Afghan Tribal Force Update #12b: Putting Together the 3rd (The Mad Mullah's Own) Afridi Musketeers

Nothing like a close-up photo to make you realize you need to touch up a beard!

Last time I wrote on my "inspiration" for the look of the 3rd (The Mad Mullah's Own) Afridi Musketeers which will be a 12 figure Irregular Infantry unit per The Men Who Would be Kings. The Khan (tribal leader) was an easy conversion while the Banner vignette was more challenging in converting a standard bearer from the Perry Miniatures Afghan Tribesmen box - but we got there! 

This is a good picture (bonus points for the village and watch tower) of typical Pashtuns in the Northwest Frontier. Contemporary diaries, letters, dispatches, etc., talk about typical colors for the different tribes but in my research there really isn't much distinction. I tend to add more blue and black for my Afridi's but many of my contemporary pictures listed as Afridi tribesmen can be in various shades of white. So what the heck - paint how you think they will look good.

Putting the bodies together for the "shoot and scoot" look. Note that I have added the primed turban tail to the leader.

Completed bodies with turban tails added. Most of the tulwars in scabbards, shields, etc., will be added after the figures are painted.

As I was putting them together I was also thinking how the 2 figure vignettes would go together. These were my original ideas which some of them changed as I worked on the units.

Originally both of these figures would be mounted as single figures but that changed.

Then I found this illustration. Every get that feeling that a certain figure needs to be in your unit? Even though this is a Baluchi tribesman, I decided to base one of my Afridi Musketeers on this distinguished warrior. I was also curious how many tulwars and daggers I could glue on a Perry figure.

Well, I think he looks cool and he will be mounted as a single since who would be an excellent bodyguard for smaller scale games.

I use railroad sand and ballast for the texturing of my bases. I learned the hard way, glue into place any larger pieces such as rocks. After my sand dries, I add static grass and after that dries, I add any tufts I want.

Next: How do they look on the table at gaming distance?