Fighting the ‘45 - WoFun Style

The Government contingent. Three regiments of foot, a regiment of Dragoons and the gun crews. There are also a few casualties as well - handy for recording losses or morale status etc.

The Jacobites. Two sprues of Highlanders, one of Lowland infantry and the Royal Ecossias Regiment.

There is something about the Jacobite Rebellion - in this case the ‘45 rather than the earlier versions - that has always struck a chord with me. I think it is once again the idea of asymmetric forces using differing tactical methods that appeals along with images of wild Highlanders rushing down heather-coated slopes into nervously waiting government soldiery that has ticked a number of boxes. Of all the periods of military history I have looked at over the years this is the one that I would most certainly never paint figures for - at least not in anything larger than 10mm and even that would be at a push! 

The WoFun 28mm Jacobite Rebellion 28mm starter army with artwork by Peter Dennis is a thing of beauty for sure. I have pretty much everything I would need figures wise although as with the ACW collection, there are a couple of other bits that I may want to add in due course. As projects go it is a little way off but I thought it would be good to take a look at what there is and more importantly, think about revisiting the Jacobite Rising section of the library - currently consisting of a couple of biographies of James Wolfe. With SELWG coming up on Sunday - my last show for the year - I will be swinging by Dave Lanchester’s book emporium to see what he has that may be useful.

As with the ACW collection I spent some time going through the box and for sure a few additions will be needed to make the collection more usable. Certainly a personality sprue as well as some artillery - I currently have government gunners and some draft horses but no guns (not that I would need many anyway). I would be keen to bolster the Highlanders as well. All things in time though and given the issue of shipping and customs etc I am happy to wait until I have worked out what I need for both collections and so can do the order in one fell swoop.

In the files section of the Portable Wargame Facebook group there are a few ideas for me to play around with when I get to it but there are a few other projects in front of it so tables full of kilt-wearing marauding  Highlanders are some way off at the moment but there is no harm in taking a look.

A number of year ago I was away on business in Edinburgh and stayed in modest hotel a stone’s throw away from the famous castle. In the hotel reception area there was a rack of tourist leaflets for various events in and around the castle and the city. My eye was drawn to a couple of leaflets describing a pair of living history talks that took place at the castle on a daily basis. These were both about the ‘45 from the perspective of a rebelling Highlander and a government redcoat. In each case the person delivering the talk was in period costume so there was a fully equipped Highlander with musket, broadsword, dirk and all the other associated paraphernalia and a very snappily dressed government redcoat, again with all the trimmings. I never went to either, my schedule did not permit it, but I was struck by one thing. The Highlanders talk allowed two hours whilst that of the redcoats was a mere 25 minutes or so….