Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Pikes, Muskets and Flouncy Shirts => Topic started by: Warboss Nick on September 04, 2020, 12:27:58 PM
-
A couple of years ago I amassed enough models for two TYW armies, but never got further than painting half a unit of Dutch pike. I even sold about half my stock of miniatures or traded them for napoleonics.
Then came The Devil’s Playground and the idea to play its mercenary campaign at the FLGS. So for 2020 I dug out my miniatures and (re)startet my TYW project. For starters I finally finished the pike block over Christmas. The goal is still to build a Dutch army but also have a small imperial force in the long run.
With all the ECW/TYW resurrection going in here I thought maybe my journey might be of interest, too. Here is what I started with in January:
-
Unfortunately COVID put the campaign plans in hold. While J had no idea what I might need for the campaign, I managed to paint two generals (one Dutch and one Imperial) as well as a unit of cuirassiers over the following months.
-
And the Imperial brigadier. Both will get scenic bases with flag bearers in the future but will have to do without for the time beeing.
-
Cool, I always wondered what the campaign from Devil's Playground played like. I haven't read it in a while, but it always feld a nudge removed from the P&S scale of things.
-
Very nice. I'm struggling to identify the first horseman you've posted (I see that the second is Warlord's Essex - one of my favourite figures). I think it's a Warlord figure but can't get any further. Which one is it please?
-
He looks like the Warlord herald/trumpeter (now mysteriously vanished from their catalogue) mounted on Montrose's horse and given a pistol instead of a trumpet.
-
Yes, he does. Thanks, Michel.
-
He looks like the Warlord herald/trumpeter (now mysteriously vanished from their catalogue) mounted on Montrose's horse and given a pistol instead of a trumpet.
Exactly. He was sold as herald, and I think this is even the horse I got him with. Swapping a plastic pistol arm for the trumpet was easy. You still get him as cornet with the cuirassiers I think.
-
Looking good 8)
-
Awesome: following this one.
-
Thank you for your kind comments, guys! Next up is a bit more text heavy on the campaign rules and starting armies.
As mentioned before we will be using the campaign rules from the Devil’s Playground. We generally liked them and decided just to make some small adjustments.
The biggest change is that we will not play a fixed number of games and also additional scenarios. The main goal is to build and paint TYW armies, so only a few games would not be enough. So we’ll see if me might add additional reinforcements, especially should one player receive considerably more than others due to lucky dice.
Other changes include the option to re-roll if you get a fanatic captain as this is not for everyone. Reliable captains get one command re-roll per game to give them some flavour.
Changes to army selection: Every army musst include at least one unit of pike. Randomly generated choices can always be exchanged for a block of pike or a unit of shot. And militia may be switched to shot. This should help in generating armies that are also playable in the long run.
We have just started the campaign so we’ll see how it works.
-
So what did I get for my starting mercenary company - or rather Kapitein Nikolas van den Baehr, also known as “de bloodige Nik”?
As you might have guessed from the name I rolled bloodthirsty for my captain’s trait. This will be an interesting challenge as I’m not used to pushing my general into melee anymore.
For units I got a pike block with one sleeve of shot, artillery with militia or shot and - regular cavalry. So no use for my cuirassiers yet.
Game 1 - take the village - proved to be a lot of fun. My canon malfunctioned on its first shot - in close range of Imperial cuirassiers non the less. As the game wore on muskets spread “shaken” results around until my army finally broke.
I was probably a bit too hesitant with my units going forward. And we both learned the hard way that starting units in the campaign have very poor stats. This was partly remedied post game, but troops will still be prone to fleeing.
On a positive note the game was the perfect reason to finish painting on my first artillery piece. A Warlord saker gun, but with a different commander.
-
Super cool project!
So I understand correctly, The Devil's Playground includes campaign rules for Pike and Shotte?
-
Yes, a starter campaign. You use different army composition and different unit stats, but of course you could do otherwise. After each game you roll for improvements for each surviving unit and have a chance of getting reinforcements. Quite nice and flexible, but no elaborate campaign system with maps or the like. That could be easily added though.
-
Next in line are two units of musketeers which my concludes my first Dutch infantry regiment. As one of the sleeves will have to serve as commanded shot due to campaign rules / dice rolls (see above) I painted an additional officer and an ensign with a generic flag.
As an added bonus this also enables me to play the regiment as something else than Dutch, even though the orange is quite a typical protestant colour for the TYW.
-
And one of the shot in action.
-
Next update. The first scots‘ mercenaries have arrived in form of a sleeve of Shotte. And my commander finally got a proper base.
-
Great update! I like the look of those Scottish shot :D
-
Thanks for posting on this project. I am also interested in this period.
Bill
-
Thank you for your kind replies! The regiment of Scots is now finished. The flag is a Dutch one (as that’s whom they will support). I had hoped for a better effect and deliberately steered away from Dutch orange here. Anyway, October was a productive month for my TYW endeavours.
