Having completed a unit of Space Marines, I have been building up the numbers of my native warriors as another Poundland penny plastic toy soldier figure conversion (or “penny dreadful” original figures as some of you have suggested).
Each plastic 36mm figure costs a penny (tub of 100 for a £1 in Poundland) and is now based on a penny for a bit more weight and stability.
My first trial batch of half a dozen figures worked well enough, so I have now quickly converted another dozen riflemen towards a small skirmish force of native warriors or hill tribesmen. Another dozen or so more figures to add and we should be almost there.
Any roughness in painting or conversion is almost hidden en masse.
A very light wash of pale blue was used, hopefully to bring out the whiteness of their robes.
You can read more about how these were all converted or made from Poundland’s finest “penny dreadful” figures using tissue paper and PVA to add robes at: https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2017/10/22/poundland-desert-warriors-finished
I am thinking about future native artillery unit conversions so dug out of the spares box an old 30mm artillery piece, probably by Spencer Smith Miniatures or Prince August. The lack of 36mm cavalry is one thing I am working on, with some interesting odd possibilities in my spares box.
These figures are not specific to any country or historical period. Instead they are intended to be a wily native opposition to the usual Redcoat or colonial / imperialist troops invading or defending one of my Imagi-Nations countries.
Redcoats in Waiting
My next conversion is to paint up a unit of some “Redcoats” using some more of the Poundland figures. A batch of 20 riflemen are already undercoated, based on pennies and waiting their turn on the painting table. A very rough conversion of a Poundland’s modern machine gunner to a Redcoat heliograph signaller is partly done (below). Twenty odd tiny Fimo backpacks will also be required!
My alternative desert infantry conversion is a simpler paint conversion, a little more ‘modern’ (or at least 20th century) and khaki than the toy soldier style Army Red / Redcoat figures. I want to create a small skirmish force of these desert khaki infantry as well from the Poundland figures.
All good fun, it makes a cheap and pleasant change from tracking down vintage Peter Laing 15mm metal figures.
Blogposted by Mark, Man of TIN blog and Pound Store Plastic Warriors blog, November 2017.
Pound Store Plastic Warriors 
They look great Mark – like the cannon! Are they going to be in action soon?
LikeLike
Once I have finished a skirmish unit of 20 to 40 Redcoats out of Poundland penny dreadful figures (in lovely scarlet coats which makes them better as target practice) then they will be into action on a cluttered rocky deserty Heroscape Hex landscape hopefully within a week or two.
When will those Redcoats learn about the benefits of dusty khaki? Some might think ‘Zulu’ and ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ for Colonial inspiration here but I’ll be channeling “Carry on Up The Khyber Pass”.
Mark Man of TIN blog
LikeLike