My bases are 16 10mm figures on a 30mm square base. The plan is to paint 2 Pike stands per game unit (with 4 musket bases of 9-12 men) I reckon this will give me the most flexibility to represent both sides for the whole war - I will be painting about 55% in red coats, the rest a lot of blue with some other colours. One of each pair of stands has the 'command figures' (Officer, drummer, Standard)
How how many breastplates should I do for the pike units. I know they fell out of favour as the war went on - they are going to be aesthetic only, as they don't make any difference in the 2 sets of rules I have (Pike and Shotte and Regiment of Foote).
It doesn't have to be a precise number - Some stands could have none, others the upper end of the range.
So you have some idea what the finished stands look like
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lasthussar/sets/72157621671630377/ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/lasthussar/sets/72157621671630377/)
I would say about 25-50% should do. The average regiment would then have the front row armoured with wealthier (or more old-fashioned) regiments having two lines armoured with the 'poorer' regiment having none or just a few men in armour in the front ranks. I guess that would be a fair reresentation of the historical looks...?
Cheers,
Rob
Don't think I'd go higher than 25% in the Royalist force, LH. Armour was expensive and the King was always short of money. Might go a bit higher with the Parliamentarians - they had access to the Tower and various arsenals - but I'm willing to bet those heavy, cumbersome breastplates got ditched as the campaign wore on.
I did front row only on my units in 28mm
Put the unarmoured and armoured figures in a bag and randomly pull out enough for each unit, that should give you an interesting mix
Yep, that just the way my Lord of Essex did it! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Further question
I'm guessing not too uniform- I'm doing coats all the same colour, and most of the trousers in a unit- a little variation I think!
The Buff leather over jacket thing- should I paint some of the chaps in them?
Leather coats - some of London Trained bands wore them.
Coat colours - not too uniform. Throw in a few civilian coats to make a unit look more authentic.