Conversions and new regiments!

I think one of the best feelings I get is when a conversion looks better then I thought it would.

I'm painting, in addition to the forces from little Vulgaria, Russians. The RSM figures are brilliant, well sculpted, excellently proportioned and very life like in their ratios. They also make almost every casting in a March Attack variant which I believe is the best possible pose for the Seven Years War. The stately march with muskets held tight and vertical, bayonets gleaming, looks marvelous.

DPC; the sellers of RSM castings, do make Officers and Standard Bearers for the Russian Grenadiers. They are unfortunately sculpt at a run. I bought enough to paint a 53 man Regiment, cleaned them up and just didn't like the look of the Officer and Standard Bearer. It seemed unmanly at best to have the Officers at a run in front of these magnificent Grenadiers in their slow deliberate unfaltering march.

So I did what any petty tyrant would do, I lopped off their heads!

I took the bodies of the Russian Musketeer Officer with cane and removed his head and placed after careful pinning the head of the Grenadier Officer on his shoulders. I also clipped his cane and added a sword to his hand. The result is what you see in front of you. I think he's a much better candidate to lead a Regiment of Russia's Grenadiers then the running man!

Here's a side view of the Officer conversion. I'm very pleased with how this turned out.

In place of the running Standard Bearer I used the Prussian Officer with Spontoon. I removed the head, clipped the spontoon at the hand, leaving the thumb for some added stability and shaved off the lapels. I then added the Grenadier head after pinning and drilled the hand and placed a brass rod with a shaped spear point in it, finally I gently lifted the thumb back into place.

Here's a side view of the Standard Bearer conversion. I'm very pleased with this one also.

Here's the entire Grenadier Regiment after priming awaiting the brush.

A closer view.

Here's a Regiment of Russian Cuirassier in progress. I need to add 2 standard bearers, a musician and a commanding officer to complete it's muster. I have it on good authority from two different OSW friends that the Prussian Cuirassier castings from DPC will fit the bill nicely.

And here's a close up, the officer leaning back heroically yelling; "Come my children, for Mother Russia and the Czarina!"

I'll post more photo's as the paint begins to stick!