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Miniatures Adventure => Pikes, Muskets and Flouncy Shirts => Topic started by: DonVoss on 05 July 2011, 07:01:58 PM
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I painted two small armies for some fun ECW games.
Because nobody is playing ECW/TYW in my gaming group I have to paint both sides...
The troops are based for Warhammer-ECW; I know the deep pike blocks are not for everyone, but I like them... ;)
At the moment there are 3 blocks of pike and shot, 2 horse, one cannon, one leader and a few specials for each side.
Parliament troops on the left, Kings men on the right.
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/Army1.jpg)
I painted ununiformed units, because I like the ragged feeling of campainig veterans...
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/Parl1.jpg)
All miniatures are Warlord-Plastik, except for the leaders and a Perry cannon.
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/Parl2.jpg)
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/Parl3.jpg)
I scratchbuild a few dragoons from spare parts...
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/Dragoons.jpg)
Troops for the king.
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/Kig1.jpg)
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/King2.jpg)
And a little darker picture of the battleline...
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/Battle1.jpg)
The armies are quite finished, so there will be no big additions troopwise, perhaps a few scots or 1-2 small guns or a preacher etc. ... :D
DV
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I'm not a great fan of these figures, but you've done a really good job with them. And I've always loved that Hudson and Allen farm... Thanks for sharing.
There's no doubt, love it or hate it, that fielding two complete armies with plastic makes things very affordable!
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I'm not a great fan of these figures
Hey Herr Kapitän, would you please elaborate why you dont like them? I was just about to order a few boxes (to mix with some GW stuff to make a warhammer army).
These miniatures looks very good, however, fully painted armies usually do, no matter who makes the models. Thanks for sharing!
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I see a few minor flaws with the figures/palstic-box:
-not enough poses (there are to many doubles in the Inf.-sprue)
-to many models have the mould-lines over their faces, that never realy works
-not enough vertical pikes in the box (the horizontal pikes are good looking, but bad gaming)
-low quality-flags
-horses don't look to good
Apart from that I like the models and the metal range is really cool...
And I could never afford a pure metal army.
@Hudson and Allen farm
Thanks for the info. I did not know the manufacturer of the building: brought it in my local gamestore for a very low price...
DV... :)
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love the two small armies, and the painting uniformity is perfect for some big warbands like those...
makes me want to play "Mount and Blade with Fire and Sword"... :)
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Two great armies DV. I know how much work there is to do two rather than one, so well done for getting both finished so well.
As to the deep pike blocks - they should be like that (deeper even, in reality)! Even the musketeers should be in deeper formations, but this isn't really practical with normal sized wargames units. Also you are right to go with a lack of uniformity, as supply was very random in the ECW and each re-supply could see them getting different coloured uniforms. Many units were short-lived and were merged with others when strengths fell too low etc, so they never achieved a regular appearance. Probably the only truly uniform army was the New Model and even this could be hampered by poor re-supply.
When I get around to it, this is how I'd like my armies to look :D
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Well put Glutes, to me it spoils the look of TYW and ECW units to see the arrayed in the more linear formations of later periods. I suppose it has it's uses, and I don't want to spark anything, but there is a reason that regiments fielded what are referred to as pike blocks and musket blocks ;)
Nice job on those plastics DV
www.gallopingmajorwargames.com
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I really like the last photo, a good overall shot of the action and figures 8) lol
I have to agree with the good Captain about the WG plastic infantry (haven't seen the cavalry yet). Just not my cup of tea I'm afraid.
Big blocks is the way to go for ECW :D
As to the random uniformed look, I like it as a general idea but also a few units where the regiment colour is predominant works quite well as well with just a couple of figure in either a different tone of the base colour or totally different altogether.
cheers
James
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Nice units, any share in knowhow about the bases? Especially the colors used!
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Hey Herr Kapitän, would you please elaborate why you dont like them? I was just about to order a few boxes (to mix with some GW stuff to make a warhammer army).
