These four companies are made from the old 1965 US cavalry and the Atlantic 1975 7th cavalry. Frankly what came next from Strelets, Lucky Toys and Waterloo 1815 didn´t improve that much what was available for the Plains Wars and so I used these oldies but goldies.
D company is made of Airfix with two models at both ends from Italeri and Revell. The Airfix figures got slouch hats and had their scabbards and swords removed. I kept the ammunition bandolier around the torso (a way to carry ammo that only was used decades later) as a compromise. I also like to think that as there were several types of ammo belts in the US cavalry around 1876 some troopers might have used it in Mexican style. D company had bay and black horses.
The "Grey company" (E company ) is two stands Atlantic and one stand Airfix. Both brands got hats instead of the original kepis on top of the heads and they were simply glued, not pinned. This way the nice Atlantic faces are still there and the slightly bigger hats from Revell and Airfix makes them bond quite well with the Airfix models.
Once again all troopers, buglers and officers got a plastic carbine hanging from the rear. .
All horses had the four legs firmly attached to the base with the help of eletric glue and superglue.
It keeps getting better and better. I am really enjoying these updates and look forward to each one as they come. I love the hat conversions !
ReplyDeleteThanks John. The hat conversions are in fact what makes these figures different.
DeleteSuperb as always, I bought a pack of arms off Tumbling Dice (from the UK) which gave a selection of arms with rifles, pistols, sabres and lances allowing arms swaps on other brands.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info. I´ll see Tumbling Dice.
DeleteJohn put it really well; each post is marvellous and a joy to behold!
ReplyDeleteRegards, James
Thanks James. Next is the river and some more troopers.
DeleteLovely to see the old Airfix set put to such great use, they all look wonderful. I have passed the link onto my customer Mark Lodge who has commissioned me to paint his Little Big Horn project of over 800 metal figures!
ReplyDeleteBelow are the sculpts of the cavalry, made especially for the project by Andrew Stadden.
Lee.
https://napoleonictherapy.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-us-7th-cavalry-have-arrived-new.html
Great models. Just a few swords scabbards to cut out :)
DeleteI know that your knowledge and research of the campaign far outweighs my own, did the troopers not carry sabres at this time? I had not even considered the matter. My customer had requested a pretty 'Hollywood Western' look for the painting, off white hats for example that should be black in reality and faded blues are far as possible. His concept was based upon an old school collection painted in the 1970's by Peter Gilder. and very well known here, more a generic 'Pony Wars' collection. https://www.wargameshc.co.uk/the-pony-wars-collection/
DeleteLee.
Hi Lee. Apparently the sabres of the 7th cavalry were left at headquarters, fort Abraham Lincoln before LBH ( a scene you can see at "son of the morning star). I also read somewhere that some oficers might (just might) have taken them into the field, but definetly not the troopers. But for other pony wars your figures are great. Also, if you want to take the scabbards out is easy as your figures are perfect for that.
DeleteHello Joao, thank you for the information on the sabres, I had not known that they were not carried during the battle. At least all of the figures are depicted with carbines or pistols! Having already painted 100 ( 5 Troops) of the mounted cavalry and only the Grey Horse Troop left to go I can only ignore the sabres now :)
DeleteYour table looks great as a representation of LBH, my customer Mark has walked the battlefield and attended the Rangers presentation of the event and is also in the course of building the battlefield for his planned refight.
Once again thank you sharing your knowledge of the campaign.
Lee.
Thanks Lee. In fact I need higher ground for the eastern part of the battlefield (from Custer last stand to Reno/Benteen's defence). Maybe one extra layer of bluefoam under the existing hills. In order not to create specific high ground for LBH I´ll try to match the LBH high ground to my Omaha beach scenario as at Omaha there were also exits from the beach that more or less match the coulees of LBH. Don´t worry about the sabres as Mark will be able to use the figures in other scenarios of the Plains Wars.
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