"How to build an AWI Continental Regiment" Topic

Here is the first of a series of reports that I will be posting on my blog

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Describing how I built the various regiments in my AWI Continental army using Fife & Drum Miniatures

I like my Continental regiments to look like a rag tag unit out on campaign. Nothing accomplishes this look better than using a wide variety of figures, to eliminate any appearance of uniformity. I used a mix of Continental and Militia figures to create the regiment. Here (following) is a list of the figures used in a 25 figure regiment:

1 x A20 Continental Officer, Marching
1 x A21 Continental Standard Bearer, Marching
1 x A22 Continental Drummer, Marching
1 x A23 Continental NCO, marching
6 x A24 Continental Standing Firing
3 x A25 Continental Standing At the Ready
2 x A26 Continental using ramrod
3 x A27 Continental Cocking His Musket
1 x A1 Militia Officer holding sword
2 x A5 Militia Standing Firing, Brimmed Hat
3 x A6 Militia Kneeling Firing, Brimmed Hat
1 x A7 Militia Cocking His Musket

25 total figures

I wanted to add in some figures wearing brimmed hats rather than kit out everyone with tricorn hats, so using the American Militia figures fulfilled my needs in this respect. I used the A1 officer holding his sword in his hand to give me a second officer pose; I used the A5 Militiaman standing firing and wearing a brimmed hat instead of a tricorn hat; and finally, I used the A6 Militiaman kneeling firing to add pose variety, and finally, an A7 Militiaman cocking his musket.

For more information click on the direct link to the Fife & Drum web site for ordering figures etc.

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Outstanding work and very helpful.

Great idea and help.

Beautiful Figures! If I didn't love 40mm figures, I would get some of yours.

Just oustanding painting on outstanding figures.
Mark

That is a great article. Maybe you could create a unit deal featuring the figures in your article so you can buy them all with the click of one button.

Beautiful stuff, sir.

Eric

Hydra has a good idea.
Mark

Good idea Hydra. My only question would be how big to make the unit? I like larger 24-30 figure regiments since I game AWI at a 1:10 ratio. Should I offer a deal at 30 figures, 24 figures, 18 figures, etc? Wondering what the consensus is on the ideal unit size.

I would vote for offering three potential deals. I have not a lot of space available, therefore 18 figures units would be my choice.

Your article is most helpful, by the way.

I use a mix of uniform types, but in the same pose for Continentals. Using our AWI amendments to Tricorne, the "typical" regiment is 18 figures in two ranks on 6 2" by 1" bases. The flag is in the center. I base the standard bearer on a 3/4" square metal stand which is set on a 3/4" square magnet strip stuck on the center of the stand. This allows for various units to be represented by the same figures in different games. I do this for the ACW confederates and the Pike and Shot era as well. A blue coated Royalist unit can be a blue coated Swede in the next game!
All the stands are flocked so it looks very good. We have been doing this for about 25 years.

We generally base our British on two figure stands (1 1/2" x 1" in "typical" 20 figure units. The unit is in two ranks separated by about 3/4" between stands. The average British frontage per file then is about 50% wider than the continental or German, as the British operated in open order for much if not for the most of the war.

My regiments are designed for British Grenadier and Black Powder. Each figure is individually based (20mmx20mm) with magnetic tape on the bottom. I then have 40mm and 40x60mm formation trays with metal sheeting or flexible steel.

Unit sizes in BG seem to be on average 16 figures for continental and up to 20 for British. For Black Powder my average unit is 16, large 20, and small 12.

My mid term goal is to build all my units based on a 20 figure unit and customize per battle. I will then create a few 24 figure units.

My suggestion would be to sell a regiment with 20 or 24 figures.

So it looks like if we offered two regimental packs with 18 figures and 24 figures that this would cover most possibilities such as Black Powder, British Grenadier and Fife & Drum, among others.

Then we slap on a discount of 10% to 15% for the packs compared to the full price for ordering single figures. How does that sound?

Excellent.

I use 18 figure regiment size but I think your 18 and 24 figure regimental size packs would be the best. My question would be who decides what figures are in a pack? I personally like to pick how many of each type I want. For me the best of both worlds would be to offer the discount you suggested by purchasing a regimental pack but allowing me to decide which figures I want to make up the regimental pack.

DAF,

I don't know if this helps, but at 1:20 you would get the following typical unit sizes, including command etc:-

- British line any tie and post-Steuben Continental battalions 320 men max (16 figs);
- early war British flank battalions, German grenadiers, and pre-Steuben Continentals up to 480 (24);
- late war British flank and "double-size" line battalions (ie Highlanders and late arrivals) were 640+ (32);
- German line troops (regardless of type/state) and very early war Continentals were 600 (30);
- British and late-war Continental light dragoons would be about 240 (6 cavalry and 6 infantry);
- early war Continental light dragoons 200 (10);
- Rebel militia would vary, but "regiments" of about 300/320ish (16) were common;
- rifle-armed units could vary from 120-300 (12 figs is a rough average);
- most light artillery (3-, 4-, 6pdrs) operated in two-gun sections (1 gun & crew);
- heavy artillery usually in four-gun companies (2 guns & crews);
- Caribbean-based French infantry battalions were 400 (20)*;
- European-based French infantry battalions were 500 (25)+.

[* 20 would be 5 grenadiers AND 5 chasseurs plus 10 fusiliers;]
[+ 25 would be 5 grenadiers OR chasseurs plus 20 fusiliers.]

Not suggesting you should offer that many individual packs (a despatcher's nightmare!), but those are the common numbers.

I've not played BP, but almost every BG player I know in the UK uses these typical sizes when building their armies.

Nice work. So a mix of uniform and headgear with small numbers of militia figures mixed in. Would you include figures in hunting shirts, and would they be in companies or individuals?

I think you could mix in a couple of hunting shirts in a uniform coat regiment.

For hunting shirt regiments, I sometimes put the officers in coats.

So it looks like if we offered two regimental packs with 18 figures and 24 figures that this would cover most possibilities such as Black Powder, British Grenadier and Fife & Drum, among others.

Then we slap on a discount of 10% to 15% for the packs compared to the full price for ordering single figures. How does that sound?

That would work for me, indeed.

We think alike. Multiple positions, various clothing and bits of uniform jackets. That's how I do my Militia.

I'm thinking about getting into this period and putting together unit packages would make it easier to jump in with some of your miniatures. Units of 18 or 24 would seem to work best from my viewpoint.

Nice. Now for the off topic comment. It would be nice if there were standing command figures to use with firing or standing troops. Maybe a future idea for F&D.

I like the Continentals marching with various headgear and coat/hunting shirt. Units could also be in firing/loading positions. They, including the militia, were very much drilled. They just couldn't maneuver very efficiently.

I like most of the British in advance or trail arms as they were usually assaulting in open order (not skirmish).

Germans in march poses.

We have standing command figures for the hunting shirt figures:

I want to do the same for the soldiers wearing uniform coats.

I like the way these units are arrange with action variety, and spacing. If one wants their tabletop units to appear in motion, and to be able to cover a variety of combat actions [and different game formations], I can see how these stands work to enable this.

Well done!