Peninsular War: Royal Navy Landing Party

My whole interest in Sharp Practice and Napoleonic was piked by watching reruns of Horneblower on cable. I was sat watching it one day with my good lady wife (who's ears always seem to prick up at the sight of young Ioan Gruffudd in a smart uniform) and I thought- wouldn't it be cool to do these in 28mm. I grabbed the Ipad and I searched the net, and found these lovely figures...sculpted by Britain's own Paul Hicks, but annoyingly only available from the US of A at Brigade Games. Luckily the pound to dollar exchange rate was quite favourable so I ordered them, along with some marines from the same range. I had to wait a while for them to be cast, and for the post, which is why I started on the redcoats, but as soon as they arrived I was itching to get them painted. 

Here they are, with profiles for Sharp Practice. 

(In Sharp Practice the Big Men (officers, NCO's etc) are described in narrative terms, rather than having a stat line that is just a series of abstract numbers.  The important characteristics are in italics.)

 Captain William Brighton, RN, captain of a 44 gun Frigate, the HMS Endurance, is an elderly officer close to retirement but with a long and illustrious career in the Royal Navy. His fellow captains and crew rate him as a jolly good fellow, although old age, and a life time aboard ships, have left him something of a sickly cove. He is quite plain to look upon, a  fair hand with a sword, and an occasional rider. He was the son of an admiral, and despite the fact that he has never risen particularly high in the ranks of the Royal Navy, he is never the less universally loved by his crew, who know that he is chivalrous, fair-handed and he is a well read man of letters. 

3rd Lieutenant Arthur Bonham, of the HMS Endurance, is a strapping fellow, a noted young buck with a promising carrier ahead of him. He is tall, athletic and devilishly hansom. He is a popular cove with his crew, and with the ladies! Mr Bonham is an accomplished horseman,an all-round athlete, and a fair hand with a sword.

He is from a family of new money, his father is a wealthy cotton merchant in Liverpool, but Mr Bonham is a man of adventure, not book keeping. He is an honourable man, except when it comes to the fairer sex, when he has a reputation as being something of a lecherous ladies man. 

 And here is a group shot of my RN landing party, lead by Mr Bonham...