"In The Wilds Of Siberia..."

"...There are tribes whose bloodlines have been touched by the natural spirits of the bear."

This 28mm scale metal model is sold by “Wargames Foundry", and is one of three hefty-sized specimens of Ursus arctos arctos which can be found inside the Nottinghamshire-based company's GPR019 - Great Big Bellicose Bears blister. Reaching 52mm in height, I've actually been waiting for this miniature to come back into production for quite some time, as I thought it would make a cracking (Russian) Werebear for "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games". However, in the end I decided to contact the manufacturer directly, and was delighted to quickly hear back from them that they'd cast some more up.

The shaggy brute was super-glued upon a "Games Workshop" plastic 40mm circular base and undercoated using a combination of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Leather Brown and Heavy Sienna. It was then treated to a couple of layers of (pure) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, before being absolutely drowned in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Frustratingly, as seems to often happen after applying certain "Games Workshop" Shades, this caused all the paint on the very edges of the sculpt's well-detailed fur to completely dissolve, leaving the figure's bare metal showing once again.

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

Luckily, a rather brusque dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, followed by a lighter touch of some Heavy Brown, appeared to cover over this truly annoying issue, and I was subsequently able to focus upon the large bear's head and paws. I therefore simply applied some dabs and appropriate lines of "Two Thin Coats" White Star to the monster's teeth and talons, carefully 'picked out' the tongue with a little "Vallejo" Heavy Red, and later darkened all these areas down with some "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

With my latest addition to my (predominantly) Russian warband for "The Silver Bayonet" finished, I have since settled back down to my ongoing (and long-term) Napoleonic project. With a mind to field a unit of Prussians for the Coalition, I've recently taken the tentative step to try a little batch-painting with a quartet of models taken from the "Wargames Foundry" packet PN063 Infantry in Peaked Cap Marching.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - A French Fusilier, two British Grenadiers, and a Russian Officer

This really is a bit of a slow-time gambit where every hobby session I simply tackle the odd piece of clothing, baggage or strap on Generalfeldmarschall Blücher's fellow countrymen. Encouragingly though, my technique hasn't proved as mind-numbing as I thought it would either, and I have now managed to get all the soldier's hands and muskets completed, alongside their trousers, knapsacks and cartridge boxes.

Likewise I seem to be progressing through some of my other Napoleonic miniatures with similar gusto, and should soon have finished working on a second Frenchman from FN137 - Late Fusiliers Or Voltigeurs In Greatcoats And Assorted Headgear Marching. These marvellous Perry Twin sculpts will give me a second (tiny) company of Bonaparte's finest, or mingle alongside my previously pigmented FN101 - Fusiliers In Greatcoat Marching set to form a sixteen-man strong unit - something which might prove a bit more acceptable to fans of "Black Powder" by "Warlord Games"...