Maaliskuun satoa - painted in March

I've been mainly preparing for upcoming Wilanow tourney of By Fire and Sword. To my small chagrin I noticed that I had used figures of several manufacturers to the command base I was goin to present at painting competition. On the plus side I now have the Danish foot commander in colors so no loss. Besides - painting was mediocre and I was trusting on gore effect anyway:

Upseerismies itse viiriä kantaen

Valkoinen rykmentinlippu hurmeen värjäämänä.

Maaliskuussa on valmisteltu erilaisia joukkoja Wilanowin Fire and Sword turnaukseen. Maalauskisaan aiotussa komentobeississä huomasin käyttäneeni toisen valmistajan rakuunoita, joten tanskalaisvänrikki jää nyt rannalle. Jäinpä maalatun komentajan voitolle - ja maalauksessa luotin enemmän hurme-efektiin ja sommitteluun kuin hyvään varsinaiseen maalausjälkeen.

Actual new figures I had paintes early, but I needed to retouch some I had painted when I first got the By Fire and Sword figures. Some have even served on the table, but their painting was too uniform and - to be brutaly honest  not complete:

No complete pic of the lists - to maintain some element of surprise if some of my opponents should read this. I chose Sweden this year - not quite as much fun as the Ottoman horde I had laast year, but I get to avoid transporting cavalry with lances and spears.

Tämän vuoden armeija on ruotsalaisia. Tylsempää kuin turkkilaislauma, mutta vältynpä peitsiratsumiesten kuljeetamiselta. Ei koko armeijan kuvaa ennen turnausta, yllätysten säilyttämiseksi, mutta vähän maistiaisia. 

The new army book, Armies of by Fire and Sword arrived so late that it had no impact to list making. Which is kind of pity. There were quite a lot of interesting options.

Valitettavasti uusi armeijakirja saapui niin myöhään, ettei sen mukaan ehtinyt rakentamaan listoja. Siellä olisi ollut mielenkiintoisia vaihtoehtoja, mutta ne jäävät nyt myöhemmin koeteltaviksi.

Carelian force - rappasodan ensimmäisen kesän joukko

Kokonaisuus alkaa olla kasassa. Sotakesän 1657 Karjalaan hätäisesti kokoonraavitut joukot ovat edustettuina tässä melko ratsumiesvoittoisessa osastossa. Kapteeni ja osa musketööreistä tarvitsee vielä viimeistelyä.

The horribly improvised troops gathered to defend Carelia are here pretty well represented by this force dominated by raw reiters. Captain and some musqeteers require final touches.

It would be very risky to meet the full strength of invading Russians with these troops, but luckily they historically attacked in uncoordinated fashion. Still - even when concentrated this force would have been numerically inferior bigger of Russian detachments.

Tatars and numidians

Well, western reiters are dipped and with basingmaterials applied, but pic quality was rather low.
So instead tatars and numidians:

Tatar warriors and rabble. Tataarisotureja ja ryöväreitä.

Numidian skirmishers for Hail Caesar. Numidilaista kevytaseista Hail Caesariin.

Edellisen postauksen ratsumiehet ovat samassa vaiheessa, lakkaa ja beissien sivuja vailla, mutta niistä sain niin luokattomia kuvia etten viitsi julkaista.

Some western troops for change - välillä länsimaisia joukkoja

Still WIP but I've been trying to get some of the leftover western reiters off the table.
Työn alla sekalainen lauma länsimaisia reitereita By Fire and Swordiin tai Pike and Shotteen.

Waiting for the dip -  Dippausta odottamassa

Foremost company dipped with light shade - etummainen komppania on melko vaalean dipin jo saanut ja odottaa lakkaa

Figures are from Wargamer By Fire and Sword range - mainly Swedish national reiters, but mixed with some from Gdansk (Danzig) mounted mitia and some Swedish veteran reiters. Since we are talking mid 17th century they to large extent lack uniformity, save for their leather jerkins - some inspiration has been gotten from the colourts of Finnish cavalry regiments of late 17th century.  these troopers could equally well stand for Imperial, Danish or even Polish troops.

