ASIATIC CONVERSION PROJECT No1

Have just ordered from my friend Ian Hinds a bag of figures described as 'various Asiatic cavalry'. Costing £27.00 delivered, it comprises twenty-six mounted figures. These castings are from several manufacturers but are mostly old Essex miniatures. The Asiatic 'types' include Mongols, Ottomans, Goths, Byzantines, Burtas, Muscovites, Khazars, and no doubt others. The standard of painting is not great, and design/scale differences are evident, but I'm not complaining at that price. Many figures still have casting flash, many weapons will need to be drilled out and replaced. All will need to be rebased, removed from their present mounts, swapped about or given others. Then I must decide whether to paint strip or revamp the artwork. I admit, some may end up in the casting pot, while others will be given new heads, or converted with Milliput. This will be a fun project, with the pleasure gained in restoring miniatures to what they should look like. Here are some photos of this recent purchase. I'm not expecting to raise any new units but I hope at least twenty-three castings will be drafted into my Muscovite, Tartar, and Ottoman armies. Wish me luck, I will upload occasionally on how this project develops. MGB

Russian Jiltsi Guard Cavalry c.1500

My Muscovite army has just gained a unit of guard cavalry. Called Jiltsi, they resemble the winged hussars of the Polish renaissance armies. Had to fiddle with some bits of spare tin and my hand drill to construct something strong enough to represent the ornamental dragons fixed to their lances. The banner is only temporary, it will be moving on to the Boyar cavalry, to be replaced with the Czar's personal standard. This was a fun project. MGB

Ottoman Guard Cavalry receive new mounts and lances

Its been a busy two days having based seventy-four castings, all periods. My Ottoman guard sipahi, sixteen strong, have been around for some twenty years now. And I have wanted to replace their basic horses with something more asiatic for some time. The figures are actually Essex miniatures, while the new mounts are Hinchcliffe. Their old mounts have been drafted to the British Army of a much later period. In addition to this, I replaced their rather poor cast lances with some much more impressive steel wire versions. This division, including the Silahtars, will be moving off now to assist their allies, the Crim Tartars, not sure if they will get there by galley or take a longer route. MGB

Can never have enough dice!

A visit to a charity shop today furnished a bag of 39 dice, and all for £1. One of them is steel, and very heavy. Five are wooden so they can be drafted into my living history displays. Three are fruit/slot machine dice. Two are eight sided 0-7. One is linked to playing cards. And twenty-seven are standard issue 1-6. A nice little bargain! MGB

Muscovite 'German' regiment completes its Establishment

Having already completed the pike-armed section last year, have just finished eighteen (actually twenty-two castings) musketeers for my Muscovite German regiment, with its own command base. This unit will now set off south, serving with the Boyar cavalry and Cossack division in the planned campaign against the Crim Tartars. All the figures in this formation are actually ECW Hinchcliffe castings, but they look like the European mercenaries that served in these units. MGB

Zaporozhian Cossacks with their new banner

A band of Zaporozhian Cossacks have been given a revamp, rebased, and a suitable banner. They are now on the march to join the Muscovite army on their planned campaign. MGB

Russian Orthodox Priest

As a follow-on to yesterday's post, have just finished the Orthodox priest for my Renaissance Muscovites. The casting deserved a general clean-up, and some fine sandpaper greatly improved the appearance of the coattails and hat. Some black enamel on those areas having lost their priming, and it was ready to repaint. Still don't know who manufactured this figure, but I like it, and I granted my priest some silver ornaments. MGB