Hawkins the swordsman (Ideal)

This swashbuckling sword-wielding pirate is based on an illustration in a 2004 Pirates of the Caribbean comic story titled "The Duel".  In it, the flamboyant Hawkins, a former member of Captain Jack Sparrow's crew, learns that there is more to being a pirate than just fancy fencing moves. "A good pirate has to be resourceful, and yes, even sneaky!" (Does Jack Sparrow come out on top? Read the entire comic at https://66sean99.livejournal.com/25894.html)

The pose that pirate Hawkins demonstrates on the first page is a near-perfect match for one of Ideal's pirate figures. However, some of the outfit needed to be changed to make the character perfect.  It began with a head swap for one of Ideal's other pirate figures who wears a mustache and eyepatch.

Sculpting a shirt with rolled-up sleeves and a short waistcoat completed the rest of the outfit.  Hawkins wears blue breeches and a coordinating hat, along with flamboyant gold earrings.  Since the figure was dramatically re-posed with one foot in the air, a pile of boards was added to give him a firm stance for duelling.

Figure by Ideal.

Two's Company

Meet two bad sidekick dudes employed by Charles Kemp of the East India Company.  Mr. Kemp features as the villain in the movie Beyond the Mask.  Often he is escorted by these black-and-gray clad enforcers.

Some experts believe that their distinctive coats are the results of overdyeing red British army coats, then reattaching the linings and facings. It is certain, however, that this is an extremely distinctive uniform.  Their unique grey facings could have earned them the nickname "Kemp's Greys."

I currently have two privates and one officer of Kemp's Greys, as well as Kemp's bodyguard Basil in his uniform of this unit.  The officer, Basil, and the tall private are all Ideal recasts.  The shorter private is a BMC British grenadier.






The soldiers comb the terrain to find Will Reynolds (supposedly killed in action at http://redcoatsandruffles.blogspot.com/2018/10/beyond-mask-skirmish-game-part-ii.html)

" 'E was killed right near 'ere, Bill."
"Then why can't we find 'is body?"
"Keep searching."

First Figure of 2017!

This Ideal militiaman is the first figure which I finished in 2017!  He is not an original Ideal figure, but is recast.  Since he wore a bicorne hat, I cut it down and sculpted a roundhat turned up on one side instead.  In addition, I lengthened his waistcoat, making him look more like a militiaman of 1776 than 1812.  His socks are medium blue with light blue stripes, an interesting combination which I like.  Click on the pictures to expand them.  Figure by Ideal (recast), painted with Testors Paints.

Riflemen

These two figures are militia riflemen in the service of Virginia.  One wears an olive-drab hunting shirt, while the other is dressed in a tan waistcoat and olive breeches.  They both carry long Pennsylvania rifles.  Lafayette's army during the Virginia campaign of 1781 included a unit of frontier riflemen.

Because the rifle lacked a bayonet, a rifle-armed unit was at a serious disadvantage when confronted with a musket-armed unit, which had bayonets.  To overcome this difficulty, riflemen were commonly paired with bayonet-equipped troops.  The riflemen could begin to inflict casualties on the enemy, while the musket-armed infantry would defend them with their bayonets against a sudden enemy rush.  Both the Americans and the British used these tactics, for the British had rifle-armed German Jaegers.

The rifleman standing firing is from Accurate American Militia #1, and the rifleman running is an Ideal recast.  I sculpted the roundhat turned up one one side for the Accurate figure.  Both are painted with Testors paints.