Freitag's Jägers' artillery piece

The Hanoverian segment of my SYW expansion project comes to an end here with the completion of a light gun and crew figures assigned to Freitag's Jägers, who featured in the previous blog entry you may recall. Eventually the foot companies had a total of three 4lb Swedish guns to attach to their number. As the Front Rank artillery pieces are largely generic I chose to represent these with a Galloper Gun so it would easily stand out in a game. You may disagree of course with my choice and/or reasoning, but it works for me ~

The choice of figures was not easy either, as from various references it was unclear if the three guns were crewed by Jägers or by seconded artillery personnel. In the end I chose to use two British artillerymen as for the other guns, but painted not in the anticipated Dragoon Blue, rather in the Jägers' Forest Green. My choice of figures for the crew was governed really by wanting them to look as if they were serving the gun but be obviously a part of the Jäger unit. Again, you might differ from me but I hope you can follow my line of thought. Whatever, this part of the expansion project is now concluded, on to figures not wearing tricorns for a break I think! Oh and it's WMMS on Sunday after an hiatus of three years!

Freitag's Jägers

Although not planned and purchased at the outset of the Hanoverian segment of my SYW expansion project these Front Rank Jäger figures have mustered into that force as an afterthought. They give my Hanoverian infantry Brigade some skirmishing capability, one which is largely absent in my Allied Army to date bar a few dismounted British Dragoons. They consist of four 40 x 50 mm bases each having two or three figures. The officer is from the Swedish range if I recall correctly, there being no officer figure offered in the small Jäger section of the list ~

I have the light gun and crew underway now to complete their number, so do keep an eye out for them in the coming days. 

Hanoverian Cavalry Command

As I mentioned at the end of the previous Blog entry I had two figures left from Jon's kind gift, in the shape of a mounted officer and drummer. These were obviously destined to be the command figures for the small Hanoverian cavalry arm ~

The general I've painted pretty much as you'd find a British general of the period but with the Hanoverian yellow sash. Some sources I've studied show the sash worn around the waist Prussian style while the figure from Foundry's SYW British range comes with the sash over the shoulder. I can live with that, so he will do for me ~

The musician wears the British royal livery and carries a drum in the Hanoverian style. I've also suggested a moustache on his face with a dash of brown to further the Hanoverian look of the command base. Again, despite anomalies he will do for me ~

Next up are four bases of figures to represent Freitag's Jägers and a further base for their accompanying 4lb gun and crew, again using Front Rank figures from the new owners at Gripping Beast down in Evesham.

The Leib-Garde Regiment

Continuing on with some more Hanoverian cavalry in this part of my SYW expansion project, I have completed a small unit to represent the Leib-Garde. This choice really was dictated by four more of the Foundry cavalry figures Jon gifted to me last year. Combining a guidon bearer and officer with the two figures from the horse grenadier packs gives a reasonable representation of the Leib-Garde, a squadron sized formation usually assigned to the headquarters guard duty. In our games using Black Powder (second edition) they will be a useful small unit.

The standard I found via a Google search. It's not as sharp a reproduction as commercial ones, but it's free and so on theme of course for the unit! The MDF bases are from Warbases, who else?

Under the brush now are the final two cavalry figures from Jon's gift, an officer and a drummer, obviously destined to be a Hanoverian Command base for the contingent's small cavalry arm. That will leave me with just the Jaegers and the Galloper gun and crew to paint and the Hanoverian phase of my SYW expansion project will be done ... for now anyway.

Leib Regiment Reuter

The first of the cavalry for my small Hanoverian contingent in my SYW Allied army, the Leib Regiment. As my loyal reader must recall, these are Foundry figures gifted to me by Jon last year. As with the infantry command stand in my previous blog post these have a number of small issues with pukka Hanoverians, but again I can live with that. (Remember, they were a gift so cost me nothing from the warchest! Always worth considering that if you ask me.) The main divergence though is with the musician, neither a trumpeter nor kettledrummer you'll have noticed. Added to that he wears the wrong headwear too. I painted the cap in the Prussian metalics front style as it seemed the most logical compromise, after all regimental inhabers could be a law unto themselves.

So there are six figures on three bases making up the unit, as my SYW cavalry are deployed in games in squadrons of either 6's or 8's now. One big decision on my part though was not to even attempt to paint the saddlecloths in their complex pattern. Sorry about that any purists out there, but quite beyond my hand and eye now. Summerfield's Hanoverian Army in the SYW includes an illustration showing the simpler version in use during the SYW which had supplanted the ornate saddlecloths, a plainer yellow version edged white. The white horse in a wreath decoration I simply chose not to try and paint, too small and fiddly for my hand and eye. As I've said before: my toys in my game, so they will do for me.

I've four figures finished as well, though not yet based, to represent the Leib-Garde Regiment. The troopers wear the Grenadier mitre while the officers wear the tricorn. The standard I located in a Google search has a black field which I think will look the part. Their two bases will be a small unit in Black Powder terms in future games here in GHQ, once our various lurgis are cleared that is. More on those figures in due course 

A Hanoverian Infantry Brigade Command Stand

A small blog entry, in scale with the subject you might say. Like most wargamers I'd suspect, within my Lead Pimple I often have small numbers of figures surplus to requirements after building up units. As I abore waste of any description I try to use these up whenever I get the chance, often in small vignettes or in additions to the main figures on a Command stand. In this instance I found a Foundry British officer and sergeant which I've combined in a suitable pose to make an infantry command stand for the Hanoverians ~

 Now, there are several small issues marking these out as proxy figures rather than pukka Hanoverians: no pom-poms on the tricorns; nor oak leaves behind the cockade; lace where there should be none on the sergeant figure; and so on. But remember, these are figures in a game which will be seen from gaming distance so I can live with that. Just as I can with the fact that they are big chaps next to the Front Rank souls they will command.

Meanwhile the first of the Hanoverian cavalry are well underway, the Leib Regiment as it happens, more on those as and when though... Sadly no game this week as Phil has succumbed to the same virus it seems. So, it's back to the brushes then in Billy No Mates mode...

Hanoverian infantry regiment von Schulenburg

The third of my Hanoverian infantry regiments has finally marched across the painting desk and deployed into GHQ ready for action. I chose the von Schulenburg regiment for no other reason than I liked the uniforms colour combinations. As before the figures are the venerable Front Rank ones sourced from Gripping Beast in Evesham. Again, the flags are from free downloads I found after a Google search and will do for me. The bases of course are by Warbases, who else? No more blathering on, here they are ~

Next up are two Foundry officers to make a Brigade command stand for the Hanoverian infantry Brigade. Then I plan to tackle the Hanoverian cavalry using Foundry figures gifted me by Jon. Given a following wind and hopefully avoiding any further health malarky I'd hope to complete that in March.

Mind you, in true wargamer mode, I did order some extra figures from Front Rank recently: some Freitag Jaegers, a Galloper gun and crew, and a few extra Grenadiers to make up a four base composite Grenadier battalion. Of course that means that one base of four Grenadier figures will have no parent regiment on the table...yet!