Sikh War Horse Artillery Limbers 15mm Conversions

I wanted some 15mm horse artillery limbers for my Sikh War games.  No one makes them so I thought I’d have a go at converting some.   

I was lucky and for a good price got a couple of Napoleonic RHA limbers and riders from eBay.  Minifigs, which is good as they take a head swop exceedingly well and they scale fine with QRF Bengal Horse Artillery from whence the heads would come.

The actual conversion was quite straight forward.  Heads off and heads on and leave overnight.   

Then I needed to add green stuff to build up the boots and lengthen the horse hair plumes.  

They won't be winning any prizes but I’m pleased with them. Here they are Bengal Horse Artillery limbers.

The Sikh Khalsa Horse Artillery was a bit more challenging.  I bought some Irregular Miniatures Hungarian Horse Artillery Limbers. The size was right and the figures seemed to lend themselves easily to conversion.  I needed to do three things with green stuff:

First build an imitation busby around the low shakoes the riders wore.

Second build up Sikh baggy trousers on the riders and add big beards.

Thirdly add braid to the coat of the riders and a cord to the hat.

I think the hats might be a bit big but I’ll live with it. The rest I’m happy with.  Here they are.

Irish Targeteers in 15mm- Conversions

If you are doing the Nine Years War in 15mm you are going to need some Irish targeteers and you are going to have to convert your own.  This post is about how to do so.  If you are working in larger scales I hope the following is still of use to you.

First you are going to need some Irish figures holding a sword they can look like this.

Or they can look like this.

QRF will do you for the first with lots of variants. 

Essex do a figure based on the second. If you ask nicely, they’ll do you a pack.  I mixed both together above.

We have, so far as I know, only one image of Irish targeteers.  They appear on the picture-map of the Battle of The Yellow Ford where they are about to cut up Sir Richard Percy's disorganised regiment. 

The figures, bottom centre above, are small but we can see that they wear morions, carry shields and all are sword in hand.  Further detail eludes us.

Now, and this is crucial, you need some figures wearing a morion that will fit exactly with your Irish figures. I used Miniature Figurines Tudor English pike men.  Subsequently I discovered Peter Pig make heads wearing morions and cabasset helmets - I've sent off for some.

Yes, we are talking head swops.  There is something about decapitating figures that gives you pause when you have the Nine Years War in mind.

With a sharp blade carefully remove all the heads.  Then mix some green stuff, a little sticky this time.  Apply a minute ball of it to each neck with the bulk to the rear.

Gently press your heads onto the necks.  The surplus green stuff will rise at the back giving you long Irish hair beneath rear of the morion.  Incise this with the edge of a blade.

Set aside and let it dry overnight.

Next you need to add the targets.  These are not small shields. Think Spanish Rondelos rather than Highlanders.  I bought some medium round shields from Essex which are right enough.  I stuck them on with green stuff but you could glue them.  You will notice a  Spanish adarga shield in the mix.  There was an awful lot of Armada salvage to be found in the Irish Army and I couldn't resist it.

There you have it Irish targeteers in 15mm and just the lads to terrify shaken pike men.  I should add that targeteers were an important part of the new Irish Army.  Following Mountjoy's restructuring they became an important part of the English Army too.

Anglo Sikh War 15mm Command

My Anglo Sikh War games require command stands of Generals and Brigadiers.  I thought it might be useful to see what I had and where it all came from.  If you are considering the Sikh Wars in 15mm I hope you find it helpful. Let’s start with the British.

 

Here’s Sir Henry Hardinge Governor General of Bengal.  He started his lead life as a French officer from Black Hat.  I added plumes.  In real life he was a ex Peninsular veteran who had lost a hand in battle.  Annoyingly no sooner had I added the plumes when I came across the image of him above without any.  I tell myself they must have been shot off.

Sir Hugh ‘Paddy’ Gough another Peninsular veteran.  

He began lead life as a Black Hat Prussian officer.  I added his famous white ‘fighting coat’ with green stuff.  In real life high British casualties led to the Anglo-Irish Gough being much maligned for unsophisticated tactics.  The record shows otherwise, at Mudki he attempted a double envelopement.  He was apparently much loved by his troops.  

British Brigadiers from QRF and Black Hat now at Fighting 15s in that order.

Sikh high command here from QRF.  The lad in half armour is from their Indian Native Princes pack and is accompanied by an Akali.  I'm pleased to show this photo as unusually for QRF they don't have one on their website.

Here's another from the same pack based on a portrait of Lal Singh the General who betrayed his army to the British. 

 

I've added a plume and placed him with a Khalsa sharpshooter.

 Various Sikh commanders from Black Hat and QRF in that order.

Here are two Sikh Brigadiers, converted from Irregular's Sikh Dragoons by simply removing their carbines and adding a hackle like plume. I'll need a couple more of these.

 

I have a couple of US/Mexican War American officers who will be pressed into British service too.  Finally, two British Generals from Black Hat/Fighting 15s I'm puzzled by the head gear.