Wednesday 20 January 2021

AHPC XI - Mike W - Late 17th Century dismounted Polish Dragoons

Second post of the day is a group of dismounted Polish Dragoons that have just been completed. These eight figures were added to the painting pile to bulk out a similar group of 12 figures that I had completed over the summer. You can find a link to our club website <HERE> to see further details of this earlier group...

Unpainted figures ready to be painted

The aim was to add enough figures to the existing unit to expand it out to 3 full squadrons each of 6 figures, plus a couple extra to allow additional flexibility for the fielding of a second regiment - hence an additional standard bearer and officer figure in the new group. Painting was designed to allow the new group to be integrated into the existing figure group.

Finished group of Polish Dragoons

Figures were old Essex models acquired via eBay and they appealed to me as they give a good motley mixture of poses and dress types that agrees with my view of how these early dragoons operated.

Another view of the new group of figures

Figures were undercoated in white before having blue jackets added to red trousers and hats. the hats were varied , I even added one figure with out a hat by replacing this with a plastic Gripping Beast Dark Ages Archer's head.

Mixture of dress styles to promote the diversity of dress 
likely to have been found in such units at the time

I also kept the fire lock muskets on this group to add another layer of variety to add to the over all group.

The flag is based on an image of an old Polish Cossack flag that I found on the internet.

A simple blue flag with White cross was selected as an alternative regimental banner.

I washed the painted figures with watered down Dark tone Army Painter ink and varnished with Newton & Windsor's Matt varnish.

The two groups of figures deployed together for the first time

Bases were completed with fine sand cover and electrostatic grass.