Drawing Room Detectives

And the last of my special figures have been completed -- the Drawing Room Detectives [set PMH-01] from Pulp Figures.  Besides the four famous detectives, the set included three "clues" (or plot points).

The four detectives and the three "clues" (or plot points)

I think I've identified three of the four detectives -- (from the right) Charlie Chan, Miss Marple, and Hercule Poirot.  But I'm not sure who the one of the far left is.  Any help is appreciated.

The three "clues" (plot points) are a stack of ancient tomes with a skull on top, a painted bust of Napoleon I, and the Maltese falcon ("... the stuff that dreams are made of ... .").

Now I'm back to painting "run of the mill" Colonial troops -- Indian army, Russian colonial troops, Thugees, and Pashtuns.

Kashgar and Trans-Siberian Renegades and Disheveled Detectives

 

The pulp ladies have been joined by two groups of renegades and a couple of disheveled detectives as I continue my June painting blitz.  Please click on pictures for a larger image.

First up are the "Renegades of Kashgar" from Bob Murch's Pulp Figures [set PHP-27].  

Surrounded by battling Warlords and cut off from escape, our party takes to the mountains in a desperate journey where only the brave can survive!

From left - Bren gunner, sniper, team leader and his wife, and second in command.

Pursuing them are "Count Casamir's" Trans-Siberian Renegades, also by Bob Murch [set PHP-17]

From left - Misha, the faithful bodyguard; daughter Yolanda, a fine fencer; Count Casamir and his wife the Countess (with her trained 'attack' falcon); and Blotsky, his chief of the Secret Police.

And a couple of disheveled and probably disreputable British detectives (from Northstar's Giants in Miniature line.  These two figures are out of production now.

The Disheveled Detective and his sidekick Dr. Hamish

They will soon be joined by Bob Murch's "Drawing Room Detectives" as the final group of special figures upon which I am working.  Then its back to the Indian Army, Russian colonial troops, some Thugees, and a large batch Pashtun tribesmen.

More "Dangerous Dames"

 

In June, I've been continuing my painting of Bob Murch's Pulp Figures females.  Three other groups of "Dangerous Dames" have joined the collection.  Their names, when given, are my own creation as Bob hasn't named these ladies.  Please click on each image for a larger picture.

The Rugged Adventuresses [set PHP-20]

"Rugged gals on heroic quests for action and fortune!"
From left, a "two-pistol" packing gal, another pilot, "Big Mama" with her Lewis gun, a whip-wielding Oriental lass, and a Germanic gal.

Daughters of the Empire [set PHP-22]

"The sun never sets on these fierce ladies of adventure!"
From left, Miss Leslie Campbell, Shotgun Mama, the Rani of Kashgar, Miss Primrose, and sure-shot Jamie. 

Lady Rathbone's Raiders [set PHP-26]

"An A-Team of specialist adventuresses, roaming the world in quest of wrongs to right!"
From left, lady with a machete, katana lady, Lady Siobhan Campbell of Rathbone, machinepistol-packing mama, and a rifle armed lady.

Future painting will see them joined by the "Renegades of Kashgar" and "Count Casamir's Trans-Siberian Renegades" from Pulp Figures as well as the "Disheveled Detective" and "Dr. Hamish" from Northstar's Giants in Miniature.

Dangerous Dames

My last figures painted in May were five "Dangerous Dames" from Bob Murch's Pulp Figures "Heroes and Personalities" range.  This figure set is currently being resculpted so you won't see them on Bob's site right now.  Please click on image for a larger picture.

From left, they are co-pilot Molly O'Malley, pilot Jenny Curtis, Jin Long - the Dragon Lady, markswoman Lady Jane Grey, and Mrs. Hobbs

I plan on using these figures, and others in the painting queue, for Bob's "Rugged Adventures" rules.

Stay tuned for more!

