Goverment Troops oan the horizon

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Campbell of Lawers' Regiment

Although not finished yet (still missing two privates, the standards, a good coat of Testors and the scenic touches) these shots should give the general feel for the style of painting and shape/form of the regiments.

The regiment has been unified by having the same ribbon colour on the trews and green/ochre plaid. The later didn’t come out as well as I wanted so don’t know how far I’ll pursue this (painting tartan).

This was the lead regiment of the Government line at Auldearn so glad to have them in the bag.

Painting Covenanters

What could be more boring than a grey army? Connotations of John Major aside, it still doesn’t inspire you with a lot of passion. After all the rest of the war of the three kingdoms had some pretty colourful troops, with white, green and red all making a show.

But if you are fighting the war in Scotland you take what you get (or you’ll have your porridge and like it (and mind just salt, nae namby pamby sugar like yon Sassenachs)). So the question was how to make the painting of the governmental regiments interesting enough (upwards of 150 infantry) but allowing a show of uniformity.

With the move to Foundry paints, this wasn’t too much of a problem as they have a wide variety of dour paint types. However, to try and attain some uniformity, but with suitable raggedness, and also distinguish the individual regiments the following painting scheme was adhered to.

Jackets – Slate Grey (majority), additional Rawhide, Drab and Granite
Trews – Quagmire (majority), additional Rawhide, Drab
Socks – Raw Linen (majority), additional Moss
Webbing/Belts – Buff Leather (or rawhide if over Buff Coats)
Buff Coats – Buff Leather
Cuffs and Collars – Arctic Grey/White
Bonnets – Night Sky/Storm Blue
Shoes – Bay Brown

Guns – Spearstaff (wood), Boltgun/Chainmail (metal – GW’s), Boneyard (matches)

Bandoliers – Bay Brown
Powder Pouch – Conker Brown
Tassels – Night Sky/Storm Blue
Scabbard – Conker Brown
Sword Scabbard – Bay Brown
Sword Hilt – Boltgun Metal/Chainmail (GW)

Blankets – varied by regiment – uniform colour/plaid choice
Trews Ribbons - varied by regiment
Drums - varied by regiment

Officers/Ensigns/ Drummers – potential for some additional colour in jacket and trews selection.

Additionally, for some variety, one regiment may get some red jackets, implying they had returned from active service in Ireland where the English parliament had undertaken to clothe Scots troops in the field. However, this is not tested on the figures yet.

WECW List for Covenanters at Auldearn

Sir John Hurry - Major General (100 Pts)

Sir Mungo Campbell of Lawers' Regt - Foot (468 Pts)
16 Veteran Pike; Leader, Ensign, Drummer (180 Pts)
12 Veteran Shot (144 Pts)
12 Veteran Shot (144 Pts)

Lord Chancellor's Regt - Foot (468 Pts)
16 Veteran Pike; Leader, Ensign, Drummer (180 Pts)
12 Veteran Shot (144 Pts)
12 Veteran Shot (144 Pts)

Earl of Lothian's Regt - Foot (468 Pts)
16 Veteran Pike; Leader, Ensign, Drummer (180 Pts)
12 Veteran Shot (144 Pts)
12 Veteran Shot (144 Pts)

Earl of Findlater's Regt - Foot (188 Pts)
16 Raw Pike; Leader, Ensign, Drummer (68 Pts)
12 Raw Shot (60 Pts)
12 Raw Shot (60 Pts)

Detachment from Buchanan's Regt - Foot (152 Pts)
8 Steady Pike; Leader, Ensign, Drummer (68 Pts)
6 Steady Shot (42 Pts)
6 Steady Shot (42 Pts)

Earl of Seaforth's Regt - Foot (212 Pts)
24 Raw Pike; Leader, Ensign, Drummer (92 Pts)
12 Raw Shot (60 Pts)
12 Highland Rabble; Longbow (60 Pts)

Earl of Sutherland's Regt - Foot (212 Pts)
24 Raw Pike; Leader, Ensign, Drummer (92 Pts)
12 Raw Shot (60 Pts)
12 Raw Shot (60 Pts)

Northern Levies - Foot (148 Pts)
16 Raw Pike; Leader, Ensign, Drummer (68 Pts)
8 Raw Shot (40 Pts)
8 Raw Shot (40 Pts)

