My TYW forces so far:

Le Grande Conde, 

Commanders Comte de Gassion, Marquis de la Ferte, Baron de Sirot

5 cannons (3 light, 2 medium)

Croat Cavalry (Raab)

2 x Cuirassiers (Gardes de Duc)

2 x Cavalry (Sully, La Claviere)

6 Infantry Battalions (Mixed/Duplessis Joigny, Piemont, Von Roll, Gardes Ecossais, Picardie, La Marine)

TYW update

 I've been working hard on my French TYW units for Rocroi. 

Firstly, the Picardie Infantry battalion (1898 minituras)

La Claviere cavalry regiment (Warlord)

La Marine Infantry battalion (A mixture of 1898, 1st Corps, Bloody Miniatures and a couple of others)

Gardes de Duc Curaissiers (TAG)

Casualties (Bloody Miniatures, 1st Corps)

Piedmont, Cavalry de Sully, Light Gun and another Commander

 More forces for my TYW French Army

First, the Piedmont Infantry Regiment. 

Next, the Cavalry Regiment de Sully. Lovely 1898 Minituras figures. Great animation.

A light cannon, from Empress. I like the limber being included as well.

And the third of my commanders for Rocroi. I'll use him as Baron de Sirot, commander of the Reserve at Rocroi.

Le Grande Condé

 Here is the main commander for the French at Rocroi, Louis de Bourbon, Duke d'Enghien, known as "The Grande Conde"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis,_Grand_Cond%C3%A9

The figure is from Warlord Games. The banner is home made.

TYW Cuirassiers and Commander

 Some more photos for your delectation - TYW Cuirassiers and a Commander.

TYW Harquebusiers

 Another unit for my late war French TYW army for Rocroi.

This is a Weimarian unit, as the troops of Bernard de Saxe-Weimar went over to the French after his death.

A unit of Harquebusiers.

See them in action here, at our recent club refight of Lutzen 1632.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.963604529147216&type=3

More TYW French

 I've finished another unit for my TYW French army.

This unit is 'flagged' to be the Duplessis Joigny Regiment. You may be aware that this regiment didn't actually fight at Rocroi, however this will instead stand as the somewhat vaguley titled 'Mixed Infantry Regiment' instead - but they still needed a flag! The Duplessis Joigny regiment will mean it can of course represent that regiment in other engagements.

The mixed regiment at Rocroi consisted of a mix of the d'Harcourt, d'Aubetetter and de Gesvres regiments (source: Helion's "The Battle of Rocroi 1643).

The figures are a mixture of Warlord with some Redoubt thrown in. I've also replaced a couple of heads on the Warlord figs to give it a little more variety.

The base in the background is so I can take a few bases and use them in a friend's game using the 'Twilight of the Divine Right' rules. I have based them so they can be used for either Pike and Shotte or Impetus.

You may notice there are fewer pikes in this unit - the previous two units were - I think - slightly larger than most, so this number of pikes will be more likely to be the size of future units.

However - next up in TYW land will be a unit of Harquebusiers. These will be German in nature as the French army incorporated Bernard of Saxe-Weimar's forces later in the war.

Saker gun

 A quick addition to my TYW project - a Saker gun, classed as a Medium gun in Pike and Shotte.

I’ve put this together because yes it is part of my army list for Rocroi, but also as a friend is putting on Lutzen soon and asked if had/could get a Medium cannon for it to supplement what he needed. Happy to oblige!

New Project: Thirty Years' War French!

Just before the move and all that related shenanigans, I began a project at the end of 2022 to collect a French army for the latter period of the Thirty Years' War, particularly to refight the battle of Rocroi1643.

Using the scenario from the Pike and Shotte supplement 'The Devil's Playground' the units I require are:

Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Conde

Right Wing - 3 Units of Gendarme Cuirassiers, 1 Unit of Harquebusiers, 1 Unit of Croat Cavalry

Main Body - 8 Regiments (1 unit of Pikes and 2 of Muskets each), 3 Light Cannon, 2 Medium Cannon

Left Wing - 3 Units of Gendarme Cuirassiers, 1 Unit of Cavalry

Reserve - 1 Unit of Guard Gendarme, 1 Guard Regiment, 1 Infantry Regiment.

