At last! The sun is shining, Pt. Two - Napoleonic Light Bobs

Actually, there are twenty-one Light Bobs in total, so scroll down to see them all.

These are all Victrix 28mm plastics from the British Peninsular War flank company box set.

First, three groups of six skirmishing light infantry with muskets.

In keeping with my preference for battleworn-looking troops, these are stained, dusty and a bit battered.

Note that I have varied the colours of their trousers. I wanted to give the impression that these chaps have been in the field for long enough for their uniforms to get tatty and their trousers to wear out.

Finally, three leaders for the troops; two NCOs and an officer.

These troops are intended to be Light Company skirmishers for my 61st Foot, hence their green shako plumes.

I decided a while ago that the Baker Rifle-equipped 95th and Portuguese Atiradores were not always ideal in all situations, being expensive in points and also slow to reload. Therefore, I wanted to bolster my British Sharp Practice force with some ordinary flank company Light Bobs with muskets. Yes, they lack the range of the Rifles, but they only require one reload action and are cheaper in points costs. My troops have already suffered a lot from attacks by French voltigeurs in numerous games, enough to make me realise that the British also needed some musket-equipped light troops of their own.

That isn't to say that I am retiring my 95th Rifles, far from it. I am just increasing my options, after reviewing the situation.

Anyway, I really have to give the leaders some names, so; from left to right we have;

Sergeant Harry Stottle, a grizzled veteran of the 1st Battalion who first served in the Caribbean campaign of the 1790s and also served in the Egyptian Campaign of 1801-2. He was promoted to sergeant after Talavera.

Lieutenant Archibald Leach, inexplicably known as "Cary" to his fellow subalterns. He joined the 1st Battalion in Malta as an ensign in 1803, serving in Italy where he fought at the Battle of Maida, before receiving a battlefield promotion to Lieutenant after the Battle of Talavera in 1809.

Corporal Ashley Down, Bristol born and bred and a former crew member on a Bristol Channel trow, Cpl. Down enlisted in in the 61st in 1804 to avoid being press-ganged into the Navy. He also fought at Maida and Talavera.

At last! The sun is shining, Pt. One - resin cargo items.

These are from Bad Squiddo Scenics, sculpted by the incomparable Ristul.

Everything that Ristul sculpts for the Bad Squiddo range is wonderful; detailed, crisp and full of possibilities. 

These items have lots of opportunities to appear on all manner of tabletops, from ancient games right through to fantasy and pulp ones. I was delighted to discover that the smaller pieces actually fit in my open-topped Roman cart, so that is a huge bonus. There will be nice things in the cart for the Romans to escort around, and also be nice objectives for the Romans to loot while out foraging for supplies. I can see these pieces being incredibly useful for 28mm Peninsular War games of Sharp Practice too.

I have had these sitting around since last Saturday, but the weather has been so wet, I didn't want to risk them getting fogged while varnishing them. This morning was perfect for the job.

Another group of auxilia

I did a group without javelins, for variation, and I added in a couple of figures from the command sprue, based on the Cornicen and Signifer bodies.

I used the Imaginifer arm from the auxiliary cavalry set, because I thought it would make a nice variation to have an Imago for my cohort. I also gave the other body from the command sprue a gladius and a small parma shield (this is actually because I am running out of oval shields).

I have enough bodies left to make up another group and also another deployment point vignette. I shall have to stick these together and get them underoated.

Another cart for the Romans

This one is more of a strongbox on wheels, ideal for transporting valuables, such as the salarium paid to the cohort.

This is another 4Ground MDF kit, that I bought from North Star, and it is another nice model. The draught oxen is, once again by Front Rank. 

I decided that this cart should be finished in a more impressive colour, befitting its importance and therefore I used Windsor and Newton Deep Red drawing ink.

This particular model is probably somewhat anachronistic in style, but it has a certain style about it. It is certainly going to see action in other settings too.

A cart for my Romans

This is something that is required for one of the Infamy, Infamy scenarios (Scenario Four: A Foraging Party).

You will immediately recognise the auxiliary accompanying the cart. 

The cart is by 4Ground, but I bought it from North Star, as part of a larger purchase. The draught oxen are by Front Rank. 

The cart can be constructed with an open top, as I have done, but also with a hooped top that can be given a canvas or animal hide cover.

I can see this cart appearing in other settings, namely Sharp Practice, but there are bound to be other uses for it. 

A pair of pack mules for my cohors equitata

There are many support options available to a Roman player in Infamy, Infamy, and I have decided that I really need to start collecting a few. The first one I have completed is a mule train.

To accompany the mules, I have used a spare Victrix auxiliary figure as the mule wrangler. I decided that he should have a wolfskin cloak, basically because there are loads of them on the sprues but that he wouldn't be carrying a shield, which is obviously wrapped up in one of the bundles on the backs of the mules.

I looked around quite a bit for suitable mule models. There are lots around but many of them have loads that contain things which aren't at all suitable for the Roman period. These seemed suitable innocuous in that respect. I bought them from Wayland Games and they are made by Wizkids. They come pre-undercoated in pale grey and they are plastic. 

I am pretty pleased with how they came out and they will also be useful for other sets of rules, particularly Sharp Practice.

Now, I need to get on with other odds and ends I have bought.

Auxiliary archers

Another rush job! I need these for Sunday and only had them undercoated this morning.

These are from Aventine Miniatures, a company that I haven't bought anything from until now, but who are definitely on my radar now. The best thing about these figures is that they scale up well against the Victrix plastics that form the rest of my cohors equitata. They are also really nice sculpts and clean castings too. They were a joy to paint.

There is a decent amount of variation in the figures, some are in mail and others in scale armour and there are little details that make them all look a bit different from the next one along.