Reviewing the Elizabethan Ireland Project Part 1 The English

I was reading some Facebook posts from fellow Wargamer Paddy and his plans for Elizabethan Ireland and our chat got me thinking about doing a little more work on this project, but also about how I saw it panning out.

I got the figures out so I could see where I was in terms of project progress and thought I might share with you the figures panited so far, what I think might be missing and thoughts on whats next.

Those based so far are all on individual bases, this suits for the moment whilst I am still thinking which rules will work best, eventually I may re-base them, for now these movement trays will need to make this a bit easier.

Its interesting to consider how useful and therefore actually used, pike were in smaller engagements. So far I have twenty which in a 3-1 ratio gives me a company of 60 pike so far. Adding a couple of standards and drums thats 3 units of 8 for Sharply Buffed (Sharp Practice) or two units of 10 for Pikemans lament. I like how they look en-masse if you can call twenty pike a mass.

The Pike will only be useful up to a point but I think that reflects the problems the English had when fighting the Irish.

Far more useful will be the Shot. The English had both the Heavy Muskets and lighter Calivers. Below are 7 Musketeers, they use rests as these were heavy weapons, a much better range than Calivers but much less handy in difficult terrain. Just oen more to find and thats a unit of 8 complete for sharply buffed.

The left hand three are Foundry and the last 4 smaller TAG figures. I see these workign in conjuntion with the pike and deliverign formed volleys. I think I have enought to form two groups of 8, potentially then thats two sleeves of shot.

The Calivers are the skirmishers or "Loose Shot" for Sharply buffed thats 6 man units. These first 4 are TAG so I need a couple more to finish them off.

The next six are the old Graven Images now Hoka Hey Border Reiver range of Garrison troops. Very chunky figures.

Lastly 7 Foundry Swashbuckler figures, I have a few more of these so possibly enough for 4 units of these chaps but certainly enought to finbish off 3 groups of skirmishers.

For Command we have three standrad bearers, three drummers and two Seargents with Halberds to flesh out the units of formed troops. I am thinkign each group of pike to have a flag and a drum.

I also have a bunch of gentlemen who may not be quite as useless as they first look. Firstly we do need leader characters for the forces, but also units of sword and buckler men were used as forlorn hopes where pike or shot might not be able to clear an obstacle so a unit of 6 or 8 of these guys seems a useful addition. 

For actual Officers I have these 4 gallent gents, three Hoka Hey and a TAG figure lookign much cxmaller at the end. Lovely figures these, leader figures are particularly important for Sharply Buffed.

We then have the horse, two types typically served in Ireland, Demi-Lancers and Border Horse. The latter are more useful for our purposes I have two units of 6 of them all Hoka Hey figures but I am very interested to see the Flags of War releases in the future and how they might fit in.

The Demi-Lancers with their full armour were not particularly suited to warfare in Ireland but are lovely and were there so I thought it worth having a group. The command are Redoubt and the lancers all the same Hoka Hey figure with soem headswaps and mounted on Perry Wars of the Roses horses. I particularly like these figures despite how impracticle they might be.

Then my secodn group of Border Horse, this is where the collection initially sprung from as our group of gamers all bought a few Borderers to start gaming Elizabethan border raids. It was a bit of a downhill ride from there.

Last up, so far, my hounds master. No idea how I will use him yet, except perhaps to drive stolen cattle in raiding games, but  alovely Eureka model.

So a few more figures to do to complete these, 10 or so pike, 7 Calivers and 9 Musketeers, then I need to consider if the Horse should be in eights for Sharply Buffed or sixes for Pikemans Lament. Either Way I am not far off enough for a small game.

I will do the Irish in a seperate post, interesting food for thought though being that the loyal Irish Lords ed their troops alongside the English so an excuse to buy more of those to have on both sides.

Thats it for now, stay safe!