"Anyone gaming WSS in 1/72 Plastic?" Topic

Is there anyone who is wargaming The War of Spanish Succession with 1/72 plastic figures? If so which figures, rules etc do you recommend? Anyone got any good blogs or sites on this subject that are worth a look at?
Cheers
jacksarge:)

I am using Airfix Afrika Korps conversions.

Seriously?

That was serious for the OFM. He's just been like that since his time in the big house.

LLC aka Ron

Being inside changes a man.

Joking aside, anyone got any serious answers?

Well, now this thread is hopelessly doomed.

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Plastic Soldiers Review isn't too helpful either.

LLC aka Ron

Oh well never mind, have fun…
Next time I might ask if anyone one has a degree in underwater basket weaving and can they recommend the best sort of fish for cutting down the tallest tree in the forest……

Herring. Definitely a herring.

I think you are a bit ahead of your time, all of those sets are future releases.

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LLC aka Ron

20mm plastic and metal is covered at the Plastic Pelisse. Some figure reviews are of WSS plastics. I don't know if this chap actually games with them.

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Sorry LLC, I should have worded my original post a bit differently, I guess I was thinking more in terms of conversion possibilities with the Zvezda & Strelets Great Northern War stuff of which there are a few boxes available. I have had a tinker with some Baccus 6mm WSS stuff, but also like the look of Zvezda GNW 1/72 stuff for possible WSS games…
See some of my plastic guys from other periods @:
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Here are some in action, but I don't know anything about the rules used. (I was just photographing.)
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i play GNW using 'king of the battlefield.'

Maybe that was VnB? Isn't that a GNW battle?

Thanks,

John

I'm working on the Zvezda and Strelets stuff for the seige of Vienna 1683, which is fairly close to the WSS.

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Will

The GNW plastics are quite nice.

As for rules, I like Piquet:Field of Battle (a fun game, with just enough period flavor if you play in dim light after several bottles), seriously it does give a very fun game. Pat Condray's "Wargaming the Age of Marlborough" is a nice set of rules, and there is always the venerable Volley and Bayonet. Pat Condray's rule, done for Editions Brokaw and available through On Military Matters are probably the second best three dollars I ever spent on a wargame. The best still my fist copy of Metagamig Microgame #1 OGRE, by some fellow named Jackson, pity the game didn't seem to catch on, I onder what ever happened to the designer?

Anyway the Condray rules are complet, include a nice basing suggestion, and weigh in at a whopping 12 pages includin covers. Old Shool, but fun.

Dear Jacksarge,
the Zvezda fugures are very nice, in the part of Germany where I resode the popularity of 1/72nd plastic is rising.
The Russian infantry, Swedish dragoons and Russian artillery can all be used for the WSS as long as your not a complete purist. I use the "Beneath the lilly banners" rules.
There is a Blogspot by someone called Will which has a chapter devoted to plastic WSS gaming. There are many photos of his armies. I am not too sure what the blog is called but if you google "wills wargames blog" I am sure you will find it.
There is also a fine italian Blog about the GNW using above mentioned plastic figures .. ist called La grande guerra de Nord Blog. He's just started introducing english descriptions to his chapters .. the photos are very good, showing his own method of converting , painting and basing the Zvezda figures.
Good luck,
regards
CB

Thanks heaps-
jacksarge

Actually, I must admit I rather fancy a peak at the Lily Banners rules, so will be interested in how they work. but as my other reply on another topic said, currently I am aiming at the Charles Grant OSW approach just for a change. All my figures are individually based, but also have sabot bases so can play element games as well.

the Zvezda figures are really nice (as usual), and because they do a complete range it makes an ideal "mini-project" – infantry, cavalry and artillery – just like the old days of Airfix ACW :-)

Not too keen on the Strelets for this period. I do use their Naps figures sometimes, but the Zvezda are a lot finer. YMMV

Maybe that was VnB?

No. It was a homemade set by the GM. (For example, the sheep figures indicate a morale result of some type.)

Isn't that a GNW battle?

Yes, it was.

(And sorry for my late reply; busy on Friday and gaming on Saturday, so I didn't hit the Net.)

jacksarge;

The Italian site (now with English text as well) specifically on the GNW using all StreletsR and Zvezda, and very well done.

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Will McNally's site (he responded to you above) with some excellent work on both Zvezda and StreletR, as well as some older Revell SYW figures. Click the link for WSS on the right of the page.

willwarweb.blogspot.com

The link for Andygamer's gallery of shots of the GNW Battle of Holocyn, very nice.

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The new "Flintlock Battlefields 1700 – 1790" site, using Zvezda for GNW Russians.

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Another source for some useful figures, Hat's new 1806 Prussian Hussars. They are wearing overalls with buttons down the leg, so if you're a purist, you will want to shave off the buttons and paint these as the earlier leggings and boots. But with the Revell Hussars being "collector's items" now, these fill a very needed gap.

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The biggest drawback right now to starting the WSS or WAS with these figures is the lack of true Heavy Cavalry. Right now StreletsR offer the only true heavies in their Swedish sets and they aren't great (IMHO). We need some true heavies with cuirass under their coats, cuirass over the coats, and early Bavarian/Austrian/German cuirassiers in lobster helmets without the face bars. There are some compromises that involve a little minor conversion work though.

