Landsknechte are on the march again

Schultheiss and Feldweibel are recruiting again, some larger contingent of pikemen and arquebusiers have been sighted; rumors of a roll call to some lesser (poorer) South German nobility (always in need for cash) that has been going round for a while...
Feldschlangen and Culverins trains have been seen coming together form different larger cities,

Something is stirring in Swabia...

Sneak Preview "La Petite Guerre"

What I sometimes like to do, when I'm not painting ...

I‘m working on a boardgame at the moment which should simulate the aftermath of the New York campaign in the American War of Independence. It is a stand alone, but initially I developed this as a campaign aid for bigger group scenario. Weather, Supply, Movement, Combat, Morale and Command have all their role in this simulation. The British Player needs to capture Washington and or Philadelphia. The American Player tries to counter this. 

Being used as a wargaming campaign scenario, it takes care of the rationale storyline in-between the battles/skirmishers. Thats the plan.  Still cards to be designed ... I think I can be happy, if I got this year the 1st prototype in my hands.

Screenshot of map plus few units and tokens

Front and back of units and tokens

Map and time and some utility regulators

Reference sheet

The 28th of Foot and the big bangers

The 28th was raised for the first time 1694,  arrived too late for Blenheim, in the Seven Years War it fought at Louisburg and Quebec were Mr. Wolfe choose to place himself next to this very regiment – hmm, but to be fair their fame was still far ahead to come, especially in the Napoleonic Wars at the Battle of Alexandria. In the AWI it would see the first New York campaign including White Plains.

I painted the Command for the 28th and some big guns (you always need some, in case a siege comes along, they can be handy). The other troopers are one of my oldest tin mans from the 15th (no specific rationale behind it other than yellow).

The Flags again are from Flags of War the miniatures are from Foundry (Perry, I assume) and the bases from Warbases.

Haslets chickens

The 1st Delaware Regiment was on my list since I bought the Digby Smith‘s/Kevin Kiley‘s "Illustrated Encyclopedia of Uniforms of the American War of Independence" years ago.

For the "Blue Hen‘s Chickens", I opted for grey trousers instead of the buckskin breeches, primarily just out of aesthetically reasons, really, but also because since Perry‘s got the American Light Infantry out, they came without breeches. I saw it then as an opportunity to 'dremel' myself a nice unit of the "Delaware Blues". So I got rid of the 'sun screens' of the caps and 'sharpened' the tops a bit, fully aware that the original caps were higher and more pointy, but sufficient for my purposes. I still need to order a couple of them, as they formed a large battalion.

The Haslet‘s present a formidable opportunity to give the American player a unit that is a bit better than their normal continental diet. They hold out long enough at Long Island, won some skirmishes before White Plains, hold out long enough to deal out gallantly to the British, that Washington could 'sneak' away. Again at Princeton just shortly after Mr. Haslet failed to dodge the bullet, they rallied the line and saved the day.

(Featuring the (tuned) American Light Infantry models of Perry Miniatures and an extra special request "William Dansey flag" courtesy of the marvelous Flags of War, all on sturdy footing from Warbases.)  Strangely the blue is a bit darker in the original, than in my overexposed pics apparently, must be the radiant Scottish sky.