General de Brigade

[Gentleman Johnny]

It seems I managed to get the technology to work first time, first pictures...
Indians in the woods; the dragoon redoubt is far right, part of Nichols force has crested the hill in the centre:

I lay no claims to be in the same league as Giles/Silver Whistle/Orange etc etc etc and YES these are 'Heretic' 1/72 plastics... It's not that I don't like Perry/Eurika etc, I just happen to quite like these little guys too...
Herrick's Vermont Rangers are being observed but appear to have rumbled it:

A general view of the Redoubt and the river beyond; Skene is quite animated explaining something to Baum

A closer look at the Dragoons with customised musicians and flag - Skene is obviously giving some more inappropriate and ill-conceived advice to Baum. Hope he is remembering to do it in German... Depending on your screen dimensions this is probably 3xActual size

Hesse Hanau Artllery and the Canadians at the bridge: the 4 canadians have had head-swaps to enable them to wear the correct headgear.

Hesse Hanau Jaegers - with one of my very unimaginative casualty markers. Green is DP's, Red is casualties, Yellow is removed casualties (so as not to have to try to remember if there were 16 or 18figs when calculating 50% or 25% attrition...) and Blue is occasionaly used to indicate excess figures ie scenario says 18figs but my battalion has 20 so 2 spots on the blue dice...

Pfister's view. Note the wife and daughter loading muskets for father and son in this family group

The Loyalist camp.

The mounted riflemen

A general view from Stark's position. Sorry about the glare on the hill, Manchester daylight is not easy to control!...

We've played through Bennington as a full game three times now, with the current game (most of these pictures) being incomplete as yet. It has produced two unsuprising tidal-wave/steamroller type victories for Stark but ONE amazing result in the previous game...
The Redoubt's artillery piece managed to put Herrick on 3DP's, the indians - who we agreed to leave in the orbat for colour and exotica - were in a good position and charged Herrick in the flank routing him in the subsequent melee. They (of course) failed the pursuit test and badly carved up one of Nichols' units before dispersing - greatly easing the pressure on the redoubt. Meanwhile things had not been going Stark's way at the bridge (due to some Newly-Painted-Unit type rolling by quite veteran militia) and he had stalled - with a lot of DP's on most units. A double six from the Jaegers actualy caused a risk to general on the subsequent re-roll (skermishers firing) and Stark to panic/flee the field taking most of his force with him at the next morale stage.
I doubt this outcome - had it occurred in 1777 - would have made much difference (other than to Stark!)
Breyman would have arrived with the grenadiers and lights eventualy and probably decided - with or without Skene's assistance - to stay where they were overnight and rejoin Burgoyne in the morning, rather than push on to the stores at Bennington and pursue the militia. The net strategic effect would be unchanged for both sides, and, as Stark was heading for obscurity even after the victory anyway the debacle would have been quietly swept under the carpet.
Thanks again to everyone on the GdB forum for the lashings of assistance with all my petty rule queries and requests for uniform information!
GJ

[Ronan the Librarian]

Excellent set-up, obviously a lot of hard work gone into researching and converting. Did you use 25/28 or 15/18 sized bases?

Bad luck getting sunshine in Manchester. Someone throw "Act of God" on the weather dice table?
_________________
You can lead a horse to water, but a toy soldier can no longer be lead (due to Health & Safety Regulations).

[Gentleman Johnny]

RtL
Thank you; I have to say that you answered most or the questions that were thrown up! So I can hardly claim to have researched myself... I did read a fair bit though!
They are based as 25/28mm, with the exception that the German infantry (other than Breyman/Barner's Battalions) are actually based 3 deep.
I've done this with the French too.
I know Riedesel drilled the Brunswickers in Canada in a more British style - so they probably should be in 2s; but it gives a shorthand for which are line and which are 2nd line, plus the Brunswicks will have to stand in for Donop/Knyphausen/Rall etc etc when required anyway.
Manchester GB is a bit further from Bennington than Manchester Vermont - so I've not been... However! I used Google-Earth to get the proportions and distances. Very handy.
It doesn't tell me depth of the river or speed of flow, but it does indicate a good 300feet difference above sea level between the bridge and the redoubt.
Having the river only passable via the bridge makes it quite a challenge for the Americans, there is a real choke-point and a lot of units to get in eachothers way !
DP penalties for fording it didn't seem to make enough difference.
GJ

[Silver Whistle]

Wow! What a superb set-up.
Some nice camera shots there and the Loyalist camp, redoubt, fencing and trees are wonderful. I would never have looked twice at the smaller plastic figures but these have a nice quality about them (and plenty of variation) and your painting has done them justice.
I enjoyed seeing the battle report through the eyes of your camera, keep them coming. 8)
Pat.

[Giles]

GJ, like everyone else I think this is a mighty fine set-up and lovely, atmospheric pics. The camp and settlers are excellent - someone really ought to do the former in 25mm metals... Keep the pics coming

[Ronan the Librarian]

GJ,

There's a book called "War over Walloomscoick" by Philip Lord Jnr. If you don't already have it, try and obtain a copy as it gives a tremendous insight not only into the action at Bennington, but also into the countryside in up-state New York, which is very useful for designing skirmish games.
_________________
You can lead a horse to water, but a toy soldier can no longer be lead (due to Health & Safety Regulations).

[Gentleman Johnny]

Thank you chaps!
These figures are not everyones cup-of-tea, so your encouragement is doubly appreciated!

I noticed "War over Walloomscoick" in various bibliographies and am keeping an eye out for it... Will look a bit harder now!
IMEX (who produced most of the milita figures in these pix - and the 17thC 'Pilgrims' that I transformed in the camp scene) are apparently working on a FIW range involving Mohawk Indians and Rogers Rangers. I'm hoping the Rangers will not need too much adjustment to use as Butlers' Rangers i/o Rogers... no date for release yet though so it could be a while!
There is indeed plenty of scope for smaller engagements in the woods/farmsteads of New England and I must confess to finding 'Drums Along The Mohawk' more satisfying a film than 'The Patriot'!!!
GJ