Warlord Games Epic Scale ACW: 51st and 53rd Georgia

 

I finally got round to buying a box of these 12mm plastics. Many other people have done reviews on You Tube and other places and most have been very positive and I must agree – they are great little figures, full of character. The contents of the sprues aim for large battalions of five bases of 20 figures each but I don't like that because many units in the ACW were tiny, often two to three hundred men (particularly on the Confederate side) and so I'd rather do an OOB that has varied unit sizes than field all 'huge' units. I think that units can consist of two bases (Small), three bases (Normal) and four bases (Large) and that suits me and will work with Black Powder. If a base equals about 150 men that makes regiments of 300, 450 and 600 which will allow me to get close to actual strengths at various battles. I doubt I will ever do Warlord Games's suggestion of 5 bases but that would equal a unit of 750 men. So here we have two small Georgia regiments and the other two of the brigade, which I will do soon, will each be 'normal' or three bases.

The other issue is that I like just one flag for the Confederates and the flag to be as close to the centre of the unit as is possible. I found that the strips can easily be cut with sharp plastic cutters and so the single command strip (with its two flagbearers) can cover the command element for two Confederate battalions, as shown in the pictures here.

The only slight bugbear I have is that I'm not keen on the horses I have seen so far. But as the infantry are so lovely (and fun to paint) I think I can probably live with that as there will be so few cavalry in my OOB.

Final comment – I painted these two regiments, totalling 80 figures, in one day. They work with the “three foot rule” which means they look good viewed at three feet away and are not painted to be scrutinized under a microscope!

40mm Austrian/Grenz Converged Grenadier battalion

 

This is the second of my converged Grenadier battalions. It consists of two companies from IR18 Marschall (Red facings), two companies of IR38 de Ligne (Pink facings), one company of Grenz grenadiers from Karlstadter-Lykaner (Red uniform), and one company of Grenz grenadiers from Karstadter-Szluiner (Light blue uniform). That's quite a colourful bunch!

40mm Austrian Hungarian Converged Grenadier battalion

 

This is the third of my converged Grenadier battalions serving in my Austrian army. It consists of 2 companies from three regiments: 2 from IR31 Haller (light blue facings), 2 from IR37 Joseph Esterhazy (red facings) and 2 from IR51 Gyulay (blue facings). The parent regiments serve in my Hungarian brigade except for Gyulay.

Sash & Saber figures except for the officer who is from Front Rank.

28mm SYW French: IR8. Bourbonnais, four battalions

 

This was a very senior regiment in the French army and counted as "Petits Vieux". It participated in many SYW battles although it was fortunate not to be at Minden. I have painted this regiment because I like the colour combination of the ordonnance flags as well as the elegant absence of any facing colour. This almost concludes the French infantry – all that remains is the two battlion regiment of IR73 Haynault.

The figures are all from Black Hussar except for three Foundry drummers. The dead and wounded are also very nice sculpts from Black Hussar.

28mm Ancient Celts/Gauls: Warrior Warband 10

 

More warriors using bases from Charlie Foxtrot, figures from Victrix and transfers from LBMS.

28mm SYW: French Horse Fitz-James

 

This is a very interesting French cavalry regiment. It was raised in 1691 from English exiles although Kronoskaf records it as an Irish regiment. I speculate that by the SYW there were still a few aged rankers from either England, Ireland or Scotland (who had joined in the WSS) but that the majority were probably French. This regiment, of 4 squadrons, was sent to help Bonnie Prince Charlie in the 1745 – 3 out of 4 squadrons were captured en route and only one landed, without horses. They hastily grabbed local horses and did fine service including at Culloden. They surrendered later on after the battle and were treated as French prisoners of war. During the 1745 they wore tricornes. By the WAS/SYW this was just a two-squadron regiment.

These are mostly Perry AWI Spanish Dragoons with their heads removed. Heads in bearskins come from Black Hussar. The command are surplus Ebor WSS. This is the 4^th regiment of French cavalry finished.

28mm Ancient Celts/Gauls: Double Warrior Warband 9

 

More warriors using bases from Charlie Foxtrot, figures from Victrix and transfers from LBMS.