-
Nice as usual
-
Very nice indeed. The very uniform look is an interesting choice; was the Dutch army known for wearing uniforms at the time? (not an expert on the Dutch what so ever)
-
From the little I know the Dutch indeed made good use of uniforms. Plus I like the look of it. The blue might be a bit too striking, but then again it could have been used. Different units wore different uniforms though.
The plan is to have some more generic regiments, too, with lots of browns, that I can use for all sides of the conflict. Distinct imperial units will be less uniform but colourful with red featuring prominently of course.
-
Next up a unit of Dutch harquebusiers, loosely based on Van den Tempel‘s squadron, as depicted in the Osprey in Dutch cavalry in the 80 years war.
-
The pike block is very interesting with the flag, different poses and some halberd types. Reminds me of some of the very nice art about the period.
I have some painted conventors I bought. I need to repurpose for a similar unit.
Bill
-
I thought my Dutch might like a caravan as an objective, as part of their camp or simply as a piece of terrain. So I set to work with what I had lying around. To keep it rather generic I had first intended to give it a worn wood look, but then settled for a dark green. Unfortunately the lighting was not ideal, so the stovepipe looks a bit orange in the picture.
The shepherd is an older model, converted from a Perry napoleonic french infantry man in greatcoat, that should also pass for a number of theatres.
-
Nice caravan. That should certainly slow the Bank Holiday traffic down to a crawl!
-
Fabulous scratch build - looks great!
-
Thanks guys! I really enjoyed building that one.
Time for an update. This time it’s imperial dragoons with the mounted versions still in the painting cue. The uniform colour will fit the flag the mounted ones will be carrying.
-
Lovely paint job on those dragoons. Really like the colours.
The Perry set of dismounted dragoons/skirmishers is a great set. Makes me wish they’d revisit the 17th century again. :D
-
Thank you! I’m glad the Perrys mix so well with warlord. It’s a great range despite being so small. And so much potential...
The colour is Vallejo GC scurf green (though a rather old bottle) and fits well with an Adolfo Ramos flag. It’s for Spanish infantry but was just what I had in mind for my rather generic imperial dragoons.
A shout out to Adolfo Ramos: His flags are top notch and it was well worth the upgrade to have them fully mounted ready for use (chose “complete” in the menue). If I recall correctly I went with 30mm scale because flags can’t be too big and glamorous in the TYW.
-
Well done!
-
Just a small update, a warlord surgeon along with another civilian (if I recall correctly a seaman from black cat bases).
-
Ouch! I can't imagine "surgery" back then. :`
-
A little annex to the imperial dragoons, a wound marker converted from a Perry plastic french dragoon in foot (of which I have loads of spares).
-
Long neglected, but may proved to be rather productive for my TYW endeavours. I finally finished a small pike regiment that consists mainly of Black Cat Bases sailors (only minor conversions). The style is clothing might not be perfect but I quite like the rag tag look. To go along I have 8 shot (Warlord plastics) and an additional ensign so I can play the regiment either as Dutch or imperial / Spanish.
The Spanish flag ist from Adolpho Ramos, the Dutch flag came to me via a forum or eBay. Unfortunately I forgot the exact source.
-
But wait, there’s more. A regiment of cuirassiers in light blue and yellow. So the yellow could have been less orange, but I will still put them to dual use. The cavalry commander is Warlord’s Sir Thomas Fairfax, a lovely dynamic figure. Finally the gun is a 4pdr minion from Perry in a rather neat pose, not the usual firing position.
-
Very nice. For some reason, not many people seem to model TYW Dutch armies, so it's really nice to see one.
-
Thanks Paul! In part that was my reason for choosing Dutch, to do something a bit different. That and Capitán Alatriste.
Next up the Dutch CiC. The miniatures are from TAG’s Don Balthasar de Marradas set along with an additional banner barer. Rather neat figures with a lot of character that were a joy to paint. The flag again is not my own.
-
All superb, Nick! 👍
I also love the pose of that Perry crew. so clever; a little bit of Perry magic right there. ;)
-
I have that blister but haven't painted them up yet; you are right- very nice characterful miniatures. Wonderful base; love the stump.
-
Nice stuff as always Nic! Enjoy your You tube Channel as well.
-
Thanks gents, no YouTube Chanel though @sepoy - must be another Nick.
Slow progress, but I‘ve finished a unit of „light“ cuirassiers. Colours are neutral so they can be used for either side (though they tend more towards imperials / royalists with that fancy purple).
-
Lovely basing WN.
-
Very nice looking unit, WN 👍
-
Thanks, gents! The basing is rather simple. Sind from the Kids’ sandbox painted and drybrushed with a bit of static gras and sometimes other foliage and larger stones.
Next up a shepherd with dog, some life stock and more casualty markers.
-
That is a really nice flock! 👍. Also like the casualties. (Reminds me I must get some more of the Perry casualties :) .)
-
Excellent. I love me a good flock of sheep on the table! It's one of those things you can just put somewhere to the side and it makes the table look nicer.
-
Some wonderful figures Warboss Nick.
Cheers,
CB