In the latter part of 2017 I found myself in that common wargamer's situation, that of pondering what to do next. After all, I only had 3 major projects on the go and they were all nearing completion (or at least what would pass for completion until I saw something new and shiny for them). So I decided to construct an opponent for my War of the Spanish Succession French army. There was no desperate need for this, three guys at my local club have opposition armies, but, having been caught out in the past, I now make it my policy to have a usable force for both sides in any period/scale I collect. all three opponents were geared towards the Northern European theatres, being an Anglo-Dutch army, an all-British army and an Imperialist army. After staging a re-fight of the Battle of Almanza earlier in the year, I was rather taken with the somewhat neglected Spanish theatre for this war, so decided to base my new army there. The Confederate effectively had two field armies in the peninsular, one based in Portugal and one based in Catalonia. I decided to go for the army based in Catalonia, as I had already had 5 battalions of Catalan infantry.
I've started to chronicle my efforts on my blog http://grahamsgaming.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/a-confederate-army-for-war-of-spanish.html
The first few posts should be quick to get online, as I already have some of the units finished, or at least just requiring basing.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4604/39475370504_1834c4a016.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/239iAmh) (https://flic.kr/p/239iAmh)
Looking great boss!
Nice start to a good project and an interesting theatre.
:-bd =D> :-bd
I look forward to seeing this progress
Have you 'completed' the other 3 projects ;)
I can only applaud doing armies for both sides. Much easier to accomplish in 10mm or smaller. After relocating from areas with multiple wargame opponents, I was caught out by having virtually no opposition for my various 25/28mm armies. Part of the reason I switched to 10mm was to remedy that.
I already follow your blog and will continue to watch your progress.
To your friend and humble narrator, it's always seemed the automatic choice to get at least one opponent for every army I raise.
Thank you gents. I know it's unlikely to lose all three gaming buddies at once, but Last Hussar may be relocating at some point. I realised this was the only period/scale where I didn't have enough of both sides to play a game.
paulr - "Have you 'completed' the other 3 projects?" Of course not! ;D I still need more scenery for my 28mm Bootleggers/Pulp game, I've got a unit of pigmies to paint for my 28mm Darkest Africa and I need to get more generals and dismounted cavalry for both sides in my 10mm ACW armies.
Excellent !
(I'll swear some posts are 'slipping under the radar', when I log in and click "Posts since your last visit".....Should have seen this before..... Probably me being a Muppet. :'()
Cheers - Phil
Coming on nicely
Take care
Andy
Nice start! Always good to have two armies. I do have the fortune of having gaming buddies for things like sci-fi and fantasy, but to get in a historical game I pretty much have to paint all the armies involved to get anyone to play. Like D_Guy that was part of my decision to make the switch to 10mm.
Quote from: Techno on 11 February 2018, 11:18:37 AM
Excellent !
Probably me being a Muppet :'()
Cheers - Phil
That's not true, Muppets are useful and funny !
Techno in his finery. (http://bassic-sax.info/blog/wp-content/comment-image/33822.jpg)
Rethreading the topic ...
Are you going to make the flags a bit more "wavy"?
;D ;D
"Wavy" like Techno's hair?
I am still waiting for him to complete the flags for his French, has has omitted all Kings colours.... I wonder why ;)
I'm not going to play orcs with a French army with white flags! That's asking for trouble.
Quote from: Westmarcher on 11 February 2018, 09:26:30 PM
;D ;D
"Wavy" like Techno's hair?
OI !!Quote from: Orcs on 13 February 2018, 08:46:55 AM
I am still waiting for him to complete the flags for his French, has has omitted all Kings colours.... I wonder why ;)
Talking about waiting.....I still haven't seen a piccy of that hobbittty wosname who invented golf, Mark. :P
Cheers - Phil
Four more pro-Carolean Spanish infantry for my new army. These were painted for me by our very own Mad Lemmy. https://grahamsgaming.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/a-confederate-army-for-war-of-spanish_14.html
fsn, yes I will be twiddling with the flags to make them "wavy"(but probably not like Techno's hair) ;) :d
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4757/38450793450_f965bf8fc3.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/21zLnhE)
(https://flic.kr/p/21zLnhE)
Looking great, I concur with having to do both sides... I've turned into a collector/painter as I have trouble finding opponents and have to do both sides...by the time I finish I move onto a new project lol.
Looking great, thanks for the work.