For German or Austrian cuirassiers from the eastern theater, use either Zvezda or Orion Polish Winged Hussars , chuck the wings and lances and fill the holes in the rider's backs with some Miliput or Green Stuff. They are a little "exotic" but a couple of units would look OK in an Imperial army. For Bavarians, get some of Mars copies of the old Revell Swedish TYW Cuirassiers. The plastic is a little soft, but the figures look very good as Bavarians (Will has some pic's of some he did). For tricorned cuirassiers with the cuirass over the coat, get Zvezda'a Napoleonic Saxon Cuirassiers. They are excellent figures (some of Zvezda's best) and only have the front plate on, no back. Just cut the heads off and substitute some "spare" tricorned heads from leftover Zvezda foot and you'll have some excellent figures. These glue very well, just drill the body and head out and use a pin armature for extra strength. Examples:

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link (look at the cuirassiers only, as they come in separate sets from Mars)
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GerMan (BUM) is going to be releasing some Spanish and Allied WSS cavalry, but be advised, the plastic they use is terrible, about the consistency of a good pencil eraser.

I feel sure that Zvezda will be releasing additional cavalry for their GNW range, as well as their own cuirassiers for their 1683 range, but who knows when?

So, there you go.

Bill

Thanks for all the great information! Will's Wargames Blog was excellent and has inspired me to complete my first 24 figure English unit, which I started a while back but got distracted by 15mm WW2.
Is there a free rules set that I can download which is pretty much like the Charles Grant set? Nothing too complicated but has to be fun and reasonably fast.
Wasn't there an article in Battlegames a year or so ago which included something about chopping up Saxon cuirassiers and giving them tricorns, I'm sure I've got that one somewhere.
Any advice on metal figures which you have found fit well with the Zvezda stuff?
Cheers,
jacksarge.

Glad you liked Will's Blog, it is great. The article you remember was by American Stokes Schwartz who did a unit for his Imagi-nation 18th century army with tricornes from old Revell figures. I also did a unit for my Imagi-nation using the bearskins fron old Airfix British AWI Grenadiers. There are a couple of poses of the Grenadiers that are absolutely "trollish" so their heads went to create a Grenadiers de France type unit. Unfortunately, like Stokes, I have done the conversions but still haven't painted the figures!

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Right now there really aren't any metal figures that match the Zvezda, some older ranges will blend with them in separate units, like Garrison's SYW or Minifig's WSS, but they are definitely a different style and slightly different size. There may be some new developments in matching metal cavalry in the near future, I know of one maker who's working on it, but slowly and as a side project.

Bill

Hello burlesonbill, thanks for the link to your blog, very enjoyable indeed, just packed it under my "favourites" along with "Fire at wills" super blog.
Cheers
CB

I recommend the Garrison 7YW range of mounter generals – most fit quite well alongside the Zvezda – one horse is slightly too big, but not too scary. Give them a try _ I bought £10.00 GBP worth and they will serve as assorted generals etc, and will add plastic hussar ADCs on the same base, as that is how well I feel they work alongside plastic.

The Revell mounted officers are also useful, but they are a bit small headed, whereas the Garrison are Prussian (ie big headed :-) ).

Good luck

Where do I get Garrison figs from, and who has the Revell 7YW stuff still in stock, I thought they were hard to get hold of- or am I thinking of the 30YW range?
Will's blog seems to indicate that some of the 7YW stuff fits ok with WSS- to what extent?
So many questions aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggghhhhhh……

Garrison – very good website and excellent service (I posted a comment to Consumer affairs about this). Only problem is not enough photos, so I ordered blind, but got 7 mounted generals etc for around £10.00 GBP so not too much of a risk really. Well worth them in my opinion. They are not up to Zvezda quality, but perfect to recreate the olf Battle rules etc. The 7YW generals tend to have cuirass under their coat, and open lapels, so they are a bit of a fudge for WSS/GNW, so it will come down to your own sense of what you can live with.

Minifigs are nice but a tad stocky for my own tastes.

Sorry, Revell 7YW crops up so often on reissue (except the hussars that everyone seems to want!) that they should be available through plastic specialist suppliers. I have all I will ever need, and am moving away from them into the Zvezda ranges (including the new Prussian grenadiers which I find delightful little figures)

Looked at Garrison site- their 7YW stuff is 25mm but fits ok with Zvezda?

Yeah, saw the 7YW Zvezda Prussian Grenadiers, can they be used or mixed in with WSS stuff or is the uniform too different? Trying to stick with the WSS idea at the moment, but the 7YW does appear tempting too.

Do you have a favourite website for uniform info for early to mid 18th century that you could recommend?

Finished first 24 figure unit of English WSS, starting on the next, green cuffs this time I think. I have been using Charles Grant's 'The Armies & Uniforms of Marlborough's Wars' for my reference- any suggestions for other uniform books for the period?

Regards
jacksarge

Sorry JS – remember that I do this as an "Imagi-Natio" project in accordance with the Charles Grant ideas, so mixing 7YW and WSS is fine by me – my current WSS armies are being raised as if they were "backwater" states around the time of the Austro-Prussian wars (imagine the Saxons and their uniforms in the Napoloeonic Wars), and so the old fashioned look of the Zvezda fits in well with that, whilst giving me leeway to use the Revell 7YW and the new Zvezda and HaT 7YW ranges as well.

But i can confirm that I am using the Gariison 25mm (old style terminology remember) with Zvezda

Pat Condray has a nice uniform booklet on the era.

Thanks,

John

Thanks John, I think I saw that one in OMM's lists online, haven't checked Caliver to see if they have it. Have found useful general info on the Baccus site for WSS uniforms too.

Any ideas on the colour of English and French gun carriages of the period?

Cheers
jacksarge