Pulpy Rugged Adventure Figures

While I was working on my 15mm Medieval rebasing project (see previous post), I was also painting a batch  of Bob Murch's "Pulp Figures" sculpts.  I anticipate using them next year in some pulp games, probably using the "Rugged Adventure" rules.  Please click on the image for a larger picture.

The first batch were five figures from pack PHP-10, Stalwart Companions:

From left -- Loyal Ghurkha Billy-Fish; Lal-Singh; F.B. McGinty (but in a Campbell tartan so he'll be named F.B. Campbell); Young "Shorty" Smith; and stiff upper-lipped Reggie York.

Next were four of the five figures from pack PHP-18, Rugged Sons of the Empire:

From left:  Bluey Jones; Carnahan; Col. Sir John Ripperton; and Blinky Alsop.  The final figure, 'Mack' MacCurdy was painted some time ago (also in a Campbell tartan.).

Then three of the ladies from pack PHP-19, Dangerous Dames 2:

From left: Cassandra Van Pelt (ace pilot); Meg Masters; and Oberleutnant Heidi Reitsch.  The last two, Bernadette of the Resistance and Calamity Jean, were painted earlier.

And finally, some assorted figures:

From left: Leon Trotsky (Giants in Miniature); Airborne general with cuppa tea (a special figure from Nick at North Star); British colonial officer with cuppa tea (also one of Nick's "specialty" figures); and another British colonial officer holding binoculars.

Hopefully you'll be seeing them and others in various adventures next year after our gaming group can really get back together.

Y'all stay safe!

Some "Rugged Adventures" Painting

Over the past several weeks I've been painting some "fun" figures.

First up is one of Bob Murch's excellent Pulp Figures sculpts.  She is part of the "Dangerous Dames 2" pack (PHP 19).  Bob calls her Bernadette of la Resistance, but I'll probably refer to her as Joanie, after St. Joan d'Arc.  One of my former co-workers who studied in Paris told me that there were mounted statues of St. Joan all over France.  She and some of her less-reverent friends referred to them as "Joanie on a Pony."

Armed with a German MP-40 and wearing her best necklace and lipstick, she brings a certain 'dignity' to what otherwise would be a vulgar brawl.

And here's what she would look like in a "period" picture.

 The next figure is a medic for my "mercenary" White Russian detachment which was featured in the previous post.

He's also a Brigade Games sculpt from their 'Storm in the East' Russian Command I pack.

And finally, I completed painting my small collection of Bob Murch's "Movember" miniatures.  I have six of the seven Bob has released since 2013.  The seventh and latest didn't appeal to me as I don't collect Wild West figures any more.  Here are my interpretations of them.

From left -- Lord Lippinbrush (2013), Stash Gable (2014), and Captain Krustache (2015)

Pasha Moustasha (2016), Muff McGillicutty (2017), Barnabus Tash (2018)

They will all be used in one way or another in my various Back of Beyond, Very British Civil War, and Rugged Adventures games.

And now back to the mundane of painting more WW2 German infantry.  But once I finish them, my planned painting queue involves more White Russians, British 1930s/1940s naval landing party, and a goodly selection of Bob Murch's figures.

Y'all stay safe!

First Pulp Alley League

As I prepare for my first Pulp Alley (http://pulpalley.com/) game for our wargaming group, I've organized and painted my first permanent Pulp Alley league.  The rest of the leagues we'll be using in two weeks are just temporary "alliances" of various figures.

Made from some of Bob Murch's excellent Pulp Figures miniatures (http://pulpfigures.com/home/), I introduce "Clan Campbell."  The Clan is a "Company of Heroes" league with a leader figure, two sidekick figures, and one ally figure.  I still have to decide on their individual character abilities.

 

"Clan Campbell" with (from left) Padraig Brent, ally; Siobhain Campbell, sidekick; Seamus Campbell, leader; and Gray Eagle, sidekick.

