28mm ECW Project (also storage advice request)

[Basin is BACK]

I'm starting a new English Civil War project to distract me from all my other half-finished endeavours. Going for an early-war theming to include plenty of armour and cuirassiers.

I expect I'll mostly be using it to play Kings of War, which does place certain constraints on the basing, but if I can I'll also be able to use it for Pikeman's Lament and other systems. Basing is on 40mm square bases for infantry, and 50mm squares for cavalry and guns, with a few singly-based models to make up units to the prescribed Kings of War unit widths (and to represent loss of models in Pikeman's Lament)

Normally I have models singly based or 40mm square which can fit in a GW carrying case, but that's far too fiddly to rank up before battle, and I don't think I will be able to fit the pikemen into one.

Do people have suggestions on good storage and transport solutions for this sort of army? Also, I'm still not sure how to get images to line up in the text, so advice on how to do that would also be welcome.

[has.been]

I will follow with interest as I plan to revisit ECW in 2025.
My plan is to use 'shallow' RUB (Really Useful Boxes) for the musket bases,
& deeper ones for the pikes/command (flags)bases.
This will mean splitting up regiments for storage, but should use up less shelf space.

[Count Belisarius]

I'm planning a C17th project for next year as well. Probably just doing big skirmish (and with an ImagiNation bent) so most of my pikemen will have cut down pikes and other pole arms. But I'm also pondering the option of sabots to allow me to group them for use in Pike and Shotte games. As a command/pike stand will also have officers, drummers and standard bearers I reckon painting a very few figures with upright full pikes will be enough.

I use the RUB inserts from Commission Figurines so that should allow storage of all. I also have some of the tall RUB lids so could still use RUB 4L even for pikes.

A

[Calvin59]

I will be following the progress of your project with interest. 

[Hu Rhu]

Nice painting. 

I too use 9L RUB boxes with the tall lids and inserts from Commission figurines.  I use two sizes of inserts, the smaller one (usually  60mm) for figures without tall pikes or raised swords etc and a larger one (usually 70mm) for those figures with pikes and cavalry, command bases etc.

As said earlier it does mean you have to store your regiments one different levels but I usually manage to fit them all in the same box.

[Basin is BACK]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I suspected that Really Useful Boxes would be the answer, but I wasn't sure which sizes would be the best to use. Probably a good idea to use inserts too, so prevent damage from bases colliding in transit.

I've been waiting on replying to you all until I had some more stuff painted. After all, the main reason we're here is for the lovely models! (still haven't worked out how to include pics in line with text)

More ramblings available on the blog in the signature if you're interested.

[fastolfrus]

I use RUB 9L with inserts so that pikes and cavalry are on the bottom deck and muskets are on the top.

For transport to games, I've found that there are some supermarket "bags for life" that are just big enough to fit a RUB box. (Most of the Aldi ones with humorous messages seem to fit, but you might need to shop around to find one - take an empty RUB with you, the shop staff might think you're odd but hey ho)

[soldieroftheline]

I'm going to be using 11L XL RUBs for my ECW project. These take upright pikes nicely with the raised lid height. Of course they are bigger all round so may be less easy to put on shelves etc. They are also usually only available direct from the Really Useful website. Watch the postage if ordering direct, it's a fixed cost based on the value of the order and works out expensive on small orders.

[Codsticker]

My plan is to use 'shallow' RUB (Really Useful Boxes) for the musket bases,
& deeper ones for the pikes/command (flags)bases.
This will mean splitting up regiments for storage, but should use up less shelf space.

That is what I have done. I also saw somewhere that one fellow flips the RUB upside down (before putting his figures in it  ) and uses the lid as the base. That way he isn't reaching into a bunch of pike stands to pull out units, the idea being to reduce broken and bent pikes.

[Basin is BACK]

Hope it hasn't been too long since my last post.

Anyway, despite progress slowing over the spring, I've made some progress, to the point where I'm probably only a couple of months away from finishing the first foot battalia/regiment/brigade/whatever.

Anyway, see attached pics, including finished Perry cuirassiers, front-line pike and a rather dapper looking officer from Redoubt.

Not got any boxes yet, might have to consider them for a Birthday present as I'm running out of room to handle the finished models. Will definitely use upside-down boxes for the pikes,  I've already be stabbed reaching for them too many times.

[bigredbat]

When I started the ECW, I stored my musketeers in 4L RUBs, pike and command in 9L RUBs and horse in 11L RUBs, all on magnetic bases. The infantry ended up being a pain because I had to reassemble the regiments out for every game.  Now all the infantry are together in regiments in 9L RUBs, it saves so much time.