28mm scale – The Wargaming Erratic

At Battleground – the wargames show at Stockton on Tees I was lucky enough to see Dave Pengilley and his fantastic 28mm collection of Danes and Prussians for the First Schleswig Holstein War which started in March 1848 and finally ended in 1851 with the Treaty of London.

Danish line infantry in shako, kepi and flat cap!

Dave encountered the main problem with anyone interested in these wars – no figures or rather no complete ranges of figures.

The best comparison I can think of is how much easier the Perrys have made the Portuguese Brothers War circa 1830 for wargamers.

Rocket unit in Danish forces with new blue uniforms on the line infantry

Anyway Dave has done a splendid job showing what an overlooked period this is.

I suspect many people will be drawn to the second war not least because of the TV series and some attempts at a range in 28mm. Also Prussians are beginning to look distinctly 1870 era by 1864 when the second war occurs.

Austrian rocket troops were lent to Prussia

Back in 1848 the war happens on the cusp of giant wardrobe changes. Indeed the Danes do a uniform change as they go to war. This means if you apply shaky compliance and dodgey quartermasters to new order plus supply chain vagaries – then quite a variety of uniforms can be featured alongside each other.

Just field caps and shakos on this danish line unit

And for the Germans – the confederacy means you can draw on 23 member states, many who were so conservative they were also embroiled in their own home country insurrections and still dressed in a napoleonic style.

The bell top shakos have all gone on this Danish line infantry unit

Bell shako line infantry grab a lift to the front

Add to that tailcoats, tunics, frockcoats, kepis, shakoes, pickelhaubes and greatcoats means you have much choice if only the figures were for sale.

Danish light infantry were green uniformed

In a way that variety means for 28mm if you are happy to kit bash then raiding Napoleonic, Franco Prussian, ACW, Crimean and other wars up to WW1 gives you vast choice.

The technology adds in smoothbore muskets, rifled muskets, early breechloaders as well as rockets, machine guns and of course telegraph communications, steam ships, proto-submarines and railways.

Here are some more pictures of Daves excellent “home cast” range – which would meet most peoples requirements if they were on the market commercially. The problem of course is the period is not popular and even then it is dominated by those adjacent Crimea, ACW and Franco Prussian Wars.