Seamus Campbell, in his tartan tuxedo, carries a drum-fed Thompson submachinegun.
Seamus is Bob's 2014 Movember special casting.
http://pulpfigures.com/pulp_s_movember_fund_raiser/

Seamus' main squeeze, Siobhain, is one of Bob's Dangerous Dames 2 figures.
http://pulpfigures.com/products/view/36

 

Gray Eagle, a Huron warrior, is a special convention figure from Bob's new Huron/Iroquois line.
http://pulpfigures.com/huron_iroquois_war/

 

Padraig Brent is one of Bob's Rugged Son's of the Empire.
http://pulpfigures.com/products/view/35



I still have to decide how I'm going to terrain the bases but for right now, plain green will be fine.  They are all mounted on 8mm Litko bases with flex steel sheet bottoms.

Hope you like them!

Very British Civil War Mercenary Band

The other day, Very British Civil War Forum member Panzerkaput brought up a topic about the use of mercenaries during the VBCW.  There was some discussion about their use, which you can read at the afore mentioned link.  I realized that I had never posted a picture of the small mercenary band I had created for my VBCW gaming.

These bravos have been hired by the Bishop of Cambridge to augment his forces against the Royalists and British Union of Fascists operating out of Colchester in eastern Essex against his allies in southwestern Suffolk.  Six of the figures are Artizan Design's Cadd's Commandos (pack PLP552 and pack PKP566) that I purchased from Brigade Games and the other five are Pulp Figures' General Cappy Boyd and his Expatriate Mercenaries.

So without further ado, here they are:



 

The band includes the commander (center) with his batman carrying his briefcase and golf clubs, an  executive officer, a sergeant with a submachinegun, two dynamite experts, a Boys antitank rifle gunner, a Browning automatic rifleman, another submachinegunner, a rifleman, and a "grounded" pilot (carrying the reason for his grounding - a bottle of MacCleave's Best Whiskey).  I'll probably add some additional figures as I come across them.



Pulp Figures Film Crew

Over the weekend I finally completed painting and basing my 28mm Pulp Figures film crew.  Bob Murch did a great job with the sculpting.  I just hope my paint job does them justice.

Posed in front of my British Union of Fascists propaganda truck, we have (from left) the script girl, director, camera man, and clapper.

I haven't assigned names to them yet so I'm open to suggestions. 

I plan on using them for various games in the Interwar period such as Pulp actions, Back of Beyond, and Very British Civil War.

Additions to Very British Civil War Forces

I've added some more troops to upgrade my Revolutionary Naval force and my British Union of Fascist force.

The Revolutionary Naval company has augmented its headquarters element with three additional figures - a Leftenant resplendent in his whites (but with a red armband to show his "true" colors) and two seamen (front left and right).  The senior petty officer (back left) who was in command as been relegated to 2ic while the petty officer (right rear) now carries a banner suitably engrossed "Maritime Defence Force."  The figures are a mix of Pulp Figures (leftenant, from pack PBT 16) and Brigade Games (packs BG-WIAG 15, 16, and 17).  The banner is courtesy of Leics-Gamer from the VBCW Forum [link].  I also added two more riflemen to each of the rifle sections in the company.

I've also replaced my old "true 25mm" British colonial naval gunners with bigger 28mm 20th Century British naval figures from Pulp Figures (pack PBT 16).

Although they are not really in "gunner" poses, they'll do until I can find something better.  The gun is one that I have had for a very long time (as you can see from the "yellowing" of the white enamel paint).

The Revolutionary Naval company is now up to strength of 35 figures (5 in HQ and 10 in each rifle section) plus a 4-man gun team.

The British Union of Fascist (BUF) local forces from east Essex (Colchester area) have added an expanded headquarters element and a third rifle section.

Now called  the Bolton Rifles (banner and name courtesy of Leics-Gamer again), the expanded headquarters element has a captain (center), leftenant (far left), sergeant (right center), banner bearer (left center, obviously), and a rifle grenadier (far right).  These figures and the ones in the Third Section (below) are from Pulp Figures (packs PGS 15 and 16).

The Third Rifle Section has a sergeant (center with raised hand), eight riflemen, and one rifle grenadier (kneeling figure next to sergeant).

