The new website will have some extra features that should make things a lot easier, including a show pickup option, a list of the FAQ's, links to useful sites, etc. One extra feature will be an info box at the top of each period/range where we can put some general information about that conflict. I thought it might be fun to throw this open to the Forum and see if anyone fancies filling some of these boxes for us?
As an example of what we're looking for in a conflict info box, we could take the Seven Years War and have something like:
"The Seven Years War took place from 1756 to 1763 and involved most of the nations of Europe, with the Kingdom of Britain and their allies on one side, and the Kingdom of France and their allies on the other. This could be seen as the first real 'world war' and the Anglo-Prussian coalition victory completely changed the face of future European politics."
For an individual range, this would be a bit more fine-tuned to the actual nation, in this case the SYW Prussians:
"Prussia was one of the main participants in the Seven Years War, allied with Britain, Portugal and several other German states. Prussian had seized the region of Silesia from Austria a decade earlier, causing the European powers to split into two camps. In 1757, King Frederick II of Prussia invaded Saxony and Bohemia, initiating a conflict between these two coalitions that would last until 1763."
Or something similar to that! It doesn't need to be anything too long, 4 or 5 sentences is probably enough for most of them. We'll then add some other info such as sculptor, pack quantities, any planned additions, etc.
The full list of categories and sub-categories we're needing to fill is:
Ancients
Classical (600-220BC)
- Greek
- Achaemenid Persian
- Indian
Punic Wars (220-146BC)
- Republican Roman
- Carthaginian
- Spanish
Early Imperial
- Imperial Roman
- Gallic
- Dacian
Late Imperial
- Late Roman
- Sassanid Persian
Dark Ages
Anglo Saxon
Arab
Norman
Norse
Picts
Medieval
Mid-European
Late European
Mongols
Renaissance
Early 16th C. English/Scots
Landsknechts
Elizabethan 1560-1610
16th C. Polish
16th C. Ottoman Turks
16th C. Samurai
30 Years War
English Civil War
League of Augsburg
18th Century
Marlburian
Great Northern War
- Russian
- Swedish
1745 Jacobite Scots
Seven Years War
- Austrian
- British
- French
- Hanoverian
- Prussian
- Russian
French Indian War
American War of Independence
- American
- British
- French
- German
Napoleonic
1792-1800 Revolutionary
- French
- Austrian
1809
- French
- Austrian
- Bavarian
1812 Moscow
- Austrian
- French
- Polish
- Russian
- Wurttemburg
1812-15
- British
- Prussian
- Nassau
19th Century
Americas
- American Civil War
- Fenian Raids
- Plains Wars
- 1879-1884 War of the Pacific
- Franco-Mexican War
Europe
- 1st Schleswig Holstein War
-- Danish
-- Prussian/German
- Crimean War
--- British
--- French
--- Russian
- 1849-66 Italian Wars of Independence
- 1860's Austrian
- 1860's Bavarian
- 1864 Danish
- 1870's French
- 1860's Hanoverian
- 1860's/70's Prussian
- 1866 Saxon
- 1870's Wurttemburg
- 1877 Russo-Turkish War
Colonial
2nd Afghan War
1879 Zulu War
1882-85 Sudan-Egypt
1890's North-West Frontier
1899-1902 Boer War
1905 Russo-Japanese War
World War One
Anzac
Austro-Hungarian
British
Belgian
French
German
Italian
Polish
Russian
Serbian
US
Middle East
East Africa
- British
- German
Inter-War
1910-20's Foreign Legion
1917-22 Russian Civil War
Spanish Civil War
Nationalist
- Andaluz Militia
- Carlist Requetes
- Falangist Militia
- Italian CTV
- Moroccan Falange
- Moroccan Mehal-la-Jalifiana
- Moroccan Regulars
Republican
- Columna Durruti
- International Brigade
World War Two
American
British
Canadian
Finnish
French
German
Hungarian
Italian
Japanese
US Marines
Polish
Romanian
Soviet
Post-War
Indo-China
Vietnam
- American
- NVA/VC
- Australian
Modern
Falklands War
- British
- Argentinian
That's quite a list, so let's see what folks can come up with! No joke entries either please, we can put those in another thread if someone wants to start one?
No Russian entry for WW2? Or has it already been written?
Edit: Senior moment - just noticed there's a Soviet entry .... :-[
1910-1920 French Foreign Legion.
The French Foreign Legion may have been romanticised and popularised by CP Snow with "Beau Geste", it did in fact, fight a number of bitter campaigns in Morocco against Berber tribesmen from the latter part of the 19th Century to the 1920s.
Though I can't help in any way..I think this is a great idea ! :-bd
Cheers - Phil
Indo China
After WWII the French reclaimed their colony of Indo-China from Japanese occupation. The Communist Viet Minh had been fighting the Japanese from 1941, and carried on a campaign for independence against the French. The wars culminated in the epic battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 and created the independent countries of Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia.
