edit: This thread evolved to be about state troop painting and building in general, while starting off as being about converting spearmen. Thread subject was changed accordingly.
edit2: I've now set up an Imgur account to re-upload stuff that went down with Photobucket stopping being free. I uploaded all the finished stuff, but not every little intermediate step that I'd originally posted.
I just decided I want another unit of 30-something spearmen. Now I need to find out how to do it. 6th edition spearmen are unfortunately unipose, so while I might mix in a bunch of those, I'd rather not use them for the whole unit. 7th edition Empire close combat infantry, I don't like those at all, I want my guys to have puff-and-slash clothes. Also other, less diplomatic things about how those models look.
I took stock of my inventory, I have an abundance of bitz from the 6e swordsmen/halberdiers box, that'll get me proper arms and torsos. I apparently have 30 7e spear points that could be stuck on appropriate shafts, if I can find something. I have 16 7e pairs of arms holding a spear/halberd shaft, plus another 10 that can be cannibalized from an aborted project. I have 11 loose 6e spear bitz.
I'm thinking I should mainly do it by cutting off the arms from the 7e spear shaft bitz, leaving just the shaft and the hands. Then, they're in pretty much the same shape as the 6e spear bitz, and I can build the rest of the body largely from 6e swordsman bitz.
That would actually be sufficient for 27 spearmen, and with 3 guys being the command group, that'd be all I need. However, I'd still have 7e 14 spear points left, so I wouldn't have to make it that easy. Is there any other suitable bit that could be turned into a spear by sticking that spear point on it? I would, in particular, for the sake of variety, like to make a few spearmen hold their spears one-handed overarm style.
Any ideas?