"I'm Ney, Marshal Of France!"

"Are you French? Stand with me!"

This 28mm metal Marshal Ney is a free model which comes with the "A Clash Of Eagles" Black Powder supplement book by "Warlord Games", and was acquired with the much appreciated assistance of rules-guru Roger Gerrish this time last year. I wasn't actually planning on painting the "First Prince de la Moskowa" any time soon, as I'm focusing on just using "Wargames Foundry" figures for my long-term Napoleonic Wars project. However, the sculpt is actually fairly similar in size to the old Perry Twin soldiers I've recently been pigmenting - albeit I did have to super-glue it to a 30mm circular base to properly incorporate its 'Retreat From Moscow' base.

Resultantly, I undercoated the French military commander using a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Warlord Games" Pitch Black, before applying a couple of layers of "Two Thin Coats" White Star to his trousers, Rifle strap, decorative hat brim and ammunition bag's leather strap. All of these areas were later shaded using plenty of watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Four Prussian soldiers being 'picked out' factory-fashion

I next gave Michel Ney's winter coat a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown and its fur-lined collar, cuffs and lining a splodge of Heavy Sienna. The jacket was then treated to a zealous amount of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, before being dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Brown to hopefully tie the colours all together. I additionally used "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna on the Marshal's firearm, and as a base for all his flamboyant braid. These tiny decorations were subsequently lined with a little "Vallejo" Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

The First Duke of Elchingen's famous red hair (and quite extraordinarily) bushy eyebrows were 'picked out' with a little "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade". Whilst his boots, fingerless gloves, and hat were tidied up using some "Citadel" Abaddon Black. I did momentarily consider giving "the bravest of the brave" a snow-covered base - as per the "Warlord Games" official paint-job. But this wouldn't really fit in with the rest of my Napoleonic Wars collection, so soon decided to simply plonk him inside a muddy field instead.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Two French Fusiliers and a pair of British Grenadiers

Due to my motivation to paint even more Napoleonic soldiers still being rather high, doubtless due to me currently consuming an almost endless series of Bonaparte-based documentaries, I've quite surprisingly 'hooked out' a quartet of Prussians from the "Wargames Foundry" blister PN063 Infantry in Peaked Cap Marching blister and been slowly working on them in a somewhat piecemeal fashion. I'm really keen to get a sizeable (skirmish) force of Generalfeldmarschall Blücher's soldiers ready for the tabletop, so hope this process will see all four of the figures finished before the month is out.

My main drive though has been to work on two Frenchmen from FN137 - Late Fusiliers Or Voltigeurs In Greatcoats And Assorted Headgear Marching, and (finally get started on) a pair of British models from B041 Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms. I plan on simply adding the Fusiliers to my existing French force as a second (tiny) eight-man company. However, if my understanding of Wellington's elite troops is right the Redcoats will be used as Grenadiers for both "Black Powder" and "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games".