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

[CapnJim]

I like the paint job on your figures.  Well done!

[Flodden1513]

Redshank,

Many thanks for the kind words. I am getting the look I want and that being so I now aim to produce the Mexican 11th regiment and some Presidials / Rancheros to fight a small column of US infantry, Dragoons and Texas Rangers. Perhaps with a 6 pounder. This is an initial set of forces to get me gaming the period. I will certainly bear your rule suggestions on Mexican lancers in mind.

Would dismounted skirmishing Presidials be a suggestion for Eureka? I might ask Nic. Anything else you think worth a request? I wondered about Mexican light infantry skirmishing in soft cap with Baker rifles and National Guards in frock coats to represent a number of units , including the San Patricios. I have also pondered asking for 1840s Apache or Navajos to give some add spice.

In between domestic tasks today, hope to do some more on my 11 th and Presidials. Will keep send in pictures as matters develop.

Do you have a supplier of accurate, high quality flags? The ranges I know of are limited and often focus on the 1830s Texas period.

I might add am intrigued by your forum name. I have a whole pile of Redshanks in my Renaissance Irish army. My own name reflects my big 10 mm Flodden collection.

I took your advice on Brave Men, Badly Led. Ordered from Lulu in soft back and should be here in a few days

Ok, as far as I know the 11th did not fight in the Californian or Texan theatres, but I just love the white jacket and maroon trousers rig!

Scott

[Flodden1513]

I like the paint job on your figures.  Well done!

Much obliged CapnJim! I will aim to get more done and take better pictures!

Scott

[FifteensAway]

I find, generally, and 15 mm more particularly, that once the "battle is joined" on the table top, most players no longer care about the paint job so feel free to go with 'good enough' to help with production. 

[Redshank]

I find, generally, and 15 mm more particularly, that once the "battle is joined" on the table top, most players no longer care about the paint job so feel free to go with 'good enough' to help with production. 

Sound advice! I am trying to keep my painting to the fun level rather than letting it become a chore.

Redshank,

Many thanks for the kind words. I am getting the look I want and that being so I now aim to produce the Mexican 11th regiment and some Presidials / Rancheros to fight a small column of US infantry, Dragoons and Texas Rangers. Perhaps with a 6 pounder. This is an initial set of forces to get me gaming the period. I will certainly bear your rule suggestions on Mexican lancers in mind.

Would dismounted skirmishing Presidials be a suggestion for Eureka? I might ask Nic. Anything else you think worth a request? I wondered about Mexican light infantry skirmishing in soft cap with Baker rifles and National Guards in frock coats to represent a number of units , including the San Patricios. I have also pondered asking for 1840s Apache or Navajos to give some add spice.

In between domestic tasks today, hope to do some more on my 11 th and Presidials. Will keep send in pictures as matters develop.

Do you have a supplier of accurate, high quality flags? The ranges I know of are limited and often focus on the 1830s Texas period.

I might add am intrigued by your forum name. I have a whole pile of Redshanks in my Renaissance Irish army. My own name reflects my big 10 mm Flodden collection.

I took your advice on Brave Men, Badly Led. Ordered from Lulu in soft back and should be here in a few days

Ok, as far as I know the 11th did not fight in the Californian or Texan theatres, but I just love the white jacket and maroon trousers rig!

Scott

Hey Scott, I fully endorse your decision to go with Rule of Cool on unit selection! Anyway, you might do another theatre later.

The main additions to the Eureka range I would like to see are Zapadores. (I was emailing Mike a while back about it but the discussion kind of petered out for some reason - as I recall his view was they should be in shakoes not busbies.) For San P's, I reckon regular line infantry would do (judging by the Brassey book)? Mex light infantry in soft caps would be nice to have too - US infantry figures are close, but I think the Mex lights all had swords.

That and some of the US volunteer units for visual variety would be nice.

