APHC XIV: MikeW - 15mm ECW Covenanters, 28mm Santa Anna, Goblin Frog Riders and Tau, Squirrel

 Another week and another set of figures to get posted, this week it is pretty much as trailed last week, plus a few odds and ends!

Earl of Lothian's Regiment of Foote, there is some suggestion that the original regiment may have been  issued red jackets on their creation but these were quickly replaced by grey as the red ones wore out. I have chosen to do these in all grey.

First up is Earl of Lothian's Regiment of Foote, a Covenanter unit that I have now recreated using Warlord Games Epic miniatures. For these guys I paint these on the frame, giving them a grey undercoat and then dry brushing these light grey.

A view from the left...

I then painted faces, socks and hands white before using GW contrast paint to colour hands and faces in with GW 'Darkoak Flesh'. In fact I used contrast / speed paints quite extensively on these guys, using 'Gorgrunter Fur' to paint in the woodwork on muskets, 'Snakebite Leather' for all boots, belts and straps etc.

... and one from the right.

To this base I highlighted the skin with regular Army Painter flesh paint, Vallejo 'Golden Brown' for pike shafts and ultramarine blue for the bonnets. GW 'Air Leadbelcher' was used to do metal work on pikes , muskets and armour etc.

They were all washed with a watered down dark wash to add depth / shading. Flags were added and the figures based on 60x40mm bases (Musketeers) or 60x60mm bases for the pike block - to fit in with the rest of my Epic Collection. (Larger than recommended by Warlord Games but hopefully easier to handle and protect figures with the larger bases).

This week's batch of Tau Warriors plus the obligitory Drone

Next up I have completed another set of Tau Warriors, these are another nine troopers plus another Drone. In this group there are two Rail Gunners plus another Squad Leader. The unusual figure is the guy in long flowing robes, this is a conversion figure.

Close-up of the Drone and the two Rail Gunners

I was thinking about what Tau might wear if they were not in their combat armour, long robes seemed like a good shout! To make this figure I took a Gripping Beast Arab Infantryman, added spare Tau head, arms and combi weapon. I carved the feet to look more like hooves and then relied on a good paint job and strategically placed bushes to hide my attempts at carving hooves....

A juvenile Tau, without full Combat Armour,
nonetheless in possession of a Combi-Weapon

I'm justifying this conversion by saying that this guy is a Tau juvenile who is not fully qualified to join the regular Tau Armed Forces but is nontheless tagging along, with a minimm amount of weapons and gear.

Tau with Combi-Weapons, centre is another Squad Leader with Sensor.

These were all painted in the same ongoing scheme that I have described elsewhere in this challenge, the juvenile does not get the obligatory orange left knee pad!

Final three Tau all armed with Long weapons

The last main submission this week is a set of Highlands Miniatures 3D printed Swamp Goblins riding Frogs!

Swamp Goblin Frog Riders in their full glory!

These are proxy Squig riders to be used in Warhammer Fantasy and I am really impressed by the quality of these figures. From a game point of view I'll develop some house rules for these little guys - pretty much based upon GW Squig Rider rules but expanded to include recognition for their ease in crossing water and swampy terrain as well as the toxicity of the Frog (or maybe its Toad's skin) probably simple risk of poisoning of riders and opponents that come into contact with them!

Three guys armed with lances / spears.Each has an helmet and visor. 

I have given the bases a slightly different finish to my usual sand and electrostatic grass solution, in an attempt to recognize these guys are from a swamp. Thus I have painted the bases a dull blue, then 'varnished' them with clear PVA glue.This hasn't come out as shiny as I'd wanted so may go back and apply a blue ink and gloss varnish mix when I have time. I have then added small patches of sand and grass to try and show that there is some terrain in the swampy water.

Two more goblins armed with spears/lances. 

The Frogs were undercoated in white before painting the lower half of these with a Ivory colour whilst the top half was painted with Wargames Foundry 'Phlegm Green'. I washed the lower half with a very watered down orange and then added all the detail as can be seen. I gave the Frogs a weak wash of Agrax Earthshade when completed, before highlighting up again.

