Oh, Those Russians...

 Some time ago, I picked up a box of miniatures and rules from Alternative Armies. I can't remember where...? I feel like it was in a bargain bin or a bring and buy. I'm pretty sure I didn't pay much for it. It was for Flintloque...? or maybe Deadloque...? One of their fantasy napoleonic skirmish games. 

The box contained a bunch of Russians - A Vampire, a Lich, five Zombie soldier and some undead peasants... and then a handful of Elves in an assortment of French-like uniforms, bundled in rags and bandages looking like French soldiers retreating from Moscow in with winter of 1812. 

I painted the Vampire and Lich a little over ten years ago(!),  followed by one of the zombie Russian soldiers, and finally two of the French Elves. Mostly just for funsies - I was painting a few things from the period, at the time, thinking I might do some War of 1812 games over the next few years on the bicentenials of assorted battles (that didn't end up happening...). I never really did anything with the fantasy Naploeonics. 

Flash-Forward One Decade.

Looking around for monsters and other miniatures that could pass off for late 18th/early 19th century miniatures that I already own that could be pressed into service in The Silver Bayonet, I was reminded of these... Though they are RATHER LARGE, I still started to daydream and even imagine scenarios or full campaigns - where the Lich and Vampire are the Ultimate bad-guy to face and bring down at the end of a campaign. I've rebased the lot of them, following the new scheme of putting heroes or leaders on larger 32mm bases and the rest on 25mm bases. 

The Russians

(I do have three more undead Russian peasants to paint up... and considering picking up a few more... maybe in the new year, if we DO get playing this a LOT!) 

Evil Boss Duo - Igor and Grigory  (Igor Chernobogovich Koshei, the Lich and Grigory Verdilakovich Putin, the Vampire). I'm not sure who is THE Big Bad Boss... Is it the Vampire...? Is it the Lich...? Are they uneasy partners who loathe each other, but recognize they are stronger working together (but will betray the other in the back, the moment they think they can consolidate power on their own)? Still have to figure that out... 

Zombie Russian Soldiers. One was just rebased (and touched up, so the colours match the others a bit better), the other four are all newly painted. 

Revenants (Zombies) in The Silver Bayonet don't normally have firearms. I thought these, being minions of a Lich/Vampire, could have the smallest sort of sentience. I think I may give them a musket that can be fired - but give them a Shoot Value of -2 and say it cannot be reloaded. I imagine they would be the personal guard Lich and Vampire. Neither Lich nor Vampire would expect them to actually hit anything (unless they got very, very lucky) but the discharging of a musket would alert the others of the presence/approach of intruders! 

Undead Russian Peasants

Well... Two of them are peasants... One seems to be in some sort of partial uniform...? 

One broke off from his feet/base at the ankles, years ago, and I have subsequently lost said base with feet attached. I had throught I'd drill the legs and make new feet... but the tiney little stick legs were so skinny this seemed unlikely to work... So I just stuck him in a wad of green stuff and after painting burried the lower feet in static grass to make it look like it's walking through tall grass. 

These minis are HUGE for "28mm"! Here they are with a few others from the period that I might also make use of... From Left to Right: Old 25mm Minifig Rifleman, Alternative Armies Zombie Russian, Renedage Miniatures British Soldier, Alternative Armies Lich, Wargames Foundry Highlander, Alternative Armies Vampire, Perry Miniatures Rifleman, Hät French Chasseurs Pioneer. 

I probalby should have thrown one of the zombie peasants in... they're a little more reasonably proportioned. 

If the Perry Miniatures rifleman was standing up straight, he might not be too far off, Height-wise... but the Alternative Armies stuff is so CHUNKY - equipment, accoutrements, hands are all so gigantic!? 

All that being said, I'll probably use these on the tabletop together... I'm not THAT fussy. I woudn't mix them in the same units, but as opposing forces I find it less noticeable (at least until they get into melee!) 

Not sure what will be rolling off the workbench next. Could be rest of the French Elves from this same set (aside from the occasional pointy ear poking out on one or two of them, they can easily pass for French soldiers that could be in Russia facing these guys... and there's probably just enough to make a Unit for Silver Bayonet! I do also have a few old Citadel Goblins that I stripped ages ago to repaint - they are needed for the third solo scenario - along with a troll. I also have more Napoleonic soldiers... Like, a half-dozen special units worth cobbled together.... AND a few Frostgrave warbands!? (So much for keeping the workbench free of distraction!) 

I watched/listened to an interview with Mr. McCullough the other evening and was QUITE disappointed to learn that this WAS intended as a stand-alone book with no plans for expansions... wow... It kind of made the lack of content in this book a little more bitter of a pill to swallow... But I'm still enjoying the game and... well... I'll just make shit up on my own - an not have to BUY anything more for it! Huzzah!