Commanding Figures

Four new commanders off the paint table plus some horse.....

Colonial Portuguese and German Catholic

The stripes on the commander's legs are more Spanish than Portuguese - oh well!  The figure is a War of the Roses Courer.  The German commander is from the Waterloo 1815 Cromwell's Cavalry set.

Danish & Safavid Persian

The Danish horseman is another Cromwell cavalryman.  The Safavids are a mix of Saracens & Mongols.

French Bernadine cavalry & Danish harquebusiers

Now I have to admit that I couldn't find any pictures of Bernadine cavalry but the French Kn were still very old-fashioned at this time so I took a risk.  The harquebusiers are yet more Cromwellian cavalry.

So that's the majority of the commanders done.  Once my new order of bases arrives I can finish off some horse and foot.  Just the Polish, Dutch & Transylvanians to go then!

Polish Paholki, Chariot Horses & Southern Chinese

(1) Polish Paholki:

Thanks to Kadrinazi I now know that these figures (except one) represent peasants & servants [see comment on previous post].  So not directly useable as Polish troops but no doubt will find themselves as 'back-rankers' in a number of armies.

(2) Chariot Horses:

Whilst scrambling through my (overcrowded) loft I found 10 Early Carthaginian chariots.  Unfortunately 10 horses seem to have vanished.  So I ordered replacements from those kind people at Essex.

All I have to do now is paint the darn things!  And - Oh Yes - the rest of the army.  Ho hum!

(3)  Southern Dynasties Chinese:

I added 24 x Chinese swordsmen to my Essex order:

An illustration in the book ("Imperial Chinese Armies: (1) 200 BC - 589 AD") - E2 - shows a shield in the same shape as these Essex figures.  It is of a North-Western rebel of the Three Kingdoms period.  

The costume is, however, the same as Southern Dynasties so a much better substitute than the warband that I normally press into service.

It's just a pity that nobody does figures like the illustration in MAA 284 (H2):

The text says "The curved shield is associated with swordsmen in art, in contrast to the rectangular or oval types which would have been more suitable for spearmen accustomed to fighting in close formation."

Seems like an odd shape to me - and how would you make it?

Polish 30YW Foot

The postman brought 2 boxes of (Mars) Polish foot soldiers:

72073 - Polish Infantry [early] [Thirty Years War]
72074 - Polish Paholki (Thirty Years War)

PSR has already reviewed the first box: 
                                http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=2401
They point out that the set is largely a replacement for an earlier one (of which I purchased 2 boxes).
                               72033 - Polish Infantry Mercenaries (Haiduks) 
                               http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/review.aspx?id=1696

The second box is a puzzle as I can find out NOTHING about these soldiers from the Internet.  Looks like I will have to pay Barnsley central library a visit for some old-fashioned book research

I took some photos, in spite of having my house lights on at mid day.  The quality is pretty poor AND the blog is failing to load pictures at the moment.  Perhaps fate is playing a card or two!

So here's my 'verbal' report:

4 x 12 figures - none of them have the "Kontusz overcoat with decorative buttons down the front" that all the 72073 box figures have.  All have boots, two have low turbans and the others have fur hats.  Armament comprises of: swords (6), axes (3), spear (1), musket (1) and pistol (1).

Still waiting for a delivery from Essex - more on that later.

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