Goblins with hand held weapons and improvised helmets made of pots & saucepans!

The goblins themselves were painted using GW 'Air Goblin Green' and then washed in green ink. I opted for their robes to be a dirty brown colour, as can be seen. As ever particular attention was taken to get their mouths and teeth right and to ensure each figure has some distracting 'bling' where possible.

A couple of the 'madder' poses in the set, on the left two goblins riding the same frog.
On the right a goblin struggling to stay on his frog. 

Final shot of two for the more dynamic poses,
both these goblins are holding on for dear life.

I'm definitely going to get some more of these guys in the near future....

Finally following on from my Alamo Volunteers and Mexican Irregular Lancers, this week I am posting a figure of General Santa Anna, again a Boot Hill Miniatures sculpt. Painted in much the same way as the other Alamo figures last week.

I believe his full name was Antonio de Padua María Severino López
de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón

With this Santa Anna figure I am claiming the Historical Personality Bonus of 20 Points to add to this week's total, assuming my minion allows this!

With a big name a big personality!

A close-up of the arid ground work, sand on brown
paint/PVA gloop with dried grass tufts added.

Points wise I think it is pretty straight forwards, I remember from previous challenges that the Warlord Epic figures were counted as 15mm, although in reality they are slightly smaller. As for next week, more Fantasy Orcs and Tau and possibly some Scots Covenanter Cavalry, unless some other shiny items distract me form my painting plans! 😀

Warlord Epic Scots Covenanters completed!

Just a couple quick shots of the completed Epic Covenanter Scots unit, taken from the cover of this month's Wargames Illustrated. I'm pleased with the results. I have some cavalty and Artillery to finish from the free sprue - plus enentire second sprue to paint-up at some future point!

The whole unit of 80 figures, completed in suitable dower grey uniforms and blue bonnets!

Close-up of one Musketeer block and part of pike bock.
Note the halbardier on the unit's extreme right flank 
 

And the other musketeer block on the unit's left flank. I have opted to go for larger that standard (60mm x 40mm Musketeer bases and 60mm x 80mm Pike block) bases as it gives a little more room to buildd-up terrain & vegiattion and protects the figures a little better, in my opinion.

To Topple a King: Solemn League and Covenant

 

In 1638, tens of thousands of Scots signed the National Covenant, pledging to resist changes imposed by Charles I on the organisation of the Presbyterian church and it's Kirk hierarchy. Following victory in the 1639-40 Bishop's War, the Covenanters came into power in Scotland. 

With the outbreak of the English Civil War negotiations began between the English & Scots Parliaments, culminating in an agreement known as the Solemn League and Covenant which brought the Scots into the war south of the border on the side of Parliament.

Meantime the Royalists are looking to make contacts with potential Catholic allies in Ireland.

AHPC XII: From Mike W - More ECW Covenanters

 As promised after my second post, earlier this challenge, here is the follow-up Covenantor unit plus the Command stand for the first one that did not arrive in time for the previous post!

The New Unit, with second command stand at it's side

And as it was a few short days ago! If anyone is wondering about the art work they are resting on  -
its my grand-daughters doodling of a Dinosaur!

I have used the same paint palette for this unit, as I used for the first one - allowing me to swap and change the figures about to get the second rank of each unit aligned to meet my OCD tendencies - to me either a unit has to be made of all different figures or those in a similar pose!   

The Command Stands

I used the same techniques to paint these figures as the last unit - so will not duplicate this here.

The sharp end of the unit - Pike & Pole-Arm Block

One command group has a blue drum and a black flag, (taken from the wonderful Project Auldearn 1645 Blog and actually the Colonel's flag of Lord Balfour of Burleigh's Regiment), whilst the other command stand has the red drum and blue flag, just to make them different. Rather annoyingly I made up both unit's officers with dual pistols - I had thought that I'd prepared one with a sword and pistol - oh well - the downside of rushing through these builds late at night and  early in the morning!

