From BenF: Back to the Peninsular (65 Points)

After a few weeks of holidays which have enabled me to get some productive painting time in, it was back to work for me this past week. I've taken on an additional role teaching a senior Ancient History class this year, and I'm also running a course on the American and French Revolutions for an elective history class. For the last week and a half, that is what's been taking up a lot of my hobby time - and what little I have had has usually fallen on scorching hot days with temps up around the 40 degree C mark!.

Regardless, I've managed to get this batch done. I'm finding that the challenge is fantastic at making sure that I do get my wind-down hobby time in, and also that I keep moving forward with my projects. With work going back I've adjusted my expectations, and will try to get something completed every fortnight rather than every week.

Just before work went back, I got in a few games of Sharp Practice 2, which I enjoyed thoroughly. Playing these games I realised that there were a few bits and pieces which I needed for my Peninsular War French and British, so I decided to crack on with these before getting too deeply involved in my AWI project. In addition to this lot, I'll be painting up a group of the new Perry Dragoons, a group of Brigade Portuguese Caçadores, and the amazingly characterful Brigade Sharpe, Harper, and chosen men set.

Over the last fortnight or so I've managed to get this lot painted up.

First up, a couple of civilians - a 'Physic' with his doctors bag, and a figure haranguing his audience who I plan on using in lieu of a holy man for my more secular French forces. Both of these are from Brigade Games' excellent Napoleon in Egypt range.

Next up, two deployment points for my British troops. The first has two squaddies letting the French know what they think of them. These are minor conversions, as the original figs had the Belgic shako. I removed these and replaced them with stovepipe shakos from the Perry plastic set.

This next one is rather grisly (sensitive readers look away now). I've had these figures for years, and can't remember who the manufacturer was. The plight of the wounded and the work of the surgeons and medical forces is an overlooked part of the Napoleonic era, but one that all troops would have been extremely aware of. I think that this little diorama is a bit of a reminder of the historical reality of combat in the period. The colour schemes are inspired by this fascinating mini documentary on battlefield triage during the Napoleonic period. I think there is a case to be made that the invention of general anaesthetic should be considered to be one of the great leaps forward for our species.
As the figures were originally meant to represent French surgeons, I added a pile of the wounded man's discarded shako, pack, musket, and water bottle, all from the Perry plastic British set. I also added in some bloodied bandages, made from tea bags.

Finally, here is a group of French voltigeur skirmishers and their officer from the 10e Regiment Légère, one of the specialist light infantry regiments. These are Front Rank figures, and while they do look a little better fed than the Perry offerings, I think that they look great and mix in fine. Besides, they are the one of the only figure manufacturers who make légère infantry in pre-1812 uniforms. The Light infantry uniform was distinctive, with the short tasseled boots, cut down lapels and a shorter tail to the tunic.

This lot should push me ever closer to my goal, not that that will slow my painting!

Next on the painting table are the 95th Rifles, which will be Sharpe, Harper, and a mix of Perry Rifles and Brigade chosen men.


Alan and Paul: Some fantastic figures here for a game system we are just starting to explore also.  Love their crisp, colourful appearance - though that surgeon base shows the more grizzly side of what a shock points and casualties actually mean... Love the fact that he is strapped down and has a leather bite in place too. Ouch!

13 x 28mm figures nets you 65 well earned points for this submission!