Sir James Halkett's Troop - Horse (224 Pts)
16 Steady Trotters; Leader, Cornet, Trumpeter, pistols (224 Pts)

Major Drummond's Troop &
Campbell of Lawers' Troop - Horse (176 Pts)
12 Steady Trotters; Leader, Cornet, Trumpeter, pistols (176 Pts)

Scots Government Army = 2816 Pts

Alternate List Options: The detachment from Buchanan's Regt could be fielded as shot only. Drummond's and Lawers' Troops of horse are combined in the list above but they could be fielded seperately. Lawers' Troop as a minimum size unit of Steady Trotters. I have listed Drummond's Troop as a small unit of Gordon Horse (borrowed from the Scots Royalist List), as this troop is thought to have been formed from the remnants of the Gordon Horse that remained loyal to the Government when the Gordon Horse defected to the Royalists after Inverlochy.

If both alternatives are used, the updated total points for the Government army is shown at the bottom of this post.

Detachment from Buchanan's Regt - Foot (160 Pts)
20 Steady Shot; Leader, Ensign, Drummer (160 Pts)

Campbell of Lawers' Troop - Horse (92 Pts)
5 Steady Trotters; Leader, Cornet, Trumpeter, pistols (92 Pts)

Major Drummond's Troop - Gordon Horse (176 Pts)
8 Gordon Horse; Leader, Cornet, Trumpeter, pistols (176 Pts)

Scots Government Army = 2916 Pts

Notes: I have used the Scots Government Army Lists in WECW as a basis for the points estimate and unit stats, except for borrowing the Highland Rabble and Gordon Horse from the Scots Royalist List. The unit size is based on the OOB below at a 1:10 figure scale and matches the basing suggestion below.

WECW List for Royalists at Auldearn

Jame Graham, Marquis of Montrose (140 Pts)
Royal Standard (100 Pts)

Strathbogie Regt - Scots Foot (284 Pts)
16 Steady Pike; Leader, Ensign, Drummer (116 Pts)
12 Steady Shot (84 Pts)
12 Steady Shot (84 Pts)

Gordon of Monymore's Regt- Scots Foot (204 Pts)
12 Steady Pike; Leader, Ensign, Drummer (92 Pts)
8 Steady Shot (56 Pts)
8 Steady Shot (56 Pts)

Irish Companies - Irish Brigade (548 Pts)
12 Irish Pike; Leader, Ensign, Drummer (164 Pts)
12 Irish Shot (192 Pts)
12 Irish Shot (192 Pts)

Irish Companies - Irish Brigade (372 Pts)
8 Irish Pike; Leader, Ensign, Drummer (116 Pts)
8 Irish Shot (128 Pts)
8 Irish Shot (128 Pts)

Macolla with Lifeguard (380 Pts)
1 Alasdair MacColla (120 Pts)
13 MacColla's Lifeguard; Leader, Ensign, Piper (260 Pts)

Lord Gordon's Horse (392 Pts)
20 Gordon Horse; Leader, Cornet, Trumpeter, pistols (392 Pts)

Viscount Aboyne's Horse (392 Pts)
20 Gordon Horse; Leader, Cornet, Trumpeter, pistols (392 Pts)

Scots Royalist Army = 2732 Pts

Option: If you subscribe to the idea that Montrose had a full 600 Gordon cavalry at Auldearn then you can simply add a second unit of 20 horse under Viscout Aboyne. This would add another 392 Pts to the list bringing the total to 3204 Pts. However, with 400 Gordon cavalry (2 x 20 models) you will already have more horse than you know what to do with, and the points conveniently balance quite nicely with the Covenanter Army.

Notes: I have used the Scots Royalist Army Lists in WECW as a basis for the points estimate and unit stats. The unit size is based on the OOB below at a 1:10 figure scale and matches the basing suggestion below. I have not honoured the WECW list restrictions, but have tried to reproduce the historical OOB.

WECW Basing for Covenanters at Auldearn

Here is a suggested basing plan for the Government Army at Auldearn. As with the Royalist plan, the figure count is based on the Auldearn OOB listed below at a 1:10 figure scale, adjusted for use with the Warhammer ECW rules. Pike to shot ratio is listed in the OOB - I have used 1:1 for raw levies, and 2:3 for government raised regiments.

