovely paint job !
And thanks to your picture I found another armed slave to look out for! That's # 12.

[Malamute]

I like 'em alot

[Schogun]

Oxiana - What figures are you using for your French and British?

Thanks

[Aaron]

Be careful with the Riever stuff. I've not seen the 1792 Brits in person, but the figures in the Wars of Religion range (IIRC) were very large for 25/28s. I want to say they were more 32-ish.

[oxiana]

Oxiana - What figures are you using for your French and British?

Thanks

I hadn't really thought about that too much just yet. For the French I'll initially have a look at Trent's Revolutionary French (they're 'scruffy' ligne look fun to mix up in an army already ravaged by yellow fever). Also the Eureka revolutionary French The Brits I really hadn't given much thought to at all: let me get two forces together before I think of the third. Trent again for the local chasseurs of course, and then some generic line of foot, and it would be nice to get a set of Foundry marine landing party – not sure if they're 100% accurate for the date, but they're lovely figures!

Be careful with the Riever stuff. I've not seen the 1792 Brits in person, but the figures in the Wars of Religion range (IIRC) were very large for 25/28s. I want to say they were more 32-ish.

Thanks for this. The Trent are certainly on the larger side of 28: I have some Perry minis that look quite slight next to them.
Maybe I should do a size comparison photo.

[oxiana]

Finally, my Vodou priest and altar are finished!

The first great act of the Haitian Revolution was the 'Night of Fire', a Vodou ceremony in August 1791 where slaves pledged themselves to revolt, as seen in this famous painting by Haitian painter André Normil:



I really wanted to steer away from the Hollywood version of a Voodoo priest, so to make a 'proper' houngan I had to get out the green stuff once again.






The sword he was holding in his left hand was removed and replaced with a small axe. For his right hand I made an asson, the ceremonial rattle that tells apart the priest from other initiates. Also added are the feather on his hat, the red neckerchief and the knapsack, or makout. The makout hold all sorts of religious totems and potential magics. There's a bogeyman figure in Haitian folkore called Uncle Makout, who steals bad children and puts them in his knapsack. The Creole name is Tonton Makout, which is where Papa Doc's militia got their name from...

Anyway, onto the altar:





The rock is just a stone from the garden based on a 60mm washer. Sundry items were in my bits box: a drum to beat out the rhythm during ceremonies, a barrel of rum and bowl for offerings, candles, a skull... The rock is painted with veve, symbols of the various Vodou spirits. The large one on the left in the first picture is for Ogue, a spirit often associated with fighting.

Of course, an integral part of any Vodou ceremony is some sort of sacrifice. In which case we need some of the following:



And putting them all together...



These were a lot of fun to do. As a simple objective marker, all sorts of scenarios spring to mind. A big thanks to Overlord and The Dozing Dragon for providing sundry sacrificial items – cheers.

[Captain Blood]

Brilliant! 

[Malamute]

Loving it, the Alter looks excellent along with the livestock

[Schogun]

A fine job! Something for the rest of us to aspire to.

[Belgian]

Excellent painting and conversions!