More New Arrivals

Received today another set of figures from Vexillia:

2x Mirliton RH 04 - Skirmishers with javelin and Italian shield (4 variants)
1x Mirliton RH 05 - Infantry command (4 variants)

As of today there are 2 more packs of RH04 available (and I'm tempted).  I only got 3 variants in my packs.   The infantry command is too distinctive to make it worth ordering some extras.

1x Mirliton RH 06 - Cavalry command (3 variants)
1x Mirliton RH 08 - Cavalry

The same horses are present in both packs.  In this case the command figures are not too dissimilar to the ordinary cavalry so may be worth ordering.

With my other recent acquisitions I can put together three early 'Italian' DBA armies - Latins, Romans & Etruscans.  Once painted I will be able to substitute more suitable figures into my DBM Latin army. 

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In other news I have been repairing figures/models - here is a sample of the 'before':

These are very old Minifigs 'strip' figures.  Sold as Early Carthaginian 4-horse chariots with driver I am re-painting them as early 'Chinese'.  Watch this space.......

Recruiting a DBN Ottoman Army (Pt.1)

RN012 - Sarika Arquebusier

Most of the DBN list I can fudge from my existing DBM armies - Ottoman Turks and various Arabs.  The exceptions are musket armed figures and artillery:

Compulsories
2 - Ms(M)    Janissaries   
1 - Ms(M)    Sekhans
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12 figures

Optionals
0-1 - Ms          Bostancia guard        
0-2 - Ms(M)    Janissaries           
0-1 - LI(M)     Janissaries           
0-2 - Ms          Nizam               
0-4 - Ms(M)    Sekhans               
0-2 - Jg            Rayas           
0-2 - LI(M)     Derbents
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45 figures

0-1 - HA          French trained Art   
0-2 - FA(M)     Artillery

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So scouting around figure manufacturers I turned up the following:

(A)  http://www.timecastmodels.co.uk/og15renaissance/og15renaissance.html
     (Old Glory figures)
     Standard Packs contain approximately 50 infantry, or 16 cavalry, or 6 guns with
     24 crew, or 45 foot command  figures.

ROT5      JANISSARY ARQUEBUS    
ROT6      JANISSARY MUSKET AND CROSSBOWMEN

 ROT11     TUFEKCHIS/ARNANTS/IRREGULAR INFANTRY MUSKET & ARQUEBUS
 
[The pack size is obviously for grand-scale Napoleonics...still if I went for all the musket options!]

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(B)  https://www.essexminiatures.co.uk/collections/15mm-renaissance-ottoman-turk
     [I think that these infantry are 6 to a pack]

RN05 - Janissaries, handgun
RN012 (see top) - Sarika, arquebus (fez-like hat)  [may be usable as Qajar Persian]

RN013 - Arnaut/Martheloses, musket (turban-ish hat)  [looks slightly more irregular]

RN015 - Persian/Azab handgunner (different hat)

RNO17 - Artillerymen
RXE10 - Eastern medium bombard
RXE12 - Eastern light cannon


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(C)  http://lancashiregames.com/LG3/15mm-ottoman-turks.html
     (Venexia figures.)

OT 23 - Janissaries with muskets (campaign dress) (8 Figures)

OT 34 - Serbian, Croat or Bosnian musketeers (8 Figures) [slightly different hats]

OT 41 - Heavy Artillery and crew (3 Crew & Gun)
OT 42 - Light Artillery and crew (3 Crew & Gun)

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More research needs to be done to find the best matches.  Once I have done that I will post again.

Qajar Persians 2

 A bit more progress on the 'eastern' front.  Using Libre Office Calc and the 1988 list I was able to see what the finished army may look like.
 

		Qajar Persian Army List (alpha)	Figs
Compulsory
	1	Persian Armoured cavalry (gen) – lance & bow	3
	1	Persian LC - bow	2
	1	Mercenary cavalry – bow or jezzails	3
	1	Camelry (mtd inf) – bow	2 or 3
	3	Regular ‘new’ infantry – muskets	12
	2	Irregular warriors – matchlocks	3 or 4
	2	Skirmishers - bow	4
	11
Optional
	1	Irregular warriors – matchlocks	3 or 4
	1	Zamberek Camels - light gun	3
	1	Siege or Medium gun – 3/2 crew + 10/4 horses	1
	14

 Notes: The artillery barely qualifies at 0.3 of an element so is only included for 
             a 'bit of colour'.
            Totals in the second column have not been adjusted for grade.
            The ratio of  1:3 horse to foot is double the 'standard' for Napoleonic armies.

