28mm Spanish Troops?

[Deathwing]

Hey everyone.  I'm kind of in a pirate mood and I was looking into getting some Spaniards for my pirates to harass, get captured by, etc.  I was curious what's out there for Spanish troops (marines, governor's militia, generic soldiers, etc.)  miniatures wise?  My setting in the late 1600's to middle 1700's.  I'm not going super historical, but I would like vaguely accurate uniforms.    I realize that uniforms and such changed, so I suppose later period would be better if I have to chose.  After all some of my pirates have tricorns.  Thanks.

Joey

[Doc Twilight]

Joey -

The only ranges I'm aware of for the 17th/18th century specifically targeted at the Spanish are those produced by Imperialist Enterprises (which has a selection of uniforms for the Spanish Succession, some of them recommended for the Spaniards specifically), and the range formerly done by The London Warroom (which I believe was "Fighting Men of Spain"). I know that probably isn't super helpful, but they are both nice figs. The Imperialist Enterprises stuff tends to run a bit small, but it is very nice indeed. I have many of their Danes.

-Doc

[carlos marighela]

Late 1600s. Mark Copplestone did promise that he would do some Spanish in his Glory of the Sun range that would suit the late 1660s - 1680. You could convert his existing French by sculpting a lapel on the front or even just painting it in if you can't be bothered. You would also have to trim the ribbons off the shoulders of the figures. These will give you an idea of the uniform.

http://warsoflouisxiv.blogspot.com/search?q=tercio

http://usuarios.lycos.es/ao1617/home.html

For the early 1700s generic Marlburian figures, pref French would do the job. Front Rank probably has the best range.

http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchresult.cfm?parent_id=120412&word=

 Similarly for mid century you can use French troops as Spanish with some minor modification. Nic Robson does have an order for specifically Spanish SYW figures that he has assured me is still on the to do list.

If you can wait these will be the definitive figures. From what I've seen of the ex London War Room figures they are pretty crude sculpts. Not my cup of tea at all, your mileage may vary.

[Malamute]

Front Rank has a Spanish succession range and a Marlborough range. Whilst not necessarily specific Spanish figure related, many will do for government troops types of the period. (Thats what I tell myself, and intend to do when I start my pirate project next year.)

[warrenpeace]

Late 1600s. Mark Copplestone did promise that he would do some Spanish in his Glory of the Sun range that would suit the late 1660s - 1680. You could convert his existing French by sculpting a lapel on the front or even just painting it in if you can't be bothered. You would also have to trim the ribbons off the shoulders of the figures. These will give you an idea of the uniform.

Why trim ribbons off?  The Spanish wore ribbons on the right shoulder until about the end of the War of Spanish Succession in 1715. (Guard wore ribbons on both shoulders, but not likely to see those guys at sea or overseas.)  Also don't think the Spanish wore lapels until after 1715.  If the goal is to represent Spanish during that last great wave of famous pirates from 1715 to 1725, then many tricorne wearing figures of that period will do.

Old Glory has some tricorne wearing figures wearing ribbon on one or both shoulders, with the belly box that the Bourbon Spanish used, in its War of Spanish Succession line.  Old Glory also has a grenadier figure MW-24, that is wearing the right Spanish Grenadier hat.  Although that figure does not have ribbons on the shoulder, the grenadiers may have dropped that earlier due to interference with the act of throwing grenades.

[Deathwing]

Thanks all.  Have I gone crazy or has Front Rank removed their Marlborough range?  I can see the WSS range just fine.  I think I was looking to go this route since Front Rank has nice extras like civilians, wagons, and artillery.  Got to defend the town against ships with something.

Joey

[carlos marighela]

Why trim ribbons off?  The Spanish wore ribbons on the right shoulder until about the end of the War of Spanish Succession in 1715. (Guard wore ribbons on both shoulders, but not likely to see those guys at sea or overseas.)  Also don't think the Spanish wore lapels until after 1715.  If the goal is to represent Spanish during that last great wave of famous pirates from 1715 to 1725, then many tricorne wearing figures of that period will do.

Because illustrations depicting the Spanish during the 1670s seem to omit the ribbons.

Lapels may not the the most precise term, but for uniforms for thelate 1660's through to the 1680s there broadish strips of cloth facing the coat front, apparently in the facing colour, running from hem to neck. Call that a false lapel if you will. Certainly lapel is the description I've seen used. I agree for most of the 18th century the Spanish wore no lapels on their coats, indeed you could descibe them as being very plain.