Quote from: sunjester on 14 February 2018, 01:41:28 PM
to make them "wavy"(but probably not like Techno's hair) ;) :d
You can stop picking me, as well. ;D
Cheers - Phil
Quote from: Techno on 15 February 2018, 02:46:13 PM
You can stop picking me, as well. ;D
Cheers - Phil
Well, everyone needs a hobby! ;) ;D
This time two Dutch battalions, one from Bruhese Regiment and one from Friesheim Regiment. Dutch regiments in Spain consisted of two battalions, but it would be a bit dull to field two identical units, so I've done one from each. http://grahamsgaming.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/a-confederate-army-for-war-of-spanish_17.html
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4677/25442209137_1c5dd5221b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/ELeYoe) (https://flic.kr/p/ELeYoe)
Nice Graham
:-bd =D> :-bd
But where are the wavy flags ;)
Looking damn fine !!
Cheers - Phil
Now for the start of the mounted contingent, a unit of dragoons (from the excellent League of Augsberg range) and two cavalry units. http://grahamsgaming.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/a-confederate-army-for-war-of-spanish_21.html
Looking at the dragoons makes me think I really should get some more of these to replace my current French dragoons with these little beauties.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4723/40396847601_13c430662e_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/24xJpor)
(https://flic.kr/p/24xJpor)
Nicely done but unfortunately Spanish dragoons didn't look like that. See https://www.pinterest.es/pin/522628731744133570/ and http://users.telenet.be/Gercon/cossacks/images/Spanish_18c_dragoon.jpg
I asked here about this (http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,10619.0.html).
I used the SYB25 SYW British Horse Grenadier figures and modified the hat. This figure has the tall grenadier hat so I used a file to round the top. Then I cut the back off to make the front taller and rounded that off. It was pretty easy to and worked well.
I guess then use you existing figures to replace the French dragoons you mention.
That project is developing very nicely Sunjester.
Very nice indeed
Take care
Andy
Nice one Graham
Thank you chaps. :-h
Hwiccee, thanks for the info. Bugger! :'( The uniform I'd found from the 1690s had them still wearing floppy hats. I knew that hadn't gone for tricorns, so assumed that they had taken the French style of caps. Oh well, it looks like these must be French dragoons after all! =)
Looks like I'll be doing some converting, I wonder if the GNW Russian dragoons would work with a little piece of plasti-card stuck on the front?
I'd just use them as Spanish dragoons. :P
Quote from: sunjester on 21 February 2018, 01:18:26 PM
Thank you chaps. :-h
Hwiccee, thanks for the info. Bugger! :'( The uniform I'd found from the 1690s had them still wearing floppy hats. I knew that hadn't gone for tricorns, so assumed that they had taken the French style of caps. Oh well, it looks like these must be French dragoons after all! =)
Looks like I'll be doing some converting, I wonder if the GNW Russian dragoons would work with a little piece of plasti-card stuck on the front?
I think in general I would go with jaztez and just use them in any case. I think it is a unit which we have no uniform info on so maybe.....
Then maybe go with some conversion if you get another unit. I used the British SYW figure because I had some spare from using them for GNW Russian horse grenadiers. They were simple to do but I think the Russian dragoons could work as well.
There is though a French unit, possibly others, the Aubinge/Lesparre/Granville regiment which is in very similar colours - should be easy to 'convert'.
Following on from the discussion about Spanish Dragoons, I noticed a comment
in a book by CS Grant which might be helpful ("The Armies & Uniforms of
Marlborough's Wars, Vol 2").
His take on this is that the high fronted 'grenadier cap' would only have been
worn by the horse grenadiers in each Dragoon Regiment and that the remaining
dragoons would have worn either the tricorne or the French 'bag hat'.
Apparently, one source quoted by many others (Clonard) attributes the
'grenadier cap' to all dragoons.
I'm not sure whether there are any Spanish brethren on this forum who can
offer a better insight ? I might try and contact the chap who runs the
excellent Spanish 'Miniaturas Militares' site.
Anyway, perhaps there is at least some scope for including the French style
dragoons in your army.
Phil
I'll certainly use them as is for now, but I might have a go at converting a unit of Russian dragoons to see how they look. It would be nice to have yet more variation in the Confederate army, or else I could add the converted unit to the small Spanish contingent in my French army.
