Alba gu bràth: The 42nd Black Watch in the French and Indian War:

 I started a diorama project many years ago to portray The Battle of Bushy Run. The project did not materialize beyond purchasing some excellent French and Indian War (FIW) from Dixon Miniatures in the UK.

Dixon figures were marketed as 25mm but were always closer to today's popular 28mm figures.

I painted some up but they served as a garrison in a cigar box until I reentered wargaming. A friend wanted to do the period using Rebels and Patriots and I was all in.

My FIW collection is large. I have core units for three configurations using Rebels and Patriots. One core force consists of British Foot, and another consists of Provincials, regulars, and militia. 

The third consists of four units of the famous Black Watch, the 42nd Highlanders.

A core force in Rebels and Patriots is 24 points, although we frequently go up to 36 points in our games.

Below is my core force of the 42nd Black Watch for Rebels and Patriots.

This unit of Highland Grenadiers is from RAFM. RAFM makes a small but fine line of figures for the period. The scale is old school, 25mm, which I like. A unit of 12 Grenadiers without an upgrade costs 6 points.

These figures are the "line" RAFM Highlanders for the period. I use them as line infantry, and without an upgrade, the unit would cost 4 points.

 My friend had painted a unit of Dixon Highlanders that also garrisoned a cigar box for years. He gave them to me as he was more interested in doing French and Native Americans for the period. I use this unit as line infantry. Without an upgrade they cost 4 points.

These Dixon figures are the batch I ordered for the diorama that never was. I liked the action poses in the front rank followed by the marching figures in the second line. The figures captured the moment in the Battle of Bushy Run when the 42nd broke out of the ambush. I use this unit as light infantry in Rebels and Patriots given the action poses. The point cost is 6 points without an upgrade. Alba gu bràth

The two RAFM units side by side.

The two Dixon units side by side.

The total point cost for the four units without an upgrade is 20 points, but seeing as Highland units rate the fierce upgrade and the discipline upgrade, we would be way over the 24 points for a core army.

The Battle of Bushy Run-1763

 

The Battle of Bushy Run (1763) took place in western Pennsylvania during Pontiac's War. A British expedition that consisted primarily of Scots Highlanders was ambushed by a coalition of numerous native American tribes. The Highlanders prevailed after a spirited bayonet charge.

My interest in modeling the period dates back twenty years. The idea at the time was to create a diorama of the battle with 28mm wargame figures. I did not make much progress. Many years later with the help of a friend we built two French and Indian War armies in 25-28mm. It revived by interest in Pontiac's War and the Battle of Bushy Run.

The occasion for the pictures below was me finishing my fourth war band of Indian warriors. I added one of the units of my Highlanders to create a scene from the battle.

The figures in the pictures are from Dixon Miniatures in the UK and Warlord Miniatures (UK and US).

French and Indian War in 28mm

There is one period that I do that does not fit into my preferred 1\72 (20mm-24mm) scale and that period is the French and Indian War.

Recently, a friend and I restarted an interest we had in the period. The pictures are some of what I've painted thus far. The figures are from Warlord and Dixon.

The pictures are staged. Two bands of French allied Indians rush out of cover to engage a small unit of militia who have just been reinforced by a contingent of Roger's Rangers. The intended rules are Rebels and Patriots.