The French Indo-China was a precursor to American intervention in Viet Nam.
Basically a good idea, but of little value in some areas where figures either don't exist or ranges are incomplete. For example, French Revolutionary period 1792-1799.
Chad
1882-85 Sudan-Egypt
A religious revolution lead by the Mahdi expels the Egyptians occupation forces from Sudan except for those forces under Gordon who are bottled up in Khartoum. A delayed British expedition arrives a few days too late to save the city. British forces are withdrawn and a decision is made that Sudan isn't worth getting involved with (until the later Kitchener invasion).
Classical (600-220BC) - For the history of the Western World this is a period dominated by the struggle between the Greek City States and the Persian Empire. For millennia the major powers in the region had been the great empires of Mesopotamiia but this period saw a shift of power to the Mediterranean.
Greek - City-states like Sparta, Athens, Thebes and Corinth fought each other and the Persians throughout the period until the Macedonians under Phillip and his son, Alexander the Great, unified the bulk of the Greek states and went on to conquer the Persian Empire. Alexander created an empire of his own that stretched from the Black Sea to Egypt and from Turkey to Western India. On his death, the empire fragmented into a number of Successor States ruled by Alexander's generals.
Greek armies consist largely of armoured hoplite spearmen, with a small number of light infantry and cavalry. Macedonian armies are initially built around pikemen and heavy cavalry but as the empire grows so does the range of troops used.
Achaemenid Persian - The sprawling Achaemenid Empire also covered an area from the Black Sea to Egypt and from Turkey to Western India. In regular conflict with the Greeks, usually over Greek support for the ethnically Greek city-states of Western Turkey, but also happy to incorporate Greek mercenaries in their armies.
Achaemenid armies were massive and relied primarily on archers and good cavalry but incorporating a huge range of different troops.
Indian - Indian states tend to enter Western History when Alexander the Great meets the army of Porus, and defeats it, but Indian states had been at war with each other long before that.
Indian armies tend to be a mix of archers, two-handed swordsmen, chariots and elephants.
Classical
Later Imperial Roman
After many years on the Imperial Anacry, the Roman Empire by the 3rd Century CE/AD had reformed the army into a leaner fighting machine, based around mobile field armies, a defense in depth and border troops made of older, settled, garrisons.
More emphasis is placed on the cavalry, with the adaptation of horse archers, more flexible cavalry and super-heavy Catafracts, ideas borrowed from Persian.
The foot still had its legions and auxilia, but more emphasis was placed on archers and mercenaries to bolster the lines.
Will you be able to maintain Rome's grip on the world, or will you see your empire crumble?
Dark Ages
Picts
Scant evidence exists for Picts, they are mentioned briefly in Roman sources and from remaining sculptural evidence. Their key strength is their spearmen, their screens of archers and skirmishers and ther ubiquitous light cavalry to harass the enemies flanks.
Masters of hunting and stalking, will they bring these skills to your battlefield?
Dark Age
Anglo-Saxons
The Anglo-Saxons ruled England from the 5th Century until the Norman Conquest of 1066. Anglo-Saxon England was classically divided into a seven competing kingdoms of Mercia, Northumbria, Wessex, East Anglia, Essex, Kent and Sussex.
The Anglo-Saxons fought the Normans, the Norse and each other. Their armies fought as a shield wall with spears, shields and the mighty great axe.
Norse
The Norse, also known as the Vikings, were skilled sailors and explorers as well as fierce raiders. They landed in North America and travelled the great rivers of Eastern Europe. They settled in Britain and were gifted land in France that is now known as Normandy.
Normans
The Duchy of Normandy came into being in 911 when Rollo the Viking was became the first Duke. The Norsemen adopted the use of cavalry and in 1066 invaded England and Duke William the Bastard became King William the Conqueror. The Normans also founded kingdoms in in Sicily and Southern Italy.
Could I request the "Dark Ages" line be renamed the Early Medieval line, since that's what we medieval historians prefer to use?
Mongols
From being a collection of constantly warring tribes on the north-western border of China, in little more than a century the Mongols conquered most of the Asian landmass, holding sway from Korea, through China, right across Russia, Georgia, Iraq, Iran, Syria and even at one stage campaigned in Hungary and Poland in preparation for an invasion! Using a combination of lightly protected mounted archers supported by more heavily armoured lance armed cavalry, they swept away all opposing armies through iron discipline and tactical flexibility, an extremely rare combination in the Medieval period.
Quote from: fsn on 19 February 2017, 03:40:23 PM
Dark Age
Anglo-Saxons
The Anglo-Saxons ruled England from the 5th Century
I think 7th century would be more accurate
Cheers
Ian
English Civil War
From 1639-1651 the three kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland were embroiled in a series of wars, resulting in the death of a king and the formation of a commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell.