The Left Musketeer Block

Flags are taken from the internet and fancied-up using Microsoft Paint before printing on my home printer, cut to size and then glued on their poles using wood glue to moisten the paper and allow the flags to be moulded into a more realistic position.

The Right Musketeer Block

In this second set of figures, I have modelled four of the pikemen to be holding halberds / ancient polearms to represent the liberation of such weapons from the houses of local noblemen.

The new unit by its-self

The final picture is that of the two new units side by side...

Both Units - Side by Side - OCD fears resolved!

AHPC XII: From Mike W - 28mm Scots Covenantors

 For my second post of the day I have just finished a unit of 24 x Scots Covenantors, which in use for both ECW games and as an opposition to English later 17th Century Armies in the period known as the 'Killing Times'. See a couple of my post on our club website covering Rullion Green & Bothwell Brig <here>. I also have to declare an interest here as my family were themselves covenantors - back in the day!

Completed unit, minus command element! Dour Scots Covenantors!

Before I go any further a big thank-you to Curt for sorting out my tech issues preventing me posting earlier - and thanks to Peter for dealing with two posts in a day, as I catch-up!

One of the Musketeer wings form the unit, I tend to use figures in stands of four 

but allow individual figures as well to allow for various scenarios

So these little guys are Warlord Games plastics and the more astute amongst you will have immediately noticed that there are no command figures in this group. I have a second batch of Covenantors on the workbench that do have command figures for both that unit and this one! I built these units from an old battalion box of figures I had and found that there were no command figures in the box - so I had to acquire some new ones via eBay and they arrived too late for the challenge's kick-off....

So breaking with tradition - I undercoated these guys in grey but then as soon was appropriate - I then painted hands and faces in white.

The other Musketeer Wing, my OCD will be soothed when the next unit is completed and the back ranks of both musketeer wings will have matching poses, as I will mix & match the figures accordingly

Various coloured trousers were added and then the gutsy work of painting in bandoliers, straps and pouches was undertaken, mostly in a natural leather colour but with some variation in bags etc. Socks, shoes and bonnets were then base coated and then flesh and hair was added in.

The Pike block, for post ECW conflicts the pikes would have been substituted for a variety of pole arms, from agricultural tools to Lochinvar axes etc

Details were added to give the swords, muskets and pikes plus splashes of colour on the bonnets (green sprigs), garters (red to give a sense of unit cohesion) and power apostles (sky blue, as this is a popping colour in an otherwise dour unit).

Rullion Green - 28th Nov 1666

I'd been planning to put on a game to recreate the first of the Covenanter battles from what was known as the 'Killing Times' for quite a while. It was pure fluke that a slot opened up for the game on the 348th anniversary of the actual battle...

... I took the opportunity to field the armies I'd been teasing the club members with over the past couple years as I had been painting them up - namely a Covenanter Army modeled in 28mm and primarily consisting of Warlord Games figures plus a sprinkling of Perry and Renegade characters. Against them were arrayed Charles II's Scots Army consisting primarily of North Star 1672 (ex Copplestone), Front Rank and some Warlord Games Highlanders -again in 28mm.

I also decided to use the game as an opportunity to trial Sam Mustafa's Maurice rules on the club members, these are unique in that they use cards to drive the action on the tabletop. the general opinion after the game was that the rules worked well and it was worth putting on some more games using the rules stem.

Anyway, enough of that, mre about the battle!

Historical Background
The Battle of Rullion Green is significant as the only battle 1666 Covenanter rebellion, also known as the Pentland Rising. It ends the uprising and results in a further 13 years of violent repression against the Covenanters, known as the ‘Killing Times’ culminating in the battles of Drumclog & Bothwell Bridge(1679).

A Covenanter army under the command of Colonel James Wallace had risen in south-west Scotland and had advanced to Edinburgh to attempt to win support, all the while pursued by a Government army sent after them under Sir Thomas Dalziel. At it’s height the rebel army numbered some 3,000 men, however, as November progressed, the rebels faced constant losses of manpower to desertion. The Government finally caught up to the Covenanters at Rullion Green and defeated them after a stiff fight.

