"Poor quality troop can make for great fun" Topic

I have quite a few units of, how shall I say it, less than great troops. I really enjoy painting the up and getting them on the table. There is some magical about when they act above their expectations.

Among my favorites are:

The Natal Native Contingent.

German Volkstrum and their counterparts in the Home Guard (Dad's Army).

Any number of Egyptian units in the Sudan.

Spanish American War Cubans.

And any number of peasant militias be they European or Japanese farmers.

What are your favorites?

My AWI militia are just those troops. We had a game where my militia were behind a stone wall and turned back 3 British units before being routed by grenadiers….they have bloodied many a nose….I love their pluck!

Absolutely. I'll take Spanish or Italian/Neopolitan Napoleonic troops any time.

I also have Natal Native Contingent, Egyptians for the Nile River campaigning, and several units of medieval peasants.

Jim

Yes, I have two brigades of AWI militia and love to use them.

Soviet WWII militia/conscripts. The human wave goes to 11!

My favorite go to troops for WW2 are the Italians.

I'm working on Egyptians for the early Sudan campaigns. Particular attention being paid to the bashi-bazouks. Billy Hicks and others thought the bashi-bazouks were better to have around than the Egyptian line infantry, and once I get enough figures for a game, I want to experiment with this idea.

And then, I have a Greek army for the 1897 Greco-Turkish War.

Grelber

My Tonga Askaris for my African Lakes Company army, for the Karonga War, in what would one day become Malawi. They are described by Captain Lugard (in rather typical Victorian terms)

"Each day a rough drill was carried out, mainly with a view to teaching these raw savages how to hold and point a gun – aiming was of course beyond them"

Luckily for them their Arab Slaver opponents were also not particularly impressive soldiers.

I did a 'Blue Oyster Cult' army for HOTT. 1 Priest, 1 god (the Grim Reaper) or 4 Hordes, 17 Hordes.
I can't remember whether it ever won a game.

Back in the days of WRG 4th (maybe 5th it's been awhile) had a Kievian Rus army with a unit of Irreg D Bulgar heavy cavalry if you kept them happy it was pretty easy to get them to go impetuous then someone was dying

Back when I did a little WARHAMMER, I had a snotling army using hundreds of old Ral Partha goblins. Great fun, though I do not recall ever winning a game.

Another vote for the Gobbos – No. 4 son liked them so I have hundreds of the little rascals; good thing about 'em, if the first wave gets wiped out, send in another!

I also like Mexican troops – not always poor quality but most certainly the underdogs especially when up against US infantry

While not necessarily poor quality troops, I have a soft spot for Austrians from the SYW and Napoleonics – may not have won a lot of battles, but I like them; plus as noted there is something very gratifying about watching your whitecoats repel an assault by French grenadiers

Blackshirts for Operation Compass.

ECW clubmen and of course Napoleonic cossacks, they exist to annoy French players.

Troops with low to average motivation and morale are often the most fun to play. Elites will just stay on task and get the mission done. You have to figure out how to get the regulars and recruits to not run away.

Bashi-Bazouks for the win! I always say "Anyone can win a game playing the 1st Guards armored parachute ski marines; winning with Bashi-Bazouks is something to be proud of."