Mexican-American war (more US infantry added 4/9)

[Redshank]

Just caught this thread today with the new post, glad I saw it Recent posts list.  A 15/18mm MAW project using Eureka and/or OG/BM has been a wishlist project for a long time, this really made that itch worse!  Lovely stuff all around.

Chris

Cheers! By the way, Eureka and OG/BM are compatible in terms of scale. I posted some comparison shots up-thread you can check out.

[Redshank]

I picked up a book called "Echoes of the Mexican-American War" by Libura, Morales Moreno and Marquez (translated by Mark Fried) at my local library. It's structured around long extracts from primary sources, with plenty of pics. It's not a military history (the authors make some basic mistakes on that side), but some of the images seemed worth sharing.

Mexican cannon. I don't place much weight on the uniforms though - the illustrators seem to have been making it up. The notion of Mexican infantry wearing green seems to have taken hold for some reason.





Mexican Californian lancer:



More Mexican cavalry in California. I don't recall seeing these tall, New England Puritan type hats in any other illustrations of the conflict:



Veracruz layout:



...and now back to painting as I have got a game coming up at the club!

[Redshank]

Got the Mex-American collection down to the club for a first game last night. We tried a loose approximation of Palo Alto, although orders of battle and terrain were not exact. The Americans were tasked with breaking through the Mexican line to secure the far road exit within 16 turns. We used Live Free or Die with a few house rules to cover flying artillery and forming square (although the latter was not needed). 2 of us were playing the rules for the first time.

The Americans in two brigades, formed up in column for the advance:



The more numerous Mexican forces lined up to face them:



Closeup on the Mexican 6th infantry, with the 1st visible behind them (on temporary bases...)



The Americans continue the advance through the clear ground around the chaparral:



By turn 6 or 7, the Americans are starting to shake out into line while the Mexican 1st Cavalry bears down on the US 2nd Dragoons:



Owing to the vagaries of initiative, it was the Dragoons who charged home, even as Mexican infantry looms off to the flank:



By about Turn 10, the Mexican brigade around the road (with rancheros hovering uncertainly nearby) was wilting under ferocious US infantry volleys, backed up by a section of flying artillery. But the depleted Mississippi Rifles were facing the daunting prospect of fending off the best part of another Mexican brigade coming up on the flank.



With the clock against us (both in reality and in game), we called the battle for the Mexicans. While it was likely the Americans would break through the depleted Mexican brigade holding the road, there likely wasn't time for the US forces to secure the exit, especially with the other Mexican brigade about to roll in from the flank.

All enjoyed the game, although it was agreed some further tweaks would help, both in the scenario design (possibly too much ground for the Americans to cover in the time available) and in our house rules for the flying artillery, which seemed not quite effective enough.

[Ray Rivers]

Interesting AAR.

Love the minis! 

[Redshank]

The assault on Lead Mountain continues with the addition of the Mexican Light Cavalry:







As usual unbased, as I lack basing materials for now (working abroad for a bit).

They are a bit of a vision in blue - dark blue trousers, light blue jackets, blue saddle blankets and capes - so I tried to mix it up with various Army Painter shades - Wolf Grey, Electric Blue and so on. Still overall not the most visually interesting, but I need them for my Palo Alto project, so in they go. Also, I am increasingly convinced (as I read around) they should be lancers, but back when I was buying these, I'd read Mexican cavalry had sabres. So that's what I've got.

Speaking of the project... I am dangerously near finishing. Still to do:

• another regt of American infantry
• 2 more bases (8 figs) of "redleg" infantry (American gunners serving as infantry)
• artillerymen for both sides - should be mounted for the American flying artillery
• Tampico Coast Guards (5 bases)
• Mexican Presidials (4 cavalry bases = 8 figs)

If I can find proper Mexican sappers I would want a regt of those, but until somebody does them, I am using the Grenadiers as a stand-in.

The other figure availability problem I have is mounted gunners for the US Flying Artillery. I've read they struggled to get uniforms and turned up in whatever they could scrounge, so I might use dragoons painted with red artillery markings. This is definitely getting into the "nice to haves", anyway.

I've also got some casualty markers, but they should be quick to do, and they're not really necessary. (None of this is necessary of course, but you know what I mean!)

So overall, close to the finish line.

Then there is always Buena Vista to move on to... Which would give me an excuse for doing the Tulacingo Cuirassiers and Jalisco Lancers!

[CapnJim]

Your cavalry looks good.  So did that battle report!  Well done, lad!

[Redshank]

Your cavalry looks good.  So did that battle report!  Well done, lad!

Muchos gracias, Capitano!

[Redshank]

Added another 6.5 bases' worth of "redleg" US infantry (artillerymen serving as infantry). I am going 4 to a base. The Palo Alto scenario done for Fire and Fury calls for a 12-base unit, which I can now do.









I enjoyed doing these, so much so that I am even looking forward to doing some more US infantry next.

I switched to brown base layer and tanned flesh highlights for the skin, rather than tanned flesh + flesh wash. I've also moved away from drybrushed highlights to trying to be more precise. Both changes happened between two halves of this batch. But now I have jumbled up the minis I can no longer easily tell which mini was done which way!

EDIT: thanks to taking these photos I realised I'd left too much flash on the bayonet of the guy on the left!

[Ray Rivers]

They look splendid! 

Believe me, you are not the first person who has picked up things when looking at photographs. Closeups also give you an opportunity to see the minis quite well, so that you can evaluate the finished product much easier, as well as your photo technique.

Keep up the good work!

[Redshank]

I must admit the 'photo technique' at the moment is to point my phone at them! Miniature photography remains a closed book to me so far.