From: http://www.thereformation.info/rulliongreen.htm

The Covenanters halted at Colinton, south west of the city, on 27 November. However, no support
was forthcoming from Edinburgh, which was raised in alarm against a rumoured Dutch invasion and Wallace's army reluctantly turned from the capital, wishing to retreat to the safety of the west, their staunchest support base. The way west, however, was blocked by Dalziel's army and the insurgent force headed east and then south toward Biggar via the Linton Road, using the line of the Pentland Hills as cover.

Major General William Drummond, who commanded the vanguard of Dalziel's army, had intended to engage the insurgents outside Edinburgh but upon learning of their directional change, he was able to anticipate their new objective. He intercepted the Covenanter force in Glencorse Parish, where Wallace's army had halted at Rullion Green to rest and to wait for stragglers. Having sighted a small forward party of government cavalry, Wallace arranged his infantry on the eastern slope of Turnhouse Hill flanked on either side by troops of horse.

A skirmish with Dalziel's vangaurd occurred to the north-east of Wallace's main position. Repelling this attack, the Covenanters waited on their strong, high ground as Dalziel's full force assembled across the glen. Once Dalziel's vanguard and his main body of cavalry and infantry were united, they forded the Glencorse River and arrayed themselves against the Covenanters at the bottom of Turnhouse Hill. From this position Dalziel attacked Wallace's left three times, only managing to turn the line in the final attempt by pushing forward his full force along the entirety of Wallace's line.

The Covenanters, unable to reinforce their weak right side and thrown into confusion, broke and fled into the night.

The Participants

Sir Thomas Dalziel had a long and illustrious military career behind him by the time of Rullion Green. He accompanied Charles I to La Rochelle in 1628 to aid the Huguenots at the age of 13, fought on the Royalist side through the Wars of the Three Kingdoms in Ulster and was captured at the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

He had to flee Scotland in 1654 after being involved in a Highland rising against Cromwell after which a price of 200 guineas was offered for him dead or alive. He went to Russia and saw service for the Tsar of Russia in the Russo-Polish War and against the Turks and the Tartars.

He returned to Scotland on the restoration of Charles II in 1660, becoming Commander-in-Chief of the army in Scotland in 1666 with orders to suppress the Covenanters.

His actions in the wake of the Pentland Rising earned him the sobriquet 'Bluidy Tam'. According to one story, Sir Thomas on one occasion played cards with the Devil and won.

He was replaced as Commander-in-Chief by the Duke of Monmouth in 1679, and despite being reinstated by Charles II, did not appear at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge until after the fighting was over.

In 1681, he was the first Colonel of the Royal Scots Greys Regiment, which was originally constituted as a dragoon regiment.

Colonel James Wallace, commander of the Covenanter forces at Rullion Green, also had a long military career, first serving in the Parliamentarian and then Covenanter armies during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

He was captured during the Battle of Kilsyth in 1645 while fighting against Montrose and then again at the Battle of Dunbar in 1650, where he was serving in the Scottish army of the restored Charles II.

The Pentland Rising brought Wallace out of retirement and after escaping the field of Rullion Green, he went into exile in Holland, where he died in 1678.

Covenanter Forces
C-in-C: Colonel James Wallace
2-in-C: Major Joseph Learmont

2 Troops Dumfries Horse
1 Troop Ayrshire Horse
1 Troop Lanarkshire Horse

1 Regiment of Dumfries Foote
1 Regiment of Renfrewshire Foote
1 Regiment of Ayrshire Foote
1 Regiment of Lanarkshire Foote

1 Frame Gun

5 Fanatics

3 Clergy

The quality of each Troop or Regiment will not become evident until it first becomes engaged with the Royalist forces arrayed against it.

At worst these units will be comparable to Royalist Militia, at best they will be equivalent to Royalist Regulars.

All forces should be deployed on the table top at the start of the game, the Frame gun, once placed cannot be moved, although it may be protected by gabions.

