From PhilH: Way out west, writing the book on it (80 Points)

Western Studio

With an America-based project anchored in the mid 18th Century, when heading out west to settle and make one's fortune was more like 'west of the Appalachians'. These formidable mountains, stretching from Georgia to modern day Maine were a natural barrier between the British possessions along the coast. French claims to lands west of the Appalachians, and occupation of the 'forks of the Ohio' at Fort Duquesne in 1754 led to the French & Indian war.

Of course frontier lands held many perils to those scratching out a living there. So for the 'Western' studio, we have some poor souls whose living scratched out on the frontier came to a very unfortunate end. 

They are Sash & Saber 'civilian casualties' set. S&S aren’t as finely sculpted as the Brigade FIW range that form most of my collection, but they have a number of useful vignettes like this. 

Books Studio 

Sticking with the FIW project, the British Crown’s colonies need some specialised troops to defend the frontiers and take the fight to the dastardly French. Here is a group trained by the man himself, Robert Roger's infamous Rangers: yep, the man who wrote the book on frontier warfare: the 28 Rules of Ranging.

The rules were the result of Rogers' blend of Native American tactics and his own innovative combat techniques, ideas that were considered revolutionary by military standards of the time. Combined with intensive training and live fire exercises, these rules created a mobile, well trained force that was capable of living off the land around it in order to sustain itself for long periods of time.

These are 28mm Paul Hicks sculpts from Brigade Games range and form one Sharp Practice group and a leader on the larger base. The chap in the smock was painted before the Challenge.

Four prone miniatures on the vignette is 10 plus the Western studio is 30. 

Six Rangers for 30 plus the Books studio makes 50.

Totalling 80 Points and getting my fourth mark from the the blue security zone. And not quite done :-)

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A very sobering, but well-realised vignette, matched with a terrific squad of Rangers (Paul Hicks' stuff is so nice to work with). Wonderful brushwork, Phil. I look forward to your final gambit. :) 

- Curt