There have been a number of books published since 1988 so there are likely to be copious revisions once I have managed to read one or two of them.

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I also did some figure research - two manufacturers - Khurasan and Irregular. 

(A)  http://khurasanminiatures.tripod.com/qajar-persians.html

Mounted = 3 figs, 3 poses
Foot = 8 figs, 4 poses
Art = 4 figs, 4 poses [no gun]

QP01 - Cavalry - swords, long coats, tall hat
QP02 - Cavalry Command - (1x trumpeter, 1 x std bearer, 1 x sword), long coats, tall hat  
QP03 - Infantry Marchatt - musket, marching, uniformed, tall hat
QP04 - Infantry Skirmishers  - muskets, uniformed, tall hat
QP05 - Infantry Command - (1x drummer, 1 x std bearer, 1 x sword), uniformed, tall hat
QP06 - Infantry Artillery - (4 crew), uniformed, tall hat

NB:  I have added the QP numbers for sake of reference (they do not appear on the website).

The infantry and artillery crew are all uniformed 'new' soldiers.

 (B)  http://irregularminiatures.co.uk/

Armies of the Caucasus (18th & 19thC) - only 1 code in this range is denoted as Qajar:

CAU 1 - Qajar cavalry with lance and bow (see above)

The remainder are a mixed bunch as follows:

Armenians - CAU2
Caucasus - CAU4, CAU12, CAU13, CAU14, CAU15, CAU16
Chechen - CAU3, CAU8, CAU9, CAU10, CAU11
Georgian - CAU5, CAU7, CAU17, CAU18, CAU19, CAU20

Whether all, or some, can be used for the Qajar I do not yet know.  Interestingly the Georgians could provide an historical enemy force.

The irregular elements will, no doubt, have to come from other ranges e.g. Essex have some Zamberek camels.

An Unboxing

 Received today (Sat 22nd) box from Vexillia:

5 x packs of figures plus a free extra die (you can never have too many of them).

As you may know the proprietor is retiring and offering generous discounts. Looking at all the figures I was, initially,  tempted by the Medieval Russians:

C032 - Russian infantry, command group - 4 variants (I got 2 x trumpeters - no std bearer)

CC33 - Alexandr Vevsij, command group - Russians of A.Nevskij 1240-1350

I don't believe that the guy ruled for 110 years (no matter how legendary). 

To make up the numbers (and offset the postage cost of £4.20) I also purchased some Early Romans.  Upon checking the stock list I saw that there were 3 packs left so I took them all.

 RM002 - Medium Spearmen (class II) - Roman 650-338 bc

Not long ago in receipt of a Forged in Battle pack of Etruscans (with pila).  Hopefully when I next put my Latins into action they may have some more suitable Bd figures (and not just Marian Roman substitutes).

Not a bad haul for £14.99 - one DBA army re-enforced (Russians) plus more for the DBM Latins.

Now I'm still on the look out for Gauls...Hmm!

Qajar Persians

This week I was asked about two of my peripheral interests - Qajar Persians & the Taiping Rebellion.

Here's a little on the first of them:

Persian flag of Northern Khanate

My initial research was online (of course).  I even downloaded (and paid for) a pdf on the subject:

"The Persian Army of the Napoleonic Era - Qajar Dynasty 1779 - 1857"
by David F Brown             Publisher:  Evil Gong Press

There were other books available on Amazon and Ebay but not at prices I could afford.

 From my own collection I only discovered one piece of data - an army list:

From: "18th Century Army Lists" by Cheltenham Wargaming Association
by Chris Russell   Published by Tabletop Games 1988
For WRG 1685-1845 rules.  pp37-38

PERSIA

1     C-in-C @ 100 pts
1     Subordinate general per brigade @ 40 pts

Cavalry

6 to 14     Persian Armoured Cavalry - Irregular fanatic skirmishing cavalry
                with lance and bow @ ppf   (3 to 5 units)
6 to 10     Persian Light Cavalry - Irregular fanatic skirmishing cavalry
                with bow @ 9 ppf  (3 to 5 units)
8 to 12     Mercenary Cavalry - Irregular warrior cavalry with bow @ 8 ppf
               (1 to 4 units)
               Extra to make them soldier @ 2 ppf  (up to 2 units)
               If skirmishing cavalry with Jezzails   (up to 2 units)

