Sunday, March 26, 2023

Wurttemberg I.R. #2

Back to some more terrific Piano Wargames figures, this time IR #2, with the Grenadier figures front and center in this shot!


Herzog Wilhelm von Wurttemberg was the inhaber for this unit in its various forms from 1805 - 1811. 


The drum rims have diagonal stripes in red, black, and yellow. As with all of the Wurttemberg officers, the silver sash is interwoven with threads of black and red. I use my micron ink pens to do those. 


The handsome flags are free downloads from Lucas' site. 


Excellent sculpting, animation, and casting on these figures!

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Birthday Booty, 2023!

Another Birthday came and went yesterday! Along with other more mundane items, there were some hobby goodies as well!


Some Old Glory WotR figures to round out the collection - 30 each Dismounted Knights, Longbowmen, WOTR Command, Peasants (for "Very Inferior" bands), and 20 WOTR artillery crew to serve the many guns I already have.  That should be enough to make 4 units of dismounted knights, 3 of Longbows, and 3-4 of mobs! As to when they will make it onto the painting queue, unclear!


Powercell Games had a closeout sale on their super dice pack - couldn't resist all of these for under $20 postpaid! I figure the assorted black die sets are especially suitable for SCi-Fi naval games!


Then there was this BIG box that arrived last week...



Enough magnificent new figures from Lucas' "Alps Aflame" Kickstarter for:

1 unit of 8 Bavarian Dragoons
4 units of 18 Bavarian Line Infantry 
1 unit of Bavarian Light Infantry
2 Batteries (4 guns and 16 crew) of Bavarian artillery
Bavarian High Command

3 units of Austrian Infantry, Firing Line
1 unit of Austrian Infantry, marching
1 unit of Carinthian Landwehr
1 Austrian Artillery battery
Austrian High Command

2 Tirolese Scutzen
2 Tirolese Landsturm
Tirolese Command
Tirolese Characters
Tirolese Sheep
Tirolese Cows

Plus the Free Kickstarter set of infantry officers, one each Bavarian, Austrian, and Tyrol.


Clearly, I have my painting work cut out for me! Meanwhile, Lucas is hard at work preparing for his NEXT Kickstarter, which will include more Bavarians and Austrians, plus the first of the 1809 French, including Line and Light infantry.

Monday, March 20, 2023

ECW Scots Dragoons #2

 

A second unit of Dragoons joins the Covenanter forces!


Rather drab and dour looking fellows!


A few helmets in with the bonnets again.


Figures are by Old Glory 25's once again. 


The above picture before cropping shows Brooke, one of our Goldens. She is ball obsessed, and loves it whenever I take photos outside; she gets about 1 ball throw per photo!

Friday, March 17, 2023

Wurttemberg Fussjager Battalion #2

For Saint Patrick's Day, these guys are about as Green as it gets!  :-)


The Fußjäger had their origins as the Fussjager Kompanie, raised in October of 1799. By January of 1801 it had grown to three companies, now titled the Fussjager Corps, and by May of 1801, with the addition of a 4th company, the units was the Fussjager Battaillon. A second Battalion was raised in late 1805.


Originally known by the names of their commanders, by 1807they were now know simply as Fussjager Bataillon Nr 1 and Nr 2. Also in 1807, King Frederick became the Inhaber of the 1st battalion. By 1809, the 1st battalion was now referred to as the Konig Fussjager Bataillon. In 1814, the 2 battalions were united as Infanterie Regiment #9 "Konig Jager", and later in the year,  Fussjager Regiment #9 "Konig". Phew!


The Fussjager wore the shako pretty much as shown from 1802 until 1811; thereafter, along with most the rest of the Wurttemberg infantry, a "double billed shako" resembling the Austrian shako of the time was adopted. Officers had metallic bands to the top of the shako in the lace color. 


The NCO's (Feldwebel, unterfeldwebel) had a border to the dark green turban on the shako edged in the button color (brass/yellow for the 1st Battalion, Pewter/white for the second). Although not p[art opf the Royal Guard, when the King bnecame the Inhaber of the 1st battalion, yellow "guard litzen' (lace) was added to the collars, cuffs, and lapels of the first battalion. From 1811, the lapels became dark green piped white instead of the earlier black piped white. With that change, the litzen disappeared from the lapels of the 1st battalion. 