These miniatures looks very good, however, fully painted armies usually do, no matter who makes the models. Thanks for sharing!
I'm not sure how well they'd mix with GW stuff in terms of bits swapping as the scales are very different. I agree with all the points DonVoss made, except maybe the flags as I generally get flags elsewhere anyway being as they're the centrepiece of a regiment, they deserve to be special.
However, I do like the figs in general, and for army building purposes they're perfect.
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I'm not sure how well they'd mix with GW stuff in terms of bits swapping as the scales are very different.
I agree, I don't think they'd mix at all well. I have some GW Bretonnian knights for a jousting game project and they dwarf my Perry cavalry.
If you want to mix in ECW figures with GW, try Renegade Minis, which are far larger than Perry, Foundry etc.
http://www.renegademiniatures.com/eng_civil.htm
However, they are all metal and therefore more expensive, but much cheaper than GW's stuff.
They are lovely figures and Captain Blood swears by them :)
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Hey Herr Kapitän, would you please elaborate why you dont like them?
Where to begin... ::)
- The infantry have a very limited range of poses. Musketeers for instance must either march, advance or fire. That's it. There should have been huge potential for conversions and creativity in this set, but the way the figures come with heads fixed on and the limited range of fixed arm/weapon combinations, means there's a lot less than there should be.
- Some of the poses are downright weird - that running pose in the 'firelock' box, with the musket held out in front like a fishing rod is just ridiculous.
- Great idea to do separate hats - unfortunately, the hats don't sit on the heads properly. They just look like plastic hats.
- The muskets are too long.
- The sculpting style is too 'smooth': The figures don't have an air of reality - clothing is far too neat, sleeves and breeches are absurdly puffed out. They don't look like soldiers on campaign - they look like 'toy' soldiers.
Having said all that, a great paintjob on these figures can help minimise a multitude of sins, and overall, I think DonVoss's armies look good. And they are, unquestionably, an affordable way to build an army.
I have some of their metal ECW figures and I quite like them. And on the positive side, I will say that the casting on the plastic sets is beautifully crisp, and the period detail of accoutrements is well observed and executed.
But there's more about the plastic sets that I don't like. Sorry. Just my opinion. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder ;)
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Ah, well it seems like perhaps the plastic ECW figs arent what I am looking for then. I was mostly hoping for conversion parts, not full figures per se.
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@Belgian & bases
The plastic bases are from Renedra. Covered with dirt I picked up in the garden. I try to avoid taking plain Sand as it looks to clean to me.
They are painted with cheap acrylics from the DIY-store, twice highlighted. Finished with static grass of different colours. Quick, cheap and easy... :D
DV
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@Belgian & bases
The plastik bases are from Renedra. Covered with I dirt picked up in the garden. I try to avoid taking plain Sand as it looks to clean to me.
They are painted with cheap acrylics from the DIY-store, twice highlighted. Finished with static grass of different colours. Quick, cheap and easy... :D
DV
Thanks, they look really nice! I always use plain sand and as you say it looks to clean so I will probably use a mix for basing my napoleonics!
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Just a small update with a few gaming pics.
We played today our first game of Warhammer-ECW an it went quite smooth. The rules are okay, but have a few minor flaws. I will test them again and see, if we stick with them... ;)
Unforgetnately my new gaming table was not ready so we had to use my old Warhammertable. Wich looks more like a table tennis ah, table... ::)
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/G1.jpg)
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/G2.jpg)
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/G3.jpg)
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/G4.jpg)
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/G5.jpg)
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/G6.jpg)
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/G7.jpg)
DV... :)
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where is that wicker fencing hiding in the background from?
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I like what you have done with these
I agree with a lot of what Captain Blood says about the warlord figures
, I have a battalion set and am about half way through it, affordability overcame any negativity for me as they are neatly done and casting is good.
thanks for sharing has given me a bit more impetus
dodge
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Great pics.