League of Augsburg
In the late 17th century Louis XIV's French army was the dominant force in western Europe. The League of Augsburg was formed in 1686 by Austria, Spain, and Sweden along with several minor German states, including Bavaria and the Palatinate to thwart the ambitions of Louis. This alliance was expanded into the Grand Alliance in 1689 when the Dutch, newly conquered England, Savoy and Brandenburg joined. These wars are also known as the Nine Years War 1688-1697. In North America these wars were known as King William's War.
Sassanid Persian
Succeeding the Parthian Empire the Sassanian dynasty ruled Persia from 224 until its conquest by the Arabs in 651. Many wars were fought with Rome/Byzantium for control of the Middle East, peaking in 621 with the conquest of Egypt.
Cheers
Ian
So glad you did the LoA.
I may have had to defy the Dark Lord's mighty injunction and put in a slightly sillier response.
Quote from: fsn on 19 February 2017, 08:23:45 AM
1910-1920 French Foreign Legion.
The French Foreign Legion may have been romanticised and popularised by CP Snow with "Beau Geste", it did in fact, fight a number of bitter campaigns in Morocco against Berber tribesmen from the latter part of the 19th Century to the 1920s.
Err, that'd be PC Wren, actually it was a series, including Beau Sabreur and Beau Ideal. Once upon a time they had them all in Widnes library.
These are exactly what we're looking for, thanks for all the replies so far! I've updated the original list to show which have been done, lots more still to go!
:D
This one is of interest to me so had to pitch in!
Fenian Raids
From 1866 to 1871, an Irish Republican organization known as the Fenian Brotherhood based in the United States raided British targets in Canada hoping to pressure Britain to withdraw from Ireland. All the major raids were unsuccessful.
Polish
Battle for Poland
Battle for France
Germany attacked Poland on 1st September. the invasion of Poland and the Germans refusal to withdraw brought Britain and france into the confict on 3rd September. Outnumbered and outgunned the Poles fought hard. Most of their armour were small tankettes. The Poles did have some better tanks. Their own adaptation of the license built Vickers the Single Turret 7TP was better than most of the German tanks., but there were too few of them and they were not ready for the "Blitzkrieg" style of fighting. The campaign included frequent use of Armoured trains. The cavalry charging tanks is a myth. On one occasion at Krojanty Polish Ulans charged some German infantry and routed them, delaying the German pursuit for 24 hours. The cavalry did suffer heavy losses from machine gun fire when caught in the open by German Recce troops. The countries fate was sealed when Russia invaded from the east on 17th September, finally surrendering on 6th October. Many of the Polish Troops fled to Britain to continue the fight. Including most of the legendary 10th Cavalry Brigade who retreated through Hungary and fought in the Battle of France with French supplied tanks
Knowing very little about much of anything in the sweep of history (a cursory knowledge of the War of the Three Kindoms in the British Isles is about it)) I would endorse succinct and highly general descriptions.
1 I would endorse Sandinista's ECW summary
2 I would endorse Nick's proposal to switch "Dark Ages" to "Early Medieval". "Dark Ages" suggests to me at least, a Bruce Campbell Fantasy.
Just one thing about the ECW - these days it's called the "War of the 3 Kingdoms"
IanS
Quote from: ianrs54 on 20 February 2017, 04:56:40 PM
Just one thing about the ECW - these days it's called the "War of the 3 Kingdoms"
IanS
Quite so. I had originally used that on my blog tag (and it is my preferred term) BUT I would get visitors thinking it was the war of the same name in China (totally different era, but I seemed to have been the prime destination for those folks for a time) :)
Quote from: JeffNNN on 20 February 2017, 02:28:08 PM
Err, that'd be PC Wren, actually it was a series, including Beau Sabreur and Beau Ideal. Once upon a time they had them all in Widnes library.
It was. I always get
Beau Geste confused with
The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.
Apologies.
May I invite caution about renaming "The Dark Ages" to "Really Early Medieval" and "English Civil War" to "The War of Three Kingdoms".
I may have a stab at the former, but I'd never find ECW under the latter.
An entirely unrepresentative survey of 9 people (4 "gamers" and 5 "general public") leads me to believe that the Dark Ages is "Vikings and looting and pillaging and stuff" while Early Medieval is "probably the Crusades or Simon de Thingy and Magna Carta."
The War of The Three Kingdoms is either "What?" or "Isn't that one of the Chinese unification wars, who does decent 6mm figures for that" or "Dunno, I don't watch rubbish like Game of Thrones."
Which suggests that historians may use the terms suggested but "real people" don't! :)
Quote from: fsn on 20 February 2017, 05:39:01 PM
It was. I always get Beau Geste confused with The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.
Apologies.
:)
A logical confusion since the conjugation of the two conceived the "Cultural Revolution".
