And later that day...

Continued the winnowing process today and 'added back in' a bunch of figures.  Well, sort of.  I grouped a bunch of additional foot only figures into 'sets of six' and some of them will be retained, especially the Gambler Gunmen - and the Women's Temperance marchers which I will need for the Battle of Whiskey Hills.  Others might replace some of what was winnowed yesterday.  Still many 'final' decisions to come over time.  Remember, "the cunning plan" is still in place to paint until 'satiated' for the Old West/Pony Wars.

And a significant moment today when I laid out for priming what started as 120 but ballooned up to 144 individual standing only bases - plus a matching 24 dead figure stands, 1:6 ratio dead to alive for the foot only figures.  That is a lot of bases.  And add to that 24 figures painted/being painted for me along with appropriate dead figures.  So at least 168 individually based foot figures and 28 dead figures.  I can see myself easily doubling that number to a total of 336 figures plus dead as needed - but beyond that is excessive for sure.  That means 56 'sets of six'.  So, another dimension of the downward winnow will be prioritizing which of the 'sets of six' are either most important to me or most versatile, ideally both.  The challenge is how many more of those sets there are, perhaps triple that.  Easily see myself bumping it up to 60 sets - and there goes the creeping upwards!  {60 x 6 = 360 + 60 dead = 420 to paint.  A lot but a lot less than 1,300 plus before the winnowing began.  Resolve is required.}

Additional bases were prepared - and need to do some more but a fraction of the rest.  The individually based cavalry now has all the needed bases (but for a few more).  Two of the three still to paint cowboys have their bases, need to do a few more for that third unanticipated cowpoke.  And then I did all of the individually based Indians - except for those assigned to the cavalry as scouts.  Perhaps some more to do to add in Apache to the mix, that is a probable.  Looks like I will need to order more of my round metal bases - but mostly for other projects than the Old West/Pony Wars which has made a big dent.  

Wrestling with the idea of going through the rest of the 'extra' foot only figures to group them in sets of six but not sure about that, not sure it is worth the effort.

Even with many decisions still to make, considerable forward progress the last few days.  

The Great Reduction Shifts into Overdrive - or something like that

 Just a first pass through with some things still to be winnowed and not quite down by half for the 'on foot only' civilians. Which is still way too many figures than will ever be needed.  

But now I have a cunning plan.  All groups listed below - except for the saloon men which still need a bit of tinkering - are organized in groups of six figures (totals below all divisible by six except as noted).  

And the plan is to pull out and paint whatever group(s) of six figures I need for an upcoming game and paint them. Many, not all, will be primed and ready.  As I paint, once I reach a point where I know I have enough of 'this or that', the rest will be consigned to extraville and be parted with. 

I imagine - and hope - by the time I've painted a third of the retained figures, that will be more than enough.  Yeah, still excessive at 'only' a third of the retained figures but the plan feels right.  At least the 'unretained' figures reduces the painting total by many hundreds of figures.

Here, with an annotation or two, is the break down, armed first:

Mountain Men                    24 (all unique sculpts - I think)

"Denver" Free Militia         36 + 6 (the six being Oracle Jones, Clayton Howell, etc.)   

Armed White Men              42 (all unique sculpts!)

Armed White Women         18

Armed Mexican Men          12 + 6 (the six with machetes only)(another 24 or 36? painted)

Armed Mexican Women     12

The rest are unarmed:

White Men                          96 (almost all unique sculpts)

White Women                     78 (definitely duplication with all the women but tried not to duplicate within a single group of six where possible, not always an option)

White Children                   36 (as above but more so with all the children, had to duplicate)

Mexican Men                      12 (another 24 already painted, peons to work the land)

Mexican Women                 36

Mexican Children               18 (only some ethnic kids are appropriate, most are just 'kids')

Native Men                         12 (the old and the infirm who hang around town or the fort) [lots more native villagers for the 'wild' Indians, men, women, and children, aka off the reservation (or on if needed)]

Native Women                      12

Native Children                     6 

Colored Men                        18

Colored Women                   18

Colored Children                 12

Miners / Prospectors            12 (and six pack mules)

Photographers                      18 men and women (three cameras and then subjects, observers)

Film Crews                           12 men and women (old fashioned early film cameras - just for fun)

