Arab Army

 The last post was Andalusians and Templars and I have loads of Normans. Therefore I can now fight early crusades and El Cid games. But I needed opponents. I had a root round and found some arab types. Mainly a mix of Perry Ansar, Gripping Beast plastics (?) and a some Napoleonic Persian camel gunners from Irregular. To these I bought some ebay arabs and a couple of packs of camel riders and horse archers from Black tree.

First up the camel gunners needed aging about 700 years. I swapped the heads for spare plastic ones and then draped the riders with cloaks and dishdashes made from toilet paper painted with watered down PVA. This is very therapeutic and very easy. There was something odd about the finished figures though

The rest of the army just needed basing and painting

THe full army. Using KoW basing rules it is 2 troops of cavalry, 2 troops heavy cavalry, 1 troop horse archers, 2 troops camel riders, 3 regiments spearmen, 1 troop spearmen, 4 troops archers, 1 regiment warriors, 1 troop warriors, 1 troop armoured spearmen and 3 commanders.

Heavy Cavalry - Westfalia Napoleonic Afghans - great figures

Cavalry and camel riders in 1 standard bearer that used to be a camel gunner

Camel riders - worked out the odd thing yet. They are all left handed. Unit of horse archers and another unit of cavalry

Archers and spearmen

Spearmen and warriors

Spearmen and warrios

More archers

 This is a nice sized force that will do me for all types of campaigns. If I can find any evidence of camelphracts being used then I have some of them as well.

Right back to painting Templars

Of Caravans and Psychopaths

Carry me caravan, take me a away

Take me to Portugal, take me to Spain

Andalusia with fields full of grain 

A couple of weeks ago, before covid ended fun again, I played a really great El Cid game with Matt. I had a few Moors and a couple of cavalry units that would pass as Andalusians. The enemy were Normans (we both have loads). I lost but it was a blast and so I wanted some more. A quick trip to Colonel Bills and I bought some Andalusians

The whole force, don't need loads as they were only ever allies, for both sides

crossbowmen - jolly deadly

Cavalry - these are actually Carolingians 

Regiment of spearmen

Da boss. This is a nice vignette with his servants carrying his arour and weapons

Warriors

Another cav unit

That is the cavaran bit done (The Doors in case you hadn't worked it out)

Now for the psychopaths. So I have some Moors / Arabs and I bought some more which will appear at a later date. What else to do with them. I've always wanted a Templar army. They look cool and were proper nutters

I had a few suitable knights that needed repainting

I ordered some mounted knights and Turopoles and I've converted a some figures from the bits box to give me some more knights. Will need some foot soldiers, already have some pilgrims

Keep safe

The Seven Years War

 I've completed my &YW armies. I know everybody says that and then buys shed loads more but look at what i've got and then say I need more.

This all started with a 10mm display game at Battlegrouhd show in 2018. Stafoord Wargamers had recreated Blenheim in 10mm and it looked fab. Matt decided to start a 10mm 7YW collection of Prussians and Austrians. Always up for something new I decided to join him. I initially started with Brunswickers but realised that they fought in the West against the French and not in the East against the Austrians - nowt like a good bit of research. Luckily the Brunsickers were generally dressed like Prussians so were an easy change to Prussians.

Once I'd moved to the Eastern front I decided to build the armies from the 1st major lind battle of the war, the Battle of Lobositz. Nominally a Prussian victory as the Austrians retired but in reality the Austrians built a roadblock to stop Frederick and when they had done that, and given him a bloody nose, they retired.

It's a pretty big battle with 28,500 Prussians vs 35,000 Austrians. The Kronoscaf website is a fantastic resource. So I bought the figures from Pendraken, there are some Old Glory infantry (don't like them), and artillery (they are great and they are cheap and you don't need to buy the limber like the Pendraken ones). The Pendraken stuff is amazing, massive fan.

Today I finished the last units

Both armies. Prussians on the right, Austrians on the left. An infantry regiment is 30 figures on 2 battalion sized bases (30mmx60mm). Ratio is about 50:1. Each regiment has a separate battalion gun. A cavaly regiment is 6 squadrons on 3 30x60mm bases (the area occupied is the same as an infantry battalion. 

Prussians. The Prussian army is slightly larger than the one at Lobositz to make the forces more balanced for future games

Combined Grenadiers and fusiliers

 

Infantry close up. All the Prussians have blue flowers on base (obviously as these were the last painted unit - von Winterfeldt - I forgot the flowers). 

The Austrians

The infantry

The heavy artillery

Close up of the infantry with white flowers

So that is the end of a project. I've repurposed some 6mm buildings for terrain (10mm buildings look at little too big and it's not an army that is going to fight in buildings).

A project completed. Now rest. Actually now work out some rules, Black powder takes too long, not tried General d' Armee, but have a plan or rules that will enable me to control a whole army quickly and not get bogged down in counters and factors. 

Right time for the next project - I've got about 1500 x10mm Italian wars figures. Landsknechts in 10mm, deep joy - will need more yellow and red paint.