Inventory Part III: American Revolutionary War

This post was lurking in my drafts folder for at least two years, maybe more, but here it is, as it was writ back then.

Even though firmly on the back-burner for the past couple of years, I had long wanted to build up AWI forces, so when the chance came in around 2010 to pick up some Foundry figures when one of their 20%-off sales was on I couldn't resist. I then switched to Perry for the bulk of the remainder of the Crown and Revolutionary forces (you can't really say British and Americans as they were all technically British......mmmm? Except the Hessians.......and Native Americans....and French....and Spanish, etc). Most of my Hessians are actually ancient Hinchliffe and Front Rank, purchased painted off eBay and rebased/touched up. A bargain they were too at about £2 a figure, and thats painted!

This has always been one of my favourite periods but previous wargaming experiences had left me disappointed with the outcome of the games, and indeed one campaign at the Durham club 30+ years ago saw the Crown forces well and truly stomped almost from the outset.

It took about 18 months to bring these armies up to full (?) strength but they've been used in a fair few games over the years. As well as fictional engagements I've refought, among others, Camden, Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse (several times), both parts of Brandywine, Newport and Weizels Mill, all using Black Powder rules although a couple of earlier fictional games were with British Grenadier (a bit slow and clunky for my taste but great scenario books!). Its been quite a while since I've had this lot out on the table but they will get an outing in the new place.

Like I say, most are Perry/Foundry but I do have stuff from other manufacturers as well. The key is as follows: Perry (P); Foundry (F); Front Rank (FR); Old Glory (OG); Perry Plastics (PP); Hinchliffe (H).

British & Loyalist:

1 x 9 16th Light Dragoons plus 6 dismounted dragoons (P)
2 x 6 17th Light Dragoons (P)
1 x 18 Tarleton's Legion Light Dragoons (P)
1 x 6 Queen's Rangers Hussars (P)
(45 + 6)

2 x 36 British Grenadier battalions (WF/P)
2 x 36 Light Infantry battalions (P)
2 x 30 Guards battalions (P)
1 x 12 Guards Light Companies (P)
2 x 30 Highland battalions (71st Foot) (P)
2 x 24 Highland battalions (42nd, 79th Foot) (FR)
4 x 30 Line Infantry battalions  (17th, 23rd, 33rd & 63rd Foot) (P)
1 x 24 Volunteers of Ireland (F)
1 x 24 Tarleton's British Legion infantry (OG)
1 x 24 Queen's Rangers (P)
1 x 12 Queen's Rangers skirmishers (P)
1 x 24 'generic' Loyalist battalion (OG)
1 x 12 Indian skirmishers (P)
(534)

2 x Heavy guns, limbers and crews (F/P)
6 x Guns/howitzers and crews (F/FR/P)
1 x Queens Rangers Amusette (P)
6 drag-rope men (P)

Hessian:
1 x 12 Hessian Jager (P)
1 x 24 Hessian Line (von Bose) (P)
3 x 30 Hessian Line (H)
1 x 24 Hessian Grenadiers (P)
1 x 30 Hessian Grenadiers (FR)
1 x 24 Hessian Grenadiers (H)
2 x 30 Hessian Fusiliers (FR/H)
(264)
1 x light gun and crew (P)

Revolutionary Forces:

1 x 6 Lee's Legion Dragoons (OG)
1 x 6 2nd Continental Dragoons (F)
1 x 6 Armand's Legion Dragoons (F)
1 x 10 Mounted Militia Rifles (P)
(28)

5 x 12 Riflemen/skirmishers (P)
12 x 24 Continental Line (P/F)
12 x 24 Militia (P/F)
1 x 6 Lee's Legion infantry (P)
1 x 6 Armand's Legion infantry (P)
(648)

1 x Heavy gun, limber and crews (P/F)
5 x Guns/howitzers and crews (P/F)
3 x Grasshopper guns and crews/limbers (F)

Together with numerous generals and vignettes and the gunners thats about 1600 figures. Yikes!

 I don't actually have any full units waiting to be painted in the drawer of doom, just a few odds and ends.  Aaargh! I lie! I do have some more Indians to do and quite a few civilians should I ever get round to putting my Drums Along the Mohawk scenario together one day, but perhaps only a couple of weeks work in total. The trouble is, when? I have no intention of adding any French or Spanish to the mix until such time as there is a suitable window in my painting/gaming schedule. Now I've sold all my ACW figures these guys are going to be the sole users of my collection of American terrain and buildings.

My Armies.

I have added another page to this blog (see above) entitled 'Fall In!!! - My Armies'. I plan to list the component units of each army within my collection, well once I've worked out how to link each entry to a full inventory or active units, i.e. fit to take to the table. I have almost scared myself silly putting just the basic list together, even if I have just sold all my ACW figures their passing hasn't made much of an impact on the troops' numbers! Eeek! 

Inventory II: Crimean War

This was one of last year's projects that got out of hand, indirectly at least. Foundry had a sale on getting rid of a load of regimental deals, including several from their Crimean range. I managed therefore to pick up all my Guards, two battalions of Highlanders, the Rifle Brigade and a couple of British Line battalions for a song. Ebay, a few carefully selected purchases off Foundry,Warlord Games and Great War Miniatures together with Ebor miniatures for the Russian infantry and I suddenly had enough British, Russian and Turkish forces for a good-sized game.

I really don't know what it is about this period that interests me most; is it the stupidity of it all, the uniforms, or the clash between emerging modern weapons against out-dated tactics, or is it all of them? Most important is that the figures look great on the table and the games to date have been fun and quite a challenge for both sides.

