Saturday 24 July 2021

Donkey wallopers

After mustering up a huge amount of willpower I’ve finally completed a troop of cavalry that’ll work in an anti Martian and an anti Prussian framework. 

Setting both campaigns in 1885 means that these lancers are a little betwixt and between - uniform wise. Gone are the odd mortar board helmets and the fancy uniforms, (which’ll still appear on my Uhlans) but they have not yet reached the point at which the service adopts khaki.




In my alternate timeline this troop belong to the 23rd Lancers, formed from the remnants of the 9th, 12th and 17th Lancers, (destroyed en masse during the gallant but futile charge against tripods near Brentford). They wear white “overseas” pattern helmets in honour of the 12th who were rushed into action only days after disembarking from service in South Africa. 

Equipment shown includes the Martini Henry carbine, the ’83 pattern Baker Monroe breath preserver, cavalry sabre, lances and the lance affixed MKII “sticky bomb” (a highly adhesive shaped charge device intended to be thrust on to the legs of tripods). You’ll note that the mounts shown here have been fitted with the ’83a (equine) BM breath preserver that is only expected to be deployed should the troop encounter Martian black smoke. 

Given the skirmish nature of the games I shall be playing with this lot it made sense (to me at least) to have some Victorian civilians, who I can use as refugees, captives, or dinner for Martians. 


To my horror I’ve ended up naming some of them! I never thought that being a war gamer would see me painting a little girl holding a doll, but they’ve served as a nice distraction from the ongoing dark age rebasing.

Hope you like them.

TTFN.

17 comments:

  1. Those cavalry are great and love the gas masks on the horses as well as the 'lances':)

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    1. Well they’re certainly different Steve. I thought it was a made up thing until I did a bit of research and saw horses wearing them during WW1. Quite sad to see.

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  2. More great work and you are not the only one to get distracted by civilians...in my recent BordecReivers collection, I went down a rabbit hole of villagers and occupants for Pele Towers and Bastle Houses and ended up with all sorts of weird and wonderful figures....most of them female for some reason.....!

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    1. Hi there, border reivers are on my radar at the moment - they’d work great for skirmish games. I’m sure I’d have to move up to 28mm to do it, but there’s some lovely miniatures to be had for the period. I’m going to have a proper decko at your blog to see which ones you used. I’m torn at the mo between Elizabethan or legionnaires….decisions decisions!

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    2. Hi JBM - the main sources of my Reivers collection have been - Hokahey (ex Graven Images) Cpl Bills and The Assault Group - with a supporting cast of civilians from all the above plus Fenryl in France!

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  3. Yes, there is something quite arresting at seeing horses in gas masks. Excellent group of civilians with a decent variety of character.

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  4. More great stuff JBM, I mean, what's not to like with such a project? The freedom to paint strange sci fi machines alongside gas mask wearing horses and colourful civilians must be liberating. The 'Mole' is still going to take some beating though in terms of imagination in my book at least.

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    1. Hi Lee, it’s certainly made for more interesting painting sessions that’s for sure. Not sure I’ll feel so excited when I’m doing wall to wall Prussian blue though - which is next!

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  5. Are these lancers conversions or did your order buy them already masked up? (The sticks must be anti-social distance preservers I guess).

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  6. Yeah the Lancers are from Fighting 15’s and you can have them with or without the masks. Funny name for a company that seems to do mainly 18mm not 15mm but hey ho. Spot on about the pointy sticks - but I had to cut them down from their original 2m length - since they didn’t look right. Lol.

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  7. great stuff! Lancers trying to attach sticky bombs to Tripod legs as they galloped between them? I'd pay to see that..

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    1. Hi David, they’ve been doing a lot of practise so we’ll see how they get on. They’d stick just as well on the side of that hun tank as well. Pointy sticks….the first real manufactured weapon….and possibly the last.

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  8. Splendid stuff GBM…
    I do like the idea of sticky bomb lances… A health and safety nightmare no doubt…

    All the best. Aly

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    1. Thanks Aly, if they’re not too careful they’ll have someone’s eye out with those…lol.

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  9. Lovely looking lancers and useful fodder/civilians, cant see Tom Cruise though?
    Best Iain

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    1. Oh he’s in there Iain, he just hasn’t got his built up shoes on…lol.

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