Illustration here: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZfyXQu00hxU/SgmZJ-GfxOI/AAAAAAAAAfw/kZK_YZChUVE/s1600-h/El+Morados+Viejos.JPG

[fastolfrus]

There is a range of Spanish 28mm 1688-1697 from Reiver :

http://www.underbed.co.uk/

Don't know what the Spanish are like but I've seen some of their other figures and they look ok

[Christian]

http://usuarios.lycos.es/ao1617/weapon.html

They look like they'd be a lot of fun to paint. I wonder if any of my ancestors were swashbucklers... 

[Calimero]

Thanks all.  Have I gone crazy or has Front Rank removed their Marlborough range?  I can see the WSS range just fine.  I think I was looking to go this route since Front Rank has nice extras like civilians, wagons, and artillery.  Got to defend the town against ships with something.

Joey

The figures Malamute was talking about are the WSS range from the Marlburian (period roughly 1700-1715) . Real nice figures IMHO… figures for the earlier period are planed but there’s no release date yet. If you want to play the later period I will go with Front Rank figures… you can’t go wrong with them I think.

[Lowtardog]

Yep I use the Front Rank WSS Figures work well. I think there was abig topic a couple of years ago on LAF, must be in the archives somewhere

[warrenpeace]

Because illustrations depicting the Spanish during the 1670s seem to omit the ribbons.
Illustration here: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZfyXQu00hxU/SgmZJ-GfxOI/AAAAAAAAAfw/kZK_YZChUVE/s1600-h/El+Morados+Viejos.JPG

Thanks for that, Carlos.  I was looking at the illustrations on the Giancarlo Boeri CD of the Spanish army in the War of the League of Augsburg 1688 to 1697.  Since the Spanish had shoulder ribbons by that time I wrongly assumed that the practice had extended back earlier in the century.

The 1600's would be a nice period for painting Spanish because of the different colored coats.  From my memory, which is perhaps suspect, for marines: the Armada Viejo (old) regiment wore blue coats with red cuffs, the Armada regiment wore yellow coats with blue cuffs, and the Armada Nuevo (new) regiment wore white coats with red cuffs.  Some of the garrison companies in the Americas wore blue coats with red cuffs, but I suppose governors would have to outfit and clothe local garrisons as best they could.

[warrenpeace]

Deathwing, I highly recommend Dixon figures for both the 1690's (floppy hats) and early 1700's (formal tricornes).  Dixon makes not only regular troops, but rebels for Monmouth's Rebellion in the 1680's.  The rebels could be used for local militia defending the town, and the Spanish certainly made use of local militia units.  During Morgan's great attack on Panama the Spanish militia was organized into militia companies based on race, or type of mixed race.  Unfortunately, I see that you are in the US, and the US distributor of Dixon figures in Nashville is discontinuing Dixon, and may have sold out most of those figures on sale.  It would be worth checking, though, because those figures are really nice.  Dixon's are as tall as Front Rank, but not so bulky, so the soldiers don't look so overfed. Dixon makes several poses, and there are slight head variants so figures are not all the same.

Speaking of militia, there is a West Wind pack of Sleepy Hollow villagers that would be great for that.

If you decide to go with tricorn wearing troops, I recommend Old Glory.  They are inexpensive, with active looking poses and head variations that help make units look alive.  Old Glory makes figures that are specifically Spanish, though not described as such, the ones with shoulder ribbon and belly box for cartridges.  The Old Glory pirate line has some interesting and useful packs, including a vinette of a fat governor and his creepy assistants, some victims, a scene of burrying treasure, a tavern scene with pirates playing cards, and some Carribean cannibals.

[carlos marighela]

My pleasure. I agree with you the Dixon range are very nice for the 1690s and the castings are in very good condition for their age, presumably the moulds were re-done at some point.   Oddly enough, I also bought a  large number of their Monmouth rebels with a view to using them both as Monmouth's chaps but as generic militia.

I'm really quite excited at the news that Front Rank will be doing their own range for the 1680s to 1700.

[warbeads]

Which, if any of these wouldwork for early (as in 1500's) Spanish explorers, please?

Gracias,

Glenn