Some Colonial conversions

Some Colonial conversion.

Building the Queens Own Loyal North Lancashire Fusiliers, a fictional Colonial era Regiment started me on a kit bashing journey.  I like the fact that the Perry Afghan War plastics are more slender in proportion than some other figures available, and I noticed that it would be possible to swap some heads around to deliver different units to my tabletop.

The source material

Main sprue with five figures.

Warlord Games version with four figures.  More chunky but two are usefully kneeling.

The Perry main sprue carries turbans to convert the figures into Indian Army troops, as well as loads of different pith helmet options.  I went for the straight up Afghan War versions for mine.

Following that I went off piste!

I don't want to break the copyright of Osprey publishing and show my evidence, but essentially for me the webbing on these Perry's figures is more or less the same as that on the WW1 Ottoman Turk illustrations.  Given that there was a huge variation in uniforms anyway I felt justified in getting some Gripping Beast Enver Pasha helmet heads and giving it a go.  Bingo, just the look.  My Copplestone metal Ottomans differ, but uniform supplies for my platoon must have been pretty ad hoc because they look OK to me.

Most of my Ottoman platoon, still in the paint queue.

The figure on the left is my conversion, the right hand figure is a Copplestone castings miniature.  I like them both but I think the slimmer figure is my preference.

Rear view.  I have illustrations of Ottoman troops wearing very similar webbing.  I like the long thin bayonet too.

On to the Egyptians circa 1884 for the Sudan.  Very expensive to source in 28mm.  I would have preferred full length trousers but will work with the puttees. Some illustrations show bloused trousers with gaiters.  I'll go with it.  

The bigger headed figure on the right has a Gripping beast bonce.  The other has a head from the Mahdist sprue with a taller fez.

Better picture.  Once I get the shader on them my terrible close up painting will not be so obvious.  I'm planning 40 of these guys to take on my Mahdists in a Sharpe Practice campaign.  Just need to collect some rude names for my officers.  

The webbing is shown as very dark or even black, I've gone with army painter hardened leather.

A couple of boxes of these Perry's set me back £40, but on the plus side they have delivered me three different forces at a fraction of the price from buying the metals.  Just got to paint them now!