Los Rios Regt. in Austrian Service

A ground level view of the Los Rios regiment - first battalion.


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Yesterday, I finished the painting and basing of a new battalion for my SYW Austrian army. The battalion has 42 figures allocated across five bases that are 60mm frontage and 80mm depth. Normally I go with a depth of 40mm, but I wanted the battalion to match up with the Austrian regiment Lacy (2 battalions) in firing line, which had bases of the same dimensions.

The deeper stands allow me to add in a third row of file closers. Drummers were supposed to be positioned on each flank of the battalion while a row of NCOs with pole arms keep the rank and file in line.

Los Rios battalion seen from the front right flank.

Los Rios was a regiment based in the Austrian Netherlands (Belgium and Luxembourg) and it came into Austrian service in 1725. You can read the regimental history by clicking on the link to Kronoskaf.

Kronoskaf History of Los Rios

The regiment had a uniform of green facings and until 1762, a green waistcoat, which makes it rather unique in the Austrian army of the SYW. So of course I had to have this regiment in my Austrian army to give it more variety in appearance. In an endless see of white cloth, the regiment really stands out from the other regiments.

The battalion is in the marching pose and with the extra depth of the base I was able to add a third rank of file closers consisting of drummers, NCOs and officers. I have the option of removing one of the stands if I want to use a smaller 32 to 34 figure battalion, compared to my new Prussian battalions that have 32 figures.

Here you can clearly see how the file closers create the illustion of a third rank of figures.

My original intent was to have a 40-figure battalion (8 figures per stand), however, by placing one figure on each stand in a third rank, this resulted in several stands having a configuration of 4 figures in the front rank, 3 figures in the second rank, and 1 NCO figure in the third rank. That second rank with only 3 figures did not look right to my eye, so the easiest solution was to simply add another figure (the nineth figure on the stand) to the stand in order to have 4 figures in the front rank and 4 figures in the second rank.

A front view of the battalion. The file closers are less noticeable from this angle.

Front view of the Los Rios first battalion. You can tell that it is the first battalion of the regiment because it has the white Inhaber's colour as well as the colored orange regimental flag.

Same as the picture above, only a little bit closer in view.

I will undoubtedly paint the second battalion of the regiment because I usually paint both regiments in my Austrian and Prussian tabletop armies. I really like the look of the battalion on the deeper base as the third rank of file closers really sets it off in an attractive manner.

BREAKING NEWS!

This morning I received pictures of the new greens sculpted by Richard Ansell. The new batch of figures will include four French heavy cavalrie wearing bearskin hats, four French foot grenadiers in bearskins, and 4 Austrian horse grenadiers wearing bearskin hats. It was a bad month to be a bear apparently.  

You can see pictures of the new figures by clicking on the link to the Fife and Drum Miniatures forum:

Fife & Drum Miniatures Forum

I usually post pictures of new Minden SYW and Fife & Drum AWI figures on the forum a few days before they are posted on my blog. I would encourage readers to click on the link to see the new swag. However, if you are not a forum member, you will have to sign up before you can see all of the new goodies. There are very few rules on the forum, i.e. no requirement to post anything or comment on any of the news posts. So if you want to be one of the lucky few who get an early preview of new figures, then why not sign up for a free forum membership?

The new figures are rounded out with some personality figures for the French army, includeing Lt. General Chevert and Marshal de Broglie plus a French kettle drummer to use in your Minden cavalry regiments.