Every army needs a commander, so here is my Confederate general, together with some of his staff and bodyguard. More details and pictures on the blog http://grahamsgaming.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/a-confederate-army-for-war-of-spanish_23.html
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4674/39728032614_f5e4bb3c84_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/23wCxZy)
I've also added flags to my Dutch regiments, many thanks to Glorfindel for helping with the flag details.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4664/40438634551_117b0863eb_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/23wCxZy) (https://flic.kr/p/24Bqzc6)
Damn good stuff !!
Cheers - Phil
Top work
Very nice indeed
Take care
Andy
:-bd =D> :-bd
Suitably wavy flags :)
I have finally managed to get back to this project, after a prolonged gap. With the next big WSS game scheduled for mid-May I need to get the Confederate army finished (by "finished" I mean the word very loosely, more in the sense of enough done for this game).
More pictures on the blog http://grahamsgaming.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/a-confederate-army-for-war-of-spanish.html
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/943/41736998102_b155d57038.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26Aa2ry) (https://flic.kr/p/26Aa2ry)
:-bd =D> :-bd
Those are rather lovely 8)
Top work there
Lovely stuff !
Cheers - Phil
Cracking stuff, good luck with them "staying finished" ;)
And two more Imperialist units! http://grahamsgaming.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/a-confederate-army-for-war-of-spanish.html
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/963/41129567634_fdaf807dc9.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25EtMws) (https://flic.kr/p/25EtMws)
Bonza, show that Johnny Frenchman he doesn't like that stalwart German sausage up 'im!
Nice!
Very spiffy ! :)
Cheers - Phil
Looking fab... keep up the great work
Very nice indeed
Take care
Andy
The problem with Sun jester is he bases too loosely. My Austro-prussians are 6 not 4 to a base.
Also he and Orcs are COMPLETELY WRONG ABOUT CAVALRY BASING. I'm right, they are wrong.
Quote from: Last Hussar on 03 May 2018, 11:21:13 PM
The problem with Sun jester is he bases too loosely. My Austro-prussians are 6 not 4 to a base.
Also he and Orcs are COMPLETELY WRONG ABOUT CAVALRY BASING. I'm right, they are wrong.
LH and I both store our armies in 4L and 9L really useful boxes, using the 15 compartment trays. The compartments are 60mm square. My cavalry bases fit perfectly into the compartments, LH's one do not. Therefore I am right and he is wrong. :P
Quote from: sunjester on 04 May 2018, 07:31:26 AM
LH and I both store our armies in 4L and 9L really useful boxes, using the 15 compartment trays. The compartments are 60mm square. My cavalry bases fit perfectly into the compartments, LH's one do not. Therefore I am right and he is wrong. :P
Yes I totally agree.
Trying to fit two rows of 3 figures on a 20mm base is a pain, two rows of 2 are bad enough. LH obviously has nothing better to do than paint 50% more figures per unit and have the additional stress of fitting them on a base.
He also bases one gun on a limber for each gun firing.
This because (please chose the one you feels is appropriate)
a) He has nothing better to do with his time
b) He is grovelling to the Dark Lord by buying more figures
c) He is showing off his dexterity
d) He is used to dealing with small appendages.
e) He likes to think back to his time in the Brownies when he was a sixer, when there were six of them doing things together.
f) He is just being obtuse to annoy SJ and Myself.
You must be using really tiny bases. I get 8 SYW figures on a one inch square base (unless they are Old Glory Grand Scale, then I get 10).
Quote from: Leman on 04 May 2018, 02:27:37 PM
You must be using really tiny bases. I get 8 SYW figures on a one inch square base (unless they are Old Glory Grand Scale, then I get 10).
20mm x 20mm For infantry (4 figs) and cavalry(2 figs) guns are 20mm x 40mm
a) He has nothing better to do with his time - in between the whoring and the drinking
b) He is grovelling to the Dark Lord by buying more figures - well obviously
c) He is showing off his dexterity - you wouldn't think that if you'd seen my glue and paint covered fingers
d) He is used to dealing with small appendages. - well I talk to you, don't I?
e) He likes to think back to his time in the Brownies when he was a sixer, when there were six of them doing things together. - the joy of six
f) He is just being obtuse to annoy SJ and Myself. - its a feature, not a bug
Quote from: sunjester on 02 May 2018, 11:26:49 AM
And two more Imperialist units! http://grahamsgaming.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/a-confederate-army-for-war-of-spanish.html
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/963/41129567634_fdaf807dc9.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25EtMws)
(https://flic.kr/p/25EtMws)
I've got effing Austrians. Why paint more, and not something else?
