Carpanian Regiment Schweiger

In January, the Margraviate of Carpania added a new infantry regiment to its army with the completion of the outfitting of the Infantry Regiment Schweiger.  This 24-figure regiment is patterned after the Prussian Infantry Regiment No. 22, Prinz Moritz Anhalt-Dessau and is composed of 28mm Sash and Saber Prussian figures.

The regiment can be used for either the "Batailles de l'Ancien Regime" rules or the "Der Alte Fritz Seven Years War" rules.

Here the regiment is deployed in three ranks for use with the
"Batailles de l'Ancien Regime" rules.

Here the regiment is deployed in two ranks for use with the
"Der Alte Fritz Seven Years War" rules.

Although I have plenty more SYW Imagi-nations troops to paint, these may be the last for a while as I have other, more pressing painting requirements - 28mm Britannian and Gallian units for the "Gallian and Indian War" (AKA French and Indian), a 15mm Union brigade for the ACW, 28mm infantry sections for early WW2 British and Germans, and a 28mm improvised Malcolm-Campbell armored car for the Very British Civil War.

More Franco-German War Artillery

I've added to my artillery complements for the French and Prussian forces that I have for the 1870-1871 Franco-German (AKA Franco-Prussian) War.  They consist of two batteries of French light artillery and one battery of Prussian heavy artillery.

The first French battery is composed of six 85mm rifled, breech-loaded guns (link), even thought he gunners have swabs and ramrods!  In the Chassepot and Needlegun rules that we use, each battery has three guns and six gunners which represent the six guns normally used in European artillery batteries of this time period.  The guns are actually American Civil War 12-lb Napoleons from Sash & Saber, but are being used as French 85mm here.  The gunners are from Castaway Arts in Australia.

The second French battery is similarly composed.  These two batteries, plus an 8-gun Mitralleuse battery will be the artillery arm of my French "division" from the Armee de la Loire, a post-Sedan organization.

The Prussian heavy battery is composed of six 6-lb rifled breechloading guns.  I've had these guns for quite a while, but cannot recall who manufactured them.  They will provide part of the artillery support for my German forces along with the two 4-lb batteries shown in a previous post.  As with the French, the gunners are from Castaway Arts.

This artillery will be used in a Franco-German War game I will be running at the Colonial Barracks convention the first weekend in November down in New Orleans.

SYW Figure Comparison

A recent post on the Miniatures Page asking about figures to use as Spanish troops in the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War has led me to post these figure comparisons to highlight a figure range that doesn't appear well known. Vince Clyant ran the London War Room in Petal, Miss. He sculpted a range of Spanish troops that are very usable for these two wars. I hope that the pictures below will broaden their exposure. I guess that I should add here that I have no financial interest in Vince's business, just trying to help get the figures a wider audience. [NOTE: The London Warroom is, as of Spring 2009, out of business. But the Spanish figure line was bought by the Dayton Painting Consortium, maker of RSM-95 figures.  They have the line on their web site.]

From left to right, these figures are: Eureka Saxon, Front Rank Prussian, TLWR Spaniard, RSM British, Sash & Saber Prussian, and Crusade Prussian. As you can see, their heights and overall designs are compatible on the war game table. I don't think that I would necessarily use them in the same unit, but that is not necessary as every one of these ranges has all the appropriate command figures required. All but the Front Rank are just black washed bare metal. The Front Rank figure has been primed with gray Gesso and then washed with black paint.


A closer look at the Eureka, Front Rank, and London War Room figures.

A closer look at the RSM, Sash & Saber, and Crusade figures.

So if you are looking for Spanish figures for WAS or SYW armies or as opponents for pirates in the New World in the 18th Century, if believe that you can't go far wrong right now with the London War Room Spaniards. Vince has line infantry, grenadiers, command figures, and mounted and dismounted dragoons that are usable in in the European and various Colonial troops that are more specific for the Americas.

My First "BIG" Battalion

I've mounted my first "big" battalion of 24 Sash & Saber Russian infantry. They are mounted on 3/4" Litko bases (with self-stick metal sub-bases) and then onto magnetic movement bases. The individual bases still need to be terrained, but that will come over the coming days.













The mounted officer is a Front Rank Prussian who was "pressed" into service as a Russian.











In my imagi-nations, this battalion will be part of the army of the Duchy of Courland.














I also tried the "dip" method with these figures. The picture shows a newly painted musketeer (mounted on the nail) and a similar figure after being dipped. The MinWax stain adds a bit of definition to my average painting job and makes the miniature look a little better.







Another battalion of Russians, errr Courlanders, awaits individual bases and then it is on to my Prussians, ummm army of the Duchy of Carpania.