My first tranche of Napoleonic Civilians

One of the problems with being a wargamer here in Cyprus is the availability of figures.   My last order didn't arrive, and I'm currently waiting on Warlord Games Hoplites that I'm only 50% certain will reach my Post Office Box.  To put it delicately packages have a propensity to go missing around the postal service here.

Finding myself needing some character and personality figures to fit into my Black Powder period games was always going to be difficult.   Front rank do great 18th century and Regency civilians.  Perry do some useful pieces too.  I went with the third option.

I have a lot of experience in customising 54mm figures for my 17th Century game.  Given that I have saved lots of odd arms heads weapons and assorted unused bits from various 28mm plastic sets I knew that I was already ahead of the game.

The Method

Turns out my usual method of sculpting milliput was useless.  I used a diced up wine bottle cork (a natural resource around here) to make the torsos.  Cocktail sticks were inserted and bent as both legs and any arms that wouldn't be from a plastic set.

The milliput formed a solid shell over this. core.  I gave up trying to sculpt detail into this.  The heat has turned it flaky.   Turning to Das gave better results.   Coats hoods and boots alll add to the look.  The pladtic gives me arms and faces.  

Some nice touches here too.  Turns out that a shako makes a good Regency top hat if shaved down and given a good rimming.  The rather chesty lady gets a pistol from a Dragoon set.

I already had a nice mule wrangler from a Warlord Games voucher, so I made five civilians in this first batch with him as the sixth.

Looking what can best be described as unique!

Appearing on some of my Campaign cards each of these has a brief scenario idea or plot complication for my game.  The figures from right to left:

Lady de Wiener: An infamous overblown poisoner, has seduced one of your Officers.   He insists on inviting her to dinner.  To refuse would be ungallant.   To accept would be to risk a day's delay on the latrines

Boris Beggar: A former soldier, now a hopeless drunk.  If paid he will reveal that the enemy have hidden stores in a nearby building, usually a tavern (dice for a random compass direction.).

Mother Steffi, of the Order of the Sisters of Easy Virtue (The Blue Nun) seeks a contribution.  A nearby church has been ransacked by the enemy.  She prays you will assist and offers a generous reward.  Be careful however, she is a large manlike gripper of a figure.

Baron von Klinkerhofen: The famous duelist has focused his beady eyes on one of your Officers.  He has probably been paid to insult and then kill your Officer in a duel.  Unfortunately it's too late, the challenge is issued, and it's time to dust off the dueling rules.  As the challenged party you may choose Pistols or swords

Fritz the woodcutter: Fritz is beside the road taken by the leading column.  If paid he claims to have seen the General's "Niece" cavorting with an enemy Officer at the nearest barn.  You send out a Detachment to arrest both of them, but especially the "niece." Fritz owns the barn.

Not pictured above:

Otto the mule guy: Otto approaches the column and produces a fine cognac from the panniers of one of his mules.  He informs the leading Officer of enemy scouts lurking in the nearest woods.

Still under construction:

Jacob Thinleggstein, Merchant of Vienna.
Seriously cheap prices, sir.  What are you after, a nice Porto wine?  A nice black sausage?  A friendly lady?  Jacob may be a spy but he has quality merchandise.  Dice for his information.  6 reveals the enemy, 1 leads you into an ambush.

These are my first 28mm figures.  When I painted them they proved a revelation... even my manly looking nun.   I celebrate the fact that they are unique.  They will certainly add to my games.

Planned figures for tranche 2 and 3

Uriah Hackenbush, he of the large moustache, cigar, wit and eyebrows.  Chico, Zeppo and Harpo his boys 

Army Deserter Chef Ronay Ramsei.

The Dowager Countess, Joan of Nennwieler

Caractacus Potts and his assistant Wernher von Braun

The Reverend Ian Paisley Stripe

Thomas W. Paine the Colonialist Rebublican

 J M W Turner

The Mayor

Alan Brek Stuart, "Ever Ready Brek" and his Highlanders... well probably some Perrys to raise a Highland Company to be honest.  That level of detail is too much of a stretch for Das modelling clay.