Here are my units so far! Mostly Warlord plastics, some Warlord metals, and some Perry and Redoubt. I've currently approached the foreign units in French service, as although 1898 Miniatures have recently released a range, French miniatures are quite rare. 

Thus, the first unit is the unit of Croat Cavalry, de Raab's unit:

Next, the Guard unit - the Guardes Ecossais

A couple of light guns:

And, one of a couple of Swiss regiments in French service - hence more armoured - the Von Roll Regiment:

Next, I am working on a simple Infantry Regiment to join the Guardes Ecossais in the reserve, which was a mixed regiment comprised of 3 other regiments, and after that probably some German Harquebusiers to represent the Weimarian troops left in French service after the death of Bernard of Saxe-Weimar in 1639. By that time I will then begin the French units. I also have the Warlord figure of the Prince of Conde but I want some extra bits for a little diorama for him. Only right for him!

Impetus Aztec Army in 28mm

 

My Aztec army is finally finished! The figures are a mixture of Gringos40, The Assault Group, and Wargames Foundry. They are all based on 2ps and the bases are Warbases Impetus bases. All the figures can, however, be removed from the bases so can be used in the 'En Garde' skirmish game.

 

First up we have the command 'stand'; not all based together. In the front we have Moctezuma himself, flanked on one side by a priest holding a freshly-extracted heart in his hand. On the other side of the Aztec Emperor is an Eagle Warrior with a captive who, one presumes, will soon be handed to the priest! At the back are two Aztec speakers, one wearing a rather fetching human skin suit and other blowing into a conch shell.

 

Next up, we have the elite Cuachique unit, or 'Shorn Ones'. These were the most prestigious of the Aztec warrior groups, having taken at least 7 captives and 3 of which should have been taken against more respected opponents. They were the shock troops of the Aztec army and had taken an oath to never take a step backwards in battle. Recognisable by their distinctive yellow feather suits, shaved heads and painted faces.

Moving down the Aztec pecking order, my army does not at this stage have any Otomi troops but has a unit of Eagle and a unit of Jaguar warriors. The army list for Impetus actually lists one or the other - but I couldn't resist getting both! We can bolster any enemies if we have to! One of these Aztec warriors was called a cuauhocelotl. The word cuauhocelotl derives from the Eagle warrior cuauhtli and the Jaguar Warrior ocelotl. These warriors needed to have taken at least 4 captives in battle.

The final of the 'suited' units is a group of warrior priests. Aztec warrior priests had their own ranking system. For example, 2-captive warrior priests wore a plain white suit, while 3-captive warrior priests wore a plain green one. These warrior priests have taken 4 captives in battle and as such can wear the 'cicitlalo cuextecatl' or 'starry night' suit. This suit is in the Huaxtec style with a coned hat. These style suits, albeit red and black, were worn by 2-captive warriors who weren't priests, called the Cuextecatl.

Next, we come into the non-suited main bulk of the army. Every Aztec man was trained to be a warrior. Farmers and other workers were rallied in times of war. Most of these will not have taken captives although some may have taken one. None have taken more as they do not wear the red Huaxtec suit for taking 2 captives, or the butterfly banner for taking 3. These are the 'peasant levy' for want of a better phrase - the Macehualtin farmers or other men from the regional areas known as Calpolli. As the suited warriors, many are armed with the Macehuitl (obsidian-edged club), cuauhololli (round-headed clubs), or tepoztopilli which was somewhere between a spear and a halberd. Some where the cotton armour called ichcahuipilli.

The final main unit of the army is the unit of bowmen, armed with the Aztec bow, the Tlahuitolli. These were around 5 feet long with arrows tipped with obsidian.

Then, we have the skirmish element of the army. A smaller unit of tlahuitolli bowmen, a unit of slingers armed with the tematatl sling, and a unit of warriors armed with atlatl spear thrower, which increased the range and speed of the missiles.

And to finish the army off, some casualty markers!

In the short term I think the figures will see more use in skirmishes, either against each other or a small Conquistador/Tlaxcalan warband I am putting together.