'We're going to a dance....'

The reinforcements I ordered from Pendraken arrived on Monday. I spent the late evening preparing them for undercoating. Fortunately I bought a new can of acrylic spray paint for the undercoating. I'm going to need a lot.

First up, for the Continuation War:

• A dozen German cyclists, to paint up as Finns* - bases worth (a base equals a squad in my rules). They're helmeted so I might have a go at converting a few to caps.
• 3 Panzerschreck teams (again to be Finns)
• 10 Soviet riflemen in pilotka caps
• 10 Soviet riflemen in helmets - with the pilots chaps and a few odds and sods, 8 bases
• 1 x T34 85
• 1 x T34 76 (I slipped up as I meant to order 2)
• 10 Soviet tank riders
• 1 Stug (or 'Sturmi' in Finnish parlance)

Hitherto I've just had infantry on the table (with imaginary artillery and air support) so AFVs will be a new venture for me.

Then going back in time to the American War of Independence:

• 30 Continental infantry - to make up a regiment of 8 companies of 4
• 30 militia - another regiment

I already have command figures for both plus I'll pad out the ranks with odd figures.

• 15 British light dragoons (inc 3 command figures) - about 6 troops worth

Finally the English Civil War:

• 3 bases worth of pike (12 each)
• 3 bases worth of musketeers (12 each)
• 3 bases worth of dismounted dragoons (8 each)

Again, I already had command figures, 1/2 dozen pike and I assigned 6 of the dragoons to the musketeers (they come in packs of 30). Some of the command figures come from the AWI Continental and Militia command sets (its all a question of hats at this scale**) to give a bit more variety from the rest of my units.

This will bring my ECW foot up to 19 battalia, which is a temptingly odd number. Tempting because I might try find a way to stretch that to 20 by doing something creative with spare standard bearers and musketeers and judicious thinning out of ranks. No reason why I need 20 units, or 19 for that matter. But I got to 19 because I had 16 painted pike blocks, plus 1/2 a unit's worth of pikemen. To get the other half I needed to order another pack, sufficient for 2.5 units so I thought I might as well order enough extra musketeers. But I have a few musketeers left over due to using some American 'sergeants' in 'non-tricorned' hats, and lots of drummers, spare standard bearers and officers. I also have lots of spare WWII figures which might be suitable for conversion. Food for thought. Anyway, this is one way in which wargames armies grow subject to their own logic or internal dynamics.***

The aim is to complete the AWI Americans in a couple of days so they can have a proper go at the remaining Brits from the last game. I also want to try out the Neil Thomas Intro to Wargaming, WWII rules soon as they look to be my level of complexity. Then, notwithstanding my intention to organise a campaign, I have a hankering to stage a big battle with my ECW lads. All of them.

In case you're wondering, I do have enough spare Ferrero Rocher boxes to store the finished articles in. Though I probably need some more magnetic paper.

* Years ago I had a DVD of another Finnish war film (can't remember the name, but not Tuntematon Sotilas, Talvisota, or Tali-Ihantala) set during the Continuation War, which featured cycle mounted units ploughing deep into eastern Karelia in 1941.

** The fellows in question have broad-brimmed hats and are holding half-pikes that look a bit officers' spontoons. There's also a halberd-bearing sergeant - I had to trim away his tricorn though, but he was too good not to use for the ECW.

*** I might well have a high ratio of foot to horse now - better not check 😉