Quote from: fsn on 20 February 2017, 05:41:34 PM
May I invite caution about renaming "The Dark Ages" to "Really Early Medieval" and "English Civil War" to "The War of Three Kingdoms".
I'd echo this. While these terms may be in use by historians, they haven't made it to popular naming or wargaming.
With the write ups, can I request that people put in the years, that the ranges refer to (most people have done this) it does help when trying to work out what goes when.
World War II
1939 to 1945, the biggest conflict the world has seen. Involving countries from all continents, with land battles taking place in Europe, Asia and Africa. Different theatres were active at different times, and involved different combatants. The sides were the Axis, of German, Italy, Romania, Hungry and Japan. On the Allied side were Great Britain, Soviet Union, and the United States, alongside France, Poland, and Canada.
The main theatres of operation include:
Western Europe, 1939 to 1941. The initial German aggression, with invasions of Poland, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium and France. Italy declared war late in this era. Operations continued into the Balkans and Mediterranean into 1941.
East Front, 1941 to 1945 the main area of fighting, consuming the majority of the German forces against the Soviet Union. Started with the German invasion (Barbarossa) where German troops supported by Romanian and Hungarian troops swept into Russia, reaching the out skirts of Moscow by the winter of 1941. There followed two years of intense fighting across the whole breadth of Russia, in weather conditions from deep snow, to hot summers. The tide turned in mid 1943 with multiple Soviet offensives that drove the Germans back to their own borders. Followed by the final push through Poland into German and to Berlin ending the war in the West.
North Africa - 1940 to 1943. The battlefields of North Africa were constrained to a narrow strip of coastal land from Egypt to Tunisia. Initial battles were between the British and Italian forces, going largely in favour of the British. Then German reinforcements were sent (the Afrika Korps), which swung the balance back to the Axis. In 1943 American troops landed in Tunisia and fought there way towards the British troops who were pushing forward, eventually defeating the Axis Troops.
Western Europe 1943 to 1945 - the liberation of main land Europe started with the invasions of Sicily and Italy in 1943 by Anglo-American forces. Followed by the invasion of France (D-Day) in June 1944, leading to the liberation of France, into the Low Countries, and finally over the Rhine into German in 1945
The Far East. The Japanese were the main protagonists in the Pacific, attacking various European colonies from 1940 onwards with considerable success. The US was attacked in Dec 1941 bringing them into the war. The US ground campaign consisted of many amphibious assaults on Japanese held islands. Further north British Commonwealth troops were involved in fighting to free Burma. And there was considerable fighting in China, from before the start of the war in the West.
That was a bit long!! But WWII feels quite big....
WWII British
The British forces encompass troops from the British Commonwealth who typically wore the same uniforms and equipment as each other. As British forces were involved for the whole war in multiple theatres, there are several distinct troop types represent in the Pendraken Ranges.
BEF - usable from 1939 to 1941 in Western Europe - principally for the Invasion of France
Home Guard - 1940 to 1942, defensive force in Britain.
8th Army - principally for North Africa for 1940 to 1943, troops in shorts were also found in Italy in 1943, and can be used in the Far East, though long trousers were favoured in the Jungle.
Airborne - Western Europe 1943 to 1945, airborne troops in smocks and brimless helmets.
Slouch Hat - Far East
Generic - Western Europe 1943 to 1945
Working tomorrow but got some time off later this week so will knock something up for the Renaissance lines - Poles. Turks and TYW ;)
Fred, you missed the Italians on the Eastern front!
Quote from: Ithoriel on 20 February 2017, 06:38:52 PM
An entirely unrepresentative survey of 9 people (4 "gamers" and 5 "general public") leads me to believe that the Dark Ages is "Vikings and looting and pillaging and stuff" while Early Medieval is "probably the Crusades or Simon de Thingy and Magna Carta."
That's High Medieval (13th C+ is Late Medieval).
Quote from: mad lemmey on 20 February 2017, 08:05:42 PM
Fred, you missed the Italians on the Eastern front!
If that's all I missed, I'll regard it as not too bad!
Quote from: Nick the Lemming on 20 February 2017, 08:14:44 PM
That's High Medieval (13th C+ is Late Medieval).
It may be if you are a professional or amateur historian but for most of the world (wargamers and non-wargamers alike) it's the Middle Ages where King Arthur and his knights wear armour that wouldn't be out of place at Bannockburn or Agincourt and live in Renaissance castles.
Familiar, if dated, nomenclature is to be preferred when dealing with non-specialists.
Quote from: Ithoriel on 20 February 2017, 08:55:34 PM
It may be if you are a professional or amateur historian but for most of the world (wargamers and non-wargamers alike) it's the Middle Ages where King Arthur and his knights wear armour that wouldn't be out of place at Bannockburn or Agincourt and live in Renaissance castles.
Familiar, if dated, nomenclature is to be preferred when dealing with non-specialists.
