Mercenary Greek hoplites

This is a unit of 36 hoplites serving in a mercenary unit of a Late Persian army against the Macedonians. I'm not really an 'ancients' wargamer but its nice to stray occasionally out of my normal 18th century habitat. I plan to do both armies using WAB for an approximate points-count though for the battles themselves I will use Computer Strategies "Macedon & Rome".

The corner-stone of the Persian forces will be this 40 figure (I need 4 more figures - happy to pay if anybody has 4 spare figures!)unit of hoplites. The rear ranks are unarmoured and just wear chitons in unbleached linen/wool (a great range of colours from Coat d'Arms paints)while the front two ranks have linothorax in greys and white tones. The shield transfers are by LBM and are a bit fiddly (try them in 15mm for really fiddly) but make all the difference. By the way, the figures are all fron Crusader's new Rank and File range and they are superb - even facial features beneath the helmets are easy to access with a paintbrush.

Next week I should have received Eureka's WAS Dutch so they are scheduled for then.
One week away from the 18th century has given me withdrawal symptoms.

Savory update:Nothing to report as yet but I'm waiting for a price from the printers. I don't think, sadly, there will be any chance of publication before Christmas of this year.
Thank you to all who have sent me an email expressing interest and you should all have had a reply from me.

HIS MAJESTY'S BRITTANIC ARMY IN GERMANY DURING THE SEVEN YEARS WAR by Sir Reginald Savory

As many of you may know, this book (HIS MAJESTY'S BRITTANIC ARMY IN GERMANY DURING THE SEVEN YEARS WAR by Sir Reginald Savory) is the definitive source in English for the Western theatre of the Seven Years War.

A company called Athena Press printed 500 copies quite a few years ago when I bought my copy (£50 I think I paid) and since then the price has mounted. Please see this link to Abe Books:

http://www.abebooks.com:80/servlet/SearchResults?an=savory&sts=t&tn=his+britannic+majesty%27s+army+in+germany&x=0&y=0

I am negotiating with the copyright holder the possibility of another print run of about 250-500 numbered copies. The price is likely to be about £50 and the quality hardback is likely to be in a similar format to the ones published by Athena Press.

At this early stage I'm trying to get an idea of demand. If you are interested (and there is no commitment at this stage) could you please drop me an email at
nigbil@free.fr

These are hard economic times and before I embark on such an expensive project I'd need to have a very good idea of the level of interest.

Thanks,
Nigel

OOB Pragmatic Army

25mm SYW/WAS Anglo-Allied Pragmatic Army 1:33

C-in-C Prinz Ferdinand 3

Advance Guard: Colonel Luckner(H) 1
Hessian Jaegers 9
Brunswick Jaegers 9
Freytag Jaegers 9
Brunswick Hussars von Roth 8
Hanoverian Luckner’s Hussars 12
Battalion gun

Column: Lt-General Prinz von Isenburg-Budingen (Hessian) 2 Brigade: Maj-General Waldegrave 1
5th Foot (Bentinck) 18
6th Foot (Guise) 18
37th Foot (Stewart) 18
Battalion gun
Brigade: Maj-General Kingsley 1
8th Foot (King’s) 18
20th Foot (Kingsley) 18
43rd Foot (Kennedy) 18
Battalion gun
Brigade: Maj-General Scheele (H) 1
Hanoverian Guard battalion 26
Hanoverian Guard battalion 26
Battalion gun
Brigade: Major Lennox 1
6x6pdr Light British Battery

Column: Lt-General Freiherr von Spörcken (H) 2
Brigade: Maj-General von Wangenheim (H) 1
von Reden Hanoverian Reg 3A 26
von Post Hanoverian Reg 10A 26
Chevallerie Hanoverian 11B 26
Battalion gun
Brigade: Maj-General George Ludwig von Zastrow (Bru) 1
Brunswick von Mansberg 1st Btn 18
Brunswick von Mansberg 2nd Btn 18
Brunswick Prinz Friedrich 1st Btn 18
Brunswick Prinz Friedrich 2nd Btn 18
Battalion gun
Battalion gun
Brigade: Maj-General Bischhausen (He) 1
Hessian Mansbach 1st Btn 12
Hessian Mansbach 2nd Btn 12
Hessian Gilsa 1st Btn 12
Hessian Gilsa 2nd Btn 12
Hessian Prinz Karl 1st Btn 12
Hessian Prinx Karl 2nd Btn 12
Battalion gun
Battalion gun
Brigade: Major Haase (H) 1
6x12pdr Hanoverian Battery

Column: Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Erbprinz of Brunswick 2
Brigade: Maj-General Bartheld (H?)
Hanoverian battalion 26
Hanoverian battalion 26
Hanoverian battalion 26
Battalion gun
Brigade: Major-General Bock (H?) 1
British Grenadier Btn 18
Hanoverian Grenadier Btn 12
Brunswick Conv.Gren.von Redecken 16
Hessian Mansbach/GilsaGrenadier 12
Battalion gun
Brigade: Maj-General.............(He)
3rd Hessian Guards,. 1st Btn 12
3rd Hessian Guards, 2nd Btn 12
Hessian Hanau/Erbprinz 1st Btn 12
Hessian Hanau/Erbprinz 2nd Btn 12
Hessian Pr.Karl/Hanau Grenadier 12
Battalion gun
Battalion gun
Brigade: Major (He)
6x6pdr Hessian Battery