Again, as we get older we might wonder what would happen to our toys when we are no longer able to enjoy them. I'm not sure what an archaeologist 2000 years from now would make of early 21stC grave goods!

British:
3 x 24 infantry - Guards Brigade (F/GW)
3 x 24 infantry - Highland Brigade (F/GW)
6 x 24 Line infantry (F/W/GW)
1 x 24 Rifle Brigade (F)
(312)

5 x 6 cavalry - Light Brigade (F/GW)
5 x 6 cavalry - Heavy Brigade (F)
(60)

6 guns and crews (F/GW)

Turks:
2 x 12 cavalry (F)
(24)

8 x 12 infantry battalions (F)
(96)

2 x guns and crews (F)

Russians:
16 x 24 Line infantry (E/F)
1 x 24 Rifle battalion (F)
(408)

2 x 12 Cossack (F)
2 x 12 Hussars (F)
2 x 12 Uhlans (F)
(72)

11 x guns and crews (F)

There are also numerous dithering commanders, various vignettes and loads of casualty markers.

With the exception of a couple of gun crews for my siege/fortress artillery this collection is pretty much complete. I probably could do with another brigade of Russian cavalry.........Some of the Turks (about half) have yet to be based but I think thats it! I certainly have no plans or need to expand the forces at all.

The French and Sardinians? I have loads of the former and some of the latter but I will cover them in another post.

Inventory, Part 1: The Seven Years War

Since becoming almost retired i.e. just waiting for the paperwork to complete, I've had much more time to devote to gaming, and painting, and of course, buying little men and adding to the drawer of doom in my games room. In a rare morbid moment, together with the fact that I am rapidly running out of space, I thought it'd be a good idea to list my entire collection so that whenever the time comes, hopefully a long long time in the future, my partner and daughter will be in a better position to clear the lot on eBay or sell to my grieving wargaming buddies and then enjoy the proceeds without being ripped off! The 'hard' copies of these inventories have conservative values for the collections and unit types. I could have bought myself a small South American country!

So here we go with the first bunch, namely my Prussian and Russian Seven Years War. I started these in about 2005/06 (I think) in response to Rob starting to build up Austrians and French SYW armies. Almost all the Russians came from Dave Thomas' 'gash box' at £5 a blister or when Foundry had their 25% off sales.

The codes represent the manufacturer, so F = Foundry, M = Minden, H = Hincliffe, R = RSM, BH = Black Hussar, FR=Front Rank, E=Eagle, OG=Old Glory. I have to say that if I had my time again I might try to stick to RSM, Black Hussar and Minden but overall I quite like the mix, and I find it hard to resist Foundry when they have a sale! There are plenty of pictures of my collection dotted throughout this blog so I've not added any more pictures for now.

Prussians:

3 x 30 man Cuirassier regiments. 2R/1H
1 x 18 man Cuirassier regiment (Garde du Corps) F
2 x 24 man Dragoon regiments F/R
2 x 36 man Hussar regiments R
1 x 12 man Bosniak Lancers H
1 x 12 man Von Kleist Uhlan Friekorps H
(252)

3 x 36 man Grenadier btns 2M/1F
8 x 36 man infantry btns R, M,
1 x 36 man Friekorps infantry btn F
1 x 8 man Feldjager corps F
1 x 24 man Von Kleist Croat Friekorps Btn F
1 x 12 man Von Kleist Friekorps Jäger btn M
(476)

3 x Heavy guns/Howitzers and crews  with limbers F/R
4 x Field guns and crews F/R
8 x light guns and crews F/R

Russians:

2 x 24 man Cuirassier regiments F
1 x 12 man Cuirassier regiment F
1 x 24 man Horse Grenadier regiment F
1 x 12 man Dragoon regiment FR
1 x 24 man Hussar regiment F
1 x 12 man Hussar regiment F
1 x 12 man Cossack regiment E
(132)

3 x 36 man Grenadier battalions F
5 x 36 man line battalions F
3 x 36 man Observation Corps battalions OG
1 x 36 man dismounted Dragoon regiment F
1 x 24 Pandour regiment F
(456)

6 x Heavy guns/Unicorns and crews with 3 limbers F
4x field guns and crews F
5 x light regimental guns/mortars and crews F

There are also numerous commanders and vignettes for both armies.

Unpainted I know I have the following units in the drawer of doom!:

2 x Prussian line infantry battalions BH/R
1 x 12 Prussian Von Kleist Friekorps Horse Grenadiers F
1 x 12 Prussian dismounted hussars F
1 x 12 Prussian dismounted von Kleist horse grenadiers F
1 x 12 Schaumberg Lippe Carabineers E
1 x 24 Russian Hussar regiment F
1 x 12 Russian Hussar regiment F
1 x 12 Russian Cossack regiment F
4 x Russian heavy guns and crews F
2 x Russian light regimental guns and crews F

Whether I will ever get round to painting these is a big question. I do want to get the Russian hussars and Cossacks done, as well as the Schaumberg Lippe Carabineers, even if the unit will be ten times bigger than their real life counterparts! They will do for the my 'imagination' of the Principality of Prunz mit Kurstadt.

These were the first armies I bought when I upscaled back to 28mm and sold off all my 6mm collections. I appreciate that listing my stuff might be seen by some as being a little self-indulgent, but its been a great help to me on focussing on just how many little men I have and wondering how the floor in my games room has not collapsed into our bedroom!