7th Dutch Militia

I think I can safely say I have never taken so long to build and paint just one unit. At long, long last my 7th Dutch Militia can join their comrades on the miniature field of Waterloo. This lot took me three months - that's how much time I have found myself able to devote to this wonderful hobby. I'm hoping this year will see an acceleration of my output. But I am getting more meticulous - perhaps that's an age thing?

 This 36 figure representation of the 7th Dutch Militia is a mixture of mainly Elite Miniatures, with grenadiers and light company (which Elite does not make) from Front Rank. The drummer is from Perry Miniatures. I mounted this unit differently from previous Napoleonics - on 5mm think MDF which helps me move the base rather than holding the figures. The bases will be far less obvious on my future synthetic fur terrain.

The tall grass is a combination of all sorts of scenic stuff I had lying around, rolled together and glued in grooves cut with my scalpel before the bases were textured with pre-mixed wood putty. My static grass is of three progressively lighter blends, the ratios of which I couldn't guess at. I used a life-long lasting reserve of mouse litter for the stones (if you can even see them).

I gave my militia another and different improvised colour from my earlier unit. I say improvised as the militia of the Netherlands newly created army had no national standard issued to them by the campaign. This time I opted for an orange field with gold lettering of the battalion numeral beneath the royal crown - consistent with the generally agreed convention. It is made of cloth as is my new approach.

The thicker bases also allow easier identification if you want to label them as I have just started to do. My labels are simply printed off a Word document at 8pt font size (should have gone bigger), white glued on and clear varnished over the top. I must now look to finishing some 15mm FPW French and then commence painting my French lancers.