It's the correct term. If you're doing a range of historical minis, then historical accuracy is a good thing no?
Quote from: Nick the Lemming on 20 February 2017, 10:21:29 PM
It's the correct term. If you're doing a range of historical minis, then historical accuracy is a good thing no?
For me it depends on whether your prime objective is to educate the public or sell toy soldiers. But ultimately it's Pendraken's decision.
Just putting the case for the prosecution :D
Early 16th C. English/Scots
During the early 16th Century, England and Scotland were both military backwaters compared to many renaissance states. They were both embroiled in yet another series of wars, which led to a Scottish alliance with France, and while Henry was diverted fighting around Flanders, James VI launched what would ultimately be the disasterous Flodden campaign. Out-manoeuvred by the English northern army, and forced to fight on ill-suited terrain, this resulted in the death of James VI and the annihilation of the Scottish nobility and army in 1513.
Meanwhile, Henry VIII himself was leading a series of expensive, and ultimately pointless, campaigns in Northern France with his allies, The Holy Roman Empire. Henry invested huge amounts of money in continental mercenaries and prestige weapons such as artillery, all of which failed to bring the French to action, apart from 'The Battle of The Spurs' and a few sieges. Eventually, Henry's allies formed their own peace with France, and Henry returned to England to deal with domestic issues, while what continental gains he had made were shortly lost.
The ranges allow you field everything you need for these conflicts, including English billmen, both heavily armoured and local levys, as well as longbowmen, knights and foreign mercenaries such as pikes and hired gendarmes; the Scots have heavily armoured pikes, artillery, and some interesting highlanders and archers. Also within the range are character figures for each force at Flodden Field.
Mollinary and Cameronian, you chaps might want to spin this differently...
Quote from: Orcs on 20 February 2017, 04:39:30 PM
Polish
Battle for Poland
Battle for France
Germany attacked Poland on 1st September. the invasion of Poland and the Germans refusal to withdraw brought Britain and france into the confict on 3rd September. Outnumbered and outgunned the Poles fought hard. Most of their armour were small tankettes. The Poles did have some better tanks. Their own adaptation of the license built Vickers the Single Turret 7TP was better than most of the German tanks., but there were too few of them and they were not ready for the "Blitzkrieg" style of fighting. The campaign included frequent use of Armoured trains. The cavalry charging tanks is a myth. On one occasion at Krojanty Polish Ulans charged some German infantry and routed them, delaying the German pursuit for 24 hours. The cavalry did suffer heavy losses from machine gun fire when caught in the open by German Recce troops. The countries fate was sealed when Russia invaded from the east on 17th September, finally surrendering on 6th October. Many of the Polish Troops fled to Britain to continue the fight. Including most of the legendary 10th Cavalry Brigade who retreated through Hungary and fought in the Battle of France with French supplied tanks
Addition to above.
The Polish Army used quite a selection of French equipment. The following codes from the Fench range are also applicable to this army
F9 FT17 Round turret 37mm
F9a FT17 Hexagonal turret
FRE14 Unic P-107 Halftrack
FRE2 Hotchkiss H35
FRE55 75mm field gun
FRE56 Laffly S15R
FRE12 Renault R35
Thanks for the replies again, I might have to pare some of them down a bit to fit in the box, but keep them coming!
On the Dark Ages / Early Medieval debate, I don't think we'll be looking to change any of our categories for now, we've not had anyone confused by them so far so if it ain't broke don't fix it!
16th Century Polish
This is the army that includes one of history's most iconic cavalrymen -the Winged Hussars. Created by the King of Poland, Stephan Bathory, in the 1560's these heavily armed and armoured warriors more often than not carried the field for the next century, culminating in the importantEuropean victory over the Ottoman Turks at the siege of Vienna in 1683. The Polish Commonwealth of the time extended far beyond its current borders and included Lithuania, modern Ukraine and parts of Russia; there was even a Polish Czar. Ably supported by artillery, pancerni cavalry and uniformed units of arquebus and axe armed hajduk infantry, the Polish army was definitely the one to beat in Renaissance Eastern Europe.
MickS
American Civil War
The American Civil War (ACW) was fought between the United States (Union) and Confederated States (Confederacy) from 1861 to 1865. The Confederacy consisted of states that opposed the abolishment of slavery. Both sides tended to use the same weapons and equipment. The Union typically had blue uniforms and the confederates were either grey or butternut. Other names used to describe the ACW are "North & the South" and "The Blue and the Grey".
The Punic Wars
The Punic Wars were a series of three conflicts fought between the Mediterranean super powers of the ancient world, Rome and Carthage. From 264-146BC, these two powers fought bitter battles over control of Sicily and the sea trade of the Mediterranean, and in this maelstrom some of history's greatest generals are found; Hannibal of Carthage and Scipio of Rome. The Punic Wars escalated into a conflict for survival that ended in the final defeat and destruction of Carthage, and the ascendency of Rome.
