Covenanter Lancers WIP

Well, term has begun, so the halcyon days of staying up really really late painting minis are over for a while... Despite this, I managed to chip away at some 1/72 Covenanter lancers this week. The figures are from Tumbling Dice, originally wielding pistols or swords, but converted to hold lances made from broom bristles. The armoured geezer will be carrying a flag, after I buy a new colour cartridge for the printer.

They're not beautiful, but they'll do the job.

The Return of 1/72 scale ECW...

There has been a lot of muttering from the Homunculi recently about the way I have neglected The One True Scale of 1/72. 'Airs and bleedin' graces' I've heard them say - 'jumping on the bleedin' 28mm bandwagon, Saga this, Saga that...' The discontent has naturally been most felt amongst the unpainted 1/72 brethren.

To keep the little blighters happy I have started on one of the big projects for 2012 - reorganising, rebasing and preparing more figures for 1/72 ECW, using Basic Impetus Baroque rules. I had some unpainted pikemen from Tumbling Dice lying around, so started with them. Nice figures - a bit chunky and 'wargamey', but dead easy to paint. These lads will join a Covenanter regiment. Truth be known they are probably too well armoured for Covenanters, but the priority at the moment is to just get some figures on the table and have some games. And to keep the Homunculi happy, of course.

Covenanter Flags 3

Here are three more Covenanter flags that I have just finished.

First up, a cavalry cornet from Forbes' Regiment of Horse, captured at Dunbar in 1650.

Also captured at Dunbar was this foot ensign. It may have been the colour of Colonel Sir Alexander Sutherland.

...and here's another ensign captured at Preston in 1648. This was the Colonel's colour for Lord Cranston's Regiment of Foot (the Edinburgh Levies).

Covenanter Flags 2

Here are three more Covenanter foot ensigns.

First up, a flag captured at Dunbar in 1650. It probably belonged to a Captain Christall from John Forbes of Leslie's regiment.

Next, an ensign captured at Preston in 1648. It may have belonged to a Captain Leslie in Sir Alexander Fraser of Philforth's Firelocks, raised in Aberdeenshire in 1648.

And the third one is a generic Covenanter ensign, using the motto as it appears on a surviving flag in the National Museum of Scotland.

Enjoy.

Covenanter Flags 1

I've been painting a few more ECW flags, and today it's the turn of the Scots Covenanters. All these flags are infantry ensigns.

'Reviresco' means 'I Flourish Again'. I'm pretty happy with how this turned out except for the gold Covenanter motto. I haven't found a solution for writing in gold yet, and any suggestions are welcome. This ensign was carried by a Captain Aikman, who served in Colonel John Lindsay of Edzell's Regiment, raised in Forfarshire in 1650. Alternatively, it may have been a Captain's colour from the Earl of Nithsdale's Regiment of Foot. The flag was captured by Cromwell's troops at the Battle of Dunbar in 1650.

This one was captured at Preston in 1648. It probably belonged to a Catptain Erskine, from Colonel George Keith's regiment, raised in Aberdeenshire in 1648.

This one is probably a Colonel's colour, and possibly from the Master of Caithness' Regiment of Foot. It was also captured at Dunbar in 1650.

II/19 Scots Covenanter Army for DBA-RRR

Right - I finished the artillery for my Covenanters (guns and crew from Tumbling Dice). So the army is complete and ready to march on Newcastle. Here are some images of the army arrayed.

Tumbling Dice volley gun.

The manor house in the background was a real find. It is a card model from Metcalfe Models, designed for use with HO/OO railway layouts. It was a joy to put together, everything fitting perfectly. It probably has some anachronistic features as it it supposed to be a renovated C17th manor house still in use in the C20th, but I have pretty much left it as is, just repainting the modern door, and changing the date above the door from 1679 to 1629. I am going to mount this on a base with some sort of garden and enclosing wall, and will also get hold of a great church model made by Metcalfe.

After painting the dour Covenanters I'm desperate for a project involving colour. Swinging to the other extreme, I'm going to make a Maximilian Imperial army, using the Renaissance knights and Landsknechts from Dark Dream Studio.

Covenanter foot complete!

I have just finished the foot component of my Covenanter army for DBA-RRR. This consists of 5 elements of pike and 5 of muskets, based in my usual unorthodox manner. The figures are nearly all Tumbling Dice, with a couple of SHQ musketeers skulking in the background. The SHQ figures have loads of character, but their muskets look like toys compared to the (overscale) weapons carried by the TD figures. Pikes are all made from trusty broom bristles, and the flags were taken (with great appreciation) from the Project Auldearn blog.

These are just some hasty photos. I have two elements of artillery to go to finish the army, and then I'll post some images of them all in their dour Presbyterian glory.

The Covenanters!

I've just finished the cavalry for my DBA-RRR Covenanter army. Here's a sight to strike fear into any heart - heavily armed Presbyterians. All figures are 1/72 metal from Tumbling Dice.

First up, the Covenanter general, who is based as a single figure under the DBA-RRR rules.

'After yon Papist!'

Next, three elements of horse, using slightly different basing rules to DBA-RRR to make them consistent with the rest of my ECW figures.

The banner is a simplified attempt at a Covenanter flag captured by Cromwell's troops at Dunbar in 1650. While looking for flags I found this excellent reference.

Finally, an element of lancers. These are converted from Tumbling Dice figures holding muskets, and the helmeted head is from a figure in the A Call To Arms command set. The lances are broom bristles.

Next up - musketeers.