As the House is pleased to direct me... Another ECW project

Started by mmcv, 20 January 2019, 11:18:43 PM

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mmcv

Answer: 23 faces and 15 buff coats base coated on some troopers in hats.

One of the packs had an extra trumpeter in place if a trooper, hence the uneven number!

mmcv

Got a few horse painted today. Now more decisions, decisions.... how to base?

The question I've always had with cavalry vs infantry is if the frontages were much different. For my Crusaders I went with a smaller frontage for cavalry, however, my sense is for this period is they were probably fairly similar so using 120*40 same as foot makes sense.

Here's a few options I've been toying with:







Using nine figures is obviously the more economical option, though will have to ask nice Mr Leon for some extra cornets and trumpets in my next order. Using twelve gives a bit more density. I had tried fifteen as well but looked a bit too irregular on 3 40*40s, unless I went back to my original plan of a 100mm frontage:



But think that's going to be too dense. Option 3, the flying v style, I'll definitely be doing for the Royalists (with a cornet and trumpeter at the tips) but am inclined to give the parliament forces a more regular disciplined look. Especially for the Ironsides.

paulr

I went with 4 Horse on a 40mm wide base in a single rank, three bases to a unit. One with coronet, one with trumpeter and one with an Officer.

I've gone with a mix of formations with mainly Vs and lines, both some what ragged given the level of training of most of the units and the difficulties of getting horses to conform to drill ;)
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fred.

I'd go with at least 4 cavalry figures to a base.  If you go with the Flying V formation the this will look good, it I'd still be putting some extra figures on the middle base.

You want them to look like a unit of heavy cavalry, not a skirmish line!
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mmcv

Quote from: paulr on 24 January 2019, 03:35:29 AM
I went with 4 Horse on a 40mm wide base in a single rank, three bases to a unit. One with coronet, one with trumpeter and one with an Officer.

I've gone with a mix of formations with mainly Vs and lines, both some what ragged given the level of training of most of the units and the difficulties of getting horses to conform to drill ;)

Where do you put your officer in the formation? Front and centre seems like the best place but difficult in a 4 man base. I know in many ancients they were in the right of the line but not sure if it's the same in this period.

Quote from: fred. on 24 January 2019, 07:28:58 AM
You want them to look like a unit of heavy cavalry, not a skirmish line!

Very true!

pierre the shy

24 January 2019, 09:11:42 AM #20 Last Edit: 24 January 2019, 09:15:50 AM by pierre the shy
Your ECW stuff looks very good mmcv.

Basing will come down to personal preferences and what rules you settle on for playing your ECW period games.

FWIW here's a couple of pics of how I have based up my Scots ECW cavalry for "For King @ Parliament" rules:

"Swedish" style formations are in one rank of 3 40x40mm saboted bases with Command in the middle (can easily change the arrangement of the sabots as required):


"Dutch" style pistollers in deeper formation - (a small unit in FK@P terms) - 40 x 40mm bases in two ranks, command in front:


I went for a slightly disordered look with each base having a different vee or echeloned formation.

I hope that helps.

Please keep posting about your ECW project, always interesting to see how others do things.

Cheers
Peter
 
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we are not now that strength which in old days
moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are.

Westmarcher

24 January 2019, 09:36:09 AM #21 Last Edit: 24 January 2019, 09:39:16 AM by Westmarcher
Ultimately, you should just do what pleases you most. Personally, my horse are based 3 to a 25mm x 25mm base in a slightly randomly staggered way (these are Pendraken SYW cavalry, btw). Plus, I'm also thinking of the formations in Streeter's depiction of Naseby (don't know if he was there but he was certainly alive during the ECW)(see link).
https://www.rct.uk/collection/750070/plan-of-battle-of-naseby-1645

So, with these two factors in mind, 3 horse on a 40mm x 40mm(?) base look a tad 'lost' to me.
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.

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mmcv

Quote from: pierre the shy on 24 January 2019, 09:11:42 AM
Your ECW stuff looks very good mmcv.

Thanks!

Quote from: pierre the shy on 24 January 2019, 09:11:42 AM
Basing will come down to personal preferences and what rules you settle on for playing your ECW period games.

Yeah, I want to keep it fairly flexible as there's a number of good rule sets out there for the period, but don't want to spend half the game arranging bases so 3 bases on a sabot/movement tray is probably a good balance.

Quote from: pierre the shy on 24 January 2019, 09:11:42 AM
FWIW here's a couple of pics of how I have based up my Scots ECW cavalry for "For King @ Parliament" rules

...

I hope that helps.

It is helpful thanks, I think 4 on a base is probably going to be the best density, maybe in a mix of staggered, well formed and the v.

Quote from: pierre the shy on 24 January 2019, 09:11:42 AM
Please keep posting about your ECW project, always interesting to see how others do things.

I will! It's quite useful getting the feedback and seeing what others are doing rather than just sitting staring at rows of mdf and blu tac myself! I enjoy being able to engage in aspects of the hobby through the forum too when not necessarily at the painting table.

mmcv

Quote from: Westmarcher on 24 January 2019, 09:36:09 AM
Ultimately, you should just do what pleases you most. Personally, my horse are based 3 to a 25mm x 25mm base in a slightly randomly staggered way (these are Pendraken SYW cavalry, btw). Plus, I'm also thinking of the formations in Streeter's depiction of Naseby (don't know if he was there but he was certainly alive during the ECW)(see link).
https://www.rct.uk/collection/750070/plan-of-battle-of-naseby-1645

So, with these two factors in mind, 3 horse on a 40mm x 40mm(?) base look a tad 'lost' to me.

I do like density, one of the reasons I favour 10mm is for the density/detail balance. Though density doesn't always work for my bank balance!

I think you're right on the 3 being too sparse. I've poured over that picture myself many times, though I've not been sure whether it's accurate or just a representative style. It was that picture that inspired my original plan to do the two sets of six on 40*40s with a 20*40 for command. I'm half drawn to try it again after all! Most rule sets don't seem to have too much issue with a slight discrepancy in horse/foot base widths and could easily add in a sabot or extra empty base to pad out if needed.



paulr

Quote from: mmcv on 24 January 2019, 07:57:14 AM
Where do you put your officer in the formation? Front and centre seems like the best place but difficult in a 4 man base. I know in many ancients they were in the right of the line but not sure if it's the same in this period.

I put all my command figures (Officer, Coronet, Trumpeter) second from the right which spreads them through the unit, the base with the coronet in the center of the unit. I tend to think of the three bases per unit as troops (or pairs of troops) per regiment.

It all comes down to a balance of what looks 'right' to you, how many figures you can afford and how much time you have to paint...
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mmcv

Quote from: paulr on 25 January 2019, 01:07:37 AM
I put all my command figures (Officer, Coronet, Trumpeter) second from the right which spreads them through the unit, the base with the coronet in the center of the unit. I tend to think of the three bases per unit as troops (or pairs of troops) per regiment.

It all comes down to a balance of what looks 'right' to you, how many figures you can afford and how much time you have to paint...


I see what you mean, went back and looked at some of your earlier posts, that's a good way to think of it.

I'd love to be able to do large numbers of models per unit, sadly time and finances are not on my side at the moment and likely won't be for a while to come, so finding that balance that satisfies the look, cost and time investment is key!

Techno