Plains Wars
A series of conflicts between the United States and Native American Indian tribes in the Great Plains area of the United States from 1850-1880. Some of the Native American tribes involved in the conflicts were the Sioux, Lakota, Cheyenne, Comanche, Kiowa, Apache, and Arapaho. The most well-known battle of this period was the Battle of Little Bighorn (1876), in which General Custer and some of the 7th Cavalry Regiment were defeated by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull's combined armies. This period is often popularized in stories and movies of lone US cavalry patrols or outposts making "last stands" against hordes of Indians.
These dates are pretty debatable, but basically covers all the popular stuff I think.
WWII French
At the start of WWII the French had a large, well equipped army. Unfortunately they were organised and deployed for a refight of Verdun, while the Germans where planning a different war. While on a strategic level the battle for France in 1940 was very much the Germans in the ascendancy, but on the tactical level the French did well, and inflicted significant casualties on the Germans. The French tanks were deployed in elaborate camouflage schemes which look great on the table!
For Free French forces for 1944 onwards, the figures and vehicles in the American range are appropriate.
WWII Canadian
Canadian troops served as part of the British Commonwealth forces thought WWII, their units were normally equipped with the same uniforms and equipment as British ones.
The RAM tank was built in Canada, it never served as a gun tank during WWII, but many were used as Observation Tanks, and with turrets removed, as armoured personnel carriers, gun tractors and munitions carriers.
WWII US Marines
This range of figures covers the US Marines from mid 1942 to 1945, for operations in the Pacific theatre. During the Pacific campaign the US Marines were the primary ground troops deployed in the many amphibious assaults on Japanese held islands, from Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima. Tanks and vehicles to support the troops can be found in the American range.
1890's North-West Frontier
After having "settled" the Afghan question in the Second Afghan war, Britain had gained several Afghan provinces on the Indian side of the Hindu Kush. One thing is to have ownership over the landmass, quite another is to gain a population of fierce warriors and accomplished robbers, raiding the Punjab regulary and ruled by their own tribal laws. Punitive expeditions on the Northern Frontier was a yearly task for the Raj, as well as fighting local uprisings, by both chieftains wanting autonomy and as part of "The Great Game" with Russia.
My small contribution:
Elizabethan:
When Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1558, the bill and longbow were still a dominant feature of English armies; Irish musters occasionally even make reference to small companies of mounted archers. By the time of the queen's death in 1603, the traditional infantry had almost completely been superseded by bodies of pike and shot. Gentlemen and sons of gentlemen waiting for commissions might serve as demi-lancers or as gentlemen pike. While there is no evidence that the latter performed any better than the other pike armed levies, their resolve might be expected to be somewhat superior.
16th C. Ottoman:
The Ottoman Empire was a major imperial power, controlling most of western Asia, south-eastern Europe and, indirectly, much of north Africa. Akinji were mounted irregulars who were skilled raiders and scouts, while Sipahis were feudal horsemen of Turkish origin who served in provincial armies in exchange of land grants. The latter were often absent from Ottoman armies in north Africa and Arabia where there were few ethnic Turks. Janissaries were elite infantry recruited from European children forcibly converted to Islam. Ghazis were fierce religious zealots while Azabs were locally sourced foot troops specifically recruited for each campaign.
Samurai
Sixteenth century Japan was divided into numerous feuding provinces, each ruled over by warlords or daimyo. Nominal fealty was owed to the emperor but, in practice, the daimyo ruled their provinces as they saw fit and conflict between rival warlords was common. Early in the century, the fundamentalist Buddhist Ikkōshū uprising was able to overthrow their samurai masters in some parts of the country but by the middle of the sixteenth century the movement was on the wane. The wars of this period saw rapid changes in arms and tactics and, although the samurai remained the ultimate warrior, weapons such as the naginata was steadily replaced by the yari. Firearms were introduced by the Portuguese in 1543 and were readily adopted – by the end of the century it is estimated that there were more firearms in Japan than in many European nations.
Great idea. I can also see helping with suggestions for what is available from other ranges that would work for other armies/countries, as was expressed about the WW2 Polish army. Many times people want to get into a new genre, but have not really studied it much yet, so suggestions like that are very helpful.
The WW2 Hungarians would be another example where foreign equipment was purchased and used. Hungary was an axis power, and was part of the German invasion of Russia in 1941. Here are some of the assorted vehicles they used, besides their own Toldi Tank (which was really a built under licensed Swedsh Landsverk L60b) and Turan tanks.
Italian CV35 tankettes (ITA2)
German Pz IB (GR186)
German Pz 38t (GR128)
German Pz IV Aufs D and F1 (GR200) and (GR197)
Additionally, I know of Hungary using Csaba armored cars, German Stug IIIs and Mardars, but nothing specific as to which model exactly.