Train Crews                           60 (conductor, engineer, fireman, two brakemen, and express car man so ten crews but, clearly, excessive - only have nine steam locomotives after all)

Saloons and Baudy Houses  24 + 2 men (may pull figures from above lists to add some here to get to two more groups of six)

Saloons and Baudy Houses  18 drunks {rereading and it occurs to me I can use two sets of drunks to 'balance out' the saloon men and just drop two figures, less to paint!}

Saloons and Baudy Houses    48 +1  women (dancing girls, soiled doves, French bauds, etc., plus one gal ready to 'fly the eagle')

If I added that up right, that comes up to 783 (781 by dropping two as above) figures (+ mules?) which is obviously more than is needed.  But, there is that plan...

Not yet gone through in complete detail are the dead figures but I was pleasantly surprised at how many unique sculpts there are.  But I have multiples of most - those without multiples are converted ACW from Old Glory 15 mm ACW casualty pack.  And enough dead figures to be a multiple several times what 'saner' Old West gamers have in their collections.  It's okay, my 'insanity' here is quite benign.

The mounted civilians are still awaiting a rework to winnow down.  Well, those not already done.  And more mounted/dismounted/dead sets are likely next up for getting painted, the two more Characters and then the US Cavalry and some native warriors to oppose them.

One last thing, as I individually base the foot figures - on 3/4" steel discs - I hope to somehow mark each group with a distinctive mark, a colored stone, same colored grass tufts, etc.  Might be a few on larger bases, like the card players and the paino players in the saloon groupings.

More winnowing later today I hope.

From Disaster Preparedness to Disaster "Repair"edness!

A wee mishap yesterday.  The box containing all of my painted Old West wagons took a tumble from a six foot high shelf all the way to the concrete garage floor - thankfully there was a garage mat where it hit to soften, somewhat, the blow.  But most of the wagons sustained some damage, thankfully nothing that couldn't be repaired with a little glue or a spot of paint.  The shot below shows everything repaired - though a few more spots of paint applied after this photo.

I didn't think to take a photo before the repairs - but I don't think I want to be reminded any more than necessary.  But I did get a shot of the interior of the stage coach showing the passengers are, indeed, painted.

And I am 'pleased' to report that the "road apples" sustained no damage at all.  Now, can someone grab a shovel and clean that mess up! 😏

A moment of feeling slightly disheartened but "all better now".

 

The Individually Based Characters

The below named figures are either all painted or in process of being painted for me (the Mexicans) except for the two last named legends which I need to prep and paint.  There are 60 mounted/foot/dead characters and six foot/dead only characters though three of those have an 'assigned' mule.  Naturally, all of these figures can be assigned differently in varied scenarios.  Also, unlikely they will all appear in a single game together.

 The Legends

George “The Dude” van Vittles Jake “Spawn” McGregor

Clark Twilight Johnny “Forest” Blue

Sammy “Shotgun” Mcgillicuddy Daniel “Deadeye” Wastrelson

The Demi-Legends (no mounted versions)

Annie Oakley Calamity Jane Belle Starr

The Wanderers (no mounted versions)

Pete Luster - “Prospector Pete” Patrick Luster - “Little Brother”

Pack Mule - Minty Pack Mule - Woody

Sister Veronica aka Veronica Voluptuous

Pack Mule - Clinty

The Good Ranchers

Wayne Morris         “Fondles” Henryman

Stew Jameson         Coop Garrulous

Ford Glenburg         Lance Burtman

Innocent Farmers

Livy Landsalot         ‘Jingles’ Smith

Eldred Gregory         Vint Bradley

Newbie Pauls          “Shank” Williams

Gunmen on the Right Side

Eli Samuels         Willie Chiller

Marvin Leafie        Picky Slim

Macquarie “Mac” Stevens Bren Walters

The Upstanding Mexicans

Manuelisimo de Granillo* Dakota Cruz

*El Guberdenadores de las Siete Ciudad de Oro (full title)

