25 mm Mexican Army project for 2022

[El Chintete]

Hello everybody!

I'm new to the forum and wanted to share my latest project. I actually started it on the last days of November last year, but really started to pick up on January of this year.

I'm building up a Mexican army from the Mexican-American War period. I'm currently working on the Jiménez Battalion of the 6th Permanent Infantry Regiment. The minis are from Old Glory. The captain, drummer, standard bearer, and NCO's are from their Texas War range. The rank and file are from the Mexican-American War range.

 


I'm still having a hard time painting the skin, any tips? The Old Glory minis are ok. They can have some flash and sometimes they are overcast, causing some pretty noticeable "deformities" on the mini. I also think that they can look a bit flat. I've bought some minis from 1st Corps Miniatures and find that they size well together. Thinking of mixing them up to have more variety. What do you guys think?

I've also gotten my hands on some GORGEOUS Boot Hill Miniaures cazadores. They're hands down my favorite scuplts of skirmishing Mexicans. But I've found that they don't size too well with Old Flory. Here are some pics for comparison:



Old Glory on the left, Boot Hill on the right

Also, since they're from the Texas War they're missing the lapels worn during the Mexican War. Because of these reasons I'm having a hard time deciding wether to include them in my army or not. Maybe I'm overthinking it? Worst case scenario I use them for a mini diorama, those scuplts are too good to be left in the pile!

I'm excited for what's to come in this project. Critiques and suggestions are welcomed!

[Malamute]

As the owner of Boot Hill Miniatures I would say ditch the Mex/Am war and do the Texas Revolution instead 

Shame the OG sculpts don't mix well with the Boot Hill range. Sorry I cant give much advise on what to do. They are certainly very different in proportions to the OG figures and as you mention they wear the earlier period uniform with shorter jackets, and bell top shakos.

[Poiter50]

I find the OG links very iffy on the webby thing. I was looking for some "Mounties" but can't find any even tho I got some in the mail (secondhand).

[has.been]

+1 for go with Boot Hill miniatures,
but if you want to mix them the important
thing, once they are based & painted, is
the height of the heads. You could saw off
the Boot Hill figures bases (lot of work) or
base them on thinner bases than the Old
Glory ones.
Good luck with whatever you decide. I like
what you have painted already.

[El Chintete]

Malamute I must congratulate you for your splendid minis. Nice to see a part of my country's history on the tabletop in this level of quality. You joke about switching over to the Texas War, but you got me thinking. After seeing Romark's thread (https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=90645.0) on his Boot Hill minis, I'm tempted to build up a Boot Hill Mexican army for skirmish games. I can keep the Mex-US range for grand line battles. I also want to have a force to play Maximillian Adventure skirmishing games. I have three armies planned for different settings and I currently only have half of a battalion Only time will tell what I'll actually finish.

Poiter, maybe OG has discontinued those models? Can't recall the details but I believe this is not the first time I've heard of discontinued OG minis.

Thanks for the compliments has.been! I've decided on not including the Boot Hill cazadores into my Mex-US army. I want to build a proper Texas War Boot Hill force. I've got a lot of work ahead of me!

On another note, I've got some questions about Mexican uniforms:

1.- Do the coat turnbacks have the same color as the piping? E.G. In my pics of the Jiménez Battalion, should the turnbacks be white instead of red with white piping?
2.- I know fusiliers have red pom-poms on their shakos. What color are the pom-poms of the grenadier and cazados companies?
3.- What kind of uniform did the grenadier companies of the permanent infantry regiment wear? Was the pom-pom the only thing that distinguished them from other companies from their same regiment?

[v_lazy_dragon]

Nice work so far, and it sounds like exciting things to come!
The Artizan Designs Alamo figures work really well with Boothill for when you get onto the Texian Revolution

[CapnJim]

I think those figs look great!  Well done!

[El Chintete]

Thank you Capn and lazy dragon! I appreciate the compliments and recommendations.

