I'll be making a start over the next couple of days on the British for the WAS/SYW. I have a couple of very small orders from irregular Miniatures that arrived*. Together these include:
- Horse grenadiers in mitres - will be British (2nd Royal North British Dragoons?)
- Light dragoons in those little crested helmets** (15th or maybe 15th LD?)
- Highlanders (Black Watch?)
- Dismounted dragoons with some horse holders (French - they seemed to be mostly dismounted in the battles I've looked at)
Plus I've got a pack of Bosniak Lancers for the Prussians. They didn't see much action in the big battles, but, hey, you've got to have them because they're exotic right.
There's only enough for a base of each, except for two for the French dragoons and Bosniaken, but there weren't many of each type in any case. I'll see how they paint up though. Who knows, I may expand on their numbers regardless.
* Excellent service from Irregular. Unfortunately I prefer the more individually moulded offering from H&R, so I tend to use IM for troop types H&R don't do.
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The main augmentation is awaiting production at Heroics and Ros. I ordered enough infantry and cavalry to bring the French up to muster for Minden/Fontenoy/Hastenbeck and British/Hanoverians for the same battles. I'm playing a bit fast and loose with the British and Hanoverians. I've bought enough overall (25-30 Infantry battalions for each battle), but it's a different split for each battle. Fontenoy is mostly British, whilst the SYW battles is majority Hanoverian. As they're all in red there will be a certain amount of 'proxying' going on. Even then, when I totted up what I would need including all the other British allies (Hessians, Dutch etc) I came to a number that was too high in GBP for my liking right now. So I decided to use Austrians for Dutch at Fontenoy, and Prussians for Hessians/Brunswickers and Anglo-German artillery. Also on the French side, I'll have Prussians standing in for Palatine infantry at Hastenbeck, and Austrians for the Saxons at Minden. Alles klar?
It's probably best I indulge in this proxying for a while as I'm rapidly running out of spare Ferrero Rocher boxes, and they've doubled in price since the first ones I bought. 30% recently alone, thus proving that even high-ranking diplomats are facing the Cost of Living Crisis (formerly known as 'Inflation').
Friday Reflection Corner
It's odd how I've gone from not being able to resist buying books on the English Civil War and wanting to get more troops from that nice Mr Pendraken, and being a bit jaded with the SYW, to almost a complete reversal. Maybe the pendulum will swing back again.
When the big new order is painted up I'll have substantial armies for the 5 major powers in the SYW, but will I stop there? There's a good chance not. Maybe the Dutch and Saxons will make a proper appearance. Or maybe the Reichs troops and Hessians. Also, as I mentioned before, I have an itch do the Italian theatre in the WAS. More whitecoats granted (on both sides!) but I've just 'got' to have some Spanish and Piedmontese. 🙄
Excellent plans! I plan British/Hanoverians too. Maybe a 2023 project?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if having a few games in SYW (Mollwitz) and WAS (Bassignana) helped reignite interest?
Yes it’s you fault. I’d forgotten all about the Italian theatre until your Bassignana game.😆
DeleteChris
You certainly will have some painting ahead of you with the orders coming in.
ReplyDeleteI’ve had a few weeks off Peter so I’m keen to get going again! Don’t forget these chaps are tiny.
DeleteBelieve it or not, these will be the first Brits I’ve ever painted. I’ve done Portuguese, Spanish and even a few KGL before. But never any British of any period.
Chris
Look forward to seeing your progress on these Chris. NEVER painted any British - I cant believe it!
ReplyDeleteI think I was having a senior moment there Keith. I had forgotten about the AWI figures I’d done. Crikey!
DeleteChris
"25-30 battalions for each side". That will be a great battle. 😊
ReplyDeleteYou have certainly got a lot of work to do!
I’m there with the French I’ve got already. Just need more to take me up from Rossbach scale.
DeleteI like the 7 YW plans, too!
ReplyDeleteJa, alles klar! Aside from WWII, I too have yet to paint any British, despite having miniatures for the SYW, AWI and mid-19thC Europe. The latter will likely be done first so I can do some Invasion literature type games against the dastardly Hun!
ReplyDeleteI too have gone off the ECW, but not the SYW, which I still find fascinating. The former has been surplanted by the Glorious Revolution period as I find it more interesting and gives me some more gaming options, namely in Europe. Maybe one day I will return to the ECW, but not for the foreseeable future that is...
Lots of British scarlet uniforms on telly recently may give you inspiration... You'd want some Saxons too, surely? also Italy seems often overlooked in favour of The Cruel Wars in Higher Germany, but was much fought over in all the horse and musket periods, could be a nice variation if you are not completely wedded to Prussian armies!
ReplyDeleteSaxons are on the list of possibles David. But maybe the Spanish and Piedmontese come first? They’re all bloody white-coated anyway, or most of them. The main distinguishing feature will be the flags, which I will hand paint because the flags are moulded on the H&R and Irregular figures. I’ll get the Anglo-Hanoverians done and then see how I feel.
DeleteChris