"Russia Is Impelled Onward By Fatality."

"Her destiny is about to be accomplished."

This trio of 28mm scale metal models are sold by “Wargames Foundry", and can be purchased as part of their FN101 - Fusiliers In Greatcoat Marching set. The figures are three of eight identical Napoleonic French soldiers sculpted by Michael and Alan Perry, and have been painted to suggest the line infantrymen are returning back to their homeland during the Retreat from Moscow - albeit I'll be using grass flock for all my basing for this project.

As I decided to predominantly pigment the miniatures using the 'official' palette shown on the Nottingham-based company's website, I undercoated the Fusiliers with a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Citadel " Abaddon Black. I then applied either some "Two Thin Coats" White Star or "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna to the Frenchmen's trousers, and (more) "Two Thin Coats" White Star to their numerous leather straps. All these areas were later sploshed with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"The Horus Heresy occurred over ten thousand Terran years ago, a nearly unimaginable span of time."

With arguably the most daunting aspect of the soldiers completed, I applied the odd dab of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown to each model's water bottle and chest strap, before layering their firearms with "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. These details were shaded using "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. The miniatures' heavy greatcoats were treated to some "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and very carefully dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey. Finally, I applied a dollop of "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow to each Fusilier's pom-pom, doused them with "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade, and highlighted the ornamental balls with (more) "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow.

Alongside the latest additions to my slow-burning Napoleonic project, I have managed to finished a ninth 28mm plastic Horus Heresy Space Marine wearing MK VI armour. This "Games Workshop" traitor was predominantly painted using "Citadel" Sons Of Horus Green, "Vallejo" Gold, and Gunmetal, as well as lashings of "Citadel" Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade. Its completion means I just have the ten-man unit's Legion Vexilla bearer to go before the squad can take to the battlefields of the Thirty-First Millennium.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - These three Castellans have been primed and base-layered

In addition I have made a start on some of the models I aim to complete as part of the annual Zomtober Challenge - namely a three-figure blister of Castellans of Dol Guldur by "Games Workshop". I actually painted up some of these 28mm metal miniatures earlier this year to represent a contingent of Black Númenóreans for my Barad Dur army, due to the Nottingham-based company no longer manufacturing the specific figures for their Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game.

Frustratingly, some ten months later this is still seemingly the case, so having decided against either paying twenty quid for a single official "Finecast" sculpt on "eBay" or 3D printing some "top quality" proxies, I have slapped some "Citadel" Abaddon Black and a base layer of "Vallejo" Gunmetal onto three more Castellans - with the plan of potentially buying a couple more packets in the near future to bolster up their overall number to twelve and maybe even 'using them in anger' for "Dragon Rampant...