"best 16th & 17th C. Irish figures?" Topic

Hello Gentlemen (and sundry ladies?),

I'd like to raise a force of 15mm 16th or 17th century Irish for Irregular Wars (rules here: link which can double for an army for Spanish Fury! Actions.

What ranges would you recommend? I know Essex do a limited selection which seem ok, but who else?

Cheers!

QRF have the former Friekorps range, can't say I have any so no idea as to quality.
link

some of eureka's ECW range may fit the bill

cheers
Matt

Thanks for the quick responses chaps,

Is it just me, or are the QRF sculpts a little rough looking? Does anyone use them who can defend their honour?

And do Eureka do a 15mm ECW range? I can find them in 25's, but not my beloved 15's.

Look at 2 ranges at QRF. The "Elizabeth's Irish war" range is older and the sizes of figures varies pretty significantly. I have a few of the "Tudor War" line and they look quite nice to me.

I have been searching for a good complete range of these for decades and this is what I know.

The QRF "Elizabeth's Irish war" is a bid odd in proportion sufice to say I have a whole army and their English opponents and have not painted most of them. The exception would be the Horseboys figures that are good figures and could be used as Irish Light Horse (not mailclads).

QRF Tudor range Irish are very good imo but you don't get calivermen or pikemen so at best its a partial result. If you look at the QRF Medieval Scots range you do get a mail clad Highland archer with claymore that is very good as 'New Scots'. Medieval Irish will also supply good Kern.

Minifigs do produce Irish pike in mail and morion but only in one pose. They also produce Irish arquebusier figures but only in one pose and the clothing looks wrong. Minifigs Galloglaich(one pose) are fine and could be mixed with QRF. Minifigs 'mailclads' are imo dull and dated and only one pose.

Caliver did an Irish range but many of the figs are too big also I doubt you could still buy them.

Yxor did a range but frankly its not very well designed or cast.

Essex produce some OK Galloglaich, some so-so Kern with javelin and a not very accurate 'mail clad' on a horse that is far too big. I used some of their Italian Wars unarmoured pike that will work well for the Irish equivalent. Code was ME50 I think.

No one produces a good Irish caliverman in a Morion and that is what is needed.

Hope this helps.

Thanks guys, that is really helpful.

So to summarise:
QRF Tudor Irish: good
QRF Elizabethan Irish: fairly mediocre
Essex: a bit boring
and that's about it in terms of current ranges.

Wow, QRF wins by default I suppose.

Cheers again!

I'm just wondering could you use any Irish or Picts from the Atrhur period?

Not easily fashion changed.

Does anyone know if QRF and Essex figs mix well?

Yes they mix fine.

What are the results if you go up to 28mm?

What are the results if you go up to 28mm?

Vendel Miniatures:

link

and also a scattering in the Redoubt catalogue.

link

link

link

For the later 17th century (towards the ECW, for example), both Eureka Miniatures and Bicorne Miniatures have Irish pike and shot.

I don't know of anybody who makes raparees for the Williamite/ Nine Years War.

How about for Irish Catholic Confederates? Gush says that the Anglo-Irish probably looked like English ECW foot, but that the Old Irish "might still be in traditional dress." What would that be like by the 17th C? Bicorne Minis makes some fellows in a shorter jacket with a tubular hat, others with a small-crowned floppy hat, whereas Eureka's guys seem to be made specially for the Irish in Scottish Royalist service.

What sources are there for the appearance of Irish Catholic Confederates in the 1640s? Thanks.

Trews for traditional Irish dress and maybe a mantle. I have a copy of a woodcut of Owen Ruadh wearing a mantle.

For 28mm (hint hint Galowglas)

There is also a nice pack on Kerns form Crusader and Old Glory produce Kerns, Gallowglas and mounted nobles in their HYW or WOTR ranges

For 28mm, Pendraken (Yes I know they're the 10mm people)produce an Elizabethan range which includes a lot of Irish fgures – horse and foot in 28mm
pendraken.co.uk/28mm.htm
Guy

Nobody makes proper 17th Century Irish to see what they should look like see Ospreys Campaign book on Cromwell in Ireland there are some good illustrations by Sean O'Broigan
in it. Irish commonly wore tight trews right down to their ankles. Scots Highlanders where useually bare legged hench their nickname in Ireland 'Red Shanks'.
Clann Tara do a quite good Irish Elizabeathean range.

Khurasan make excellent 17th Century Irish in 15mm.

Irish lancers are a bit tricky but Khurasan 16th Irish light horse if equipped with a lance and possibly a shield (both of which Khurasan make) would do the trick.

A thread from 2009!

Druzhina
Illustrations of Irish Costume & Soldiers

For 28mm when the TAG range comes out it will be them.

And the Graven Images/Monolith 28mm 16th century Irish are also available again from Clann Tara alongside Border Reivers and other useful stuff