Latest Woebetides models

I'm still pushing on with figures for a future Woebetides Sharp Practice collection.  The latest are these European infantry (seen here before I painted the bases).

Not a great photo but these are Warlord (ex-Wargames Factory) 28mm plastics.

I've painted them as the Irish Regiment de Clare, following one of the uniforms shown in the painting guide in the Infantry of the Sun King box.  The advantage of this approach is that I can use them as British troops if I need to because everyone else has decided to build Frenchies. Eight down, thirty two left to paint!

Next I'm working on the Foundry smugglers pack. I picked that up at Vapnartak and it contains four smugglers and three lots of "trade goods".  Pictures to follow soon.

My next game design activity is going to be thinking about how I can include non-military player characters in a Sharp Practice game. I have an increasingly comprehensive collection of civilian types, many of whom should have their own objectives in the campaign.  

The Ansar to Woebetides Arabs?

When I first started planning the new Woebetides campaign my thought was that the Gripping Beast plastic Arab infantry would, with a little conversion, be usable as coastal Arabs and or Company Sepoys.  However, Jamie's had a look at them and his view is that they wouldn't work well as they are all designed to hold shields in their left hands and would look odd without them.

So when I was in Wargames Emporium at lunchtime on Friday, my eye was drawn to the Perry Miniatures Mahdist Ansar.

Fortunately I was able to have a look at the contents and I think they should be eminently usable.  Contrary to what you'd think looking at the box art, the sprues do contain non-Beja heads and I think I can add a few muskets from the Warlord American militia sprues donated by Geoff Taylor.

The unlooked for bonus was that there was a sale on so the price was reduced from £20.00 to £16.44 - some kind of English Civil War reference?

So 40 figures will give me three units of 10 militia, one of six skirmishers and a few leaders maybe?  Not straight away though; I've two boxes of Warlord European infantry to work my way through first!

Woebetides Figures progress

I had a bit of a photography session of Saturday so I could let you see where I'm up to with painting figures the the 18th century Woebetides campaign (which I'm now convinced will use Sharp Practice, not Muskets and Tomahawks).

First up is this unit of Woebetideus tribesmen.

As you can see they are made from Warlord Games Zulus and Natal Native Contingent.  Actually, these guys all came from the front cover of Wargames Illustrated and were mostly provided by very kind friends.  Since then I've bought a box of Zulus and more Woebetideus will follow.

Next we have a Woebetideus leader.

This guy (he doesn't have a name yet) is a simple conversion of from the Warlord models. His right hand with flintlock pistol and his tricorn hat are from the Wargames Factory (now Warlord) War of the Spanish Succession cavalry box that I picked up cheap at Posh Lard.

I also like to have wounded leader figures.  If a Woebetideus leader takes a knocked-out-until-the-end-of-the-Chapter wound, I'll replace him with this...

This is a Zulu casualty from Foundry I think.  He was left over from a bunch of figures I bought to use as Praxian casualties in Glorantha.

I think these chaps are also from Warlord but from the American War of Independence plastics range.  They were very kindly donated by Geoff Taylor.

I ruled out the chaps in hunting shirts as too obviously American.  I've lengthened the waistcoats on a couple of them to give a more early-eighteenth-century look.  They will serve in the Woebetides as European civilians serving as skirmishers in defence of their factory.

So far I've spent a large proportion of my time adding less warlike civilians to my Woebetides collection.

That's two Warlord Pike and Shotte range civilians and an ancient Citadel miniature!

These kids with wooden swords also came from a Warlord pack I picked up cheap at Claymore.

I do like the drunkard at the rear.  Not sure what role he'll play in the campaign!

Next we have a group of revolting slaves from Trent Miniatures.  Lovely figures that I painted in a couple of weeks recently.  They will probably serve as native auxiliaries in one of the European forces.

And finally we have a deployment point, perhaps for a Pirate force.

Jim the cabin boy here was yet another find in the bag of assorted white metal I picked up at Gauntlet a few years ago.  The barrel, stool and the book on the floor came from my box of assorted-stuff-that'll-come-in-useful-one-day.

As you can see I haven't flocked the bases or added tufts yet.  I'll do that in a big batch before these guys first see action.