Fanatics are armed with ‘Grenadoes’, one or more may be placed in any or all of the Regiments of Foote, if the enemy comes within 6 inches of the regiment the fanatics in that regiment will immediately rush out and conduct grenade attacks against the enemy unit. After the attack the fanatics are eliminated from the game.

Clergy can be allocated to Regiments of Foote, Troops of Horse or to Commanders / Officers to give them spiritual guidance. Details of which will be revealed once the game begins….

Your aim is to hold on until darkness falls, give the Royal Army a bloody nose and then under cover of that darkness your small army can slip away and fight another day. 2VP for each enemy unit that is broken, 1 VP for each of your own units that survive on the hill until nightfall.

Covenanter Foote should deploy in the darkest shaded fields, horse in the medium shaded fields.Government Forces may only deploy in any of the lightest shaded fields.  All re-enforcements arrive by Crawley Cottages. Shading represents higher, rougher ground. The higher and rougher the more advantageous for Infantry to defend and worst for Horse.

Government Forces

C-in-C: General  ‘Tam’ Dalziel of Binns

2-in-C: Maj-General William Drummond

1 Troop of Life Guards

2 Troops Oxford Horse

2 Troops Lowland Dragoons

1 Militia Troop 

2 Regiments English Foote

1 Regiment Scots Foote

1 Regiment Highland Foote

1 Regiment Scots Militia

1 Scots Gunne

1 English Gunne

1 Marksman

By the grace of his majesty King Charles II, you have been placed in command of his Royal Army in Scotland to suppress this rebellion.

You have been pursuing the rebellious scum for nearly two weeks, your forces strengthening as you go but their leader, one James Wallace, has proved to be a slippery devil.

Finally you have cornered the rebel forces by the small village of  Rullion Green, it is mid-day, to pin the rebels in place you’ve dispatched your vanguard consisting of your Horse & Dragoons, under your second in command William Drummond.

As such you must deploy your Horse & Dragoons on the table-top at the start of the game.

An order of march must be set-up for your Regiments of Foote & Gunnes, as these will arrive during the course of the aftrernoon. All troops will arrive along the Glencourse Road to your rear.

The Marksman is a member of one of your Regiments of Foote, he has the ability of attempting to kill a rebel officer if they come within range, once used he is eliminated.

Hurry, you have limited time, it is late November and light will be fading and the rebels will melt away into the hills, to win you must destroy the rebel force. You gain 3VP for each enemy unit that is broken, plus 1 VP for each Rebel Notable killed or captured.

ECW Scots Covenanters

Here's a couple of photos of Warlord games Scots Covenanter Infantry, Artillery and Dragoons,recently shown leaving the workbench.

Earl of Buccleugh's Regt

Battle of Bothwell Brig' 1679

The Battle

The Covenanters established their camp on the south bank of the Clyde, north of Hamilton. The rebels numbered around 6,000 men but lacked discipline and were deeply divided by religious disagreements.

They had few competent commanders, being nominally led by Robert Hamilton of Preston, although his rigid stance against the ‘Indulged’ ministers only encouraged further division. The preacher Donald Cargill and William Cleland, the victor of Drumclog, were present, as were David Hackston of Rathillet and John Balfour of Kinloch, known as Burley, Hackston & Balfour were among the group who murdered Archbishop Sharp on 3 May.

The government army numbered around 5,000 regular troops and militia, and was commanded by James Scott, 1^st Duke of Monmouth, he was supported by John Graham of Claverhouse and Viscount Linlithgow.

The battle centred on a narrow bridge across the Clyde, the passage of which Monmouth was required to force in order to come at the Covenanters. Hackston led the defence of the bridge, but his men lacked artillery and ammunition, and were forced to withdraw after around an hour.

Once Monmouth's men were across the bridge, the Covenanters were quickly routed. Many fled into the parks of nearby Hamilton Palace, seat of Duchess Anne, who was sympathetic to the Presbyterian cause.

Around 600 Covenanters were killed, while some 1200 were taken prisoner. Government losses are not known, though they took heavy casualties forcing the bridge at the start of the battle.