New 1st Continental Dragoons

All 8 poses of the 1st Continental Dragoons, circa 1777. (Click to enlarge)

I was able to paint all 8 of the new Fife & Drum 1st Continental Dragoons as samples yesterday - that's a pretty good painting pace, finishing 8 cavalry, from start to finish, in one day. I always paint at least one of the figures complete - start to finish - because this gives me a better feel for how to paint the rest of the figures: i.e what order should I paint the various bits and pieces of equipment and cloth. Once that first figure is painted, then the others follow more quickly.

Here are the new product code numbers for each of the eight new figures:

AC-010  1st Continental Dragoon Officer, pointing

AC-011  1st Continental Dragoon Standard Bearer

AC-012  1st Continental Dragoon Trumpeter

AC-013  1st Continental Dragoon Trooper with Shouldered Sword

AC-014  1st Continental Dragoon Trooper, rested Carbine

AC-015  1st Continental Dragoon Trooper, Firing Pistol

AC-016  1st Continental Dragoon Trooper, Firing Carbine

AC-017  1st Continenal Dragoon Trooper, Reloading Carbine

1st Continental Dragoon Command (L-R): AC-013 Trooper, Shouldered Sword; AC-011 Trumpeter; AC-012 Standard Bearer; and AC-010 Officer (click pix to enlarge)

Another view of the command figures, same order left to right. Obviously the Trooper with shouldered sword is not part of the command group - it was just convenient to photograph the figures in groups of 4 figures.

The figures are sculpted such that one could create a regiment with a more formal appearance, an open order skirmish appearance, or a mix of the two. For a more formal looking regiment, use the four figures shown in the two pictures above. For example, you might select one each of the officer, standard bearer and the trumpeter plus nine of the trooper with shouldered sword to create a squadron or regiment  of 12 dragoons.

The you could add one each of the four skirmishing poses (firing pistol, firing carbine, reloading carbine or rested carbine) to bring your wargame unit up to 16 figures, which is probably a good number to have in most AWI games. The skirmishers could either augment the strength of the unit, or if you base your cavalry on the standard 2-inch square base, you could remove one stand of "formal" dragoons and replace it on the table with two individually-mounted skirmishers.

1st Continental Dragoons skirmishing (L-R) AC-0016 Firing Pistol; AC-014 Rested Carbine; AC-017 Reloading; and AC-016 Firing Carbine (click pix to enlarge)

If you want a more open, skirmish order look to your regiment, then I would recommend selecting the officer (pointing to where a target is) and perhaps the firing pistol and firing carbine and reloading figures. Then, you could have a reserve in your skirmish line consisting of the trooper with the carbine resting on his right thigh and perhaps even the standard bearer and trumpeter posted in the rear with the reserve line. I would use the standing horses for the skirmish poses.

I elected to paint the 1st Continental Dragoons in their earlier brown coat with green facings uniform, which is kind of drab when compared to the more spectacular red coats of the British 16th Light Dragoons that I painted last week. The regiment later converted to a blue coat with red facings. I used the brown  coat since that is likely what the regiment wore during the Philadelphia Campaign of 1777-78, which my AWI Continental army is modelled after.

Ordering Information: you can place a "pre-order" with Fife & Drum now, but you will not be charged anything until I am ready to ship the figures. I just need about a week to process orders from some of our Kickstarter backers (they get their figures first) and then after that, I can start offering the figures to everyone else.

To order, just send me an e-mail at the address posted on the upper right hand corner of this page:

fife_drum_minis@yahoo.com

AWI Dragoons from Kickstarter Project Have Arrived!

British 16th Light Dragoons skirmishing (L to R): BC-017 Trooper Loading Carbine; BC-016 Trooper Firing Carbine; BC-015 Trooper Firing Pistol; and BC-014 Trooper resting carbine on right thigh. (click to enlarge).

I received the first 16 AWI dragoons yesterday, hot off the spin casting machines at Griffin Moulds. I will be processing Kickstarter rewards first, but after that the figures will be available for purchase by anyone. There are 8 American 1st Continental dragoons and 8 British 16th Light Dragoons.

If you were not a KS backer, you can place a "pre-order" now and I can probably ship your order in about 2-3 weeks (to allow enough time to send out the KS rewards first). No money is needed now, just an indication of your interest in particular figures is all that I need so that I can order more stock.

All figures are $5.00 USD including rider and horse. Shipping charges are at a flat rate of $5.00 USD in the USA and $10.00 USD for the rest of the world. In most cases, the flat rate international shipping equates to a savings of 15% to 20% on your order.

To order, send me an e-mail with your order for individual figures at:

fife_drum_minis@yahoo.com

BRITISH 16TH LIGHT DRAGOONS:

Stock codes for the 16th Light Dragoons are as follows:

BC-010 16th Light Dragoon Officer

BC-011 16th LD Trumpeter

BC-012 16th LD Trooper, shouldered sword, uniform coat

BC-013 16th LD Trooper, shouldered sword, hunting shirt

BC-014 16th LD Trooper, rested carbine on right thigh

BC-015 16th LD Trooper, firing pistol

BC-016 16th LD Trooper, firing carbine

BC-017 16th LD Trooper, loading carbine

If you want to create a regiment in a formal pose with shouldered swords, then use the BC-010 officer, BC-011 trumpeter, and BC-013 trooper in coat to form the core of your regiment. You can also add a figure or two of the BC-014 trooper wearing a hunting shirt. On campaign, there should be some variation in the uniform. The BC-014 trooper with rested musket would also work with the fellows with the shouldered swords.

If you want to add some skirmishers, then the BC-010 officer pointing would look like he is directing a piquet line of the BC-015 firing pistol, BC-016 firing carbine, BC-017 reloading, with a couple of BC-014 rested carbine poses forming your reserve behind the skirmish line.

British 16th Light Dragoons (L to R): BC-012 trooper in coat; BC-013 trooper in hunting shirt; BC-011 Trumpeter; and BC-010 Officer. (click pix to enlarge).

1st CONTINENTAL LIGHT DRAGOONS:

1st Continental Dragoons (L to R): AC-010 Officer; AC-011 Trumpeter; AC-012 Ensign; and AC-013 Trooper with shouldered sword. This group would make up a nice regiment in a "formal" at the ready pose.

1st Continental Dragoon skirmishing (L to R): AC-015 Trooper firing pistol; AC-016 Trooper firing carbine; AC-017 Trooper reloading carbine; and AC-014 Trooper with rested carbine. The first three poses would make a nice skirmish line. Then you could add a couple of the trooper with rested carbine behind the main skirmish line in reserve, and then add the AC-010 officer pointing to direct the skirmish line. 

Stock codes for the 1st Continental Light Dragoons are as follows:

AC-010 1st Continental Dragoon officer

AC-011 Trumpeter

AC-012 Standard Bearer

AC-013 Trooper with shouldered sword

(the above 4 poses can be used to create a "formal" posed regiment)

AC-014 1st Continental Dragoon trooper with rested carbine

AC-015 Trooper firing pistol

AC-016 Trooper firing carbine

AC-017 Trooper reloading carbine

(the above 4 poses can add a skirmish line to your cavalry regiment)

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We are currently working on Phase II of the Kickstarter Dragoons, which will include the British Legion cavalry, the 3rd Continental Dragoons, and the British 17th Light Dragoons. I am estimating that we will be able to show some of the greens in March, get them into production in April or early May, and have them shipped by our June 2014 scheduled delivery.

After that, it will be HESSIANS!!!!!!!!

mm