I re-iterate that although I'm not a fan of the figures, I think your muted and varied colour palette really brings out the best in them.
Most of the other examples I've seen have been very uniformed and regimented in brightly coloured coats - which just reinforces the slightly unreal 'chocolate soldier' look of the raw figures.
Clearly, the rag-bag assortment of uniform and equipment, and a lot of 'naturalistic' colour is the answer for these figures, because they look really good here.
Nice work :)
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Thanx, Captain for your nice comment.
I think you really have a point there. To break the uniformity of the miniatures by using a varied colour-selection, helpes the miniatures a lot.
I wish I had done this by purpose, but it was sheer luck and my unwillingness to do any research for the conflict, apart from some Wargames-Illustrated articles... :D
@dodge
Glad you take it as a little motivation...
@...gifarre
Its from the GW-fence-set, wich I can highly recommend. Perhaps a little much skulls, but in my view a good value for money.
DV
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Some necromancy to get this old thread up, but I intend to get more ECW/TYW-stuff painted.
After buying some ECW/TYW-Metals I painted up a bunch of armoured pike.
They will be a good addition to my plastic since they dont wair too much armour.
I based them individually to get more flexibility in my regiments...
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/armoured-pike_zps887b1ceb.jpg)
Cheers,
DV
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Really nice paintjob, and the background is most fitting.
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Thanx, Engel. Glad you like it...:)
I gamed a small ECW-Game today.
Here are just a few impressions.
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/ec1_zps31286253.jpg)
The table was pretty full of stuff, but for the most part it was just decorastive and didnt hamper any movement.
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/ec2_zpsd3a82c4e.jpg)
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/ec3_zps58a7d4cb.jpg)
My new hedges I builded over the last nights.
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/ec4_zps0d658bb1.jpg)
My Hudson and Allen Farm, ocupied by a few dragoons...
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/ec5_zps0b1309e2.jpg)
The mortar of the royalists.
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/ec6_zps410cb407.jpg)
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/ec7_zpsa9cf38be.jpg)
Cheers,
Don
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Lovely stuff! Thanks for sharing. My ECW army is very largely Warlord plastic stuff and I'm really happy with how they paint up. You can put a biggish army on the table for not a lot of money, and spend what you save on your command / artillery / weird and wonderfuls. What's to not like?
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That looks great, I need to fish my Warlord ECW/TYW stuff out of storage and finish it off, some of the figures have been half-painted for about two years now, which is just embarrassing!
Even better, a friend we're getting into real wargaming (he's been a GW addict up until recently) has just expressed an interest in TYW, so we might be off to the races with a renewed interest in the era!
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Nice eye candy 8)
cheers
James
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I builded two Commandbases last night. I wanted to go a new way in building them variable. So I could use them in different Settings in the Horse and Musket-era.
The Bases are 90x120mm and cut from polystrene.
Okay, here the first command-base.
I am sorry, but I don't have the right minis painted up for ECW so here are a few stand-ins.
First vignette is an abondend cannon empacement.
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/cb1_zpse9498e70.jpg)
And again with some Landsknechts.
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/cb2_zpsa0ab7aad.jpg)
The second vignette is a taverne-table draged out and used as a map-table for the upcomming battle.
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/cb3_zps5334a898.jpg)
The map...
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/cb6_zps39feb7b4.jpg)
without minis...
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/cb5_zps8c73f719.jpg)
The things on the table can be removed, for storage and transport...
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/cb4_zpsb18bacb6.jpg)
I think the scenes are quite static, but on the other hand all my pike & muskets and even napoleonic armies suddenly have commandbases...:)
Cheers,
Don
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Damn those are tasty! :-* :-* :-*
Thanks for sharing with us. I wish I had the time to put together the whole shootin' match for TYW.
