Advice needed to build first Regiment`s

[grant]

Musket rests had really started to disappear by the time of the ECW, much more prominent in the TYW.

[BigMike]

Grant is right about the musket rests. As for volley fire i suspect that while commanders would have tried to achieve volley firing the odds of getting it off after the first shots were fired were low. Remember, in the English civil wars in particular the majority of troops were conscripts and training would likely have been pretty ad hoc. Plus both side, and the Royalist armies in particular were often critically short of powder for any sorts of massed firing drills.

Which regiments have you got in mind to do?

[bobrunnicles]

I have just bought the pike and shotte starter battalia and dont seem to have any instructions,i would like to split the box set up to make a small royalist unit and parlimentarians with the rest,can any one tell me how to differentiate between the two on the sprue,hats etc, Thanks

I also just got started on my first battalia and I can honestly say I was surprised at the lack of any assembly instructions. I have it pretty much figured out now except for the command figures, I can't tell what is meant to go where. Are the instructions online anywhere? Does anyone have a scan maybe?

[grant]

It is pretty much just figure it out. It's not that bad once you get going on it.

[Wargaming Dad]

Gezz100, Hope your painting like a mad thing. I only got into ECW about 2 years ago at my local club. I now have completed the Eastern Association of The Parliament Army, using W/lord figs, which are a delight to paint (see Cavendish's photo's from' Edghill at Phalanx' on this forum ) I don't know that much about ECW but one thing is sure, there is little hard and fast evidence (compared to other era's) re Regimental colours and Regimental flags. As other's have advised,I generally paint orange sashes on the officer figs for Parliament (Hoorah!!) and Red for the Royalist fops (Boo!!). You can more or less paint your figs how you like (within the era of course...no cammo or fluorescent coats, lol ) and if anyone say's it's wrong..ask them to prove it with at least 3 unrelated documentary sources...and don't accept"Well according to Peter Young..blah blah blah"

Have fun, enjoy your gaming and don't take it too seriously (much like the ethos of Black Powder (and Pike and Shotte))
For God, England and Parliament!!

Wargaming Dad

[BigMike]

Welcome aboard W-D.

Couldn't agree more with your general painting advice!

Couldn't disagree more with the epithets you've added to describe the protagonists!

Also i think we'd all enjoy seeing the pictures of your fun-hating, sour-puss, grumpy face, eastern association lot!
Mike

[Cfury]

I got into the Pike and Shotte by being somewhat obsessed by the ECW and simultaneously disgusted by GW prices. I got a cavalry box set and a commander figure and never looked back! As a new Dad my painting time is limited by a little girl's demands on my time, but whenever I can I break out the paint station! I'm painting a Parliamentarian army at the moment aiming for a pre-NMA era, so all in grey coats and 'sad colours' (ie dull!).

[Wargaming Dad]

Big Mike, thanks for your comments (I shall have your head on Pike, you Royalist Cuckold ) , check out Cavendish's photo's of 'Edghill at Phalanx' on the ECW index on this forum, or if you really want to see the Lord General in action, go to Phalanx 2012 reports on '28mm Heaven' or ''Arlequin's blog' to see our display (I'm the one in the black shirt drinking coffee)

Also, for Cfury, I too use 'sad' colours, I wash my figs with slightly water thinned GW 'Badab Brown' wash - or whatever it's called now ,to tone down the brightness. I don't imagine the dyes used at the time were particularly lightfast anyway and soon faded or washed out.

One God, One England!! (Laughter and Merrymaking will not be tolerated)

W-D

[Dream17]

Just about to restart. Tried a few years ago with Warhammer Civil war rules. I like the differences with P&S. No units yet but ordered my first commander... John Hampden and colours plus a base and a command sprue from ebay. Re-reading All the Kings armies and a couple of other books. Any idea's what colours I can use for the Bucks Trained bands? first Battalia will be 2 units of Hampdens Greenecoates and one of trained bands