"Creating a 15mm Queen's Rangers or British Legion force" Topic

I am thinking of collecting a Queen's Rangers or British Legion force for Sharp Practice or Black Powder. First of all, what rules would you recommend for someone looking to control a force of no less than 8-10 units? How big are the games usually in Sharp Practice?

As for the minis, I know several manufacturers make 15mm minis for the Queen's Rangers. Can anyone advise on which manufacturers mix well together? What minis best represent the Queen's Rangers' Highland company, grenadiers, and dragoons? I think Freikorps actually makes minis for those Highlanders but I don't know whether they are easily available or any good.

Apart from generic Loyalist militia, what other British/Loyalist units would historically pair well with a Queen's Rangers or British Legion force as supports?

In the Loyalist special issue of Time Portal Passages, we listed every engagement involving Loyalist troops.
Both units were combined with Native Nations warrior on raids.

The Peter Pig Queen's Rangers are nice, but I had to make putty busbies for the grenadiers. I used Minifigs for a rifle company. Then highlanders in green coats.

A really good suggestion, thanks TimePortal.

I heard the Peter Pig 15mm are a bit small compared to others?

Peter Pig, Essex and QRF all fit well together height-wise. Depending on the range, Miniature Figurines can be a bit taller; however, their AWI range is quite small compared to the Napoleonic range, so also fit well with the Peter Pig, Essex, and QRF miniatures.

I've used all of the above in my 1788 Norwegian army without any issues.

All in all, you can't go wrong with Peter Pig.

Hope this helps.

Happy gaming!

Thanks Swampking! Very helpful!

How long does a game of Sharp Practice take, playing with 9 units/groups?

And how do Old Glory 15mm fit with others?

I don't know enough about 15mm to help. Plus when it comes to the BL's infantry, good luck. The uniform isn't well documented. For skirmish games though both units are good candidates.

Well I found an old issue of TPP and reviewed it.
Over 135 different Loyalist units and I may have missed a few. For example the Loyal Queens County Regiment consisted of 17 militia companies plus 3 troops of Light Dragoons while other units contained only one company.

The Queens Rangers under Simcoe was very active 1778-79. The combined with both Regulars, Natives and Loyalist units. Often Simcoe was the overall commander of the combined force.
Queens Loyal Rangers under Major Peters aka Peters Corp was a different unit. They lasted from 1777-81.
Queens American Rangers were the Queens Rangers.1776-83.
They were in large battles, raids and skirmishes.
Any particular year or region are your interest?

I am interested mostly in Simcoe's rangers and I am in the middle of the Donald Gara book.

Do you have any orders of battle for the Queen's Rangers from any year? I am thinking of creating a scenario and I was wondering how many companies and troops Simcoe usually took with him in battle. At Spencer's Ordinary, I believe he had some hussars, two troops of dragoons, the Highland, grenadier, and light companies, plus two centre companies and a light cannon. He was also supported by jagers.

No data is by commands, not broken into companies or firing platoons.

Ah so what info do you have for the Queen's Rangers from 1778 to 1781?

My favorite units were the Carolina/ Florida Rangers commanded by the same guy, Colonel Browne. I have a fascinating book about him and his operations.
Another unit from the north was Butlers Rangers. A vast number of their operations were conducted with Native Allie's.
In 1778, they addd a Hussar troop to the 8 companies of Line and one Grenadier. Hussar had 30 men.
The 3 Light Dragoon troops of 30 men each was added in 1780.
Mid year 1779 counted 297 men. They where very active and cooperated with Kings Rangers, 1st Loyal American Regiment,
In 1780 when the went to SC the regiment numbered 400 and engaged in several actions. They were down to 320 by Yorktown.
The seem to have picked up a 3 per cannon in June of 1781.
There is indications that the unit retained high muster numbers by drawing men from other units, especially those they operated and brigaded with.

Which British cavalry units were dressed in green like the British legion?

Many Loyalist wore green since it was the official color for Loyalist.
I will look for more Wednesday.
One Loyalist unit was the one composed of Hessian volunteers when the British gained Charleston and needed mounted troops to patrol SC.

Thanks!

Also weren't all provincials ordered to switch to red uniforms by 1778? That is of course, excepting the Queen's Rangers and British Legion.