Blue Moon do Mex infantry in long coats https://www.oldgloryuk.com/15mm-mexican-war/50/237/577/594

Interested to hear what you think of BMBL! And to see some more of your minis. I started Mex 10th today after a bit of a break. I am (slowly) working up to Palo Alto / Resaca de la Palma.

My long-term goal is to do a multiplayer 2-table game of Contreras/Churubusco where the players have to allocate troops between the two approaches to Mexico City, with suitable incentives for skulduggery and backstabbing between them!

By the way, no great story on my forum handle - I just wanted a Scottish themed name! I haven't delved into Scottish military history yet or collected for anything before 1776 - I am trying to keep myself under some sort of control!

[Redshank]

I found this online resource of mainly MAW items, so thought I would share:

https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/mhinojosa/

Some fascinating stuff including Mexican grenadier light and grenadier company infantry insignia, and a US Army shako plates. Although mostly too small to make a difference at 18mm.

But there are some watercolours of Mexican uniforms too, some of which are contemporary - including for ex. an 11th regt drummer:

https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/mhinojosa/1/

Anyway, Mexican 10th Regt nearly done, and I undercoated a bunch of Mexican Auxiliary Cavalry last night ready for the next stage of the campaign!

[Flodden1513]

Hi Redshank!

I owe you a reply. Work has been crazy. Will reply more fully over next few days. Got the Brave Men, Badly Led rules. They look interesting.

This reference work is timely. I am about to paint some more 11 Regiment and this drummer picture is great.

Do we know if in the other regiments,  they had drummers with reversed coats? Indeed is the blue here the deeper indigo blue or meant to be the lighter blue of the facings of the 11 th?

Good luck with the next batch of painting. Hope to get back to the 11 th over the weekend.

Scott

[Redshank]

Hi Flodden, I reckon the colour scheme on that drummer can't be a straight-up reversal because the 11th didn't have green in their uniform (so far as I know). So I don't know what to make of it! I don't know if there was a system for drummer uniforms. I would like to find out.

On your other question on flags, the online collection I linked to does include an example of a Mexican regimental colour. I am using Virtual Armchair General's pdf's for now.
https://www.thevirtualarmchairgeneral.com/347-Mexican%20War%20Flags.html

[Flodden1513]

Hi Redshank,

As a Scot living in Scotland I love your embracing of a Scottish forum name! And I love my Redshank force, courtesy of the very American Khurasan miniatures!

Ok, here are some replies. Zapadores, I think from images of greens I have seen , that  Eureka have gone for a bearskin type option. The sources I have read suggest that was in use in the war.

Drummers, just noted that in plates to Plate 2 in the Anton Adams book, War in Mexico, it is said that Mexican drummers did not reverse colours but wore the same coat as their regiment. Some National Guard units did reverse. As for the 11 th, the plate you found suggests this elite line regiment was an exception. As for green lapels, indeed, this does seem to be unusual, unless was a nod to green in the national flag. I just painted a drummer based on the plate, so green lapels remain!

On flags, I completely forgot I got the TVAG range a few years back and they are stored on my desktop pc. Thanks for the reminder of the range. Do you happen to know if Mexican units carried a national and regimental flag?

As for other sculpts from Eureka, I agree, the San Patricios could just be in national guard kit. I guess given the nature of the recruitment of these men, that they got what was going, with no scope for a special uniform. I have the OG castings in frock coats and can see me use those as San Blas national guard. Some of the Eureka Crimean War French , not least the officers in kepi, would work for national guard types.

If you are looking for Mexican guerilla or civilians, including women and priests, check out the AB Figures, Napoleonic Spanish. They match very well size wise and style with Eureka. They also do a nice mule train.

For Mexican light infantry, the US regular infantry might work, at least some of the poses. As you say they carried a sword. I might ask Nic if Mike would still consider some bespoke types.