Urias Garcia         Jose Reyes

Rodrigo Asturia the Priest Stony Aguilar

The Mean Spirited Ranchers

Flint Haymaker Cord Dexter

Mitch Roberts          Hoss Wagner

Bron Carlitos         “Lash” Whitman

The Drifters

Cheyenne Hill         “Rowdy” Tosser

“Bronco” Stang         “Skinny” Michaels

Heck Knowles         Quincy Jackson

Gunmen on the Wrong Side

Cob Burnjim         Elm Jackeye

Duvall Bowman         Wynn Keen

Arney Jimmer         Boon Dixon

The Mexican Desperadoes

Rafael Castillo         Festus Morales

Cisco Lopez         “Pecos” Perez

Pancho Hernandez         Tagg Estrada

Former Slaves turned Cowboys

Caesar Julius         Gil Kingsley

Buck Epps         Kit Mulligan

“Red” Barbarossa         Israel Francois

*****

Sorted and ready to be worked on once some standing and dead horses arrive - which are on their way to me through the mail already - are the following:

Company F, Fourth of a Fifth Regiment, US Cavalry (18 characters - mounted/foot/dead)

Captain Slater Trumpeter Cobbs Trooper Benton

Trooper Collins Trooper Duddleson Trooper Emery

Lt. Carter Cpl. Agarn Trooper Heinze, 

Trooper Lasky         Trooper Moss         Trooper Murray 

Sgt. Hochbauer Trooper Pendleton Trooper Riorty

Trooper Schwabacker Trooper Tucker Trooper Vanderbilt

The Lakota Warriors (36 characters - mounted/food/dead)

The Zuya Sunka War Party of the Winyan Wowapĩ Warrior Society of the Fuh-qahr-wii sept of the Lakota nation:

Six bands of six warriors each to honor the six sacred directions of the Lakota - other tribes being absent, the Northern Cheyenne fill in the sixth band

Blackfeet - north

Brave Knees         Laughing Loon Napping Bear 

Orenda         Runs From Bees Afraid of Rabbits

Brule - east

Howling Wolf         Coyote Chuckles Hugging Bears

Lizard Laughing Rumbling Raccoon Snoring Snake

Hunkpapa - west

Laughing Lynx Catches Pinecones Hopping Frog

Moose Rider Sneezing Buffalo Dancing Deer

Northern Cheyenne - down

Smiling Hawk         Chasing Rabbits Jumping Squirrel

Leaping Lizards         Running Brook Winking Owl

Oglala - south

Takoda         Buffalo Knapper Dancing Bear

Laughing Wolf         Stinking Farts * Willow Tall Tree

Sans Arc - up

Whistling Wind Beaver Eater * Giggling Grizzly

Rabbit Runs Sneaky Fox Puzzled Panther

Still need to make some decisions and do some sorting on Apaches - and villagers for both the Lakota and the Apache.  The warriors need to be, at least mostly, mounted/foot/dead though some could be just foot/dead.

Another need is to sort out some scouts for US Cavalry - and maybe some mountain men.  Perhaps some of these figures can do double duty as either scouts or mountain men.

Already have plenty of figures, just need to do the sorting.

And part of what is on its way to me are some additional unarmed civilians as well as some armed civilians (both men and women) to add that element to the invidually based element of my Old West collection.  For the armed, will be foot/dead sets; for the unarmed, will be so many foot per dead figure - but not one-for-one.  There are certain scenarios in my future where such figures will be necessary.

As a for instance, for the Battle of Whiskey Hills (the namesake for this blog) from the movie Hallelujah Trail requires my variation of the Denver Free Militia - which will be the Anachronism Free Militia.  Have those figures as well though may need to resort on the dead a bit.  I just seem to have a great need/desire to have lots of casualty figures for this set up.

The year 2025 will continue to see more Old West figures painted, more wagons painted, more wild life painted and lots of buildings painted.  Or so is the hope.

An 'ultimate goal' is to have all of the named figures whether mounted/foot/dead, foot/dead, or some-many-foot/only-so-many-dead to be 100% unique figures - but I will, if necessary, compromise a bit and go with different paint jobs if I can't get all the way there on the unique sculpts.  To get there may require dropping out some already painted figures and replacing them with owned but not yet painted figures.  I guess it might be better termed a hoped for goal than an ultimate one.

And, courtesy of a LAF post, in future, I will do some minor modifications of dead figures to better represent female casualties, simple use of white glue soaked bits of tissue paper to create skirts/dresses.