Infantry

4 to 9      Camelry - Irregular warrior infantry with bow
                mounted on camels @ 5 pts per figure  (up to 2 units)
16 to 24   Regular infantry - Regular raw line infantry @ 3 ppf  (up to 6 units)
                Extras to make them trained @ 1 ppf
16 to 20   Irregular warrior charging infantry with matchlocks @ 3 ppf  (3 or more units)
12 to 16   Skirmishers - Irregular levy skirmishing infantry with bows @ 2 ppf  (2 to 8 units)
                Extra to make them warrior with Jezzails  @ 1 ppf (up to half units fielded)
2 to 10    Zamberek Camels - Regular raw gunners with very light gun mounted on a camel
               @ 16 ppf  (up to 1 unit) 

Artillery

2 to 5     Siege guns each with 3 raw regular crew, limber with 10 horses and
              levy drivers @ 69 pts  (up to 2 units)
             One unit can be medium gun with 2 crew and 4 horses @ 45 pts.

NOTES

This list is suitable for Persian armies including Nadir Shah's invasion of India 1739
and wars against Russia 1722-23 and 1801. 

ppf = points per figure

I tried to contact the author and Cheltenham Wargaming Association but without success.

I asked yesterday at the club if anyone had a copy of the old WRG rules.  I only got blank looks.  Oh well!  Maybe somebody will turn up a copy from their archives.  An understanding of the points system and classifications would be most helpful.

For next time I will prepare a list of my online research....and maybe a bit on the Taiping Rebellion.

Vapnartak 2020

I managed to get there and back without any trouble - phew!!!  Heavy mist / low cloud on the way out but no snow (that's a rarity).  80 mile round trip.

Didn't seem to be as many demo games as usual.  Notably absent were Peter Pig and Society of Ancients.  Not much in the way of paper goods either (books, rules, etc).  Bring & Buy much better organised - actually managed to see what was on offer and buy something.

So here's my very modest loot list:

1 x box Revell Aztecs (Mr McNulty got there before me and snaffled all the Persians).
3 x Khmer cavalry plus artillery piece with crew (Irregular) - all destined for Ian's army.
1 x carton of Etruscan hoplites with pilum (Forged in Battle) - ordered, yet to receive.

Met plenty of people - even one from King's Lynn!

Found a company importing and selling Eureka miniatures to the UK.  Didn't have a DBA list handy unfortunately.  Need to check what I might require in the future. 

Was going to buy some Donningtons but the stall seemed somewhat disorganised - if you were not taking the blister packs they were not interested in talking to you.  Curious!

A huge show with plenty on display but I can't help feeling that something was missing!  Still, by far, the best wargames show in the north.

Maya, Tupi & DBA v3

Spurred on by Ian's remark that I should be sorting out my 15mm Meso-Americans.  I actually bestirred myself into action.

 Maya numerical system

On Saturday I took along the secondary box to sort out some Maya and Tupi figures.  We managed to sort out 4 x DBA v3.0 armies.  About 2/3 of my Mayans are painted and all of my Tupi.  Few of the figures I gave Ian had any paint on them.  Both of us will have to get the brushes out.

The next stage is to identify what I have among the Incas and 'Aztecs' - at first glance not even a single DBA army.

Given a shortage of time we did, however, manage a few games:

DBN (v1) - Prussians v Austrians - 5:2 win.  Ian has downloaded a copy of DBN v2 but not yet printed it out.  Once that is done we can check out the differences.

DBA (v3) - 2.22f  Arabo-Aramean v 2.37  Parthian - 5:0 win.  The terrain fell to my liking and I retained the plowed fields.  This meant that my archers could safely pepper away at the mounted opposition.

DBA (v3) - 2.2  Lombard v 2.17  Maurikian Byzantine - 5:2 win.  My left flank was under attack whilst I was unable to throw better than 2 for movement.  The signs did not look good until a fortuitous 5 got me out of trouble.  The odd 6:1 may have helped as well.  A closer game than the result would suggest.

On the previous Saturday we had played 3 x pick-up games of DBA v3:

Early Bulgars v Thematic Byzantine - 4:1 loss

Gauls v Umbrians - 4:2 win

Latins v Etruscans - 4:1 loss

As you can see it's a game of skill!