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OBParticipant
Yeah, mine too. There’s no point otherwise.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantThanks Hafen, I’m glad you do. Yeah, I’ve read of the metal scabbard thing too.
That is a great question on the Gorchurra. I’m still researching it but I have some thoughts so far.
First, there is the Gorchurra style of fighting. Before the advent of the Sikh regular army the Gorchurra and the Akali were the battle winners of the Sikh army. The Gorchurra liked to use fire power before charging. Waves of Gorchurra would ride forward one line after another and discharge their piece. When the enemy was sufficiently weakened they would charge fiercely. Nothing I have come across suggests that they changed their method in Ranjit’s time. So, unless under close control when they could simply be ordered to charge, they would do what they usually did and begin firing.
Second, the official British accounts which most of us are more familiar with can be very unreliable. As an example the number of Gorchurra said to be present at Mudki in post war British accounts is hugely at variance with British intelligence reports on the eve of battle. In fact we don’t even know the Sikh cavalry at Mudki were Gorchurra, they could have been Sikh regulars.
Third, in the battles we tend to know best the Sikh Generals were fighting to lose. The misuse of the Sikh cavalry certainly stands out in the First Sikh War. Consequently they don’t shine at all.
That’s my thinking so far and I will keep digging as I begin to study the second Sikh War.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantI hadn’t realised you wrote a list for Mithridates army Pat. Well done and I know exactly what you mean by the min-maxers.
I’m going with two versions of the army one that’s mainly Hellenistic (the phalanx) and one that’s a mixture of Iranian type cavalry with ‘Legions’. I’ve a lovely Greek Mith’ for the former but I need to get an Iranian type figure for the Persian Mith’.
I can see how that’d work Hafen thanks for the tip.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantYou’re right. I should have said I think I have enough bits.
Anyhow, I’m re-reading Philip Matyszak’s Mithridates The Great – it’s good enough and latest English language work on the subject. However no where does he mention Alfred Duggan’s He Died Old which is the one book on Mithridates that most interested English speakers would have read. I know Duggan wrote it as a consequence of blowing his fortune on drink, naughty women and gambling but it’s not a bad book. I thought it rather churlish of Matyszak not to mention it and I’ve been meaning to say that since 2008. Now I have and I feel better for it.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantI’m gearing up for a go with Pulse of Battle the Ancient version of Field of Battle. They don’t cater for the flaming pigs but the rest is there. I’ll report back in due course.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantYes, it’s all good Pat.
I don’t have to remove the pikes to do it, they seem welded on till Doomsday. And, at 16 to a base I’ll be able move the whole phalanx in moments with no lining up recalcitrant pike elements to fit together.
I’ll use one of those warbases dials to track casualties.
A Pontic army is the aim of the project. I think I have all the bits.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantYeah me too, he’s supplied most of my C19th colonial wars stuff. I got the Sikhs in Summer uniform done.
Looking at them they would do for the Mutiny too if you added a British officer.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantI’d say Libyans too and hazard a guess that they might be MY Miniatures.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantHe seems to have a fair few customers here Mike. I’m painting up his Sikhs in Summer uniform and they are coming up nicely. I’ll post a pic here when I’ve finished.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantMost warriors didn’t raid to live. They raided to live better! Even the professionals of the Viking Great Army had farms or Halls for the richer ones to go home to.
The retinues of nobles and kings were just as professional as Roman regulars it’s just there weren’t very many of them by comparison. Both had a tail of specialists including craftsmen serving their needs.
I’m with Norm on the transfers not least because I’m going to refurbish my Macedonians.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantThere were parades of a sort when a hosting occurred I suppose. More to the point the Dark Ages were status mad – it defined where you stood legally. I’d guess all the lads took every opportunity to assert their status so I’d go for the best painted shield they could manage.
For the Romans barrack life was often boring and turn out important so I’d agree with the fellow in your article the Dura Europos shield was likely intended for battle.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantGreat plastic Easter Eggs links thank you lads. It’s certainly a more cost effective way of getting domes. Those little dinosaurs are pretty cool too. I’ve no use for them but I’d bet some folks do.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantI’m all for that Hafen just had no luck to date. The short end of a plastic Easter Egg might well have done the trick but I’ve never seen one. I presume they have something inside of them?
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantThis is certainly the right place to ask a question. Thank you all. I’m now sorted and will post some pics of the Mosque once I begin the project. Even better I can also now source the columns I need for my planned but long delayed British Residency thanks to Geof’s link above. Wonderful.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantVery industrious KB and I like your method. How do you intend storing them when you’ve finished?
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantThanks GF, it will certainly look pretty good at a distance. I’ve done a bit more on it and I’m thinking of having a little moat around it with a couple of bridges for access. That can be achieved by sitting on top of a painted off cut of window blind material and then putting the bridges on it. It will give me an either or option for the table top.
The unit of sadhus is finished and I’ll post a pic soon.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantThanks Mike.
The dome bits are from ebay and they come in packs of two and in two sizes. I really like them. I think I searched on ebay for Chinese Pavilions and up they came. There a couple of sellers so be sure to find the cheaper. I paid under a fiver with free postage from China. I have some more on order so if you have trouble finding them shout out and I’ll find a link.
They also do actual Chinese pavilions and a nice pair of Moghul looking bridges which I also bought.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantI have no idea. I’m not sure if either of us has that facility. I’ll still look them out and report back.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantGuy, I bought loads of them (both armies) years ago and since then they have lived in a big envelope lurking in silent reproach at my neglect. I think I painted a few of them and then gave up. Let me have a look for them and see if they are still in one piece if they are you can have the lot for a fiver plus postage. Should that be of interest I’d be delighted if someone got some pleasure out of them.
