1714 Catalans - The start of a new(ish) project

[TheBlackCrane]

A while ago, largely on a whim, I bought some of Eureka's WSS Catalan figures. I find the WSS in the Spanish theatre rather interesting and it doesn't generate as much interest as the Central European theatre. Finally finished painting up some units for the Catalan army of 1713-1714.

Much more colourful than I anticipated, and the figures were really quite lovely to paint once I got on with them, although the photography probably either doesn't do them justice or displays all the flaws in my painting (or both!).

So far I have three of the foot regiments, some Miguelets a couple of guns and a unit of Imperial-style hussars; my uniform information comes from the Spanish book on the siege of Barcelona, and Minairons' free pamphlet Catalonia Stands Alone. Any mistakes are my own.

I know one of the foot regiments only has one flag when it ought to have two - miscalculation on the number of standard bearers I was painting...

Thing is, having finished them, I'm kind of thinking about selling them off now. Yet another case of a half-baked project.

In the meantime, however, any comments welcome! (Apologies for the ridiculously-sized pictures, this technology thing is tricky  )

Miguelets

Sant Narcis Regiment

Santa Eulalia Regiment

Nostra Senyora Del Roser

Imperial Hussars

Artillery...

Any comments welcomed! Shall I continue? If I do, it is going to involve at some point painting their Spanish opposition - that is a lot of white uniforms...

Thanks

Rob

[Littlearmies]

Absolutely you should continue. Did you get any of the Eureka British WSS figures?

[Antonio J Carrasco]

Just a quick note: it was a dinastic war, not a national war. While nowadays it is used by both sides as a short of proto-war of independence, in reality were pro-Habsburgs vs pro-Bourbons. The idea of Catalonian Army is a misnomer, truth be told. Both were Spanish armies, fighting for different kings, and there were Catalonians, Castilians, Aragonese or from any other regions in both sides of the dinastic divide. It is a bit like the Jacobite rebellions, in which Scottish and English fought in both sides.

[TheBlackCrane]

Absolutely you should continue. Did you get any of the Eureka British WSS figures?

I didn't know there were any Eureka WSS other than the Catalan figures? I know they have SYW etc., but have never seen other WSS besides the Catalans...

[TheBlackCrane]

Dor

Just a quick note: it was a dinastic war, not a national war. While nowadays it is used by both sides as a short of proto-war of independence, in reality were pro-Habsburgs vs pro-Bourbons. The idea of Catalonian Army is a misnomer, truth be told. Both were Spanish armies, fighting for different kings, and there were Catalonians, Castilians, Aragonese or from any other regions in both sides of the dinastic divide. It is a bit like the Jacobite rebellions, in which Scottish and English fought in both sides.

Yes - I've read Dorell's Marlborough's Other Army, and also the Minairons campaign guide; any other books you'd recommend?

[Antonio J Carrasco]

Dor
Yes - I've read Dorell's Marlborough's Other Army, and also the Minairons campaign guide; any other books you'd recommend?

There is a book which I like very much for the great amount of info it includes. I think Minairons got many of its info from it. It is Xavier Hernandez and Xavier Riart Els Exèrcits de Catalunya, 1713-1714. It is in Catalonian, though. There are also an issue of the Spanish magazine Desperta Ferro that is dedicated to the war in Catalonia and the siege of Barcelona (by the way, most of the Bourbon army in front of Barcelona was French)

I've been always tempted to build a small collection for the last phases of the war in Catalonia. As you say, it is very colourful, and many actions were small -many regiments recruited in Catalonia never reached their authorized strength, being company-sized units- being easy to represent with miniatures.

[Littlearmies]

I didn't know there were any Eureka WSS other than the Catalan figures? I know they have SYW etc., but have never seen other WSS besides the Catalans...

They are well concealed! If you PM me your email address I'll send you a PDF of their range (my list is about four years old - I've no idea if they have added to it since). If you are old enough to recall the old adverts in the wargames magazines for Foundry and Dixons with the drawings of their latest models you will feel very nostalgic!

[Nic]

Nic from Eureka Miniatures, do you want to drop us an e-mail at nicr@eurekamin.com.au and we can let you know what else is available.

Nic

[Lluís of Minairons]

NICE!!! I do like what they look - please keep the work.

I also built an austrophile Catalan army time ago using figures from other brands.
Eureka's superb 18mm range hadn't been released yet, but I could use their Miquelets' 15mm version (yes it exists too!  )
My own army includes all of the historical foot and up to four horse units, besides of some miquelets and  sometent irregulars. Even I've supplemented it with a handful of fictional units!

I wouldn't like to spoil your thread posting my own pictures here, so let me just show a link to my own hobby blog, where I've got a lot of pictures: http://soldadets.blogspot.com/p/segle-xviii.html

Just an aside comment, with no aim of polemics: it does make sense to differentiate a 1713-1714 catalan army from the previous 1703-1713 austrophile spanish army, for one most significant reason.

That late war army wasn't ordered by Archduke Charles or financed by him, but orderd by the catalonian Generality by its own initiative instead. All regulations, command assignments and equipment were provided by the Generality's War Board created in July 1713. So yes, this was a properly catalan army, with no connection with Archduke Charles's spanish army, that had withdrawn to Naples and was scattered among the Spanish possessions still in Charles' hands.