"1880 conversions incl. Kilping's "DRUMS OF THE FORE & AFT"" Topic

After a long hiatus from converting figures, I got back into it with this batch, which includes a pair of British drummer-boys -- beautiful character-filled sculpts from the "Dystopian Legions" game with a hint of steampunk style, but not so much it prevented me from using them in a more historical setting, as Kipling's drummer-boys Jakin and Lew from one of my all-time favorite short stories, "The Drums of the Fore and Aft."

I plan to create a scenario based on the battle that provides the story's finale, in which a small British brigade of Line Infantry, Highlanders, and Gurkhas, a battery of Indian screw-guns, and a squadron of Bengal Lancers, face off against an Afghan-like regular army and supporting horde of Tribesmen and Ghazis.

I also converted a FPW Prussian general into the 1879 Afghan Amir, Yaqub Khan, and combined parts from 4 very nice Reaper figures to "Frankenstein" a British civilian chaplain based on the cover of a Feb. 1880 issue of "THE GRAPHIC" magazine, and did a couple of less ambitious conversions.

None of the figures are painted yet, but here's a glimpse of how they turned out:

If you'd like to see more, including a few WIP pics, please click on the LINK below to visit my blog, and thanks in advance for your time!

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They really look great, Ethan !

Thanks very much, Chick! Have to say that means a lot coming from you.

Great work, Ethan!

Jim

Talk about bringing Frankenstein back to life! Yes, great work.

Fine conversions! That story is a favorite of mine as well. Kipling has the Afghans in red coats.

Beautiful coversions, as expected. I recall reading that "The Drums of the Fore and Aft" was based on the performance of the 59th Foot at Ahmed Khel. The regiment was thrown into confusion and fell back under the pressure of a charge of massed ghazis. Re-reading accounts of the battle make me want to play it on the game table – talk about a near run thing! The situation was only saved by the Gurkhas forming company squares and repeated charges by the 2nd Punjab cavalry. Great stuff!

Jakin and Lew are two very interesting characters … and the choice of names reflect Kipling's membership of The Craft.

Well done, that man!

Impressive.

That seated Prussian general seems to be quite useful. I am thinking about using him for a Russian general for the RTW. You could even use him as a Prussian… :)

Thanks for all the positive comments, gentlemen!

Nick: hopefully you and I will get to refight one or both versions -- historical Ahmed Khel and/or fictional battle from the end of "Drums of the Fore & Aft," some day!

@Bindon Blood: I completely agree! An excellent figure, easily adapted to a wide variety of late 19th Century uses. I actually converted the same figure into a generic Afghan regular army General 5 years ago for my Maiwand game, and left him smoking the pipe. You could certainly use him for a Russian, probably without even needing to do a head-swap, since he's wearing a peaked officer's cap hat could well pass for Russian if he was in a green uniform. If you put a fez on him he could be a Turk also, though maybe even better if you added a hookah to his pipe. I must confess… I've never used him as a Prussian!

Mad Guru, those are some excellent conversions, I look forward to seeing them painted and on the table top!!!! Possibly while refitting the exciting battle from Kipling's story……….?

Once again your attention to detail and skill are to be complimented my friend.

Cheers,
JB

Thanks very much, Jeff! I'm looking forward to seeing the painted also, as well as setting up the "Fore & Aft" scenario, hopefully in the not-too-distant future

Very nice! :) I might have to try this with a couple of the Dystopian Drummer boys.