I’ve always been fascinated by America. Its history, its culture, its incredible variety of landscapes, and, of course, its food. Give me a Philly cheesesteak over a bacon sandwich any day of the week! (You’re sacked. -ed.)
From the earliest English settlements at Jamestown, the Salem witch trials, through the California Gold Rush and the Wild West, American history has always captured my imagination. I’ve also been fortunate enough to travel coast to coast across the United States twice, and I can’t wait to go back. From the bright lights of New York City at night to the breath-taking Badlands of South Dakota, the Crazy Horse Memorial, and Mount Rushmore, every experience has left me wanting to explore more.
With 2026 marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence from us Brits, it felt like the perfect excuse to finally dive into historical wargaming across the pond. Where better to start than with the Epic Battles: Revolution! starter set? This box is an absolute beast. With well over 2,000 miniatures inside, it’s certainly going to keep me busy for a while!
Of course, the first decision was choosing a side. Do I remain loyal to the Crown and help crush the rebellion, or do I reject taxation without representation, throw the tea into Boston Harbor, and fight for independence? The choice was an easy one – I joined the Continental cause!
Building My First Brigade
Rather than tackling the entire box in one go, I decided to focus on painting a single brigade first.
Early in the war, American forces relied heavily on militia fighting alongside the Continental Army, so I wanted my first force to reflect that. Unlike the polished ranks of the British Army, the militia wore a wide variety of civilian clothing, making them the perfect excuse to paint plenty of different browns, blues, greens and yellows. Individually they look wonderfully ragtag, but when ranked together on the battlefield they still feel like a unified force.
For most of the painting I relied on Army Painter Speedpaints. I wasn’t worried about being perfectly neat during the early stages, so I simply blocked in the colours before coming back to tidy up the straps, bags, muskets, and other details. A few carefully placed washes added some extra depth, and before long they were ready for battle.
To stop myself going crazy, I broke the project into smaller chunks. Rather than painting all ten infantry bases (200 men!) in one sitting, I’d complete two bases (a mere 40 soldiers) before rewarding myself with something different, whether that was cavalry, artillery or the mounted commanders. This method made the whole project feel far more manageable.
I decided to clip off the locating pegs on the bases and position the horses & artillery diagonally instead of straight ahead. As someone who enjoys photographing miniatures, I much prefer seeing more of the footprint of the model from the front. This I feel worked really well for the cavalry, and gave them a more dynamic look! To save a little time later, I also painted two cannon together instead of one. It barely added any extra work, and I knew I’d want a second artillery piece eventually anyway.
The skirmishing riflemen and the three bases of Continental Regulars were also painted together. Those smaller painting sessions fitted perfectly around the hobby time I had available.
For the Regulars, I switched away from Speedpaints and used Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic acrylics instead. I wanted these troops to look a little cleaner and more disciplined than the militia, helping reinforce the contrast between the organised Continental Army and its more irregular supporting forces.
Flags and Basing
The finishing touches were flags and basing. The flag sheet included in the box is excellent, offering plenty of different options to suit your force. For my militia, I chose coloured regimental flags featuring striped cantons, which complemented the varied clothing nicely.
For the Continental Regulars, I couldn’t resist using the iconic thirteen-star ‘Betsy Ross’ flag. While historians still debate exactly how widely this design was used during the Revolution, it has become one of the defining symbols of the American War of Independence and felt like the perfect choice for the army. As the collection grows, I’m looking forward to using more of the flags included in the set.
The basing was kept deliberately simple. I started with sand and PVA glue before painting the ground with earthy brown tones. I then applied a slightly desaturated 2mm autumnal flock. Rather than using the brighter greens I often choose for my 28mm miniatures, I wanted a more muted finish that would draw the eye to the colours of the models themselves. To finish the bases, I added a few small tufts of foliage to represent scattered shrubs and undergrowth.
Done Is Better Than Perfect
With a project of this size, I made a conscious decision not to chase perfection but to just get them done to a point where I’m happy with them. Hobby time isn’t unlimited, so I’d much rather have a fully painted and based army ready for the tabletop than spend months obsessing over every last button and buckle. The beauty of miniatures is that you can always come back later if you want to add some extra touches!
You can already see a glimpse of that approach with the Continental commanders. Their uniforms have received a little extra attention, but the horses and tack could still benefit from another pass. They’re firmly on my future ‘highlight hit list’.
What’s Next?
My journey through the American Revolution is only just beginning.
I’ve already painted a unit of Hessian Jäger skirmishers, which have their own painting video over on the Warlord Games YouTube channel and next on the painting table is a trio of cottages. These MDF kits are full of character and should make a fantastic addition to the battlefield. I’ll also be producing a video painting tutorial for them, so keep an eye out or better yet, subscribe so you don’t miss it!
One thing’s for certain – I don’t think this will be my last trip across the Atlantic, at least on the hobby table.
Want to follow in Chris’ revolutionary footsteps with Epic Battles?
