Sikh Wars - Follow up

 Thanks for the kind comments regarding my last post.

I tested positive for covid on Sunday but between sweats, sniffs, coughs and splutters I have managed to do a little bit of painting and basing.

First up were some old glory Sikh's. Not as nice as the Foundry figures, nor the Studio miniatures range, but the same height as the former and so able to fit in and flesh out my my army. I painted these almost exclusively with citadel contrast paints, (trousers and metalwork were normal acrylics). I think they've come out pretty nicely. 

OG Sikhs, with Foundry Officer

I also managed to do some baggage camels. These are Empress Miniatures and very nice indeed. They too were given the contrast paint treatment - aggaros dunes as the base, with iraqi sand from Vallejo to lighten them up. Baggage was a mix of contrasts and acrylics. This give me 8 elements of baggage in total for my NWF/Indian armies. I think I will add a buffalo cart and bheesties which will make it a fair size and appropriate for the location - trains were often as large or larger than the armies they accompanied and in several cases were not large enough even then to provide the food and fodder required. For this reason they are an essential feature of armies in these areas. 

Whist raking around for more bits to add, I came across a signed copy of Donald Featherstone's book - The First Sikh War - on evil bay, so that got snapped up. He responsible for me taking up wargaming as his book "Wargames" was in my local library as a kid. I've never looked back.  It's nice to have this connection.

I have started to paint some of the Empress/Iron Duke sepoys. This will give me a further unit in shakos and also a unit of deserters....or mutineers. Sepoy uniform didn't change at all from the 30's to the Mutiny and that means I have a ready made army to start cover the first outbreaks and battles around Delhi. For the British units in shell jacket and cap from Sikh war ranges are fine, but even that semi formal uniform quickly gave way to improvised affairs. The Mutiny seems another period crying out to be gamed using TMWWBK - so I will!

Size Comparison - LtoR - Perry Afghan, OG Sikh, Empress Sepoy, Foundry Sikh, Empress Nz War 

(Although the foundry figure is smallest, his base is very thin and with a shim underneath there is next to no difference between OG, Foundry and Empress) 

Russian Artillery Crew, Grenadiers and Cossacks

It's been a busy month! However I have some goodies which have all arrived within a few days of each other. A sizeable portion of my Russian SYW army is now resident on my pairing desk. A unit of infantry should be completed today and a further unit lies waiting. My Grenadiers arrived - Wargames Foundry bought off eBay and my Cossacks eventually showed up from The Assault Group. Only a month late - Gregorian Calendar perhaps!. Finally a box arrived from the States with 4 unicorns and some Crew - my guns from Fife and Drum. (Thanks Jim!!)

A few different manufacturers there - but a bit of variety didn't hurt anyone did it? 

Let's see.... 

Fife and Drum Russian Artillery 

Lovely sculpting, clean castings and nice simple poses. I like these a lot. 

Compared to the Ingo Artillery -

They're smaller but better sculpted and the poses are similar for these chappies, but not the rest of the  Ingo crew who suffer from odd arm and hand positions - if caught them swinging the sponge and porte fire around like in an action that I'd give them a thick ear! 

I'm tempted just to use the F&D figs as I have some labourers who can lend a hand with the spare tool which come in the pack.

The guns are 12llb Unicorns - lovely solid castings and I like the open box of roundshot. Nice touch.

Next up the Grenadiers. 

I'd describe these as a little well fed and rounded, but plenty fierce character. Height ways they are pretty close to Ingo's Infantry. Sadly I wasn't a fan of the Ingo's Grenadier figures. Some of them are in coats and I wanted the unit in summer uniform and again the poses are a little limited.

Finally the Cossacks.

Nice figures, smallish perhaps but well posed and animated. The horses.....hmm. Not so pleased with these. I might hunt around and see what I can come up with from my spares box.  Overall though they are nice and will make an interesting bunch of baggage botherers for my games.   They'll be mounted on my round skirmish base as individual figures so I can use them