Friday 25 May 2018

Scottish Torture!

Back in October 2014 I completed the Highland Brigade for the Crimean War armies. After painting 54 kilted figures I swore never again

So why did I decide to model Moore's Brigade for the Egyptian campaign when it contained the 42nd (Black Watch) Regiment? I blame a sudden rush of blood to the head. What makes these highlanders even more of a pain for me is that they are not wearing the sporran so the actual area on which the tartan is to be paint is about double the area as in the Crimean figures.



Nonetheless they came with the last batch of figures and they are done...perhaps not as well as I would like, but as a unit they look OK. I have long ago lost the ability (and patience) required to paint the fine detail required for kilts, sock tops and bonnet bands. 


The completion of this unit accounts for headwear variant number 14 in this army.

Also completed with these are some pieces I have had sitting in the cupboard waiting for a few additional figures to come:

The 12th Light Dragoons, mounted...



...and dismounted.




And the 8th Light Dragoons with their distinctive grey coats and flowing horsehair helmets...headwear variant 15...





17 comments:

  1. Superb, once again, basing and painting!

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  2. Lovely highlanders ,great dragoons, I particularly like the dismounted ones.
    Best Iain

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    1. Thank you Iain. I agree the dismounted dragoons are nice, the command group for this group features an office in miriton and a trumpeter cocking a pistol.

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  3. e job on these guys Mark - don't be too hard on yourself - the Black Watch are as well painted as 80% of gamers could manage! At least they only have the Government sett tartan and you don't have to add anything - the 79th have Cameron of Erracht - now that really IS a bstrd to paint!

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    1. I can remember doing a Jacobite army about 25 years ago - still have a few - and I had no problem with the tartans. But degrading eyesight and diminished patience have taken their toll!

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  4. PS I will get to see all these guys in the flesh at the game tomorrow!

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    1. You will...and hopefull the 90th (Perthshire Volunteers) Foot as well...if I can get the last nine figures finished and based tonight!

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  5. Oh yes - a very famous unit - wearing Tarleton helmets on foot. I have Front Rank Brits converted to represent this regiment by Mr Stewart about 20 years ago - he replaced heads with those of Light Dragoons for me. The founder of the regiment was infuriated with the revolutionary French authorities when they insisted on opening the coffin of his wife, who had died in France and whose body was being repatriated to the UK!

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    1. Just put the coat of varnish on the last figure. They will be based this evening and on the table tomorrow.

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  6. Prolific in both style and productivity, Mark! Adding into this mix a Highland regiment is even more impressive. I really enjoy seeing your Highlanders and dismounted dragoons. I ought to add a Highland regiment into my 28mm Peninsular War British but have not mustered the stomach for it yet.

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    1. Thank you Jonathan. Did think about using the Victrix or Warlord figures so that I could use the Little Big Man Studio transfers, but wanted to retain the consistency of manufacurer. The collection will get a outing today.

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    2. I very much look forward to that!

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  7. Lovely work on these. Painting kilts along with the dicing has to be one of the most frustrating things one can attempt in the hobby, but no British army would be complete without at least a battalion of highlanders.

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    1. My dice have rolled well this year, but I agree that every British army needs some highlanders.

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