Also, most any German figures from WWI and WWII could be used for Hungarians, with a different color uniform, because the Hungarians wore uniforms that looked like the German uniform only in a brownish-drab color and they also wore both WWI and WWII German helmets that I have seen as a gray-green or a drab-green color.
Another area that I think needs to be included, and maybe because it is near and dear to my heart, is Weird World War. I have based most of mine from books or movies, however my largest endeavor is one of my own creation that I term - The Post-Apocalyptic armies. I have developed a full scenario that I base this one on and if it would be of help, I am happy to type it up and submit it.
Terry
Quote from: Terry37 on 27 February 2017, 05:42:12 PM
Another area that I think needs to be included, and maybe because it is near and dear to my heart, is Weird World War. I have based most of mine from books or movies, however my largest endeavor is one of my own creation that I term - The Post-Apocalyptic armies. I have developed a full scenario that I base this one on and if it would be of help, I am happy to type it up and submit it.
The Weird WWII is definitely something I'd like to do longer term, along with a BKC supplement to go with it. We've got a few tanks that would suit already (Maus/Ratte/KV-5) plus some walkers that were done years ago, so we just need some foot to go with them and then we can knock up some armies.
Russian Civil War.
After centuries of tzarist rule over Russia, WWI brought a communist revolution that saw the monarchy toppled and a Proletariat Dictatorship installed.
From 1917 to 1921, all over the vast Russian Empire, armies of the main factions, Reds (communists), Whites (Conservative forces), Polish, Ukrainians, interventionist foreign powers, etc. fought to establishd their own view of a future Russia.
More than a war a series of conflicts, described by Churchil as Pigmy Wars, it was more international that even WWI.
Its outcome would shape the 20th Century.
Please, a native English speaker can be kind and revise my entry??? :)
Spanish Civil War.
A conflict between the republican government, supported by the left wing political parties; and the conservative forces, mainly the Armed Forces, it was the result of years of tensions and extremist policies by different governments in Spain.
For three years both sides developed their own military and political agendas, fighting some of the most famous battles of the 20th Century, like Madrid, Guadalajara or the Battle of the Ebro River.
Infantry waving flags, colourful militias, cavalry against tanks and defensive positions. A mix of both World Wars with the lethal participation of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Stalinist Russia.
Again, please, someone can check my writing?
I will try to write small texts for all the miniature lines you have for the SCW, but I have to say this:
"Nationalists" is a bad translation of the Spanish term used by that side during the war.
Both sides argued that the other was an invading, foreign army.
The Republican Government because there were Moroccans, Germans and Italians, with the Foreign Legion being the elite force in the rebel side.
The rebels, directed by Franco, because the Communist Party and his Russian advisors managed to take control of most activities in the republican controlled territory.
That is why the rebel forces, Franco,s Army, called themselves the NATIONAL ARMY, and the nationals as an adjective.
Nationalists forces were fighting in the republican side, mainly Catalonian and Vasque forces, that declared their unilateral independence.
PLEASE EVERYBODY, DON´T LOOK FOR ANY POLITICAL IDEOLOGY IN THIS ENTRY.
Natxo,
You're English is Bette than some of the native English speakers. Keep up the good work. 8)
Don't forget the International Brigade.
Hi Natxo, I hope you don't mind if I suggest some minor edits to your Russian Civil War piece?
"After centuries of tzarist rule over Russia, the pressures of WWI fostered a revolution that saw the Romanov monarchy toppled and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic established in 1917.
From 1917 to 1922, all over the vast territories of the former Russian Empire, armies of the main factions, Whites (Conservative forces), Anarchists, Polish, Ukrainians, along with interventionist foreign powers fought against the Bolsheviks in an attempt to establish their own view of a future Russia. More than a war but a series of conflicts described by Churchil as Pigmy Wars, it was more international that even WWI.
Its outcome would shape the 20th Century."
The RSFSR lasted until 1922 when it and the 16 autonomous socialist republics formed the USSR.
Cheers
Ian
The new website is imminent now so we're looking for more entries for our info boxes! The categories still needing an entry can be found in my original post: http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,15593.0.html
Early Imperial
By this period the Roman Republic had ended in the Civil Wars from which Augustus emerged victorious as Emperor of Rome. Already dominant around the Mediterranean, Rome set about strengthening her grip on areas further North and East bringing her into conflict with many different opponents.
Imperial Roman
This is the period most people think of when they think of Roman soldiers. Legionaries in their segmented armour with big, curved, rectangular shields. While the legionaries were the core of the army there were about as many auxiliary troops in a Roman army. Mainly infantry or, less often, cavalry in chainmail shirts with a spear and an oval shield but other auxiliaries were armed with bows or slings. In both sieges and open battle the Romans could also bring their war engines to bear. As well as troops from within the Empire the Romans would also field tribal troops from outside their borders under native or Roman officers.
