Die Volksschutzmann kommt!

Working the 1813 "Befreiungskrieg" theme, I decided I needed a LOT of Landwehr style fellas.  As an unabashed cheapskate, the IKEA box full of Warlord plastics appealed.

However, rather than just paint them in an alternative colour scheme, I decided an head swap would help to lift them from mediocrity.  Now I have a use for all those spares wearing Russian shako!

Reichskreis Volksschutzmann.

Ten minutes with the power drill, toolkit and a dab of Squadron putty smoothed with Testors cement enabled a workable solution.  I am especially pleased that I have found a use for those rather poor Prussians!  When I am in "full production" I reckon I will use Milliput rather than the aggressive and smelly solvents.

Finally, the song of the Peoples' army (please excuse any grammar errors, my German is basic!  Please feel free to highlight my mistakes!)

Die Straße frei der Volksarmee! 

Offene Tore für die Volksschutzmann! 

Wir folgen dem leuchtenden hoffnungs fahne, 

Der Tag der Freiheit und Freude bricht an!

1813 Reichskreis Infantry

Mademoiselle Biche.

When a relatively quiet Sunday presents itself, grab it with both paws!  The ladies are out, son on the PC and "La Biche" sleeping on the sofa.  I put some Bruckner on the stereo and got chopping to see if I could create something a bit "different" from the various plastic sets I have lying about.

They fit well on the 40mm base.

Working with some Warlord Russians as a base (I have hundreds after an Ebay score) - I added Perry KuK helmets and some Victrix French backpacks (I may well use some Warlord French backpacks too) I then slapped them on a custom "Warbases" 40mm squares to see if they looked OK.

Lots of variety is possible.

I think they do the job quite nicely, looking suitably "composite" like so many of the conteporary "Zwergstaat" armies.  Most importantly, they don't resemble simple head swaps!

Now granted, the Warlord hands are BIG but I think they are acceptable.  I may add sabres or save these for the Grenadier battalions, I will see how the glueing goes - I want to keep assembly relatively fast as I am going to need at least four 24 man units of these chaps and they require a bit of plastruct work around the collar stock.

French backpacks pre-surgery.

These will probably appear Saßenlander Gray or Teschenburger Red.

Next up is a mounted officer to be patched together, probably from bits in the Victrix KuK box...

UPDATE: Whilst fiddling about trying to slice a whole lot of collars I decided a simple Milliput push-mould would be best.  Now I am waiting for it to cure so that I can get assembling!  It will just end up as a notched spacer to liquid glue in place. I think I will use the pause to get a unit ready for assembly.