The hornists had black "swallow's bests" at the shoulders, with piping and a "W" pattern in lace of the button color. Plumes for the musicians were initially red/darkgreen/red, but circa 1808 became the opposite, dark green/red/dark green, as seen here. Later, red tipped dark green and dark green tipped red were evidently used.  Cords on the horns could be either red, or mixed red, yellow, and black. 







 

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

ECW Scots cavalry #2


A second unit of Scots cavalry joins the Covenanter forces.


A few helmets tossed in with the bonnets once again!


Figures are once again by Old Glory 


Mounts are "light Chestnut" in the scheme that I use. 

Saturday, March 11, 2023

Wurttemberg Light Infantry, 1st Battalion

Two Leichtes Infanterie Bataillone were first raised by Wurttemberg in 1805. They were named for their commanders; Leichtes-Infanterie-Bataillone ‘von Neubronn’ and Leichtes-Infanterie-Bataillone ‘Scheler’. In 1806 they received new commanding officers and became ‘von Bunau’ and ‘von Brusselle’ respectively. The following year they assigned numbers and became Leichtes-Infanterie-Bataillone Nr1 and Nr 2. They were intended to function similarly to the Prussian Fusilier battalions. 


This is the 1st battalion, as it appeared in 1809. The earlier "Rumsfeld" style helmet was rep[laced by the shako in 1807. Both battalions had a dark green cloth turban wrapped around the middle of the shako. The tall plume was red for the 1st battalion, and dark green for the second. White cords and flounders were worn for full dress, as seen here. 


Unusually, all the leather work for both units was buff color, although most drawings depict it as a fairly bright yellow. I used Delta CC "Empire Gold" for the belts (and Delta CC "Christmas Green" for the jackets). 

Combined with the light blue facings piped white, this has to be one of the gaudiest units of the Napoleonic Wars!

Aside from the obvious difference in the color of the plumes, the first battalion had square cuffs and the second pointed "Swedish" cuffs, and the buttons were brass for the first battalion and pewter for the second. By 1809, both units had pointed cuffs. 

These are more of the marvelous figures by Lucas Luber of Piano Wargames in Germany. There was a set of 6 skirmishing figures, so when I supported the 2nd Kickstarter by Lucas, I go that as well. I don't usually use Skirmish stands like this in my games, but I couldn't resist them!

Officer shakos had a broad metallic top band in gold or silver according to the button color of the battalion, thus gold for the first battalion. NCO Shakos had a top band of lace according top the button color (yellow or white); a single wide band of flat lace for the Oberfeldwebel and a double narrow band for the Unterfeldwebel. The green turban was similarly edged in white or yellow lace.

Musicians (Hornists and Drummers) had "swallow's nests" on the shoulders their jackets, light blue piped in white lace for the 1st battalion, and dark green piped in yellow lace for the second. These were decorated with a "W" pattern in the same color as the piping. Plumes for the Hornist and Drummers had three sections,  red/dark green/red for the 1st Battalion and dark green/red/dark green for the 2nd Battalion.

Note that the hitherto successful "cut and paste" of the lead photo, so as to allow the thumbnail to show in Blog reading lists, failed to even be allowed to upload in this post, almost as if Blogger has caught on to our tricks! :-)

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

ECW Scots Artillery

 



With 4 regiments of Foote, a number of Highlanders, several cavalry units and Dragoons already in my Scots forces, it was clearly time to add some artillery as well. 


The crew yielded opportunities for some more Tartan painting!


If the cannon balls don't suffice, we will fart in your general direction!


Both the crew and guns are once again Old Glory 25's. 


The earlier groups were crewing Sakers, the ECW equivalent of Medium guns (roughly 6 pounders). Here are a pair each of Culverins (heavy guns, probably roughly 12 lbers)), and Falconets (light guns, lijely 1-3 pounders). 

The spare pieces will be used with additional crew figures yet to be painted.  

More tartan opps!

The Scots now have quite a bit of ordnance of their own!