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Very impressed with the command bases. I might have to 'borrow' the idea for my ECW army. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanx for your comments...:)
Today I gamed my first Pike&Shot-Game using erm Pike&Shotte (BlackPowder-Klon) ...:)
Had to read quite a lot in the book, but it was a fun and fast game.
Although we had 6 Battallions (each 2 shot and 1 pikeblock) plus 2 x kav und Canons, we managed to game the thing in 3 hours.
Ganz gemürlich mit Rauchpause (für Martin) und Schwätzchen aufm Hof.
We shortened all things by half, because we gamed on a small 1,20 x 1,80 table. And it worked really well...
Here a few pics...
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/_MG_9981_zpsd41b5792.jpg) (http://'http://s928.photobucket.com/user/DonVoss_photos/media/ECW/_MG_9981_zpsd41b5792.jpg.html')
The Royalists prepare for battle.
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/_MG_9983_zps675a0046.jpg) (http://'http://s928.photobucket.com/user/DonVoss_photos/media/ECW/_MG_9983_zps675a0046.jpg.html')
A few dragoons make a stop in the geasthouse...
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/_MG_9986_zpsdcface82.jpg) (http://'http://s928.photobucket.com/user/DonVoss_photos/media/ECW/_MG_9986_zpsdcface82.jpg.html')
Cannons are rolled in position.
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/_MG_9988_zps7c0ea607.jpg) (http://'http://s928.photobucket.com/user/DonVoss_photos/media/ECW/_MG_9988_zps7c0ea607.jpg.html')
On the other side of the battlefield a churchyard and even the ruined church are hard fought...
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/_MG_9989_zps55487be4.jpg) (http://'http://s928.photobucket.com/user/DonVoss_photos/media/ECW/_MG_9989_zps55487be4.jpg.html')
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/_MG_9990_zpsb3e774d3.jpg) (http://'http://s928.photobucket.com/user/DonVoss_photos/media/ECW/_MG_9990_zpsb3e774d3.jpg.html')
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/_MG_9991_zpsf03a6376.jpg) (http://'http://s928.photobucket.com/user/DonVoss_photos/media/ECW/_MG_9991_zpsf03a6376.jpg.html')
The royalist general overlooks his troops.
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/_MG_9994_zpsfb162fc8.jpg) (http://'http://s928.photobucket.com/user/DonVoss_photos/media/ECW/_MG_9994_zpsfb162fc8.jpg.html')
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/_MG_9995_zps42fa4dc6.jpg) (http://'http://s928.photobucket.com/user/DonVoss_photos/media/ECW/_MG_9995_zps42fa4dc6.jpg.html')
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/_MG_0003_zpsad1780ef.jpg) (http://'http://s928.photobucket.com/user/DonVoss_photos/media/ECW/_MG_0003_zpsad1780ef.jpg.html')
Here you can see my battered lines.
The single trees are just decoration and could be removed if necessary.
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/_MG_0011_zps3573d171.jpg) (http://'http://s928.photobucket.com/user/DonVoss_photos/media/ECW/_MG_0011_zps3573d171.jpg.html')
Bitter fire fights happen around the inn.
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad126/DonVoss_photos/ECW/_MG_0012_zpsae8d6d56.jpg) (http://'http://s928.photobucket.com/user/DonVoss_photos/media/ECW/_MG_0012_zpsae8d6d56.jpg.html')
A great game and very fun indeed... :D
Looking forward gaming pike and shotte again.
Cheers,
Don
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Lot’s of interesting comments and view’s about Warlord’s ECW Plastic’s. Some of which I agree, lack of poses, bit to neat for campaign troops. Saying that there easy to paint, and affordable, they also mix well with Dixon’s range of ECW, of which I have a few :)
Great paint job on those guy’s, and if you enjoyed it all the better.
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Missed the second game and the command bases which is a shame as they are great 8)
cheers
James
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Thanks for sharing - these are beautiful and I too have a box waiting for paint. This'll give me ideas and impetus.
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bloody brilliant! makes me want to finish my army :-*