Figut By Fire and Sword linjaa. Etupäässä eri versioita ruotsalaisista reitereista Swe-1, mutta seassa myös Danzigin ratsumiliisiä ja ruotsalaisia veteraaneja. Inspiraatiota on - anakronistisesti - haettu Viipurin ja Porin ratsurykmenttien väreistä 1600-luvun lopulta, juuri ennen karoliinista yhtenäispukua. Yhtenäistä on  lähinnä kylterien hiekankeltainen ja hiukan useammin kuin muut värit esiintyvä punainen.  Joukot voivatkin tarpeen tullen esittää tanskalaisia, keisarillisia tai jopa puolalaisia ratsumiehiä.

 

Tataarit, numidit ja reiterit sekä jokunen jokipala liimavesi ja ruohokäsittelyssä. Seuraavaksi kukkia ja mättäitä. Added water-gluemix and grass to reiters and  previous numidians and tatars and some pieces of river. Flowers and tufts to follow.

Slow but unsteady Edistystä muttei vakaasti

Painting has progressed, but not very fast.
I have gotten some troops to stage waiting for the magic wash and push forward in several projects at the same time. Progress is made, but troops are not getting ready.

Hidasta, mutta huonosti keskitettyä edistystä. Tataarit ja osa ibereistä kuitenkin seuraavaan - dippiä ja basetusta odottavaan vaiheeseen ja pois maalauspöydältä.

Focus, such as there has been has been on getting these troops of tatars off the queue:

Tatarrabble and spear tatars - finally ready ie. waiting for wash, varnish and basing.

I have been more interested in my new pet project Carthage. Besides they seem to get ready much quicker with much less small details and above allmost no horses to paint:
Spaniard caetrati have gotten to same stage as tartars:

Light Spanish infantry with small shields

Karthago ja liittolaiset ovat nyt uutena projektina kiinnostavampia. Tuntuvat myös edistyvän nopeammin - yhdenmukaisempia varusteita, vähemmän, mutta riittävästi  yksityiskohtia eikä hevosia. Turkkilaisten ja puolalaisten jälkeen hevosten maalaus on alkanut tökkimään. 

Various other troops have gotten there share of paint when there has been excess from the needs of tatars:

Slingers in two shades for two units

Thorakitai - for generic civilized spearmen needs

Carthaginian general 

The elephants - fun critters to paint.

Iberian scutarii based as heavy infantry

Tataareista yli jääneitä maaleja on tullut sudittua jonossa odottaviin figuihin aika lavealla rintamalla. Tuottaa edistystä, mutta valmista syntyy hitaasti.

Seuraavina pöydältä pois maalattavien joukossa on pieni erä ottomaanisipaheja täydentämään viime vuonna maalattuja, ja tässä esillä jököttävistä yksiköistä varmaan norsut, linkomiehet ja scutariit. Ja uusina jonoon kiilaavat Wilanovin turnauksen ByFire and Sword täydennykset.

Next in line for completion are the sipahis in the background, elephants, scutarii and command element I think. And some reinforcements to my By Fire and Sword lists will pass the line in anticipation of Wilanov tourney of Jan Sobieski.

But Carthage should be destroyed. Muuten olen sitä mieltä, että Karthago olisi tuhottava.

So the Ottomans, Transilvanians and some of the Poles still require painting. Logic requires the leadpile gets replenished. I have been pondering on small scale interwar skirmish or something similar. I even ordered some samples for Spanish civil war militias.

Maalausjono on pitkä, joten ei muuta kuin uusi projekti työn alle. Karthagolaisia olen silmäillyt pitkään Hail caesar mielessä. Kun pelikaveri kertoi innostuneensa ja langenneensa tasavaallan alun roomalaisiin olin aika nopeasti myyty.

However, when my regular gaming opponent  told he was interested in republican Romans I finally succumbed to lure of the Punic army. I have been looking for that topic for several months already - so chance of getting an opponent instead of acquiring and painting both armies was the final straw.

Armed with Osprey titles  and new Finnish edition of Livys books 21 and 22 I made an order for core of West wind games Carthagian starter set: African spearmen, some heavy cavalry,Numidian and Balearic skirmishers and some heavy cavalry. After reading Hail Caeasar proposed army lists I augmented the troops with armored elephants, African spearmen, Numidian light cavalry, Spanish caetrati and Spanish scutarii.

