tortuga french

[Florin]

Thanks to all for the information and help. This really is a great forum.

I´m most interested in seeing the outcome, as well. If you want to go for a slight "Hollywood flair", I´d definitely recommend Marlburians.

Yeah, a little "Hollywood" is good. Just didnt want it to be too historically incorrect.

the project will take some time (and money), and I'm rather slow in painting and building, but I'll see if I can lend me a camera once in a while to show you the work in progress.

@fastolfrus: are there any pictures of the "Under the Bed"-minis? Didnt find any.

@KeyanSark: I would really be glad if you can find some more about the Spanish troops in this period. Thanks for the youtube-link.

All in all the Front Rank-stuff looks pretty good to me.

[Lowtardog]

@fastolfrus: are there any pictures of the "Under the Bed"-minis? Didnt find any.

They used to be known as Reiver castings IIRC and were sold by Old Glory

[Lowtardog]

White or light gray is never a bad choice for the French or Spanish. If you want to differentiate between units, paint the cuffs different colors. Black would be the most common color for the colonial militias, followed by red and blue.

Musicians would have facing colours /tunic reversed e.g. Grey coat and blue tunic for infnatry - musician would have blue coat and grey facings

I plan on mine being Grey blue

[Lowtardog]

And if I really wanted to be historically correct on this, the early buccaneers where looking more like wild-west trappers than like what we would see as typical pirates today (their original "job" was hunting pigs on the island of Hispaniola)

Not only that but they fought or rather attacked ships in small rowing boats

[Lowtardog]

Another Option is using Musketeers Swedes with Tricornes they are form 1700-1721 and would fit well, lovely figures too :love:

http://www.musketeer-miniatures.com/range.php?r=6

[Florin]

Not only that but they fought or rather attacked ships in small rowing boats

yes, small rowing boat and later pretty small ships with a lot of pirates on board. I think it was simply easier to get hold these kind of vessels and to get away with them in this world of tiny islands too. Pirates fiering cannon to warships in open battle was rather rare too. They just tried to get away from the military ships (no plunder/ too much resistance). Normaly they "persuaded" merchantships (some pretty small themselves) that it was healthier for them to give up. Not more fights than absolutely necessary....

But all this is just not so amusing as the Hollywood pirate picture.

[Florin]

Another Option is using Musketeers Swedes with Tricornes they are form 1700-1721 and would fit well, lovely figures too :love:

http://www.musketeer-miniatures.com/range.php?r=6

swedish spaniards...  :mrgreen: these look really good.

[Lowtardog]

Oh yes those Swedes would be great with the pike armed figures you could put boarding pikes in their hands or use them as garrison troops with a small pike and shot unit representing old fashioned drill manuals etc :mrgreen:

[KeyanSark]

@Pete

Here is a pic of spanish troops circa 1766, when the Royal dinasty changed to the Borbons



More XVIII infantry uniforms


Halberdiers and Line infantry from 1700-1718


Light Infantry XVIII


Try this link for many, many more covering spanish infantry since middle age
Spanish Infantry Pics. I can help you with any translation needed.

I think it is also important to remember that the spanish flag since the Catholic Kings to 1785 was this


Changed to the actual colors in 1785


Note that shield was different from the actual one (there is an interesting history with the spanish shield, but I think is out of scope with the topic)


Hope it helps!

[PeteMurray]

Magnificent! I wonder if the change of dynasty introduced the French uniform system as well, which was pretty regular by the 1760s. I believe Tercios were dressed according to the whim of the colonel. Perhaps the French system required a greater degree of uniformity.

Thanks very much, and I've saved these photos for my files.

[KeyanSark]

Indeed! The portraited uniforms have a great influence from french armies of the era. If you see some of the uniforms from the XVI (the Austrias dinasty) they were completely different and more similar to the standard "conquistador" image we all have in mind. The Alatriste outfit is from this period, not the Borbonic one.

[fastolfrus]

: are there any pictures of the "Under the Bed"-minis? Didnt find any.

If you go onto their site, http://www.underbed.co.uk/
there is an entry on the left menu bar for Reiver 28mm figures which will bring up a list.
Most have no pictures, but if you scroll down to King James II and the Glorious Revolution there are some illustrations there, on my screen they have blue underlines and say "painted by Andy Copestake" or "painted by Northumbrian painting services".

[Florin]

@KeyanSark: this is pretty much what I needed for the Spanish (esacially the earlier uniforms). Thanks a lot. And good point with the flag, didnt think of that.

@fastolfrus: found the pictures. They look pretty good too.

[KeyanSark]

@Pete and Florin

More info, and very detailed, here:
http://www.geocities.com/regdeamerica/

[KeyanSark]

And the most detailed one I've found so far, including many of the pictures found in the first place with details on Corps and Years

Album of Spanish Infantry

It covers pictures from the pre-roman to 1862. The most interesting pictures for this topic are located on the Dinastía Austríaca and Dinastía Borbónica topics (XVI and XVII centuries)

I think this deserves a good pint of beer!