New to ECW

[Correus]

Hello Everyone!

Right now I'm working on a handful of projects. One of which is a WG Roman army and an opposing Barbarian army.

However, I'm kicking around at the idea of building a couple, small, core WG ECW armies to face each other.

Thoughts, suggestions, army sizes?

Advice would be nice!!

[zedeyejoe]

My suggestion is to finish those ancient armies before starting on another project.

[mikeland]

I am working on Romans, Celts, Royalist, Parliamentarian and Covenanters armies, plus a WoTR force. Will be getting Brits and Zulus when the come out too. It just depends on how you work, some poeple like to work on more than one project at once. I don't currently game with any of my armies so this makes completing them less urgent and I enjoy the distraction of having a few things in the go.

Both of armies have 2 units of foot (44 miniatures each unit), and 1 of horse (12) each at the moment, plus some firelocks and a general each and 1 completed cannon. I am halfway through my 2nd parliamentarian cavalry set (actually bought the Swedish Cavalry for variation) Eventually they will have 3 foote, 2 horse, dragoons and a couple of cannon each.

But to start out I would start with a couple of boxes of foot. I base my units on an out of the box style. So 24 muskets 12 pike, 4 command, plus I have added and extra 4 pike each. But I would advise getting the TYW Imperial or Swedish boxes, these are just a few £ more than the standard ECW parliament/royalist but they each contain 5 metal figures and some extra metal rests, swinfeathers, hats, helmets. The plastic sprues are identical to the ECW ones, and the additional figures are entirely compatible with the ECW in terms of the period. Just don't use the swinefeathers from the swedish box, or give your musketeers the helmets.

I know some folk build smaller units, 16 muskets, 8-10 pike plus command. But I think the massed ranks of musket and larger pike blocks look great.

The firelocks box is good, and I used the spare arms from the firelocks with the spare body off the ECW foot sprue (each box set has 2 spare bodies) to make a couple more firelocks and split the firelocks box between the two armies

A target force would probably be 2-3 uints of foot each and 2 of horse. But this is just my suggestion.

[Invisible officer]

With my many different armies I'm the last to advice against another range, I love to work at different projects.

If you have a set of rules that you favour it will give you the size of units for it.

I myself dislike the points value units, I try to take a battle and use the real numbers of the units I represent. For most ages in 28mm I use a 1 in 25 ratio, but for WW II 1 in 1 .
Many years ago I started Naseby in 1/300 scale with a 1 in 10 ratio. For some of the smaller Royalist units a smaller ratio would not work well. Sure, the king's forces are much smaller and will hardly win a game but I prefer historic gaming not gaming for winning. I gladly accept to play with a low chance force, may be I do better than the original CO

[Correus]

My suggestion is to finish those ancient armies before starting on another project.

THAT I plan to do - I just like to start pre-planning.

[Correus]

I am working on Romans, Celts, Royalist, Parliamentarian and Covenanters armies, plus a WoTR force. Will be getting Brits and Zulus when the come out too. It just depends on how you work, some poeple like to work on more than one project at once. I don't currently game with any of my armies so this makes completing them less urgent and I enjoy the distraction of having a few things in the go.

Both of armies have 2 units of foot (44 miniatures each unit), and 1 of horse (12) each at the moment, plus some firelocks and a general each and 1 completed cannon. I am halfway through my 2nd parliamentarian cavalry set (actually bought the Swedish Cavalry for variation) Eventually they will have 3 foote, 2 horse, dragoons and a couple of cannon each.

But to start out I would start with a couple of boxes of foot. I base my units on an out of the box style. So 24 muskets 12 pike, 4 command, plus I have added and extra 4 pike each. But I would advise getting the TYW Imperial or Swedish boxes, these are just a few £ more than the standard ECW parliament/royalist but they each contain 5 metal figures and some extra metal rests, swinfeathers, hats, helmets. The plastic sprues are identical to the ECW ones, and the additional figures are entirely compatible with the ECW in terms of the period. Just don't use the swinefeathers from the swedish box, or give your musketeers the helmets.

I know some folk build smaller units, 16 muskets, 8-10 pike plus command. But I think the massed ranks of musket and larger pike blocks look great.

The firelocks box is good, and I used the spare arms from the firelocks with the spare body off the ECW foot sprue (each box set has 2 spare bodies) to make a couple more firelocks and split the firelocks box between the two armies

A target force would probably be 2-3 uints of foot each and 2 of horse. But this is just my suggestion.

Lots of great info!! Thanks!

[Cfury]

I tend to immerse myself in a particular period and get quite geeky about my accuracy, which is tough when so much of the information from the time of the ECW is patchy, one-sided or downright contradictory. A case in point, I have read stories of Thomas Fairfax riding into battle atop a jet black horse - yet another famous story about him is called 'The Rider On The White Horse'. I decided to go for white to make him stand out (and also I can't paint black horses, they just look like I haven't finished them!).

[Cubster]

Maybe he had two horses?

[mikeland]

Have to confess, I put my Fairfax on a Gray.

Perhaps my horse is a mix of the two!

I did this for purely aesthetic reasons and I had just done Gustavus on a white. The horse for the fairfax is a fantastic sculpt. I do agree with Cfury a little that it is a shame his head is turned though.

[Cfury]

Maybe he had two horses?

Maybe... hadn't thought of that.