I am waiting on one or two more scenery pieces and have a few more union bases to complete and artillery to paint but in the meantime the Prices' Missouri guard units for my battle of Rolla are complete including the mounted cavalry.
I went for a very "dressed" and new 1861 look with the yellow cavalry cuffs. I will add some much more tousled and ragtag cavalry units later for the wars progression. These are Pendraken 10 mm confederate cavalry. They come with essentially two poses - carrying carbines at the ready and with sabres drawn for the troopers and then 3 different style command figures - an officer with a curved sabre and a standard bearer and a bugler. I am really pleased with how these have turned out. A few clear rules for painting 10 mm are emerging. Firstly paint the unit and not the figures. Secondly keep the figures tidy but less really is more with the details. A good flag and some shiny weapons and decent cuffs and all is good. Finally keep the paints as bright and light as possible. Any small figure will come up "dark" especially when using a wash - and with washes use a very soft or light shade. I think I am using medium brown from Army Painter. Any darker with the wash and the figures just turn to mud.
Under the ACW Volley and Bayonet Rules cavalry can be 2 to 4 strength points on a 3 inch square base and is designated as "light cavalry". I am using two rows of 3 bases (20 x 30 mm) with 2 mounted figures on each. The back two bases are mounted as full light cavalry brigades. A full light cavalry base will dismount as a 3 inch x 1.5 inch linear infantry base. I have yet to settle on the size of my infill dismounted bases. I may just use two 30 mm square bases as two of these will fill up a linear infantry tray. I might be able to fit a horse holder on each at the back and perhaps 4 or 5 other dismounted cavalry figures - possibly also dismounted command. This may not convert across to other rule systems such as Fire and Fury or Johnny Reb III or Alter of Freedom, but I can always do something else for my cavalry with those rules. I will make up some 20 mm squares as well and see what I prefer later. Given my 5 year timespan with this project I am in it for some detail.
Light cavalry can throw off skirmish cavalry bases of a point each. A 1 point V & B cavalry stand is actually also on a 3 inch square base. So I can use blanks on a big base or try a smaller linear base which might be easier ? This would denote the 1 point value and be less confusing and less needy for blank filler bases. A 1 point cavalry base dismounts as a 1.5 inch square base which would take one 30 mm square base. Can I get 6 figures on a base with a horse holder ? I think so as a small vignette and this would work well for occupying a village or section of wall or fence. So I think this settles the issue of what to do for dismounted cavalry for other games. Just buy some more dismounted figures and make nice horse handlers etc. and prepare smaller bases.
The OOB for Rolla has the confederates with a 2 point cavalry counter on tree map (4 strength points for V & B or 2,000 horses) which will come into the game as two separate 2-5 PT cavalry bases. These can of course be broken down each into 4 cavalry 1 points skirmish bases. I think given their numerical superiority it might be preferable to have just two 2-5 bases which will dismount as a 2 point linear infantry base. Either way I will need to make 4 30 mm dismounted cavalry bases.
I am keen now to crack on with the battle so will not wait too much longer for further supplies of scenery, finish of the extra couple of units (mostly union now) decide the future of Missouri !
See you in hell Johnny Reb ! See you in hell Billy Yank !
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