Cheapo Indians.

After our last wargame I am making sure my Indians are based. In the process I had another look at some of the cheapo ones. As I want the figures in a hurry I have not been totally repainting but making gradual upgrades.

I am focussing on contemporary and recent production First up are some Indians from the Best of the Wild West. What I, perversely, like is that a lot of cheapo made in China stuff has unusual combinations. For example there are Plains Indians with swords. Here though, I am using the mounted Indians that pulled this wagon. The horses had wagon rigging which I carved off. The horses also had attached feathers that I left.

   I have repainted the horse furniture and the Indians skin and feathers as well as the buckskins. The horses were made from two hollow hard plastic halves. The figures are made from a hard plastic which is good for paint adhesion, Arrow quivers are attached to the horses but there are no bows, something I might rectify with wire.

                              The horses all have the 'rocking horse' pose something inaccurate but quaint.  Horses always used to be depicted this way in art before photography showed it to be wrong. I have added spots to the white horse.

                 The feathers will be given a watered down black wash to bring out the details. Some other coloured details are still to be added.

                               Nest are copies of Britains Detail Indians shown next to the originals. I picked those copies ip at a toy shop some years ago bit saw them only in the one shop. They lacked the rear painting of head dresses and the faces are squashed compared to the originals. There are also two holes instead of one in each horse's belly as if they could not make up their mind wear to place the stand stem.

                                                                  Copy rear, original front

 

                                                                         Copy left

                                                          Original far right.

                                    The horse at left looks like it tripped or was shot; I like it like that and will permanently position it as such.

The cheapo versions were made in a light brown plastic which I have largely painted over,

I still need to flock some of the bases. Most of the horses have been left unpainted. The positioning of the full headdress head is a little strange and I might reattach it.

I am also looking for black plastic coated wire ties to make the reins for the horses that lack them.

Thee warriors will be defending their villages in my next game loosely based on Battle of the Rosebud.