Napoleonic & ECW wargaming, with a load of old Hooptedoodle on this & that


Thursday 4 October 2012

ECW - More Recruits




I made a slow job of finishing them off, what with Hadrian's Wall and other interruptions, but here's two new regiments of foot - pretty similar to the last two, really. The chaps in green are Tillier's Regt (R), veterans of the wars in Ireland - these are Les Higgins figures, apart from a converted Hinton Hunt ensign and an SHQ officer.

The other lot are Ralph Ashton's Regt (P), in a fine shade of LMS red, which this very old schoolboy feels is entirely appropriate for a Lancashire unit (in a rather convoluted way - if you have no idea what I'm talking about, it doesn't matter, it would take too long to explain). Ashton's men are Hinton Hunts apart from the Higgins drummer. As has become my standard practice, I've modified the standard bearer, removing the cast metal flag and the giant base, and fitting a wire staff.

The planned pikes made from my new brown florist's wire were abandoned very quickly - the brown-covered wire is thinner than the normal green wire, is not rigid enough and didn't even cut nicely, so I'm back to the green wire, which requires painting and varnishing, as before. Another wizard wheeze bites the dust...

With luck, I should have yet another two units fettled and ready for painting by the end of this weekend, so by my own pedestrian standards I'm fairly rattling along!

14 comments:

  1. I knew at once that these were Les Higgins figures! Sad isn't it? I have a few of the musketeers and would love to get more. Nice work.

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    1. Thanks Tim - the Les Higgins ECW and Marlburian figures are in production now - with extended ranges, even - and are available from Old John - his blog is at http://2ommnostalgicrevival.blogspot.co.uk/

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  2. Superb. Really wonderful units.
    How would these chaps compare to the Warrior Miniatures ECW range?

    Pjotr

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    1. Hi Pjotr - I haven't seen the Warrior ECW, but Higgins and HH are a fair amount smaller, I would think. The Higgins ECW are smaller than the Higgins Napoleonics, which in turn are a bit marginal with Warrior.

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  3. I love them. Class old school, clean and sharp looking and with jaunty facial hair! Photos like these keep tempting me to the ECW, must resist.
    What does "fettled" mean, pray tell?
    Cheers,
    Mike

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    1. Thanks Mike - you keep resisting!

      Fettled - it turns out it is an old word (OE fetel) but I think survives as a verb mostly in the north of England. "Fettling" is working on something to clean it up, sort it out. Owners of vintage motorcycles spend the winter evenings fettling manifolds and carburettors. I think that village blacksmiths used to fettle horses hooves before they put a shoe on.

      The noun is maybe more common - if someone, when asked how they are, says they are in good fettle, it means they are well - in a good state. Maybe they are in a good state of tune!

      In my own case, cleaning paint and flash off old castings and modifying them is fettling.

      I checked out my modern German books, but am surprised it doesn't occur there. Maybe it's Nordic?

      Cheers - Tony

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  4. A wonderful collection of figures already, full of character. Of course the Hintons are my favourite - simply superb!

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    1. Thanks Ian. I sometimes look at modern 28mm ECW figures and feel a slight pang - there is such a huge range available, and they paint up so well - but the old 20mm ranges are a delight, and I have no regrets about going with this size.

      Some ancient memory that this is what wargames figures were supposed to look like?

      Cheers - Tony

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    2. I have looked many times at the huge range of 28mm Napoleonics available but I too am glad to have stuck with the old 20mm figures. For one thing, I know that my painting style just doesn't suit modern figures and I'm too old now to change! I'm looking forward to seeing your first ECW battle!

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    3. I wouldn't hold your breath, but I'm working on it! Meanwhile my main man Lee is likely to start playtesting the C&C based rule set any day now, so it's all progress - careful progress - can't rush these things!

      Thanks for your support - I shall always wear it.

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  5. Great looking old school figs! Keep 'em coming!!

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    1. It's the only way I can do them, Ray! In truth, any new Napoleonics I do continue in my old style because it's easier than refurbing all the old ones - the ECW was a conscious decision because I think it suits the old castings.

      If I try to paint in a more "modern" style the units finish up looking like piles of dirty laundry.

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  6. Great stuff Tony, they are such fine looking figures, full of character.You must take a picture of them all together so far. Something very elegant about the old 20mm castings, no doubt about that.

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    1. Thanks Lee. I'm preparing another 2 foot units for painting (this time the Hintons are Royalists and the Higginses are Parlies, just for a change) and another regiment of horse (SHQ again), and I'm looking at a couple of units of dragoons - 1 for each side. The Royalist dragoons will be Higgins, with SHQ command mounted on Higgins horses, and the Parliamentarian will be Hintons, with SHQ command, all mounted on Higgins horses.

      Each dragoon unit consists of 9 dragoons and 3 command, and the 9 dragoons are duplicated on foot for dismounted action - the mounted command base will stay on their horses, to represent horse holders etc. I'm sure you wanted to know all that!

      Anyway, I'm eyeing it all up...

      I was thinking of doing a very small post on converting the HH standard bearers.

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