No Pat, you must go your own way on this one and good luck with it.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantNothing wrong with going with the convenient Pat it’s often a comfort.
We also have some visual evidence from 1514 re Irish clothing and some earlier literary evidence too. I’ll not bother to list it.
Anyhow, there are two burning questions I want to ask of Guy. Do you own any of the aforesaid QRF Goblins and would you like to buy lots more?
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantNo, they won’t do as Kerns Pat, the clothes are all wrong. I suggest you have a look at QRF’s Tudor range. let’s see if I have a couple of pics.
Roundway Border Horse with axe they also do another pack with spears. Roundway are always worth a look.
You can see some of the QRF Tudor Wars Kern here lots more variants on their website. Some Border Horse there too. Very nice figures all in all. Avoid their Queen Elizabeth’s Irish War range it’s a snare for the unwary-great big Goblins.
Good luck with it.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantMostly with Khurasan what you see is what you get. He does employ first rate painters mind. Speaking of which do stick a few pics up here as you go.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantCheers Wouter much appreciated. As Rhoderic notes above choose your base figure carefully and that’s half the battle. The first four of these conversions took about 20 minutes to put the green stuff on and I managed variants.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantThanks lads I’m pleased with how they turned out. Eight more to do and it’s a unit
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantNice work. Good choice of colours too.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantYes, we live with constant temptation and happily frequently succumb.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantVercingetorix put out a call across Gaul for archers to report for duty. They duly did so. We know this because Julius Caesar mentions it. The archers were there but hadn’t previously mustered so you might guess they were not the cream of the Gallic army. That said there is no reason to suppose that other Gallic leaders didn’t use units of archers when it suited them. Skirmishers or formed troops? No one knows.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantThanks Hafen. Yeah they were all the old Duke’s boys constantly wondering what he would have done. They seriously under estimated the Sikhs.
Frontiers is a great book. I’m often tempted to do the Xhosa wars with Rebels and Patriots.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantSome Sikh War news on my blog for those interested.
Irregular Miniatures are producing a new 15mm Khalsa Regular firing. You can see a couple of pics of the ‘green’ on my blog. This is a figure I’ve wanted for a long time.
https://youdonotknowthenorth.blogspot.com
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantI’ve heard OG used more than one sculptor, don’t know if that’s true or not. I’ve a fair few OG ranges though not including the 3 armed ADC, at least not yet. Some of the packs are brilliant-Chinese Boxers stand out for me.
Yeah Essex horses are often just what you’d want. Essex seems to use the same sculptor, consistent for decades.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/10/05/2019 at 16:07 in reply to: The Society of Ancients magazine, Slingshot [#324] will be available shortly #114351OBParticipantIt’s a timely reminder to re-subscribe for me. A striking cover too.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantThanks very much. Appreciated all the more because I’ve seen your Napoleonic stuff. Yeah, I’ve got tuft fever at the moment.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantNothing beats treats.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantIt’s an odd one. I’ve had more trouble with expensive Vallejo paint than with ‘craft colours’. I buy both because nothing beats Vallejo white and I live in hope the other Vallejos catch up, some of them have- Russian Green is very good.
As to artists gouache, tried it and its more bother than its worth. In terms of saving money or time its a failure. I used black undercoat then it might worth better with white or brown which is what I use now. Somehow I doubt it.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantThat helps.
For your actual Romans:
The aforesaid OG mailed horse archers do the job very nicely for your rank and file trooper. Lots of variation and they paint up a treat.
For the elite biscuit eaters remember you can mix and match, lots of armour, lance and bow on an unarmoured horse. Mine are a mix of Romans and armoured Huns and Persians. Donnington have some Roman nice officers and a load of variant troopers, but I don’t feel the love for the latter. Essex have good armoured Roman, Persians and Sarmatians with lance and bow that would mix nicely enough if you ask for unarmoured horses. A lot of it is down to your taste in figures, shop about.
Skutatoi
We are really looking at late Roman legionaries here-no long spears yet. Donnington do a front ranker in full length mail, workmanlike you might say. No one else does one. I’d look at the OG Arthurian British Heavy infantry or maybe the late Romans/Byzantine Belisarian. Essex has one with shield held side on, shame as it’s a nice figure. The 15mm Co are certainly worth a look, three poses, spears held at different angles, big shields for nice paint jobs. A little late though. I need some of these myself and haven’t made my mind up.
Psiloi
Anything in tunic and trousers with bow and arrows. I like a cap too.
Allied units
Goths-Donnington have a great range, really great loads of variety.
Persians-Donnington and QRF are both worth a look.
Huns, Josef Ochmann sculpts now at Fighting 15s.
Hope that’s of use.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantYeah that works. It’d be interesting to try out. The more things can be kept within the rules as written the better I think.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantAh Highlanders. In my view there are two things to think about. First Highlanders were hugely formidable in melee. Secondly, If things were working they fired one volley at close range before closing. Not all Highlanders owned a piece but the ones who did were good shots, used to aimed fire. They moved very fast so 8 rather than 6. I’d be inclined to go Shock Infantry and no first fire bonus as a first experiment.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantCheers Steve. I’m hoping to have a couple of units finished in the next fortnight.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantHow big are Lurkio 15mm Pat? I’m under the impression that they’re smallish, not biggies anyhow on the Essex scale. A lot depends on the answer to that.
Khurasan are very good and you can get everything you need. You have to import with everything that goes with that.
OG 15mm have a very good pack of mailed Roman Horse Archers. Compatible with Essex in size.
If you are having Huns and Gothic Federates the old Gladiator range is very nice.
Give us a clue as to what sort of army you want.
OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/OBParticipantCheers KB, yeah it’s different.
OB
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