A batch of Frontiersmen to add to my French & Indian War troops

    28mm Frontiersmen for the French & Indian War

When I came back from Advance the Colors 2013 last month, I was really jazzed up about the success of my French & Indian War games. That next Monday I was sifting through my unpainted lead and set out these seven frontiersmen. I believe most of them are by 28mm Foundry, but I wouldn't swear to it. There looks to be two different sculptors' styles, at least.

    These guys are meant to be able to play the role of settlers, French Coureur de Bois, or even Rangers

The first week I blazed away at them fairly quickly. Then I got sidetracked by my Southeast Asian Temples, which started stealing more hobby time from finishing these guys off. So, they say about 3/4's of the way completed on my painting desk for a couple weeks. I finally got back to work on them last weekend and forged my way through "Strap Heaven." These figs have more straps with various bags and other equipment festooned all over their bodies. I like that word...festooned. I try to do each set in a different color to add interest.

    A French Canadian militia man with a pirate figure able to stand in as courier de bois or other assorted inebriated frontiersman

Anyway, I am happy with how these guys turned out. The one guy is obviously a French Canadian militia, while another is a pirate figure that a friend won as a prize in a game at Historicon 2013. He looks like he'd pass as a drunk-as-a-skunk French courier de bois, so that is how I painted him up. I expect most appearances he makes on the tabletop will be as eye candy or simply window dressing. You never know, though. He could be some sort of objective in a pulp game...try to coax clues from the belligerent, drunk French woodsman!

    "Zut alors, Reny! Beaujolais again...?"

I am definitely stocking up on my collection of European troops for my French & Indian War skirmishes. I suppose I'm getting close to having enough to run an Indians on settlers game. I like these figures to be able to, well, wear several hats on the tabletop. I want them to be good settlers or frontiersmen. I also want them to be stand-in courier de bois or even Rangers. Outside of regular troops, very few men wore uniforms in this period. Most had civilian dress, which I tried to recreate with these guys.

    Three assorted 28mm frontiersmen

On the painting desk now are 5 Benedictine monks. They are meant to used for Dark Age skirmish games, but since monastic attire didn't change much through the centuries, I could use them in pulp games, as well. Speaking of which, the first batch of temples is nearing the end of the painting stage and about to enter the flocking one. Hopefully, I'll have figures of them soon!

    I really like how the equipment -- especially the Indian-style bags -- came out