From PeterA: Benito's Brook and Hailing Sarah's Balloon (65 points)

This entry is for next step on The Path of History - Benito's Brook. It has been a few weeks since my last post - clearly navigating the treacherous terrain of Challenge Island is no joke!

The theme for Benito's Brook is a brave feat of arms, almost hopeless against impossible odds. Now military history is littered with examples of such stories, but I did not need to look very far for my inspiration for this particular stop on the Safari. I have long admired a certain Mr C Campbell's 1812 Retreat From Moscow figures from the excellent range by Perry Miniatures, and given that we are currently in the midst of winter, this seemed a perfect match for the theme of Benito's Brook. What could be braver than fighting off both the Russian winter and the Wolves from the East as the tattered remnants of the Grande Armee make their way west; given that perhaps fewer than 25,000 soldiers crossed the Berezina River out of an an army of over half a million, the odds of making it out of Russia alive were pretty grim.

These 6 figures are skirmishing cavalry figures, forced to fight on foot since the demise of their mounts. The figures themselves are a joy to paint and really evoke the image of a tattered and dishevelled army, any semblance of uniformity gone as they desperately try to protect themselves from the deadly Russian weather.

I have shamelessly pilfered Curt's ideas for snow clinging to the boots and clothes of the troops, as well as his way of representing the build up of frost on the scarves and beards of the men. I am hoping to build up two small forces for games of Sharp Practice 2 by TooFatLardies (there are a couple of great scenarios in the 2019 Lard Annual for wargaming the retreat if you are looking for further inspiration).

Finally, I wish to summon Sarah's Balloon and charter a flight to Reidy's Reef - time for the Safari to take on a nautical theme! To pay for my ticket I present a Spectre Miniatures Task Force Operator. The figure has had her original head replaced with one from Statuesque Miniatures, as I wanted a bare-headed figure to fit in with my other Tier 1 Operators from Spectre. This is a very simple, cleanly cast figure. A notable feature of Spectre figures is that their weapons are scaled accurately and so are very fine. Whilst very realistic, one does worry about their robustness! Mind you, I haven't had any breakages...yet.

So, 7x 28mm figures = 35 points. Plus 2x entry fees = 60 points, making a grand total of 95 points I think. Right, time to crack open the in-flight bubbly!
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By Paul:

There certainly is no greater tale of misery and desperation that the French retreat from Moscow, and these figs look great! In an appropriately miserable an desperate way of course...  The operative looks great too, but I do know what you mean about realistic proportions vs resilience!

Points wise that is 35 for the figs and 30 for Benito's Brook map location. The Balloon doesn't net you points but it will take you where you want to go - enjoy the ride!