Tratvian Cossacks

After a gap of many months I have finally painted some 1/32 toys.  These Armies in Plastic Cossacks form the first unit of the Army of Greater Tratvia (Army Dark Green in Funny Little Wars-speak).  Tratvia, for the benefit of those of you struggling to locate it on maps, is a huge country which straddles Europe and Asia.  Among the countries it borders in the west are Forbodia and Vulgaria.  While economically somewhat backward in our period (1910-ish), the country is rich in natural resources and has vast reserves of (as yet mostly unpainted) manpower.

The figures are straight out of the box - the only slight conversions being the bugler and standard bearer.  By mixing and matching from several boxes I managed to kit out the whole regiment with the same horse pose - in my view this enhances the 'toy soldier' look of these chaps.  As indeed do the two coats of gloss varnish...

The chap on the grey is the CO, to his left are the bugler, standard bearer and the beardless youth who is the unit's junior officer.