Gallic
Part of a Celtic culture that stretched from Ireland all the way across to the Galatians of Turkey, the Gauls occupied France and maintained cultural links with the Ancient British. Gallic and British armies would have a core of infantry warbands composed of warriors with shields, spears or swords, some armoured, some not. A few tribesmen would instead be armed with bows or, particularly in Britain, slings. Nobles were better armoured and rode horses or, in Britain, chariots. Gaesatae were fanatics who charged into battle naked, relying on their skill at arms and the shock value of their ferocious reputation for protection.
Dacian
Best known from Trajan's Column in Rome, which commemorates Trajan's victory over the Dacians and the incorporation of Dacia into the Empire the Dacians were no pushover. During the reign of the emperor Domitian the Dacians butchered a Roman army and forced the Romans to negotiate a peace treaty. Famed for their use of the deadly falx, a three foot haft with a sickle like blade on the end, the Dacian warbands also used javelins and spears and were supported by archers. The Dacian cavalry was supplemented by troops from the neighbouring Sarmatian tribes and included Sarmatian cataphracts - armoured men on armoured horses.
Napoleonic Prussia 1812-1815
Following the ignominious defeat in 1806 and the Treaty of Tilsit the flollowing year, Napoleon Bonaparte forced the Prussians to become allies and limited the army to an all arms maximum of 42,000. To get around this the Prussian General Staff came up with an ingenious plan to train recruits for a time and then put them on a 'reserve' list while others went through the same training. Known as the Krumper System, in this way the number under arms remained constant but the number of reservists available rose to anything between 30,000 and 150,000. After Napoleon's defeat in 1812, Prussian pride and nationalism convinced the king to break with France and join the Sixth Coalition of Allies against Napoleon. These reservists were then called to the colours and although variously armed and uniformed at the start, the troops conducted themselves well and after Napoleon's abdication in 1814 and return in 1815, played a pivotal part in his final defeat at Waterloo.
This may be slightly off topic, but if we are going to provide information about the conflicts etc, would it not be useful to have a list somewhere of troop type substitutes ? The Napoleonic wars for instance had many states which are not represented in the catalogue such as Saxony, Waldeck, or Reuss. Even the big players only have limited ranges confined to the main types of troop. I think it would help if the catalogue carried information such as Saxon Musketeers 1807-14 use French Fusiliers.
1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War
Russian and Japanese ambitions clash in Korea and Manchuria leading to a short but bloody war that foretold of the carnage to come ten years later in the Great War.
This range can be supplemented by proxies from other Pendraken ranges such as the Russo-Turkish War and WW1 Ranges.
Quote from: grahambeyrout on 04 May 2017, 06:29:05 PM
This may be slightly off topic, but if we are going to provide information about the conflicts etc, would it not be useful to have a list somewhere of troop type substitutes ? The Napoleonic wars for instance had many states which are not represented in the catalogue such as Saxony, Waldeck, or Reuss. Even the big players only have limited ranges confined to the main types of troop. I think it would help if the catalogue carried information such as Saxon Musketeers 1807-14 use French Fusiliers.
It's definitely something handy to have here on the Forum for reference, but I'm wary of putting it onto the website/catalogue as once we've opened that door there's a whole lot of proxies and debate which might ensue! Here on the Forum it can be discussed and amended easily.
Ancient Spanish
Ancient Spain was one of the toughest places to fight in Europe before the Roman Empire. The tribesmen often defeated Punic, Roman, and Gaulish armies, taking full advantage of their mobility, ferocity, and effective weaponry. An Iberian army was typically an infantry force with about two thirds close-order warriors carrying extra-heavy javelins, swords that were highly respected in the ancient world, and decent shields, and the other third very mobile light infantry with javelins. There might be some slingers too, and sometimes the lighter troops predominated. Cavalry were fewer in number and mainly light, but hard-hitting. The army looks imposing on the table, since most of them wore clean white tunics and white sinew caps with horsehair crests, and the heavy foot fought in large wedges. It took the Romans far longer to conquer Iberia that to overrun Gaul.
The Zulu Wars
This ever-popular war involved the odd couple of the Zulu army, superbly disciplined and aggressive but using short spears or misunderstood firearms, and the British, trained and very well equipped, but badly outnumbered and led with less than ideal professionalism. The British attacked the Zulus against the orders of their own government, had an unexpected severe defeat, and then won the war in a series of battles that showed that the Zulus were still dangerous. For appearance, the war is hard to beat; British scarlet coats towards the end of their career, and Zulu shields with each regiment using a distinctive colour or pattern (and some of the most entertaining regimental names ever, such as Swamp of Crocodiles, The Cockroaches, or Pacifiers of the Land).
Any more contributions on this? Thanks to everyone who has helped out so far.
8)