I've been researching on whether there was any difference between the color of the pompons of different companies within the same permanent infantry regiment. Although I haven't found a concrete source outright stating the colors, I believe fusiliers had crimson pompons, cazadores (riflemen) had green pompons, and grenadiers had conical crimson pompons. I believe this based on the following:

Book: The Mexican Soldier, 1837-1847 Organization, Dress & Equipment by Joseph Hefter.
Soldier A is identified as a rifleman (cazador) from the 6th Regular Infantry Regiment. Note the green pompon


Shako A is identified as belonging to a cazador from the National Guard, Victoria Battalion.
Shako B is identified as possibly belonging to a Grenadier from the same Battalion.


Book: Santa Anna's Mexican Army 1821-1848 by René Chartrand (Osprey)
Sketch of an Infantry Grenadier copied from a painting circa 1840.


Despite my findings, there's still a thing or two that make me doubt about my assertion. Shako's A and B from the second image are from the National Guard and not from a regular regiment. Shako C from the same image is identified as possibly belonging to a Grenadier line officer. If my assumptions are correct, why is that pompon crimson and not green? As a counterpoint to this, Hefter's book also mentions that the shortly lived 1840 uniform regulations (they were reverted only a year or so after publishing) specified that pompons were to be crimson throughout all fusilier, cazador, grenadier, and pioneer companies. If pompons were all the same before this, why even specify it?

Might seem like I'm splitting hairs, but detail is everything when painting miniature uniforms  Besides, my battalions are of 32 figures. Four figures represent a company. So I want four figures to represent the cazadores and other four figures representing the grenadiers. This way I can feel I have the whole battalion without having to actually paint eight whole companies of figures 

If anybody has any info on this subject please share it!

[Malamute]

Mexican army info is patchy at best. There don’t appear to be many sources and they are often conflicting.
I have no knowledge of the army of 1846, all my research has been into the uniforms of 1836.
The uniform then is different, bell topped shakos, shorter turnbacks on the jackets which could be a mixture of older double breasted and newer regulation single breasted.
The cuffs and turnbacks would be red with white piping. The pom-poms were as follows: a tricolour green/white/red for fusiliers, red for grenadiers and green for Cazadores. Officers would be the same. The only other variant was crimson for the Zapadores.
Sorry I’m not much help as this is for 1836. I’d go with Hefter as he’s the only pseudo reliable source.

[El Chintete]

Thank you for the info Malamute! It will be very helpful when I build up my Texas War force. Any sources you recommend for Mexican uniforms? Might as well start gathering reading material.

[rumacara]

Hope this helps a bit regarding uniforms for the US-Mexican war.

https://www.thevirtualarmchairgeneral.com/901-US%20MexWar%20Uniforms%20Page.html

For mexican uniforms click on the "spoiler" words on this forum to open the images.

https://www.fsegames.eu/forum/index.php?topic=2883.0

Also try search for images. You will find some usefull ones.

https://www.google.com/search?q=uniforms+of+the+mexican+american+war&rlz=1C1CHBD_pt-PTPT984PT986&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjf_az6jID2AhVMz4UKHeLJDFsQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1280&bih=520&dpr=1.5

Regarding Boot Hill miniatures you should do them. Lovely miniatures full of detail.
For texans and more mexicans take a look at the range of Artizan Designs and some of the Wargames Foundry Old West range. Lots of usefull miniatures to mix with BH.

[El Chintete]

Wow!  Those resources are very useful, particularly the plates. Thanks rumcara! I've read that some Foundry ranges are smaller than other. Does this depend on the sculptor?

[Malamute]

Thank you for the info Malamute! It will be very helpful when I build up my Texas War force. Any sources you recommend for Mexican uniforms? Might as well start gathering reading material.

Anything by Gary Zaboly or Mark Lemon. Two of the most knowledgeable people on the Texas Revolution. Both are fine illustrators. If you Google them you should find some great and inspirational pictures.

[rumacara]

I've read that some Foundry ranges are smaller than other. Does this depend on the sculptor?

Indeed it does. For the Texas War of Independence i would sugest the figures sculped by Mike Owen (the same sculptor of Artizan). You have several packs with usefull figures.

[Golgotha]

These are great - fond memories of being a young lad using Airfix cowboys and French Napoleonic's to reenact the likes of the Alamo - may need to revisit this period...

Have never perhaps appreciated the finer nuances of their uniforms as you said: "Texas War they're missing the lapels worn during the Mexican War"
- to me they still look like funny Napoleonic French