"15/18 mm Crow Indians - mounted and foot?" Topic

So, of currently produced and available ranges, what figures would work best for the Crows seen in Jeremiah Johnson?

Greatly appreciate any good ideas in this direction. Mounted and foot, winter dress especially good.

Thanks!

Crows are simply Plains Indians, so there is nothing special about them. I think you are going to have trouble finding Indians in winter clothing. Mick Yarrow makes Inuits, so you may want to look at those for use and/or conversion possibilities. For Plains Indians I'd look at Peter Pig and Old Glory/Blue Moon.

Edit to add: If you want to do some reading, go to your library and get a copy of "The Mystic Warriors of the Plains" by Thomas Mails. It has tons of great information on multiple tribes.

Don't know about Jeremiah Johnson but…

Peter Pig do Crows mounted and foot in 15mm. They look good. So do QRF just as good.

Oh yeah there is a Crow haircut thing PP and QRF seemed to know about it.

Cannot help in 25mm+ but others will.

If by the "Crow hair cut thing" you are referring to the pompadour, hair styles were different even within the same tribe. While the pompadour may indicate that the wearer is a Crow, the lack of said hairstyle does not mean that the wearer is not a Crow. There is ample evidence of Crows not wearing the "Crow haircut" because there was not a Crow haircut standard to begin with. A figure with a pompadour will certainly add some variety, but by no means is it required in order to represent the Crow.

The calling card of the Crow was their universally superlative beadwork--not a hairstyle of some who chose to wear it at some point in their lives.

As 79thPA said, the Crow wore their hair in many styles. The one thing I would rule out is that in some of the generic plains Indian packs there is sometimes a sculpt with a partailly shaved head. I would avoid using any sculpt with a partially shaved head for the Crow. The practice of shaving part of the head was practiced mainly by tribes on the southeastern part of the plains such as Pawnees, Osages, Saukes, Foxes, etc.

The main calling card of the Crow was the elaborate beadwork, especially on the bottom of the leggings. But Blackfeet also had beadwork patches on their leggings as well.

--Elaine

I guess you need to have seen the movie to understand my question. Blue Moon's figures are great but not what I am looking for. Towards the latter part of the film, as I recall, there are several Crow that attack the Redford character: that is the look I am hoping to find. So, if you've seen the movie and recall those images – then your suggestions can help me out. And, yes, hair styles varied greatly but there is still an "iconic" image in most peoples minds, though I shudder at calling it a pompadour – save that for beheaded queens of France, please.

I have no idea where you would find pre-1860 plains Indians in Winter dress in 15/18mm. Foundry used to have several Blackfoot Indians that are exactly what you are looking for in 28mm. However, most of the packs are no longer available. Supposedly, they will cast some for you if you ask them. The pack numbers are still on their site, it's just when you click on them, you get the "product not available" message.

Collecting Old West Indians is very frustrating. Very, very few sculpts in Winter dress. It's like the entire industry is geared toward Custer & the Little Big Horn with a few Apache scuplts on the side. The obsession with Custer is sickening at times. Conquest did marvelous Comanche, but I see they are also unavailable, again.

--Elaine

^^^This. Lacking apppropriate figures, you have been given reasonable suggestions.

Testify, Sister Elaine!

Another recognition feature for Crow warriors was very long hair. Some even glued in switches of false hair to increase the length. Waist-length hair was typical for Crow men, and ground-length hair was possible for the real dandies.

By the 1870s, Crow fashions had influenced other Plains tribes. Most Little Big Horn Sioux figures could pass for Crows with a little work, though you'd want to avoid any with modern firearms for the Mountain Man era.

But that 'winter dress' thing will be a problem. Nobody I know of makes 15mm Plains Indians in blanket-coat and mittens. If that's the look you want, you might consider investigating F&IW French Habitant Militia figures. Some of those are in capote style winter dress, some with mitasses and moccasins. You'll have to heavily modify or replace the heads, and you won't find any mounted figures. It's an option.

Not so much blanket coats but full length buckskin – arms and legs. And, yes, that long hair. Surprising so few winter figures for natives and whites alike since so much of the campaigns were in the winter.

Well, if you do a lot of reading on the history of the Great Plains, you will find that books on Custer & the Little Big Horn out number all other topics by at least 10 to one. So, it really shouldn't be surprising that manufacturers cater almost exclusively to that market.

Movies & television shows inlolving American Indians are the same. Much more made with Custer or last stand themes than anything else.

--Elaine

Not so much blanket coats but full length buckskin – arms and legs.

Okaaay, so *now* you tell us what you're really looking for. Fringed (I suppose) buckskin shirt and leggings, long hair, edged weapons…the classic Cigar Store Indian, inaccurate for most tribes, most times and places, but very common in American pop culture, including movies, TV and comix. Jay Silverheels as Tonto the Indian.

I have just such figures in my collection, but they're old 25mm from lamented manufacturers like Frontier, or Rafm Wild West. I *know* somebody made figures of this kind in 15/18mm, but that's not the scale I specialize in, so I can't cite them for you.

Frontier made 'em in 15mm and 25mm.

Hey, I did say this is a search to match a movie way up at the top. Unfortunately, none of the eastern woodland Indians I've seen really match my need or I'd go that route. And there are a few figures in the Blue Moon sets but I don't more Plains Indians (really, I don't). I want maybe a couple of dozen such warriors on foot and perhaps a dozen mounted. And I'm waiting for the TWI mounted figures hoping I can use those for my mounted mountain men. Always an adventure finding what makes a game work. Especially in 15 mm!

Unfortunately, what you want isn't made. Sometimes the Frontier stuff pops up, but they are small and crude by today's standard. I imagine money and maybe space is the issue for you, but I must say that Foundry has a great range in 25mm that covers the fur trade era.