Numidian and balearic skirmishers, elephants, african spearmen and thorakitai to use as generic allies or opponents.

And after some thought and looking at the HC lists these in turn got in addition unarmoured scutarii, Celtiberians, Campanian hoplites, armoured and unarmoured Oscan peltasts, gaesati, Illyrian footmen, thorakitai infantry and Etruscan hoplites. And some Old Glory gauls. And Xyston commanders....

Mopo lähti hiukan käsistä armeijan koostumusta pohtiessa. Hannibalin reissua on tarkoitus mukailla - joukoissa vahva edustus espanjalaisia ja galleja, liittolaisia Italiasta, numideja ja kaikinpuolin sekalainen seurakunta. Mittakaava siis 15mm, suurin osa joukoista West wind productionsin Forged in battle linjaa. 

Espanjalaisia kevyitä ja raskaita joukkoja. Scutari and caetrati.

So for the time being I should be able to field a balanced nice army. A bit light on cavalry side, but Spanish and  Gaul cavalry may be added later. Or more semi generic units to form potential Sicilian or Italian opponent to Punic imperialists.

Interesting to see how such a mass army paints up. Looks easier than 17th century - reality remains to be seen. Vaikuttaa siltä että voisi maalautua nopeammin kuin 1600-luvun keikarit, mutta mielenkiintoista nähdä mitä todellisuus kertoo. Kilpien kuvioinnilla voi tehdä tästä ikuisuusprojektin - ellei lähde siirtokuvalinjalle.

Commanders from Xyston. Cavalry numidian skirmishers

So far I am really happy with the sculpts and finish of both West wind and Xyston figures. Lots of variety in those troops I've based so far. Most of the stuff is pretty robust - if one can say so of 15mm figures - without looking absurdly stocky.

Figuihin olen sangen tyytyväinen. Kilpien liimailua lukuunottamatta valmista tavaraa ja tuntuu tukevalta näyttämättä luonnottoman paksulta. Vaikuttaa siis siltä että voi maalautua melko hyvin ja kestää pelikäytössä. Yksityiskohtia sopivan tuntuisesti. 

Numidian skirmishers with block paints

Happy anniversary of Lützen. Hyvää Ruotsalaisuuden päivää.

To commemorate hero king Gustaphus Adolphus we had a game between all mounted Swedish force against all mounted and armored Imperial cavalry force.  We used By Fire and Sword figures and rules so some anachronisms were present, but got a furiously fast paced game simulating fleeting moment on the deadly ground of Lützen.

Keisarilliset eskadroonat aamusumussa

Unfortunately my camera failed to work during the evening, so only one pic, before or unless  Olofeus gets his online. The troops were practically same with both forces fielding 4 squadrons of cavalry, 4 bases strong each. Only one Squadron of Swedes had armor and another was armed with arquebuses. All imperials had armor and one squadron was arquebus armed. Swedes were all veterans - of imperials only half. Cost of armor made imperials nominally stronger and in the first round they were hit by march losses, loosing one base.

Gustaphus was leading from the front - so we agreed that he had to be permanently attached to one of the squadrons and could not command outside his own squadron. He could galvanize the Swedes into action by contributing to initiation tests. His head would be worth 2 victory points. His presence in the unit would be revealed only after some imperial troops would spot his actions. And for good measurre if he should find enemies in charge range he would lead a glorious charge against the enemy himself. As secondary targets Swedes had heavy guns placed on windmill hill and imperials could by exiting the Swedish end of the table threaten their camp and score same amount of points as Swedes by taking the hill.

The action was violent and saw imperials first failing to reach the Swedes in their charge, but then having all but one units in furious melee by round three. The melee saw both sides winning part, but imperials losing their commander and two units to total panic, while the beaten Swedes retreated in relatively good order - taking losses, but slowing the Imperiald dash to their camp.

In the end imperials were annihilated and Gustaphus rode into the mists detached from all other troops but one he was attached to - no doubt to meet his historical doom. Guns were undefended, but the Swedes had not yet taken control of them.

Fun game - allthough getting the result of the game in round three was a bit anticlimactic.