"perry AWI figures suited to SYW" Topic

Hello,

Really like this range but much prefer SYW/FIW as a period. Was wondering what figures are suitable for both.

As far as i know the following are passable.

scotish highlanders in bonnet cap. Saw someone use these on another forum for SYW. Perhaps the scots grenadiers too?

Indians (well duh)

hessians with gaiters

militia?

When it comes to the militia/civilians im curious. Did civilian fashion change much between the eras? Would the southern or eastern militia be better?

Having been thinking along similar lines, my three main gripes are half-gaiters, gaiter-trousers and backpacks – I don't think any were much in evidence in the 1750s, but stand to be corrected.

Hessians in full gaiters (Garrison Infantry and the gunners) are of course ideal for the Western European theatre of the SYW. As several illustrations of the new Black Powder rules show, even the gaiter-trousers of other units can be overpainted with a thick layer of black reaching just above the knee to look reasonably convincing.

Kilted Highlanders, incl. their grenadiers, should be fine, and even British grenadiers in bearskin caps should be OK for the 1760s at least. And no, men's civilian dress didn't change much from one conflict to the other, except perhaps for trousers beginning to replace breeches.

So that's an Allied force for Western Germany, 1760 onwards or so. One of the Hessian mounted generals can be Ferdinand of Brunswick. The main problem then is finding figures for the opposition: Should the Twins ever do AWI French those would be lovely for imagi-nation purposes, but useless for historically accurate SYW types…

Well i was kinda relying on conquest for french regulars.

Perry hessians vs conquest french should be very pretty match up :)

You could use the Hessian grenadiers in mitre caps, but you will have to paint on some gaitors over the leggings or add a little bit of putty to show the gaitors.

The problem with the Hessian garrison figures is that they are all "lounging around" and don't have a very martial-like appearance to them. The Hessian artillery crew would also be ok.

Yeah i do like the perry "lounging" poses but not for my collection. Dont think it would look the part when on the table to be honest.

I remember this issue comming up for me a while back when i wanted to do 28mm prussians. Im really picky on poses and all the good manufacturers usually only do marching. I can see why this is but i want either "charging" or "firing line" which the perrys always excel at.

Actually I did notice these in the black powder book. I was reading mikes in the club and we saw the figures. People seemed to think they were foundry but I had my suspicions. I might buy a wee six pack and see how they look with gaiters painted on…

Didn't realise Conquest did French regulars as well as Compagnies franches?

I find all the Perry poses excellently done. I understand your preferences, but somehow it takes large units (well larger than my 24s or 32s) for platoon fire to look "right" on the tabletop. On the other hand, standing about doing nothing probably took up just as much of a soldier's time then as now – "hurry up and wait"…

Ill only be doing small actions from now in in 28mm. Probably something with 1-5000 men per side at 1:10. I think thats the way to go at this scale.

I think conquest have the greens all done for regulars but there have been delays in putting them into production.

Blue Moon do 7YW/FIW British and French:
link

Alright, at 1:10 each of four "firings" would have 12 or 16 figures. That should actually look quite convincing with the different fire drill poses.

The main difference between military and civilian clothing styles between the SYW/FIW and the AWI were that cuffs and lapels became smaller, and capes (collars) became the norm on coats. Sashes were worn increasingly around the waist, instead of over the shoulder.

Trousers, originally the working garb of tradesmen and sailors, became more common. Gaiters went from just above the knee (they were never really thigh length, despite what most manufacturers seem to think) to half-way up the calf.

The skirts on coats were longer, as were waistcoats. Not major differences, though, for militia.

Gaiters went from just above the knee (they were never really thigh length, despite what most manufacturers seem to think) to half-way up the calf.
I'm under the impression -based specailly on some famous contemporary paintings of British grenadiers- that by WAS/SYW times British infantrymen were issued with gaiters raising higher on the thigh than in other countries?

Yes, you may be right if this Morier painting is anything to go by (although I'm sure I've seen others where the top of the gaiter was lower, in – as you say – the European style).

1stoffoot.org/soldiersreqs.html

The gaiters shown in the Morier painting are white, usually black or brown were worn on campaign. The long (knee length gaiter) seems to have been approved by the 1768 warrant, but may have begun to make an appearance sometime before the, perhaps in the same way that fur caps were creeping in for drummers/grenadiers through the 1760s?

Half gaiters were known in the later stages of the FIW. A painting a battery at the siege of Havanna (held in the National Maritime Museum IIRC) shows a private of the Royal Scots in breeches with half black gaiters whilst the Royal Artillery are shown wearing black full length gaiters.

Were mid-thigh gaiters more a parade item, with the "just above the knee" ones worn on campaign? This certainly seems to have been the case with the French and Prussians.

IIRC, the 1760s gaiters had a leather "cup" at the top to protect the knee of the breeches. I wonder if these were phased out when the front rank stopped kneeling to fire, making the tops redundant?