AWI: Queen's and Butler's Rangers, 16th Light Dragoons, Artillery Crew

Back in the dark depths of 2013 or 2014, I sent a batch of AWI figures off to Shri Lanka to get painted. Then I started collecting more and more boxes of AWI, discovered Black Powder and started painting up an army for each side myself. There's been a few more commissions since then, and even a spread sheet to cope with colours and units.

More recently, a crazy thing happened. 

Because I'm a total geek, I colour-coded units in the sheet to show whether they were painted or not.

I'd been doing a fair effort of getting units done over the years and a couple of weeks back I opened the sheet and realised there was hardly anything left to paint (about 12 standard BP units).

Never one to shy away from a challenge I started a serious effort to finish the collection of about 6 BP brigades a side (of approx. 4-6 standard infantry, and supporting cavalry, light infantry, and cannon). I now only have about 9 units left to do of the entire mountain of AWI shame. Here's one of the first batches done recently.

Queen's Rangers

I've based these as two small units of light infantry in skirmish formation, which can be lined up to represent them going into line.

Bases compressed into line so that the BP frontage is correct.

The figures are Queen's Rangers from B and B Miniatures (which I couldn't link to at the time of writing as their website was down) and are some of my favorites from the manufacturer.

I'd started off the collection by individually mounting skirmishers but after a couple of games, it really hasn't mattered that they were on individual bases and it was a pain moving them round the table.

The flags were from warflag.com but that seems to have disappeared now as well.

Butler's Rangers

More B and B Miniatures, this time Butler's Rangers in hunting shirts. Suffice to say that their blue tassels over green hunting shirts didn't take an hour to highlight... 😡

But there's some good detail on these figs, like the Queen's Rangers above.

As per those QRs, I went for a regiment made up of two small BP units in skirmish formation.

Also as per QRs, they've been based some that they can also be compressed into line, producing the right frontage for a BP small line unit.

16th Light Dragoons

Another small unit of cavalry for the support of a BP brigade, the famous 16th Light Dragoons. These are from Strelets Set 119 British Cavalry (Egypt) and a dismounted, light infantry option from Set M071 British Light Infantry in Egypt.

Like other units painted previously, at this scale, using early Napoleonic sets as proxies works well and you'd have to look close to see the differences in uniforms. 

Artillery Crew

Finally for the Brits, another round of artillerymen from the IMEX, Set 554 American Artillery. I've used American because for some reason the American and British sets were swapped around during conversation from 1/32 to 1/72 scale, and the water bottles are a closer match for the Brits. 

Also, a big shout out Monty my stepson for helping light the figures and for providing some of the Gaslands photos on a previous post👍.

AWI: 2nd Canadian, Connecticut Light Horse, Tarleton's Dragoons

Some more AWI completed over the last few months and finally ready. Bit of a mix but getting through the backlog of units.

Congress' Own - 2nd Canadian

Quite an important unit for any Black Powder AWI collection, the regiment raised by congress itself, the 2nd Canadian. These are more from the Italeri Set 6060 American Infantry and have come out well again. Although you can probably see that the regiment has pressed itself against a low hedge.

The reason for this is that the front firing figure is leaning against a rock and I just can't bring myself to model the same rock 12 times in a regiment. So I issued my 2nd Canadian guys with a BPL Mk I (Bush, Portable, Low). Now they can take it with them wherever they go. The flags are from a Google search on the regiment flag.

Connecticut Light Horse

Some more light horse for the Americans, this time from the Revell Set 02573 Austrian Dragoons, again at this scale you can't tell the differences of equipment so using some figures from the period immediately preceding works just as well.

Tarleton's Dragoons

Finally for the moment, another unit that you just can't be without in an AWI Black Powder collection, Tarleton's Dragoons. These are more from the Strelets Set 119 British Cavalry (Egypt) and are reasonable figures for the scale. Although I used a green from the Speedpaints Starter Set and was not impressed - as any highlighting I tried to put on the green just disappeared.

I've also done a small dismounted unit of skirmishers for when the need calls. These are from Strelets

Set M071 British Light Infantry in Egypt. Same can be said for the green and for using figures immediately succeeding the period being modelled.

All in all a good run for the AWI collection.

AWI: 17th Light Dragoons: 2nd Squadron

Another one down. This time its the 17th Light Dragoons mounted and dismounted, to bolster the ranks of the now completed British brigade. Resplendent in their red coats, white facings, cuffs, and smallclothes.


The cavalry are from the Italeri 6044 British Light Cavalry Set and are superb figures, despite the inaccuracy's noted in the PSR review, and which inspired a better finish because the detail was there.


Painting chevrons in 20mm - OMG!


But this brings us to the dismounted troops and these are from the  B and B Miniatures  AR17 Light Dragoons Dismounted set. They are a very different style from the plastics and are essentially the same posed figure with different head and arm/musket positions.


Having had doubts before they were painted because of the style, I like them. You get 12 in a pack which is perfect for a small Black Powder unit of dismounted troops, and they are they only dismounted 17th dragoons of this period you can get in 20mm. So, good stuff BnB!

The guidon (flag) is a MS Word conversion from a Google search and am reasonably sure its the guidon for the second squadron, but that's pretty much it for getting a game together, just a couple of British command bases to go, which are already half finished, and its all ready.

AWI: Lee's Legion Dragoons

This is it, the last unit for the Maryland/Virginia brigade, only three commands left to do and will soon be able to hold a BP game (...after also completing a unit of 17th Light Dragoons, some artillery crews and command for the Brits), but definitely getting there :).


These guys are again from Strelets Set 119 British Cavalry (Egypt) and Set M071 British Light Infantry in Egypt - with only minor alterations for the period, mentioned in the Lee's Legion post. I think its taken the four units of these Strelets figures to actually get my head around how to paint them as the molded detail is deep and my flash removal not so 'flash', leaving the soft plastic with peaks/rough patches.


The legion was issued green and buff cloth and are commonly depicted with green jackets and buff breeches, but I have painted them as per Rebellion! supplement in buff with green facings.


The single reason for this is that there is a unit of Tarleton's horse and foot coming up for the Brits, dressed and outfitted the same as Lee's troops, in green jackets, and although it would be 'cool' to have them confused on the wargames table - as actually happened during the AWI - I reckon this would only be 'cool' once, then would quickly become confusing and annoying, "...but I thought they were my troops...?"


So that's it for units, next up three American command bases.

AWI: 3rd Continental Dragoons

Its been a long time since I rock'n'rolled, or painted figures for that matter, but a freakish mix of small, fragged, contracts, interspersed with small windows of spare time, has given me a chance to start catching up - back in April I said I'd get a couple of AWI Black Powder brigades, for both sides, finished by June. Hmmm... its September...

First off the table this month is some more of the smaller, auxiliary units, and here its the 3rd Continental Dragoons, mounted and foot.


These are from the Strelets Set 119 British Cavalry (Egypt) and Set M071 British Light Infantry in Egypt, with uniform fairly close (close enough at this scale anyway) for AWI dragoons and light troops - with only minor alterations mentioned in the Lee's Legion post.


The uniform is contemporary from a picture on the net with reference to the Black Powder: Rebellion! supplement, white jacket with light blue/blue facings, and buff breeches.


Although these guys wore a leather helmet, it is possible some or all eventually ended up wearing the 'Tarleton' helmet, so the Strelets figures serve just as well.

Continuing on with the theme of support troops, these are based as a small BP cavalry unit and a small light infantry (foot dragoons) unit; or can be fielded as a single cavalry unit that can dismount.


Onwards!