Beyond the Mask Skirmish Game

"I have the Parliamentary report...you negotiate the deal with him, and I will split the amount with you."

In the movie Beyond the Mask, the main character, Will Reynolds, has to fight off a blackmailer named Joshua Brand intent on stealing important documents.  I recreated this scene using my collection of figures and a free ruleset from Eureka Miniatures called "And One for All!" (available at http://www.eurekamin.com.au/andoneforall.php)

The beginning of the action

The picture shows the starting positions.  Will is on the left, Mr. Brand on the right.  There is an interesting array of objects to interact with.  In the game, a figure can throw or roll an object or duel to eliminate its opponent.  Six hits and you're out!

The game began well for Mr. Brand, who quickly inflicted two hits on Will.  Will then proceeded to dominate, alternating dueling and flinging objects.  Stools and benches were flying across the room, including some pieces that traveled the length of the room two or three times.  (What kind of indestructible furniture is that?)

Victory to Mr. Brand!

As the game neared its close, Will had inflicted five hits on Mr. Brand in exchange for only three.  The game looked pretty well up for Mr. Brand.  Rather than duel and possibly lose his one remaining hit, Mr. Brand threw a bench at Will to soften him up a little.  The results were astounding: Mr. Brand rolled triple-6 on his damage roll.  Will could not fend off any of these, so Mr. Brand scored three hits.  This abruptly knocked Will out of the game, and Mr. Brand had won in an upset victory!

After his victory, Mr. Brand collected the documents and moved out of the building.  He would link up with other East India Company forces in the area and deliver the documents to his boss Charles Kemp.

As he left, Joshua Brand did not realize

that his opponent Will Reynolds

had not been killed in the fight

and would return

to fight again

Stay tuned for more action!

Militiaman Priming

This militiaman is a conversion from Accurate's "Militia priming" figure.  The original figure had a very distinctive face with beard and balding head.  I substituted a different head from All The King's Men, and turned it so that he was looking down his gun's barrel, rather than at his priming horn.  The result is a dynamic figure (at least in my opinion!) who is keeping his eye firmly on his enemy while he is loading.  With opponents like Tarleton's Legion, this is a good idea!

Figure by Accurate; head by All the King's Men; painted with Testors paints.

"Liberty's Kids" Character James Hiller (Marx)

This figure is based on one of the main characters from the television show Liberty's Kids.  James Hiller is an orphan who works as a reporter for Benjamin Franklin's newspaper.  He and his two comrades (one of which has been painted already; see https://redcoatsandruffles.blogspot.com/2018/01/sarah-phillips.html) view the great events of the American Revolution, from the Boston Tea Party to the signing of the United States Constitution.  Mysteriously, the characters never seem to get any older...

The original figure was a recast Marx "Johnny Tremaine."  The original head was swapped for the head from a Marx recast "Rab Silsbee."  After this rather drastic change, the character's pigtail was sculpted, a quill pen was sculpted in his right hand.  His left hand had been removed for another conversion(see https://redcoatsandruffles.blogspot.com/2017/02/young-philadelphia-gentleman.html), which necessitated sculpting another hand.  I chose to give this hand a piece of paper.  Now James Hiller and his companion Sarah Philips are ready to jot down all the latest news from the Revolution as it happens.

Hessian Regiment von Bose (Classic Toy Soldiers)

The first unit of Hessians has landed on American shores!  These Hessians (soldiers from the principality of Hesse-Kassell) are from the Regiment von Bose. 

Hessian Regiment von Bose finds itself
fighting in wooded terrain

This Hessian regiment was sent to the southern colonies and formed a part of Lord Cornwallis' field army.  During the "Race to the Dan", Von Bose participated in the brutal slogging through North and South Carolina in pursuit of General Greene's army.  Regiment von Bose's moment of glory came during tough fighting at the March 15, 1781 Battle of Guilford Courthouse.  Continuing their career as part of Cornwallis' army, these tough veterans participated at the Siege of Yorktown and defended Redoubt #9 against an ultimately successful French attack.

These soldiers wear their regulation uniform, complete with red pompoms on their cocked tricorne hats.  The only non-regulation piece of clothing are the drab brown gaiter-trousers, which were used extensively during the Southern campaigns.

Figures were originally Classic Toy Soldiers "Hessian Grenadiers."  After carefully modifying their long gaiters into gaiter-trousers, I removed the grenadier caps and sculpted cocked hats instead.  The pompoms were provided out of my sister's collection of small plastic beads (thanks, Amara!).  They were then painted with Testors enamel and CraftSmart acrylic paints.

For a good look at the celebrated career of this regiment, check out Kabinettskrieg's blog article "He Was a Blue and Bloody Man: The Von Bose Regiment." https://kabinettskriege.blogspot.com/2017/07/he-was-blue-and-bloody-man-von-bose.html

Militiaman from Mollo and McGregor (Accurate)

Classic book illustration meets miniature figure.

This militiaman is based on a plate from the classic Mollo & McGregor book Uniforms of the American Revolution.  The picture shows him just to the right of his namesake.



The original figure was an Accurate militiaman.  All Accurate figures have been a joy to paint due to their incredibly detailed sculpting.  Unlike some of my more involved and complex conversions (see https://redcoatsandruffles.blogspot.com/2017/10/militiaman-loading.html), I only made a few changes to this figure.  These were shaving the engraved motto "Liberty" off his cap, leaving it plain, and removing the tops of his gaiters to paint them as striped stockings.

Is he guarding a notorious Loyalist, or a cache of supplies?

This figure gives me a wonderfully versatile militiaman who looks equally at home in the North and South, who looks well-dressed, who can easily be plugged into an urban setting, and who is professional enough to be trusted with guard duty.

Figure by Accurate; painted with Testors and Michael's "Craft Smart" paints.

Allies Arrive

This blog has mostly featured British and Loyalist troops opposed by American revolutionaries.  Now this trend is changing.  A treaty of alliance has been signed and His Majesty Louis XVI has sent soldiers to aid the Americans in their struggle against Britain.

More French infantrymen will be arriving in the forthcoming months.  To read more about the engineer and the role of the French Royal Engineer Corps in the American Revolution, visit https://redcoatsandruffles.blogspot.com/2018/01/french-engineer.html

"Liberty's Kids" Character Sarah Phillips (Marx)



Miss Sarah Phillips scouts for news in a colonial town.
(click picture to enlarge)

This figure is based on one of the main characters from the television show Liberty's Kids.  In the show, three youngsters serve as journalists for Benjamin Franklin and report on the major--and sometimes minor--events of the American Revolution.  This figure, Miss Sarah Phillips, is the daughter of a British Army officer serving in America.  In the first episode, Sarah comes to America to find him.  During the ongoing show, she provides a British/Loyalist perspective to much of the reporting done.

The figure herself began as a recast Marx "Cilia" figure.  Much change was required to transform her into Sarah Phillips.  From top to bottom: the cap was removed and hair sculpted, golden locket added, neckline squared off, shawl removed, quill pen sculpted, flair and length added to sleeves, pointed bodice, piping down front of dress, and paper to record news.  Whew!  This is some of the most work I have ever done to convert a figure.  However, I believe that the final product was well worth the effort.



Original figure on left; Sarah Phillips on right.
(click picture to enlarge)