Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Lanceros de Tortosa

I've been able over the last couple of weeks to add four new groups to my Carlist Wars collection although I haven't posted pictures of two of them since they are just add-ons to two of my 12-figure Carlist infantry units, making them 18 figures each. These additions push the collection over the 230 mark. I only have about 40 figures left to paint and then the planned project is completed.

First up are the Lanceros de Tortosa. I chose these because of the unique sky-blue tunics and red facings. Finishing this unit I found myself in a conundrum I'm sure is familiar to many figure painters. I spent some time and effort equipping these figures with the fiddly but very nice lance pennons from the Adolfo Ramos collection. I thought that these really set off the unit but as I checked my painting notes, I noticed that the pennons were supposed to be red-yellow-red. Damn, I thought...do I leave them? Probably nobody would be the wiser. Or do I rip 'em off and get the proper type? So I went back to the source and was somewhat mollified to find that it said "pennons may have been red-yellow-red" (Conrad Cairns, A Savage and Romantic War, Spain 1833-1840). OK, I thought, I can live with the ambiguity. But as I was reading the passage I came upon another note which I had obviously missed or (more likely) chose to omit when I was originally researching the uniforms of this unit. Apparently, they were supposed to have brass shoulder scales. This issue was actually much easier to deal with, since you can see from the picture below that the figures don`t have shoulder scales. In fact, to my knowledge, Carlist cavalry figures aren`t available with them. Besides, justifying their absence would be easier in a conflict in which there was a decided dearth of adherence to regulations.

I wonder how often these types of compromises are made by gamers. Quite often, I suspect. Of course, there was no need to confess the ambiguities. It would have been unlikely that I would have been confronted with someone calling me on it. And if someone were to do such a thing in one of my hosted games....well, those who know me well enough also know what my reaction would be.

Lanceros de Tortosa. Perry Miniatures with Adolfo Ramos lance pennons.

The second batch is made up of Carlist guerrilleros (or they could simply be poorly-equipped infantry). These are a motley bunch and took a bit longer to paint than their regular infantry brethren. They are akin to ACW confederates in this way. More variation in colours and types of clothing and equipment makes for more time switching paints. These are some of the Perry brothers best figures in the Carlist Wars line and they are led by a suitably heroic Big Man (waving his sword in the center of the frame). I must devise a suitably tongue-in-cheek name for this fellow!

Carlist guerilleros. Perry Miniatures with Adolfo Ramos flag.

Up next some additions to the British Auxiliary Legion in the form of lancers and rockets!

1 comment:

  1. Dave - these are really excellent. Love Perrys and have particularly admired their eclectic Carlist Wars range. The figures above are nicely done, full of character. Particularly that lairy chap in front waving the sword!

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