Keep Your Powder Dry

On one of the rare occasions that I visit Facebook I was perusing the Victory Without Quarter page, and saw some beautiful 28mm storming party figures. In amongst the pictures were three figures carrying a ladder. Obviously a storming party needs ladders, but I don't have any! An idea germinated... Could I make a ladder party? Where any figures suitable to chopped and changed into what I wanted. I've got some ladders tucked into a corner of my Château Hougomont model, might have some spares somewhere. A rummage through my spares box found some standard bearers from PP pack 17 'foot command advancing' and a lowland pikeman from pack 82 'Scots pike 45' open hand'. Both have potential.  The 'raw materials' Couldn't find any ladders, they were from Magister Militum, who have now shut up shop. So no more available from that source, PP make a pack, but I didn't really want to spend the best part of £10 on just a pack of ladders (the £4.50 post and ...

Continuing the theme of figures becoming somebody else, I thought I'd steal the reveal from Stars In Their Eyes... I'm Oliver Cromwell, and tonight Matthew I'm going to be  Colonel John Okey.  Possibly my favourite figure from the entire range of 'characters'. This pose really lends itself to a vignette with the figure talking to a figure on foot. The perfect figure for this being the General Coaker collectable figure from PP. Originally these limited free figures were available for attendees at PP game days, but more recently they have become a wonderful way of remembering gamers and friends of PP who have passed away. Limited to one per household, I'd already utilised my General Coaker figure in a regiment of foot, but was fortunate to be a gifted another (thanks Will). Maybe the figure on foot has just climbed down from a tree at Naseby and is reporting the location of the King to his colonel? John Okey was a London merchant, and later an MP for Bedfordshire....

So what were the Associations, and give me a reading list... During the Wars, Parliament devolved local government to local Associations of counties where it held sway. These local Associations raised money, provided supplies and men for Parliament's great field army, which was under the command of the Earl of Essex. Each Association also raised its own army, which was responsible for garrisoning towns, protecting the borders of their Association, and they were also called upon to augment Essex's force. Some also went about their own campaigning. The Association Armies were*: The Midlands Association,  covering predominantly Warwickshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Leicestershire. A slightly complicated affair, there were briefly two Midland Association armies. Initially commanded by Lord Brooke, then Sir John Gell took command after Brooke's death at Lichfield. Cheshire is a little different (it still is a little different, I can say that having been born in the county...

The second instalment in what could be a very one sided, short lived series. But first we need to talk about the term 'New Model Army'. 'Tis nought but a Victorian affectation (courtesy Thomas Carlyle in 1845). The New Model Army was not called that in the C17th, you know... when it actually existed. It was technically, just 'the army', but was described as 'the army, newly modelled' or the '' newly modelled' army' so as to distinguish it from Parliament's previous field army (the Earl of Essex's Army), and the fact that they had a new structure.  Now we can move on. Although I will type NMA, as it is much quicker. My 1940 edition ex-Nottingham Reference Library copies. Wondering why it says Firth and Davies as authors? Godfrey Davies assisted and checked Firth's research  When looking at the NMA our first port of call has to be with the venerable Sir Charles H Firth. His 1902 two volume work "Regimental History of Cromwell...

The start of a new 'series' of posts helping those who want to build a specific army that fought during the Wars of The Three Kingdoms. Consider them recommended reading... The Earl of Essex commanded Parliament's main field army - Parliament also had regional armies (the Associations) who were responsible for protecting their 'area', they could also be called upon to support Essex when on campaign near their area. Thanks to scrupulous records being kept and more importantly, surviving (!); not to mention some diligent researchers, who have spent many hours in archive rooms and libraries, we have the most complete record of any of the armies that took to the fields. A good place to start would be with a commentary of Essex's campaigns. You'll be needing "Hey For Old Robin" by Scott and Turton (Helion Books). Now that your interest is growing, you will want to know all about the Regiments of Foot that made up Essex's army. That'll be the re...

Bit of an eye candy post today; where I take a look at Steel Fist's new harquebusiers on foot pack . For those of you new to KeepYourPowderDry, or the Civil Wars in general, you might be wondering why anyone would want dismounted cavalry. In a nutshell regiments of horse joined in the besieging of houses, but as horses weren't particularly useful when attacking a house, their riders dismounted to fight. They were often in the first wave of assault troops as their buff coats and armour afforded them considerable protection (in comparison to infantry). Plus it also gave them a share of any spoils if the assault was successful. For more information about the role of harquebusiers in sieges, and a look at my existing assault parties see here . So what comes in pack ECWF 09 and are they any good? For your money you get 12 dismounted cavalry figures,, 4 with swords raised, 4 with pistols, and 4 with carbines. Beautifully sculpted, as always. In the past my small orders from Steel Fi...

Bit of a buy one, get two more free post today, kickstarting a new year. Regular readers (hello all twenty of you) familiar with my Cannons for The Catholic Confederacy post will know a little about the state of Ireland's C17th roads. (TL;DR they were a bit pants). As a result of the rubbish roads, it is sort of inevitable that the Irish baggage train would be light carts and pack horses. But, as we know that they did haul demi-culverin around they would have been able to move heavier carts around too. So here's my fledgling Irish baggage train: a heavy cart from Museum Minatures. Additional drum from Peter Pig, a Peter Pig dragoon horseholder (with a headswap) as a drover, a SteelFist drummer rounding the base off. I will be adding some light carts to my two Scottish armies and my Irish army at some point. With Magister Militum shutting up shop, I have managed to pick up the last three packs of pack horses in stock, and some Scots horseholders; hopefully, a buyer will be found...