Hey TheMapleLeafForever,

Here's my Queen's Rangers made up from Polly Oliver 15mm minis, with grenadier and Lt. infantry bodies getting grafted-on Queen's Rangers Grenadier and Lt. Inf. caps or heads from Freikorps minis (the kneeling riflemen are Freikorps unaltered if I remember correctly – but been 30 years).

Btw, you may have seen that Warlord Games has just announced they're coming out with Epic AWI strips and single-molded figs now – the line infantry figures are sculpted in close order, but I think a lot of the skirmishing infantry and cavalry could be used with existing [small-size 15mm] lines perhaps.

My Polly Oliver figs here are lean-sculpted 15s, so thinkin' some of the new Warlord plastics might match fine (I still need British Lt. Dragoons after all these years)!

Thanks FlyXwire! Really awesome looking figures! I'm guessing you modelled yours after the Queen's Rangers in pre-1780?

If anyone has got pictures of the Freikorps Queen's Rangers please post them! The pictures on the few sites that sell these minis have absolutely terrible pictures.

Thank you TMLF!

Frankly, I'd have to go back and look at my collection notes to see if I designed a target timeline for my formation – but the flank companies didn't all form at the same time if I remember correctly, so the unit has some wiggle-room built in.

Ok, I just checked my AWI leftovers – and still have packs of Freikorps QR Grenadiers (RWB23), QR Highlanders (RWB24), and the 'Riflemen' (no pack number left).

Here they are (all figs in each pack are the same pose, EXCEPT for the riflemen, which seems to have the kneeling fig that's pictured below, and an advancing fig with a bayonet-fixed musket? too (these lt. cap figs may have been jumbled together over the years also) – or perhaps this bayonet-fixed fig is Freikorps' line company sculpt.

Thanks a ton!! This is so helpful! It looks like they will fit in well with Peter Pig. I wonder if Old Glory Queen's Rangers will also fit.

How many figures are in each pack?

I have fielded armies in 15mm from several companies in the past. Minifigs in the 1970-90s, Stone Mountain for decades.

You're very welcome.

I'll guess 10 per pack, as that's what is still in the QR Highlander bag here, which I didn't use for heads, or as complete figures.

(this assuming what Freikorps still bags now)

TimePortal, I think many of my collection's mounted officers and some flag bearers were Stone Mountain minis too!

Where are you getting Freikorps from? There seems to be only two places that sell it online. One of them is QRF in the UK and they haven't been responding to emails. Another one is in the US; Scale Miniatures I think.

To me TMLF?

What Freikorps figs you're seeing pictured here are from my 30-year-old lead leftovers (that's at least how old my collection is now).

It's old, but still pretty sharp-looking, and will be hitting the tabletop again pretty soon too -

TMP link

No doubt, there's going to be new interest in small-scale AWI [battles] gaming, spurred by Warlord coming out with their new Epic plastics (but the AWI has been "Epic" for a long time).

A couple of my Royalist Brigades below (mostly Polly Oliver 15s, with some Stone Mountain, and Essex.

I love the basing too, Flywire.

Yeah Freikorps doesn't seem to be easily available for me. I wonder if they even have a website?

Hey Mapleleaf, you need to be more exact in unit information.
Uniforms were very hard to pen down. So many exceptions. Remember uniforms were provided by whoever financed the unit. It could be the units Colonel, the British Army, the colonial Governor or local governments such as towns or cities.
For example the reds issued to the British Army were red but sold or issued to the governors or other establishments. Some just did not reissue them to the units.
For example units raised after the fall of Charleston were issued red coats with yellow facings. Sc Royalist, loyal Militia, light dragoons, all received red coats with yellow facings.
Some units change multiple times, the Bucks County Dragoons started with red coats with Buff facings, changed to green coats as part of the Queens Rangers, but then changed to red when in 1780 it was transferred to the regular British Army. to

Out of curiosity, has anyone tried the 28mm Queen's Rangers minis from BrigadeGames? How do they fit with Old Glory's 28mm Queen's Rangers

In May[?] 1779 most of the the Provincial Corps were ordered into red coats, with a few units, (the 1st American Regiment Queens Rangers), being one of few that kept the green.