First Onto the Painting Table for 2018

Cha togar m' fhearg gun dìoladh!

(That's "Nemo me impune lacesset" for those who don't read the gaelic.)

The wounded veteran on the right has donated his arms and been pensioned.
(Yes, arms as in musket and arm, brave laddie) 

Yes, this should be Fraser's 78th for Quebec but the existing company was painted as the Black Watch at Ticonderoga over 40 years ago so the 2nd company follows suit. Anyway, recent evidence suggests the 78th wore government tartan not the modern clan Fraser tartan so with their buff facings they would look much the same as the Black Watch did before they went Royal.

I ordered these Willies about 10 years ago in hopes of taking them to a 1:10 Ticonderoga game in the US but it didn't happen. (I don't remember now if I didn't go because the game was moved or cancelled or if it went ahead and I couldn't go for some reason.) Since I have resurrected the 30mm 1759 collection and these are about the only full game-unit's worth  of ready-to-go castings on hand for any of my collections at the moment, I thought I might as well start with them.

There was a bit of flash and supporting sprue on the castings and they needed some serious twisting and animating to get them to hold their muskets  but they are very flexible and lively. I had of course opened a few of the packets ten years ago and despite my best efforts, a sword was missing  and possibly two muskets although I think that its actually that the 2 chaps with broadsword in hand had cast down their muskets before charging into the little plastic bag like their ancestors did before charging at Quebec. (Which is why Fraser's suffered the heaviest loss - men with broadswords in the open being at a distinct disadvantage when attacking sharpshooters in the woods). At any rate, I replaced a spontoon-less sauntering officer with a leftover original standard bearer and was able to umm "borrow" a musket from a wounded veteran who lost a leg in battle many years ago.

These figures would respond well to detailed painting with slightly exaggerated highlights and shading or to shading by ink washes or similar, BUT I like the simple, fairly clean, glossy toy soldier look that I used on the British Grenadiers and line infantry when I finally painted them a couple of years ago. Oh heck, why overplan? I'll trust to my guiding spirit when I sit down for another painting session!

Now, do I hold off on a game until these are finished, or do I give my eyes and back and hands a break from painting and just grab some figures off the shelf for a quick game while waiting for winter to stop alternating between arctic freezing and cold rain?