(Right)Column Cavalry General: Lt Gen Marquis of Granby 2
Cavalry Brigade: Major-General Mostyn 1
3rd Dragoon Guards, 3 squ 12
5th Dragoons (Royal Irish)(2 squ) 8
6th Dragoons (Inniskilling)(2 squ) 8
Brigade: MG von Reden (H)(dragoons) 1
Hanoverian Leib-Regiment Horse 8
Hanoverian Zepelin Horse 8
Hanoverian Dachenhausen Dragoons 16
Brigade: MG von Oheim(He) 1
Miltitz (Oheim)Hessian Horse 12
Prinz Wilhelm Hessian Horse 12
Prinz Friedrich Hessian Dragoons 16

(Left) Column Cavalry General: Lt.General von Jonquieres (H) 2
Cavalry Brigade: MG von Hodenburg(H) 1
Hanoverian Garde du Corps 4
Hanoverian Grenadier a Cheval 4
Hanoverian Grothaus Horse 8
Hanoverian Gilten Horse 8
Cavalry Brigade: MG von Dachenhausen (H) 1
Hanoverian Dachenhausen Horse 8
Hessian Horse Leib 8
Hanoverian Breidenbach Dragoons 16
Cavalry Brigade: MG von Prüschenk(He) 1
Hessian Dragoons Leib 16
Hanoverian Bock Dragoons 16

The numbers after generals is the numbers of figures per base. The numbers after units is the number of figures in the unit.

This is what I have planned for my Pragmatic Army. Items marked in BOLD are finished, the rest are the ongoing project. Tentatively, I have this army pencilled in to be finished by the summer of next year as I will then have to build a French army. The Dutch don't fit in this plan at the moment but I have ordered some of the new Eureka figures and if they are nice, I can see a forth infantry column of Dutch being added. Any further help with the names of commanding officers would be a great help as I have a few gaps.

Hessian Regiment Mansbach

While waiting for the Greeks to arrive I had time to paint up a Hessian Regiment for my SYW/WAS Pragmatic Army. I've gone for the post 1760 organisation because a) the flags are nicer and b) the single battalion Regiments were enlarged and made into two small battalion Regiments. So these are just 12 figures per battalion (as against 18s for the British and Brunswickers and 26s for the Hanoverians) and their (weak) presence on the battlefield will force the wargamer to make some tactical decisions - just as Ferdinand had to. But, on the other hand, I will field these Hessians in brigades of 3 Regiments (72 figures total)so they will be just as strong as a Brunswick brigade, for example, of 72 figures as well. I think I recall reading somewhere (Mollo or Savary, I don't remember which) that the Hessians were considered more reliable than the Brunswickers. I also wanted to further differentiate these from Brunswickers so I will give all Hessians white gaiters, which was technically summer issue, though I suspect black was worn all year round.

Lastly, I just wanted to mention that pictures of Crusader's new SYW French are up on North Star's website. When I saw them this morning I was hugely disappointed as they had turnbacks but after talking to Mark I'm happier now. These are the first realease and are suitable for French 'Germans', 'Swiss' amd later war French themselves. The (more interesting, to me) figures in coats without turnbacks will be released (Mark says) early next year.

Greeks next week sometime.

Some Hanoverians Guards

I've finally finished this large Hanoverian brigade consisting of two battalions of the Hanoverian Guards (each battalion is 26 figures strong) plus their battalion gun and general, Major General Scheele. The latter is a Foundry conversion by adding a shoulder sash with greenstuff. The gun is by Hinchcliffe, the gunners, Foundry, and most of the infantry are Crusader. The two officers are Foundry though. Having found out how easy it is to add a sash with greenstuff I will now start using this technique more often.

The top picture is another Foundry conversion. He was from their Highwayman pack but I removed the head and added another - voila, Major-General George Ludwig von Zastrow in Brunswick service.

92nd Irish regiment Bulkeley

Last week I suddenly got bored of painting 'allies' in my Pragmatic army and I painted this Irish battalion. The figures are from the new Foundry SYW French range and they are a great disappointment. Firstly, the figures all lean to one side and while basing need wedging under a corner to straighten them up. Secondly, every one of them has a scowl on their faces the challenge of which to paint is tiresome.
Nonetheless, I have the raw metal for 4 Irish battalions and it was nice to dig out my much 'under-used' green paint. I plan to make most of the French foot battalions weaker than the 'allied' ones at 16 figures (using a 1:33 scale).

As I have now finished half of the Pragmatic army's infantry (16 battalions) I plan a rest until the end of this year and will restart in January. The only thing that might get in the way of this plan is the imminent arrival of Eureka's WAS Dutch. I have other projects to do, namely a new wargames table, plus some more ACW and some Greeks for the Macedonian wars. I'll keep posting though.

Firstly, let me apologise for my blogging absence over the last few months but summers here are busy and I have quite a bit of new stuff to post.

These four pictures are of the completed Brunswick brigade of my SYW/WAS British/Allied 'Pragmatic Army'.
The bottom three pictures are of the two battalion regiment Prinz Friedrich (which was called Zastrow and changed its name in 1761) with its new 1760 flags.
I have also now added battalion guns.
The top picture shows the entire brigade, the Prinz Friedrich regiment with the red flagged von Mansberg regiment (formerly von Behr). Most figures are Foundry and each battalion is 18 figures strong.

Soon I'll post the Hanoverian guard brigade and an Irish battalion, which I've just finished. The British infantry are all done (7 battalions) and I've now finished
the first 'column' or division under the command of Prinz Isenburg-Budingen.