15mm ECW Casualties for Pike And Shotte

Slowly but surely I'm increasing my 15mm ECW armies for Pike & Shotte. During a test game a couple of months ago it was obvious I needed some  sort of casualty markers as loose dice scattered across the table didn't cut the mustard.

Cue Donnigton miniatures casualty figure range. These figures work out around 30p each and they've a selection to cover just about all historical figures.

I ordered 20 mixed figures and collected them at Colours. Then I purchased a few 30mm diameter mdf bases from Products for Wargamers and some 7mm dice & frames from Pendraken those markers that were intended to follow units were mounted on round bases, those that I wanted to fit into the mdf movement trays with the foot regiments, were based on 40x20mm bases the same as the troops.

Now to work, making the casualty counters.

Having glued the figures and frames to the bases with PVA, the next step was to cover the surface of the exposed mdf with sand (avoiding the area inside the frame, of course!)

When dry the bases were primed with Army Painter leather brown paint.

Before painting the figure details the bases were dry brushed with light brown.

Large areas of colour were block painted next

And the horses were painted an orange brown.

Once all the details were painted the figures were all given a sepia wash before a spray coat of satin varnish followed by sprayed anti-shine matt varnish (all Army Painter products)

 Finally the bases were flocked and the dice added!

Finished and ready for use!! Really pleased with how these turned out. Quick and simple to complete and didn't break the bank either. Less than £10 for 20 markers.

More 15mm Pike & Shotte Units Finished

I'm finally settled into my new Wargame/Painting room. My kids (rather unkindly) call it my Loser Shed. I like to think they are just envious!

Production is ramping up! I've completed another 3 units of Pike & Shot figures for my 15mm ECW armies.

The sabot bases are from Products For Wargamers and represent excellent value for money. As well as making it easier to move regiments around the table, they prevent the figures sliding around in their Really Useful Storage Box.

The musketeers are all from the Gallia range stocked by Warrior Miniatures. The Pikemen are a mixture of old figures I had knocking around and I'm unsure who manufactured them. All are mounted on 40 x 20mm mdf bases to suit other rule sets (i.e. FOGr or DBR) to maximise flexibility.


I've still got plenty left to paint, so I hope I can keep this momentum up. In my lead mountain I have more Musketeers & Pikemen, Scottish Warband figures, Scottish Lancers, Dragoons and Cavalry as well as a couple more Battalia command groups and another General base to construct.

Pike & Shotte Rules – Warlord Games

Finally got around to trying out P&S in anger last night, using my 15mm ECW figures. I know it’s been out for ever, but I get distracted….OK?

Having loosely read them through, Two issues seemed odd to me.

1.       The splitting of infantry into separate musket and pike units

2.       The use of the “Hedgehog formation”.

Firstly, every ECW rules I’d ever encountered had combined infantry units (Pike & Shot together) and secondly, I’ve not read anywhere of the use of the “Hedgehog Formation” during the ECW and wondered how historically important it was?

So to this end we adopted combined units as per those advised on the Wargames Design blog.

I see that the new “To Kill a King” P&S supplement has finally introduced this option too.

The idea of the game was to become familiar with the rules mechanisms rather than test the skills and tactics of the players! So we just went for a straight forward encounter game, with both armies facing one another. All units assumed to be “Normal” in size and 2 Battalia per army with artillery support.

Early on my renowned dice rolling got me into a pickle with units failing to get off the starting blocks whilst others raced ahead breaking the line.

The main action took place in the centre where my semi-armoured Cuirassier pushed back my opponent’s infantry unit despite taking a casualty from the closing fire.

I decided not to follow up this with  a further charge and paid for it with an enemy counter-charge from their supporting cavalry, during their next move.

The demise of my Cuirassier started with them firstly having received a single casualty by fire from the pushed back infantry unit. As this was on a score of six, the Cuirassier became Disordered.

Then receiving a charge (even with delivering Closing Fire first) my unit failed to win the HTH and as they were Disordered, were destroyed. Harsh but probably fair……I should have followed things up.

This leads me to one issue that confused us all evening. The score of a natural six leading to Disorder. If that hit is later cancelled out by a Morale Save, does the Disorder still stand???

Anyone know?

All-in-all an enjoyable evening’s gaming. I think P&S’s mechanisms will be easily learnt as we play more and I think an exercise separating out those rules relevant only to the ECW would help there.

I think we will return……

ECW 15mm progress

Well despite my two nights a week away from home, and my epic commute, I'm still getting on with my ECW 15mm figures.

The latest batch to be completed are mainly horse. 

There's a mixture of three quarter armoured cuirassiers (6 bases worth including command) some ordinary Pistol armed cavalry and three command bases for a DBR army.

As well as these, there are three foot command bases (30mm dia. Bases) for Pike and Shotte commands.

I downloaded some flags from the Internet and printed them off. Stuck with PVA to florist wire flagpoles  they are quite serviceable at this scale.

I think I've finally Sussex how to paint convincing horses. I bought a very orangy brown Vallejo paint (name escapes me at present) that I painted the horse in. Then washed in Vallejo Sepia Dip followed by tail and mane painted in black. I added a white blaze on the nose and an occasional "sock" here and there and the finish looks ok. It was quick to do as well.

The mounted command bases also had grey and white horses (as recommended by Phil Barker in DBR). One base has a figure that looks like a partially armour clad Charles I.

The others, a more random looking command figure.

All in all I'm quite pleased with these as the army' s getting bigger by the week. In fact it'll be two small armies or one larger army. And as stated before, it should work with DBR or Pike and Shotte.

Next job is to finish my remaining foot. About 9-10 Pike bases (some with command figures) and my remaining Peter Laing Musketeers (again with Command).

That will leave a few Dragoons and a motley mixture if Scottish Cavalry and Scottish Warband figures to do. Then I'll have to work out how many additional figures I'll need to purchase.

Til next time... 

What's New

Well for a start I've recently changed jobs! This has left me travelling around 150 miles a day as we still have to sell our house to move nearer. Whilst this is a bit of a pain, the plus side is Colette says I can have a dedicated wargame room in our new house!! Can't wait.

I have been doing a few bits and bobs while we wait.

Namely painting up some 15mm ECW figures.

I've loved this period for ever but have still to find a set of rules I really like. I've got Pike and Shotte (by Warlord Games) which looks hopeful, and I've also been reading up on DBR.

These figures are all being based so as they coul be used for either set (infantry on 4x2cm and Cavalry on 4x3cm with Artillery on 4x4cm) they would also suit FoGR for that matter. With movement trays I could also use them for other sets too.

The figures are quite a mixture of manufacturers. I was given a tub of loose figures about 30 years ago, that when sorted out looked like there was at least one ECW army......but no musketeers.

I bought these (and four artillery pieces) from Peter Laing, who at that time lived just outside Hereford. Then I forgot all about them and they languished in the garden shed until I rediscovered them a month or two ago.

Now I've decided it's time they were finally painted and based and these are what I've finished so far. I estimate I'm about halfway through them with probably 15-20 cavalry bases and the same of infantry still to go. I think I'll still need some more musketeers and some standing dragons to complete things and I think I'll try some from Warrior Miniatures as they're only 21p a figure.

Watch this space.