American War of Independence - Hessians

Later into September than I would have hoped for and a determination to complete the last of the 10mm American War of Independence project.

First up Hessian Grenadiers whilst their are lots of choices amongst the German regiments deployed in the colonies, I opted for the classic feel of German Infantry. Painting up the regiment pack from Pendraken gives you for units for Rebels and Patriots, together with an officer base.

I threw in a couple of casualty/shock markers to make them a standalone formation. The flags are from Maverick Models to complete the formation.

Painting all four units in one go was a stretch, but 2 colours and night picking out the rifles, straps or boots and suddenly they are done.

Next up the British cavalry.... assuming all goes to plan.....

Amercian War of Independance Month - Maryland Regiments with a little help from AI.

It's nice paint something else that's not in desert yellow.

This months focus is AWI and the backlog of 10mm items amassed over the past few months.

First up 4 units representing Maryland Regiments for Rebels and Patriots.

Short on time this week, I thought I would ask ChatGTP to write this blog, lets see if AI is any good :-)

It feels like it might have some way to go.....

Here you go.....

Painting the Brave Maryland Regiments in the American War of Independence As an artist and history enthusiast, my journey into painting the regiments from Maryland who fought in the American War of Independence has been both inspiring and enlightening. The stories of bravery, resilience, and sacrifice of these soldiers have deeply resonated with me, and I feel compelled to bring their legacy to life through my art. 

Now for the regimental history.

The 1st Maryland Regiment: Smallwood's Brave Soldiers The 1st Maryland Regiment, also known as Smallwood's Regiment, was formed in early 1776 under the command of Colonel William Smallwood. This regiment played a crucial role in several key battles, including the Battle of Long Island and the Battle of White Plains. Their distinctive dark blue coats with red facings, white waistcoats, and tricorn hats symbolize their unity and discipline. Painting these soldiers allows me to honour their courage and the pivotal role they played in the fight for independence. 

The 2nd Maryland Regiment: Resilient Warriors The 2nd Maryland Regiment, authorized in January 1776, was known for its resilience and effectiveness in battle. Commanded by Colonel Thomas Price and later Colonel John Gunby, this regiment fought valiantly in major engagements such as the Battle of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, and Germantown. Their contributions to the Continental Army's efforts are a testament to their unwavering dedication. Capturing their spirit on canvas is my way of preserving their legacy and sharing their story with future generations.

The 3rd Maryland Regiment, formed in September 1776, participated in significant battles like Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, and the Southern Campaigns, including Camden and Guilford Court House. Commanded by Colonel Mordecai Gist and Lieutenant-Colonel Nathaniel Ramsey, these soldiers demonstrated remarkable bravery and resilience. Painting the 3rd Maryland Regiment allows me to highlight their contributions to the war effort and honour their sacrifices. 

Why I Paint These Regiments Although no major battles of the American Revolutionary War occurred in Maryland, this did not prevent the state's soldiers from distinguishing themselves through their service. General George Washington was impressed with the Maryland regulars (the "Maryland Line") who fought in the Continental Army and, according to one tradition, this led him to bestow the name "Old Line State" on Maryland. 

Under the assumption that paid soldiers furnished with rations and suits of clothes would be better soldiers, on January 18, 1776, the Maryland Provincial Convention established the Maryland Line as a regiment of uniformed regulars. What distinguished the Maryland troops from other colonial levies was the time they spent drilling before joining the ranks of the Continental Army. This resulted in a disciplined, cohesive unit. Not all Continental infantry regiments raised in a state were part of a state quota. 

On December 27, 1776, the Second Continental Congress gave commanding General George Washington the authority to recruit and raise sixteen additional Continental infantry regiments at large. Forman’s, Gist’s, Grayson’s, and Hartley’s Regiments were partially drawn from Maryland. Other Continental infantry regiments and smaller units, also unrelated to a state quota, were raised as needed for special or temporary service. The "Maryland Line" was assigned a quota of eight regiments in 1777, which was reduced to five in 1781. The regiments of the line were: 1st Maryland Regiment 2nd Maryland Regiment 3rd Maryland Regiment 4th Maryland Regiment 5th Maryland Regiment 6th Maryland Regiment 7th Maryland Regiment German Battalion (counted as half a regiment against the quota) Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment (counted as half a regiment against the quota) 2nd Independent Maryland Company The Maryland Line protected the evacuation of Washington's troops across the East River to Manhattan at the Battle of Long Island. 

On August 27, 1776, members of the 1st Maryland Regiment under the command of Major Mordecai Gist repeatedly charged a numerically superior British force, allowing General Washington to successfully evacuate the bulk of his troops to Manhattan. Of the approximately 270 men of the so-called Maryland 400, fewer than a dozen made it back to the American lines. Two months later, at the Battle of White Plains, William Smallwood's 1st Maryland Regiment, along with regiments from New York and Delaware, reinforced Chatterton's Hill, covering the retreat of other troops across the Bronx River. According to popular tradition, Washington expressed his high esteem for the Maryland Line after their heroic stand at the Battle of Long Island. 

Because of the long service of the high-quality regiments, General Washington referred to the Maryland units as his "Old Line," giving the State of Maryland one of its nicknames as "The Old Line State." 

Next up buildings for Lexington and Concorde all written by myself..... Honest.

Uniforms of the American Revolution - Massachusetts Regiments -10mm Pendraken

This has probably been on the bookshelf for the best part of 25 years!!!