A detachment of Buchanan's Regt was present at Auldearn (the rest of the regment remained on garrison duty in Inverness), and I have given that a pike:shot ratio of 1:1 to give a reasonable number of pike models. But this detachment could also be fielded as 20 commanded shot models with no pike.

Campbell of Lawers' Horse is too small at 30 troopers to field as a WECW unit at 1:10 figure scale. This would be only 3 models, so I have combined Lawers' Troop with Drummonds to give a single unit of 130 Troopers, or 12 models at 1:10 with 2 ranks.

However, if you prefer to field these two horse units seperately in penny-packets, as they were in reality, you could split them into two units of 5 and 8 models respectively, or even 6 and 7 models. This gives them at least some limited staying power to make a contribution to the battle using the WECW rules.

WECW Basing for Royalists at Auldearn

Here is the basing plan I am using for my Royalist Army. The figure count is based on the OOB below at a 1:10 figure scale. The pike to shot ratio is based on those listed in the OOB with some rounding up and down where necessary to give complete ranks. Unit frontage for infantry is shown at the top of the plan.


Pike blocks are coloured purple and contain pike models (P) and command models; Ensign (E), Musician (M) and Officer (O). I plan to have two colours in each pike block, more on the regimental colours later. Shot sleeves are coloured yellow, highlanders are in green and cavalry is in blue.

Inspired by some of the ECW armies showcased online (links below) I will use predominantly multi-figure bases. 40mm x 40mm bases for 4 infantry models and 50mm x 50mm bases for 2 cavalry models. As will as avoiding problems with "ranking up" models in awkward poses, such as charging pikemen, it will allow some creative diorama basing with casualties etc.

As Warhammer English Civil War requires removal of individual casualties, each unit, sleeve or pike block will have at least two models based on standard single model Warhammer bases; 20mm square for infantry, 25mm x 50mm bases for cavalry. Remaining infantry models will be on 40mm x 20mm bases containing 2 models.

I want the 4 model command stands to be located in the centre of the pike block. To do this with 4 model wide pike blocks means that the command stand must be flanked on both sides by a 2 model 40mm x 20mm base.

I am basing my first couple of units just now, using Litko Aero wooden bases, and will post pictures of how they turn out as soon as they are ready. Covenanter basing scheme to follow soon.

In the meantime, some online inspiration...

David Imries ECW Scots

Phil Olley's ECW Showcase

Auldearn OOB

In the lists below, next to each unit name are the estimated unit numbers in (backets) , followed by a guess-timated pike:shot ratio for infantry units.

Scots Royalist Army
Commanders
Lt General James Graham, 1st Marquis of Montrose
Maj General Alasdair MacColla, "The Devastator"
Infantry
Macolla's Lifeguard (140), 0:1
Irish Mercenaries (600), 1:2
Gordon of Monymore's Regiment (300), 2:3
Strathbogie Regiment (400), 2:3
Cavalry
Lord Gordon's Horse (200)
Viscount Aboyne's Horse (400/200)

Scots Government Army
Commander
General Sir John Hurry
Infantry
Campbell of Lawer's Regt (400), 2:3
Earl of Loudon's (Lord Chancellor's) Regt (400), 2:3
Earl of Lothian's Regt (400), 2:3
Earl of Findlater's Regt (300), 1:1
Detachment from Buchanan's Regt (200), 1:1
Northen Levies (400), 1:1
Earl of Seaforth's Levies (500), 1:1
Earl of Sutherland's Levies (500), 1:1
Cavalry
Campbell of Lawers' Horse (30)
Major Drummond's Horse (100)
Sir James Halkett's Horse (160)

Notes
There is some uncertainty as to the exact numbers present in both armies at Auldearn. It is generally accepted that the Covenanters outnumbered the Royalists by about 3:2, however the overall quality and experience level of the Royalist army was better that the Government force, in which over half the infantry were poorly trained, recently raised levies. The Royalists also had recently acquired a formidable cavalry wing with the defection of Huntly's sons to the Royalist cause after Montrose's previous victory over the Covenanters at Inverlochy. The exact numbers in the 'Gordon Horse' is highly uncertain and could range from 200 to 600. Reid's interpretation of the primary sources proposes a whopping 600; 200 under Lord Gordon, and 400 under his brother, the Viscount Aboyne.