Read through the Brave Men, Badly Led rules. These look interesting and can see me give them a try. I will though have bigger units than the rules suggest. It is a visual thing for me and I don’t mind painting more figures. Right now have 48 of the 11 th Regiment on the way to completion. Marching poses. Have started the 3rd Regiment as well. Thinking of basing on 30 mm square but not sure if will base in two ranks of two, or three of three. I have settled on using the skirmish poses on 30 mm round bases to operate ahead of the main unit. I read yesterday that Mexican light company men operated in three man teams. I can get three different poses on a base.

I will post more pics as the project grows. I did a lot of painting yesterday and the grey weather here today suggests that pattern will be repeated!

[Redshank]

Hi Scott, I reckon good call on bigger units with BMBL - I was planning on doing the same myself. I don't think it would break anything, although I find I need to try these tweaks in play to be sure. In fact I reckon bigger units would be more consistent with his weapon ranges; he has got musket range at 4 inches, which is more than his infantry regiment frontage. I think that is a bit too long. More importantly, like you I also prefer bigger units visually.

I have gone with 4 figs in 2 ranks on an inch square base, and typically 6 bases per unit.

I think I have read somewhere Mexican infantry regiments generally only carried one colour into action, presumably regimental. But I am away from my books right now so can't track down the reference.

On the Zap headgear - my Brassey book says bearskins, but Osprey says shakoes. So who knows - not me at the moment anyway! Although when I start going down the rabbit hole on uniforms, I try and remind myself the Mexicans probably just turned up in whatever they could scrounge.

By the way, I normally live in Scotland (Falkirk), although I'm working abroad for a while. I do have some minis with me and am trying to crack on with my painting in my downtime. Would be great to have a showdown when I get back! (Bagsy the Mexicans!!)

[Flodden1513]

Hi Redshank!

Falkirk! How many Mex Am gamers are there in Scotland ? ! I am in Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire. A game sounds like fun and okay I will be Manifest Destiny Team.

Currently am looking to base infantry on 40 by 30, two ranks of three, five to eight bases per unit or seven where light company is detached. Cavalry , regular, 40 mm square or 40 mm round for irregular cavalry, ditto irregular infantry like Texas Rangers, guerillas etc. cannon 40 mm wide by 50 deep. Idea is to allow use with systems that use uniform frontages eg Lasalle, as well as more generally.

I think you are right on one standard per unit for Mexicans and generally on your view that kit could be quite a mix with the Mexicans.

I now have about 48 11th Regiment near completion, 48 3rd half done and a five base San Patricio battalion undercoated. Once these guys are done, a brigade, I will move to the easier to do US infantry.

Will keep in touch and will send pics of my proof of concept 11 th on bases albeit not landscaped. If I like the look I will proceed to landscape with a suitably scrub like finish.

Scott

[Redshank]

The Project continues with two more Mexican units (to take on Flodden in due course!) - again unbased for now, as I am still away from home without access to my basing materials. Anyway, first up, the purple-lapelled 10th Infantry:







Next, some Presidial Cavalry:





Enough for 8 bases here (2 to a base) as they are standing in for Mounted Auxiliaries of Villa del Norte. This is a big unit, and probably intimidating for an inexperienced American player to observe across the table, but with very fragile morale. Basically only good for riding down unformed American infantry.

Onto some dismounted American dragoons next to give myself a break from Mexican cavalry. I realised I bought enough figures for 3 foot dragoons per base, versus 2 when mounted, which I suppose means half of the horses magically turn into soldiers! I am not planning on bothering with figures for the held horses, partly because I don't know anyone who makes them for MAW in 15mm/18mm, and I haven't researched availability of proxies from other periods.

By the way has anyone ever taken minis in hand luggage? Got to get these guys home soon, and the thought of BA or similar jokers losing my luggage with them inside is enough to make the blood run cold...

[Redshank]

This time with hopefully more effective photos, taken utilising all-new TableEdge^TM technology:

[boywundyrx]

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

[CapnJim]

Them Mexican fellers look good.  Well done!