IR 43 Kalckreuth

 Another Prussian fusilier regiment IR 43 - figures are mostly from Crusader with some different command from Foundry plus some characters. I especially like the chap taking a swig from a bottle.

WAS Piedmontese: IR Rehbinder

This was a two battalion German regiment in Piedmontese service in the WAS. I am just fielding the first battalion in my mini-army of 9 battalions (7 of which are now finished). I love the baroque flags.

The figures are mostly Crusader from their Russian range although the grenadiers are Austrians. The officer and drummer are Copplestone castings from the Russian Foundry range. Using Russians as Piedmontese works well except for the sabre but that is a small issue.

Who are they going to fight? I have not decided for sure but I think probably the Spanish will be a worthy opponent.

IR 8 Amstell

Fine Foundry figures, at one time the best and most complete manufacturer of SYW figures. These were sculpted by Copplestone and remain, in my opinion, the best. Sadly the later ranges from Foundry, the French and British, were not sculpted by Copplestone and are markedly inferior. Just by looking at the Foundry website you should be able to distinguish the sculptor. They have hived off the French and British to another website and retained the Prussians and Russians but, beware, not all the Prussians and Russians are the original sculpts.

I mix this range in with Crusader but I prefer painting the Copplestone faces which are hugely expressive.

IR44 Jungkenn Müntzer Fusiliers

Crusader 28mm Fusiliers (but one Foundry officer lurking in the second battalion) parading in Wesel.

According to Kronoskaf  "In 1756, the regiment continued to assume garrison duties in Wesel. In March 1757, when the French started the invasion of Hanover, the regiment evacuated Wesel and joined the Allied army under the command of the Duke of Cumberland at Bielefeld. It took part in minor actions where it suffered some 200 casualties. It later retreated to Magdeburg, loosing more than 200 men to desertion."

From my Savory I recall reading that Wesel had a garrison of 6 battalions but they were never specified. So here is a regiment that you can field with the Allied army. Fusiliers are under-represented in most SYW Prussian armies and I'm not sure why - their hats are very cool!

IR 1

Now we return to Prussian infantry and these are the 'poster-boys'of IR1. I say poster-boys because to my eye the uniform of IR 1 is the classic look of Prussian infantry of the SYW and the plain, but striking Orange flags, compliments this.

Figures by Foundry. These are still the best sculpts.

40mm Twelve squadrons of Austrian Dragoons

It's time to re-acquaint ourselves with my 40mm SYW armies. Recently you have seen some Prussians but now back to the Austrians. I pictured these back in July 2013 but the lighting was not right so here they are again. Six squadrons of the Erzherzog Joseph dragoons on the left (green coats) and six squadrons of the Sachsen-Gotha dragoons on the right(in the red coats) with their commander Berlichingen at the front. These are a thundering mass!

4th Puttkamer Hussars

Here are 10 squadrons of the 4th Hussars which was often referred to as the “White Hussars” because of their white pelisses or die Bählämmer (the bleating lambs), later die Wölfe im Schafspelz (the wolves in sheep's clothing) or simply die Wölfe (the wolves).

Figures are by Foundry and I am moving on to infantry next week.