This completes the BUF Bolton Rifles to a company of 35 figures (5 in HQ and 10 in each rifle section) plus a 3-man heavy machine-gun team.

Now I've almost completed all the units that I have on-hand.  I still have to complete painting a new figure for the Squire of East Bergholt (a special Pulp Figures model), a section of mercenaries who will, initially, fight on the Anglican/Albertian side, and two Daimler armored cars for the Royalist armored force.

I've also identified some possible cavalry and infantry additions to the Royalist/BUF forces and cavalry additions to the Anglican/Albertian forces.  But it will be a while before they are ready for combat.

 

BUF Special Assault Section

Ever since before Christmas I have been in in painting doldrums.  But I took this week off from work and have used part of the time to finish a 10-man section of British Union of Fascists Special Assault Service troops for my Very British Civil War forces.  The figures are Pulp Figures German troops in coalscuttle helmets, PGS-08 and -10.  http://pulpfigures.com/products/category/6

The leftenant in charge of the Special Assault Section is a hardened veteran of the Great War and the Freikorps fighting in the early 1920s.  He is armed with a Bergnman MP 18 with a straight magazine.

The entire assault section - one leftenant (above), two sergeants (each armed with a Bergman MP 18 with TM 08 "snail" magazine), five riflemen, one rifle-grenadier (kneeling), and one grenadier.

Those of you who are fans of David Weber's Honorverse science fiction books will recognize the uniform colors as belonging to the State Security forces of the People's Republic of Haven.

This unit will eventually have its own "armored" vehicle as soon as I can convert a Crossley with added "armored" sides, etc.  These troops are all veterans and will be used by the Colchester Royalist/BUF garrison to crack any "hard nuts" they encounter.

Final Painting of 2012

Yesterday I completed a small batch of disparate figures that had been sitting around my painting desk for far too long.

First some Miniature Figurines American Revolutionary War figures:

An American general, using the MiniFig General Washington figure, painted from scratch.





And a Hessian general, using the same figure.  This was a repaint of a previously painted figure that I purchased.



New figures for Bland's Dragoons (American).  I previously had inherited a unit of nine of these from my friend Doc Ord.  With the acquisition of three more, they are now part of a six stand regiment.  The newly painted figures are the officer on the front stand and two of the four figures on the back stands plus three of those four horses.  I think I did a fairly decent job of matching Doc's paint job.

And the whole regiment together.  They will be used to help oppose my British cavalry - 17th Light Dragoons, Queen's Rangers, and the Loyalist York Dragoons (an "made-up" designation).

An Old Glory Darkest Africa figure:

This is the leader from the Old Glory bearers set.  I needed a senior leader for my Zanzabari units and he seemed to fit the bill perfectly.  He is a slightly taller figure than the rest of my Zanzabari so he'll stand out as their leader.



My Chinese Back of Beyond forces needed some additional leaders so I added the Pulp Figures PYG-14 Chun King warlord command pack.

The warlord in the center and the standard bearer will lead the entire Chinese force.  The two figures on each end will join one of his warlord infantry units to replace some leader figures who are getting promoted.  The bald-headed guy in khaki will lead my German uniformed Chinese forces.  He's armed with a submachinegun and looks rather nasty so he'll be a good guy to keep them in check.  The basing details correspond to the units that are already done to which these guys will be added.

And my early 20th Century "Pulp" forces got some additional stalwarts to increase the strength of the "Knights of the Cresent Moon."



Three Tommy Gun toting "Knights" from the Brigade Games line of figures.  They'll join the ones I already have painted.



To make a fairly heavily armed band to help protect the treasures of the Near East from those ravenous "tomb raiders" who plague that part of the world.



And finally, Bob Murch's Pulp Figures of "The Sergeants Three and Gunga Din."

Those three brave and rogueish sergeants plus the bugle tooting Gunga Din.  The bases aren't completed yet but they are ready for adventures.