Best of British from John Stallard.

For the past few weeks John Stallard, owner of Warlord Games, has been collecting a new Bolt Action British Army. THis week he adds more to this force and explains why he’s made his choices…

John: There is nothing so fine as kit-bashing and converting models to give you unique models in your army. Warlord Games’ hugely popular ‘Figure Head’ head swap system means that no model need be alike, even in a metal collection, let alone allowing for our awesome plastic miniatures!

By popping on a different head you can transform the whole look of the model, having him looking from one side to another, down on the ground or whatever you want. By adding in extra heads from other boxed sets you get an astonishing array of positions.

For the latest addition to my army I grabbed the British Army Combat Engineers pack as I wanted some engineers for my Brits.  However, before I could help myself I had snipped off the head of the flame thrower man and added a separate Tam o’ shanter from the Figure Head range. It was not a perfect fit but I don’t mind, mine are gaming models not great art.

Then I looked at the mine detector model. With three snips of the metal cutters I  cut out the detector and replaced it with a SMLE rifle and a head swap. This took less than 5 mins and gives me a unique advancing Jock.

Next to get the treatment was the kneeling sapper with bolt cutters. One snip and they were gone.The same treatment was given to the engineer with battery box and  explosives. They were cut out and Thompson submachine guns added and a two inch mortar – great stuff!

The talented Paul Hicks sculpted a great model called Major Turntadust – a model of a vampire hunting British Major, armed with crucifix and wooden spikes. He is a great model, but I snipped off the cross he was brandishing and added the trusty Webley pistol from the Bolt Action British Infantry plastic boxed set. The stakes he carried I merely painted as spare Thompson  mags, giving me a top-looking character model.

I also dusted down poor old ‘Hans Hoche’, our depressed, surrendering German  and  paired the two models up. I will be doing some more Jerry prisoners later this week…

I also finished some guns for my PBI, a six pounder and a classic 25 pounder.

I swapped some heads over on the 6 pounder crew to make it obviously Scottish. I then added some spent shell cases on the base, small packs and then 3  crew rifles all stacked up with a tin hat on the top – handy if Jerry starts shooting back. As a final touch, with one snip of the clippers off went the gun commanders hand and a hand with webley from the plastic set was grafted on – total surgery time 55 seconds, and it all helps tell a story. Clearly those Germans are closing in…