Thursday 5 January 2017

From PeterD 28mm SYW Light Dragoons (FOR THURSDAY FINAL)


For my second entry I have a group of 9 British 15th Light Dragoons (or Elliot's Light Horse) from the Seven Years War.  These are the second of the three projects that I started on Boxing Day (that's December 26th for Yankees or St. Stephen's Day for the Irish).  The figures are Perry Miniatures from their AWI range and are lovely figures that I really enjoyed painting.  These will serve in my Sharp Practice British SYW force alongside Keith's Highlanders. 

It seems that you can tell a Brit that he's a light cavalryman and dress him like a fop, but he'll still try to run over what ever is in his path.  The 15th was the first British Light Dragoon Regiment (raised in 1759) and set the tone early for this tendency.  Shipped to Germany they joined the polyglot Allied army on July 15, 1760 and fought at Emsdorf the very next day.  Elliott's did most of the fighting at Emsdorf, charging French Infantry twice and capturing an entire battalion.

Enough history and back to the figures.  Again I am morphing AWI figures to serve in the SYW.  In this case, it doesn't seem that uniforms for light dragoons changed much between 1760 and 1776.  I checked with my goto source and got the following info on the SYW uniform (you could probably heat my fist pump as I read this).


We have not found any primary source describing the uniform of this regiment. Several part of our description are assumptions based on the uniforms of the regiments of dragoons.
I took this to read "we got nothing, do what ever looks right".  War-games fashion police might try to haul me on minor issues with shabraques, cuffs and shoulder straps to which I reply Pffffffffft!   

The figures themselves are excellent, a little beefier than other Perrys with good active poses, lovely detail and great horses.  They certainly look like hard campaigners with their carbine muzzles wrapped for protection and the well stuffed extra saddle bags of fodder and plunder.

I didn't notice one bit of detail until I was finishing the figures.  There is a lovely plate embossed on front of the elegant helmets which picks out nicely with white paint.  However, the Perrys correctly sculpted these as 17th Light Dragoon, and therefore gave helmet the skull and crossbones emblem specific to that unit.  I tried to be selective in picking out the details in order to give the impression of the White Horse of Hanover instead.



I make this 9 28mm cavalry figures at 10 points a pop = 90 points.

They look brilliant, Peter!
I rather like the jackets with the black facings, and you even picked out some gold trim on them too! They do have some very healthy horses too, I admit I'm a very big fan of the Perry Historical line and would have a lot more if my wife allowed me to. ;)
9 dragoons on galloping horses in 28mm is worth 90 pts, but I'll pip you up to 95 for the gold lace. I've a project lurking and paint splattered on my desk that is well outside my norm and comfort zone. Groups like this may make me a touch trepidatious, but are also great inspiration! ;) 

34 comments:

  1. Good looking troop of horse there

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  2. Thanks For the comments and points David. I need to take better photos next time! The facings are green and the lace is white, except for gold on the officer.

    As for the Perrys, forgiveness is often easier to obtain than permission (but I didn't say that). Price and service is excellent btw.

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    1. I'll blame the Pottawatomie in me, obviously I was blinded by pretty horses that need stealing! ;)

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  3. It is hard taking decent photos of models in the Dark. Despite the season these do look very nice, I know nothing of the SYW but each time it comes up on the challenge I do get interested in it. And these are pushing me closer to getting an army..... all I really need is A DBA type set of rules and I would probably give it a go this year. (DBA meanin small armies and easy rules!)

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    1. Thanks Clint. Next lot of pics I'll take upstairs now the young 'un is back at Uni and I get my study back. Black powder would be suitably low brain cell and there is a supplement to cover the period. There's also a ton of toy soldiers sh sets out there.

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  4. Excellent work on these, really dynamic and pretty(!)

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    1. Thanks Martin. Prettiness counts in the lace wars era!

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  5. Great looking regiment

    Ian

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  6. what is not to like SYW check Perry Sculpts Check well painted check.
    Great work

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  7. Great work Peter. I always loathe painting cavalry, but feel pretty great once a unit it finished, so I hope you are psyched to have these fellows completed. Well done.

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    1. Thanks Greg. I always enjoy painting horses (at least well cast ones like these).

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  8. Fantastic work, Peter, another very strong entry from this period for you and as I said the last time, your brushwork is constantly improving.
    I think your "Pffft" philosophy is spot on, I subscribe to the same school of thought with my Napoleonics. Do what you like and play with your toys is our motto!

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    1. Thanks a lot Mike. I find my work ones and goes, but I am pleased with these guys.

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  9. A great looking unit, Peter!

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  10. A cracking troop of Light Horse - lovely job Peter!

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  11. Wonderful work Peter. Love the basing!

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    1. Thanks Millsy. Kudos to Curt for steering me in the right direction with basing.

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  12. Very dramatic, and great basing!

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  13. Very nice indeed! I'm with you on the "paint sensible colours and don't worry too much about the exact shade of blue on the cuffs" when I occasionally dabble with Historicals.

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  14. I always struggle with this period due to the colors, the details, and the more details... great work on them and en mass as well.. great show!

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    1. Thanks MrLee. The right figures make the details much easier to paint.

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