Thursday 16 November 2017

Mustering the first wave


On the metal basing trays are most of the remaining unfinished regiments of what I am calling the "first wave" which need to be completed by mid-December. When fully based, these will give me nine regiments of foot, one of horse and some combined shot and dragoons. I will then engage in a furious "dash" to finish some more cavalry... Most of the above are red-coated Royalists from the Oxford army, for no particular reason other than they are at the top of the (below) spreadsheet. (Images are clickable).

Phase Two will involve a similar number of infantry regiments and a lot more horse and will be complete by Salute. Phase 3 will involve whatever I have left and commence post-Salute.  I'd like to think I'll end up with at least 30 regiments of foot and 20 of horse.

For interest, below, is a snip of the top part of the spreadsheet which I am using to plan the army. It is surprisingly complex to plan an ECW army when one is using odds and ends of minis from eBay and other sources and not getting them painted one regiment at a time. One needs to match the flags to the uniform colours and the monteros to the Royalists. Above all, I want to have regiments in a similar pose- if the pike are charging, I want the shot to be firing or going in with clubbed muskets, and animated command minis, to give a "vignette" look. I use highlights to track the state of completion of the units. Green is good; but there are not a lot of green units, yet!


11 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Golly yes, Aaron! Takes at least 4 nights to base a unit, even if the minis don't need any work on them.

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  2. Hi Simon if you run out of time I can muster 20 regiments 32-40 Figures each of foot and 250 Cavalry. Not based as the same as yours, I will probably use Sabots and not as colourful, but look effective n mass

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    1. Thanks Gary- Quite a force! I'll bear that in mind.

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  3. A massive project. I get dizzy just thinking about it.

    I have about half of your projected totals but they have the advantage that they are painted and based. My gaming friend has about as many as I do so that gives us plenty to game with when the rules are released.

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  4. Hi William; some days I wonder whether I have overdone it. :-)

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  5. I always enjoy your enormous projects! I've just finished 5 regiments of pike and shot for this period, can't seem to knuckle down to the cavalry, not when I need light cavalry for the Italian wars, start late Romans oh and there's all those undercoated napoleonic french. ..Oh well lovely work and I hope to see it at salute if I'm in the country.
    Best Iain

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    1. Hi Iain, this on is a big one, quite daunting at times- two years from planning to completion. There is always so much ti be done; other little chappies standing around waiting for their turn!

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  6. The scope of this project is breathtaking. You are going to need really large tables.:-) The Command stands with all the flag being flourished are outstanding!

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    1. I have three more cavalry regiments on the table, now, and the command stands.

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  7. hi ya,
    these all look so excellent, i dont suppose you'd be willing to share your spreadsheet at all :)

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