Captain Miles Keogh

Another brush bristle carbine gets issued to this trooper. Although irregular miniatures 20mm infantry seems to fit with Newline Design, their cavalry troopers seem a bit small. It's a shame because the actual horses are a good match. These guys will end up on the mule train bases.

Sculpting with gel super glue. 

Two companies down, I now come to Company I, led by Captain Keogh. Keogh is another big name in the battle for he was in charge of three of Custer's five companies. 

I had always thought of him in a blue fireman's shirt, like Custer. However, after googling illustrations of him, a number show him in a buckskin. This should make him stand out and a major character like Miles Keogh needs to stand out.

Rather than break out the time consuming green stuff, I thought I would try the gel super glue. It's a lot more crude but it does have it's place. My thinking is I just need a small ridge to paint on a fringe. 

Well, the results were a lot better than I thought, this was done by teasing the drying glue with a pointed file. The glue could be stretched and shaped slightly, more than enough in 20mm to look like a fringed coat.

To mix things up on this new Company, I tried twisting off a couple of heads. These were glued back on looking in different angles.

I also tried using a bit of card to act as a neckachef. This could be placed sticking out away from the body, something you couldn't do with just super glue. The card also absorbed the glue and became rock solid and tough.

This ACW officer gets turned into a stand bearer with a fluttery scarf.

Newline Design, Irregular Miniatures 20mm, the last one is from irregular's ACW collection so maybe that is smaller. The plains war Indians were quite a good match with those from Newline.

 Captain Keogh shows off his new snazzy buckskin.

Keogh's companies get worn down and overrun. Surviving troopers scramble on foot to reach Custer and his two remaining companies. Only a few made it to Custer, the grave stones on the battlefield show the route, each one being placed where the bodies were found.

This last image is the one that I'm going to go with. I think the figure I've chosen is a good match for this guy. I can also use the other irregular miniatures officer in his buckskin for the dismounted version.

Well, here he is, a quick head swop and gun replacement and he's good to go.

UPDATE: A real breakthrough, to help the effect of the tassels, I went back when the glue was dry and scored them with a scalpel. I had planned to paint on the detail but this technique is much more effective.

The glue actually looks like tassels now and it's definitely a trick I will use again on these 20mm figures. I love it when a plan comes together!

Custer's Command 20mm

I decided to change Custer's base to include the regimental colours as well as his own. I had originally thought of sticking them all on a big round 60mm base, so it looked like a actual command base. However, I think this would have destroyed the iconic cavalry column look, so I kept the 40mm width and added 20mm to the length. This way Custer can still lead his men in person and have a bit more colour while doing it. 

I think it works better with the extra flag giving it a bit more presence. I did a lot of research to see if Custer actually took the regimental colours with him, but after watching the 1991 mini series 'Son of the rising star', I decided to add one. It was the first time the regiment had been all together for a long time and it makes sense they would have broken of the colours.

Custer swings his battalion left along the bluffs.

"Alexa play Gary Owen, volume 8."

I suppose the best thing about this new base is that it lets Custer ride out Infront.

Scenes from Son of the morning star showing the regimental colours.

When you see the whole column fluttering away in the wind I think it was a good choice to add it.

 What is done for the mounted troopers though has to be carried through into the discounted version too.

Custer's base is already crammed with desperate individuals, so Cooke got the honour of getting the colours.  Again, I prefer this to the casualty figure that was there before.

Both the new troopers are actually from the ACW range of Newline Design 20mm. In many ways they fit the 1876 troopers better than the actual Little Bighorn range do.
 

Grey Horse Company E

After finding out that Tom Custer asked to be on his brother's staff on the campaign, it seemed only right to put him on the command base. It also gives this hero base more of a dramatic flavour. I imagine this will be one of the last bases on the board so why not cram it full of character.

Fighting back to back the two brothers sell their lives dearly.

Company E appears on the horizon. This was quite an experienced unit compared to many others. It was Custer's vanity that put different companies on different coloured mounts, a nod to Napoleon maybe. However, this act has proved very useful after many eye witness reports refer to the grey horse company. So historians can place the movement of this unit due to its horses.

A desperate struggle begins to swirl around Cooke.

 I find it so much more rewarding to paint these companies in groups of four. That way you can really get a feeling of completion quicker. The Juicy command figures are put in the next four, so there is something to look forward to and help power you through the unit.

UPDATE: Company E completed, now forms up with Company F.

It turns out the five Companies that rode with Custer around the camp, we're mostly mounted on bay horses. This makes it a bit less fun to paint but I'm sure there's a way to make them different slightly.

The grey horse troop, some of the last survivors of the Custer's hill. A large group of them broke out and made for the river...the last few were trapped in the deep ravine at the bottom of the slope. Many eye witness accounts talk of E troop men being found in the ravine and yet no skeletal evidence was found supporting this. Maybe one day the mystery will be cleared up.

The brush bristle carbine worked out well.

I gave this unit a few pale hats to mix it up a little.

The bugalar actually looks very Hollywood, with his tan hat and yellow scarf. It had to be done I suppose, a few won't hurt