Finally a chance to turn inspiration into table top figures with the last of the current Pendraken Miniatures for the current phase of the AWI Project. 

Working on the early phase of the war I figured I would paint up a number of the Massachusetts Regiments using these plates as inspiration. 

I am really pleased with how they turned out and in this scale a couple of packs from Pendraken gives me at least 5 regiments for Rebels and Patriots. A strain on the eyes to paint to many at this scale, not that any of my gaming group can see them on the table top.... :-)

In the more common blue coats, two battalions under Colonel Patterson

Members of the 12th Continental Regiment in Dark Brown Tunics.

Members of the 14th Continental Regiment in Cream

Members of the 18th Continental Regiment in Cream Jackets, unbleached linin breaches.

Flags by Maverick Models, who have a great range in a range of scales including a number of unknown regimental colours to give units plenty of variety on the table top.

This gives the Americans some valuable reinforcements with some trained units to help stem the British advance, I need some wagons for the proposed Lexington & Concorde game and some additional buildings but this project is really coming together.

I quite fancy some German Grenadiers and what would be an AWI game without Tarleton's cavalry.

Rebels & Patriots - Markers and British Light Infantry

The first off the painting table for 2025...

The British Light Infantry make an appearance.

Have decided on 4 figures to a base for line Infantry I needed something a little different for the lights to keep the uniformity of units on the table. Using Pill bases for skirmish troops, I opted for the square bases but dropped the figure count down to 3 and increased the bases to 4 for a unit to give coverage needed and slightly more spread out feel for skirmishers.

Not sure what's going on with the lighting, but the three extra units will be very useful for the march to Lexington in the coming months.

I do like the 10mm scale for the mass effect on the table, but on occasion my eye sight can let me down.... hidden amongst this little lot is a trumpeter who is facing backwards - how did I miss that when I stuck him on the base - I just will have to style it out :-)

I was toying with some additional disruption markers for the game, having picked up the Warbases tailored counters, they work fine for 28mm games but are a little overpowering in 10mm.

Chatting on the Facebook group about suitable alternatives cannonballs and flags were mentioned as disruption markers, these will be complimentary to the casualty markers and not be to over powering on the table.

The flags are from Maverick Models who do a great selection for the American Revolution across a range of scales, worth checking them out, ball bearings are from a Christmas cracker game which I had to break open.

 12 Markers should give me enough for a game.

These look a little better on the table and more subtle in games.

The units down in the first week and good progress on some of the other projects. Now to get these on the table top.

AWI - British Regulars 10mm Pendraken.

Six months behind schedule but the first of the American War of Independence figures come off the painting queue, they have been undercoated and based for a while, but the transition from 28mm to 10mm took a while for me to get my eye in or perhaps 10mm are not the figures to be painted at 10.30 in the evening.

Based on the Flames of War Small bases, with 4 figures to a base my plan is to use the Rebels and Patriots Rule set which calls for 12 and 6 figure units, I figured I would use casualty bases to denote 1-3 casualties before taking a base off.

The facings do match the regimental standards 10 out of 10 if anyone can actually tell on game night. I must be honest before inking and basing I was beginning to this project was a step to far, but I am really pleased with the output and they look great on mass.

The standards are from Maverick models, a great choice and they can be scaled should you want slightly larger flags for the units.

The plan is to base the opposing forces loosely around Lexington and Concorde, it does mean that the American militia are largely in civilian dress, which will make them more of a challenge than the Brits given the lack of uniformity.

Plenty more to go before I have enough for 24 points a side but nice to get the first three units on the table.

May Day & the AWI Project hits the paint table.

May Day and whether that is the Celebration of Spring or International Workers Day it's a day on the brushes and the start of the American War of Independence project, still plenty to do with the Crusades but I set myself the goal of starting this in the Spring.

 Chatting through with a number of gamers in particular Steve over at Wargames With Toy Soldiers: 1685 - 1985 (wargameswithtoysoldier1685-1985.blogspot.com) I opted for Rebels and Patriots as a rule set and Pendraken Miniatures in 10mm

The American War of Independence has been on my wish list since I first got into gaming, back in the 1980's and saw AL Pacino's Revolution. I had a bunch of Front Rank Figures but never enough for a full game and at that age limited funds to complete the project. 

In recent moths the hankering for 'bigger' games lead me to look for something else beyond large skirmishes. Rebels & Patriots seems to hit the mark my plan is to break the units down into various bases types, Regular line spread across 3 square bases for a unit, skirmish units on pill bases and command/officers on a circular base.

Lots of chatter on various forums about how to paint them, with gamers painting them on lolly sticks or on their terrain base. I opted for basing first my concern being that once painted trying to get the basing done afterwards might land on the completed figures.... Let's see

On the Pendraken site their is a usual paint guide for the British Line, my painting guide is here.

Tunic - Foundry Scarlet/Scarlet Light

Trousers/Webbing - White

Cartridge Pouch - Black

Boots/Hat - Black

Cuffs - Yellow Ochre

Musket - Chestnut/Silver/Brass

Flesh - Foundry Palomino

Soft Tone - Army Painter Wash.

The Soft Tone wash really brings out the base colours, followed by a touch of highlighting to the whites and yellows.

The first two units should clear the paint table over the next couple of days just in time for the flags to arrive from Maverick Models - maverick-models.com/default.html

I am quickly learning to take a step back and to not look to closely at the detail as it's the unit effect that will have the impact, the prep takes longer than the actual painting of the units which makes for a refreshing change.