Some Late Roman/Byzantine Soldiers Plus Some New Dollar Store Items

 

These are some infantry, just toys from the Risk game “Godstorm!”

I have some other infantry, loosely based on the Hinchliffe figures and WRG book “Armies and Enemies of Rome”, that I posted here: http://dougssoldiers.blogspot.com/2015/10/some-photos-i-found.html

Here’s a wider shot:

The cavalry in front are Emhar rowing Vikings with plastic shield on Giant recast horses.

And another

I have a metal command figure I picked up on eBay. He might be a stand in for Justinian or Stilicho. As an aside, author Kieth Roberts book “ The Boat of Fate” has a vivid description of Stilicho. An excellent book on late Rome set in France, Spain and Britain. One of my favourite re reads.

Next up is a regiment of British Waterloo Hussars. These are some of those guys I picked up a while back from eBay. I did some touch ups to the chipping of old Humbrol paint and coated with a seal of wax. Nice figures but the original owner never painted up the trumpeters or kettle drummers.

Finally some new made in China dollar store toys.

New poses!

And they are close to 1/72 scale!

Unfortunately I had to get these on eBay and not my local store. I guess with shipping backlogs it will be some time before I see them here.

Anyway, here’s the eBay photos which show the poses in two colours and an idea of their size:

Here’s my own size comparisons:

Top row left, Airfix Paratrooper pretty close in scale, next pair is the  1/76 scale “Follow me” GI officer who is towered over by the new guy.  The last two pairs are Airfix Waterloo French and they aren’t too badly matched size wise.

Bottom row: a made in Hong Kong GI next to the new pose, quite a difference, and finally a couple of pairs of 1/76 scale Matchbox figures being dwarfed by the new guys.

Over all the new figures are crude, but the  poses are unique and for me, someone who cuts them up, drills them and slathers them with plasticine, I have to say I’m pleased. Some poses have wide spaced legs which might make mounting them on horseback that much easier.

Anyway, a curiosity perhaps, but one with some use.

More Plasticine Soldiers

 Here are some more plasticene conversions and some complete plasticene figures I’ve made.

First up is my attempt to have some of Marlborough’s Danish corps.

The infantry are made in China US GI’s in the “follow me” pose with toothpick guns. In support are two squadrons of dragoons.

As for the uniforms, I used an article in Military Modelling from the 90’s, but a perusal of Charles Grant’s book on the armies of the wars says the coats were all grey and only the pants and stockings were colourful. Oh well, Knotel says they were yellow. I’m completely lost on the flags, I know there should be two, but I’ve seen multiple designs, so I just made one up. Oh yes, I started on the green regiment as well.

The horse. A couple trumpeters, the yellow commander and the dragoons. Except for the commander, they are those Thai cowboys I found. Commander Yellow is an Esci Scots Grey.

Up next are a couple of Greeks. The mounted guy is Pausanias, formerly a Marx 7th cavalry trooper. Hopefully fighting Persians is more successful than the Indian confederation, but he did end up in a bad way too.

The wounded guy sitting on his shield is made entirely of plasticene and mounted on a poker chip.

These guys are made of plasticene and seated on plastic zoo camels. They are created from the Funcken drawings of Napoleon’s Egyptian adventure. 

I thought I’d make some British soldiers in boats for a Quebec game, but this is as far as I got. Plasticene men in a made in China boat. They still need a base and toothpick oars. And a flag.

And now a return to the desert, with my start of a Sassanid army. I put about a dozen infantry (WW2 Japanese officers with plasticene shields and headgear), on a base meant for 24 figures. I have pinched the idea from Pony Wars, the old rule set Peter Guilder adopted for his Sudan games. A handful of men can represent a horde.

The clibinari are Lucky Toys Revolutionary War horsemen with plasticene cloaks and hole punch shields. I just painted the face metal for armour.

The light cavalry are plains Indians with some new hats.

The elephants were a real find. Hinchliffe miniatures.  I got them on eBay. All I had to do was put them back together and touch up the paints.

Hopefully these guys and their friends will square off against Bellisaurius in front of Daras one day soon. I didn’t post the Byzantines as I can’t find them. I use all kinds of boxes and only recently have I begun to sort them out in eras. The Thirty Years War/ECW/Rocroi armies are in my bedroom, the ACW is in the hall and WW2 are stacked precariously at the top of the stairs. And the Napoleonics are under foot. I wouldn’t have it any other way.  

I was asked in the questions below which plasticene brand I was using.

Currently I use Plastalina by Craft Smart. It’s $5, very reasonable.

 https://canada.michaels.com/en/craftsmart-plastalina-modeling-clay-4-earth-colors/10062645.html

Some Oddments I’ve Been Working On

 I’ve taken a bit of a break now that the lock down is over (for now…) by getting out and walking and listening to podcasts.

So here’s some items I’ve had on the go for a while now…

Polish Napoleonic lancers from the Grand Duchy of Warsaw, and a couple of fanciful horse guns. Giant toys with Esci riders. The lancers are Esci lancers on Thai Giant copies with plasticine shebraques.

Austrian foot artillery and an ammunition wagon. Odd looking  perhaps but I based it on a Minifigs model I saw in a French wargame magazine, “Uniformes”.

A selection of stuff. Heading is a group of Mexican militia. Suitable for Cinco De Mayo or even the Mexican Civil War. Converted Indians from the Lucky toys Revolutionary War Set.

Next is a toy coach I dolled up to be a European coach, suitable for a highway man or woman (Mary Ferrers) or for Marlborough to offer to Clerembault.

In the centre  is a Hinchliffe 25mm Marshal Murat from their Personalities range. I always had a weak spot for Hinchliffe. The other weak spot was in my wallet which couldn’t afford them way back when.

The coach again making a hasty exit stage right.

Finally a mix of 25 mm figures. I often buy mixed lots of figures and this is a result. Several Spanish generals painted up rather fancifully, one was horseless so he got a plasticine saddle and a Thai Giant horse. The Royal Foot Artillery guys are manning a gun from Eagle Games.

In the back are a couple of Minifig ADC’s painted up as fanciful dudes, maybe Spanish?

And the rest are Prince August Waterloo figures. I love finding these in eBay purchases as their lack of detail and over all smoothness make them true toy soldiers that look great in bright colours and gloss.

Well, that’s it for now.

I’m still working on Edgehill. Hope to have it up soon.