Quote from: Last Hussar on 17 May 2018, 10:54:48 PM
I've got effing Austrians. Why paint more, and not something else?
Various reasons, most importantly.
1. Historical accuracy, Imperialist regiments were an important part of the army in Catalonia, sometime out numbering the British, so I should have them in my army.
2. When was the last time you turned up to the club? I don't want to be chasing you on a Friday "Can I borrow half a dozen units of Austrians?" every time I have a game!
Quote from: Leman on 04 May 2018, 02:27:37 PM
You must be using really tiny bases. I get 8 SYW figures on a one inch square base (unless they are Old Glory Grand Scale, then I get 10).
Well, naturally everything works better with SYW,
the real horse-and-musket conflict.
We played a refight of Saragossa 1710 at the last Tring Club Games Day, it was a lot of fun.
Orcs lost the British infantry (again!) and Last Hussar's dice was even more rubbish than usual! How many turns did your infantry refuse to move?
A lot of photos on the Tring Club blog http://tringwargames.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/10mm-war-of-spanish-succession.html
but here's a couple to be going on with.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/943/41504231224_05b9dd47ce_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26eA2Xw)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/961/41504230634_fef4ecbe47_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26eA2Xw) (https://flic.kr/p/26eA2Mm)
Great stuff - enjoyed the comments !
I really liked the windmill and fields and would be keen to know where these come from ?
Phil
Cracking looking epic sized game.
The windmill looks like the one available through pendraken.
The fields look familiar but I can't recall the manufacturer (is it Hotz?).
Lovely looking game all.
Brilliant stuff !! :-bd
Cheers - Phil
Lovely game.
Quote from: Glorfindel on 20 May 2018, 08:41:35 AM
Great stuff - enjoyed the comments !
I really liked the windmill and fields and would be keen to know where these come from ?
Phil
Phil: Fred has it right. The fields are by Hotz Mats and the windmill is the Escenografia Epsilon model, available from everyone's favourate 10mm manufacturer.
Thanks for the kind words chaps.
For those that like that sort of thing, Orcs worked out we had well over 10000 infantry and between 500 and 600 cavalry on the table.
That's a pretty amazing set up. =D> =D> =D>
4. It was 4 turns my lead line sat at its deployment point...
Leaden feet?
Some bugger had glued their boots to big planks of wood.
Aren't they called bases?
No they are skis...
And yes I is still inside !!!!
A really impressive looking game! I know many people like Napoleonics because they think it is so colorful....but it cannot hold a candle to the Lace Wars period!
Very enjoyable report!
Terry
10000 infantry?
Stonking!
I must get my windmill out as well :D
Yes it was an excellent game.
My main problem was LH taking so long to get his troops moving , mine got left on their own.
I am demanding that all my die rolls get a +1 added to them if I am allied with LH again.
10 000 is the target for next year ;)
From the sound of it Last Hussar needs the +1 :D
Or "minus whatever he needs to actually pass an activation test" ....
Quote from: toxicpixie on 20 May 2018, 07:57:29 PM
From the sound of it Last Hussar needs the +1 :D
Or "minus whatever he needs to actually pass an activation test" ....
2nd is what orcs want, whether he understands that or not. When I need 7 or less to move, and I roll 8, adding one won't help.
What we REALLY need is to know what SJ has over the Dice Gods...
Quote from: toxicpixie on 20 May 2018, 07:57:29 PM
10 000 is the target for next year ;)
I've got 648 infantry...
Not far off then, get cracking :D
Leon can't retire to the sun on that ;)
Quote from: Last Hussar on 20 May 2018, 08:18:46 PM
What we REALLY need is to know what SJ has over the Dice Gods...
Yes on one occasion SJ had to score 7 or above with 2 x D6 when he had -5 to the dice roll ,or his cavalry brigade would have broken....... He threw a double 6 AARRGGGHH!
Its an aura. Henry made 6 out of 6 saves at a crucial moment.
Quote from: sunjester on 20 May 2018, 08:00:21 AM
We played a refight of Saragossa 1710 at the last Tring Club Games Day, it was a lot of fun.
Orcs lost the British infantry (again!) and Last Hussar's dice was even more rubbish than usual! How many turns did your infantry refuse to move?
A lot of photos on the Tring Club blog http://tringwargames.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/10mm-war-of-spanish-succession.html
but here's a couple to be going on with.
A very impressive looking game
Take care
Andy