Thirteen Models on the Drum (spring clean ’25)

The Sharpe for this set doesn’t look like Sean Bean. The Harper model looks nothing like Daragh O’Malley but that matters. Growing up in 90s in the depths of the Yorkshire Pennines, you only had three local role models, Alan Bennett, Compo and Sean Bean. Although coming from the exact same town as Patrick Stewart for some reason he never made the list, but I digress. Sean Bean was Sharpe. The swashbuckling hero in a regancy uniform. For me Sharpe will always be Sean. (I know he’s nothing like the book version, but that doesn’t matter this is a rant.

In the Flintloque background, Sharpe is an and half orc/elf and in the story he is playing dead to route out the French spy master. But…. it’s not Sean. I am an adult though, so I will paint the model.

Without sounding bitter, the model is slightly odd. The body has some nice details, but the half orc/elf face makes the model neither, and loses some of the look. I believe this bit of the background has been retconed now, and alternative armies sell some wonderful orc models.

The elf captain with the Irish Orcs was a wonderful model to paint. Crisp detail and character in spades.

I don’t have any information on either the sculpters or the manufacture dates, but the ones that came with this set compared are far more superior compared to the ones for the box set.

The striped and cleaned Irish orc has come out rather well.

The model was lovely to paint. The face was so full of expression and the little details like the worn and ripped uniform just added so much character

So here are all the British troops together. To be honest I’m rather proud of them, and just wish I had a better photo of them.

You may be wondering where Sharpe is, and so was I.  For some reason I’m not sure on the Sharpe in this set looks rather like an elf, so I took him to be one of the French infantry. I need to get him done, regardless of how he looks before midsummer.

So I took the orc Duke to meet the iron duke today.

Ignoring the fact that one was real and the other is an orc, there are obviously dressed different. As I wrote before the model is based off an earlier portrait, whilst on display is the dukes long coat and hat from Waterloo. Also if you are interested here are his boots.

Last year I had to go to the opticians as part of a DSE requirement for work, and it turned out I needed a pair of glasses. Only a weak prescription, but still.

So I had a go at painting whilst wearing them and it I discovered I could see the model.. And then I discovered something after. It turns out the glasses have a slight blue ting to them, so the highlights are slightly off.

I know sod all about the Irish that fought for Napoleon. I kind of imagine that they would just fit into the normal regiments. It turns out no, there was a Irish regiment, there officers dressed like the rest of the French army, but the Irish wore green. (the two caps at the back of the picture bellow are Spanish)

Been orcs rather than Irish it will make them stand out more in the French force, but hayho, and least I’m used to painting dark green uniforms now.

The photo doesn’t do it justice, but I’m very happy with how he came out.

I did my best to replicate some of the aspects of the uniform there weren’t on the sculpt.

I think that now all the British are done.. It maybe time for a group shot.

So it’s time to paint the Iron Duke himself. I’m approaching this with some trepidation, as part of my job is working with the Duke of Wellington Regiment, I’ve even meet his great, great grandson. So this one is personal.

So what did Arthur wear? Although some generals wore dress uniform in battle, Wellington was renowned for wearing civilian clothing pale breeches, a dark coloured frock coat, a cloak and a cocked hat. Much of our image of Wellington as a hero has been shaped by portraits depicting him in dress uniform most notably by Thomas Lawrence, the Duke, in fact, cared little for it.

Our orc though is wearing a dress uniform, so it’s Lawrence’s portrate that I’m going to take inspiration from.