I got a bit worried last week. Dr Pierre Picouet’s website on the Spanish Tercios had disappeared. But I quick email to the man himself and I discovered that the website had just moved. It is now at Tercio1617. What a relief. Pierre’s material is a must read for anybody with an interest in Spain, the tercios, the Great Italian Wars and/or the Thirty Years War. To celebrate finding it again I thought I’d do a small tour of the website.
Eighty Years War
In the middle years of the 16th Century the Spanish Netherlands were wracked by secular and religious decent. The first open violence was the iconoclasm of 1566, however the convention is to give the date of 1568 as the beginning of the war, as this was the first year where armies fought open battles. The war ended in 1648, as part of the Peace of Münster, when Spain recognised the Dutch Republic as an independent country.
Basing Pike and Shot Figures for the 30 Years War
Roland Davis has been painting for me again – some Swedes for the Thirty Years War. So I’ve been mulling over how to base them. Part of the answer is obvious – on big bases. The potential dilemma is what figures to put on each base given these are mixed pike and shot units. Here’s a few options I considered and a bit of a journey to get there.
17th Century Cavalry – Investigations of a Dog
You know how sometimes something big is going on but you don’t hear about it. I feel a bit like that about Gavin Robinson’s blog Investigations of a Dog. The blog was active 2006-2013 but is, unfortunately, now closed. Luckily the site is still up and is well worth a look. It contains some marvellous analysis of certain aspects of 16th and 17th Warfare, particularly the use of cavalry.
What is the origin of the term ‘Tercio’?
What is the origin of the term ‘Tercio’ – the name adopted by the large Spanish pike and shot units of the Renaissance? The word literally means a bundle, or a one-third part of something (Notario Lopez & Notario Lopez, 2012) but he origin of the term for a military unit is not known. There are, however, various theories.
15mm Wargaming Figures for the Eighty Years War
15mm wargaming figures to use for the Eighty Years’ War and Thirty Years’ War. For the early period of the Eighty Years’ War the only figures I’m aware of are the Essex Miniatures Armada Period range.
30 Years War Starter Armies for Field of Glory Renaissance
I’ve got a Dutch army and the majority of a Spanish army for the 30 Years War (and 80 Years War). The Dutch didn’t fight many open battles during this period so I’m wondering what I can use my existing figures for. That’s what the table below is for.
30 Years’ War Spanish – 600 Point Armies for Field of Glory Renaissance
I’ve got most of the figures necessary for a Spanish army for the 30 Years War and 80 Years War in Field of Glory Renaissance. The Spanish of this period are represented by two army lists in the army list book Wars of Religion: Western Europe 1610-1660: Later Imperial Spanish (1621-59) and Thirty Years’ War Peninsular Spanish (1635-59). Both, of course, have a starter army. The armies are fairly similar but they’re not what I’m looking for. I want an army for the Battle of Rocroi (1643).
15mm to 18mm Wargames figures for the 30 Years War and English Civil War
Most of my figures for the Thirty Years War are from Essex Miniatures. This was because they had the best at the time I started to collect. But there are some newer, and great, ranges available now in 18mm (e.g. Khurasan Miniatures, Testudo, Totentanz Miniatures, and Blue Moon Manufacturing). So I thought I’d revisit the figures available for the Thirty Years War and English Civil War.
Steven’s Spanish Army of the Eighty Years War
My Renaissance Spanish army. These chaps can do service in the latter part of the Eighty Years’ War or in the Thirty Years’ War.
Steven’s Dutch Army
My Dutch Revolt army was the first army that Roland Davis painted for me. In fact it was the second Dutch Revolt army Roland had painted in a row. He had previously painted this army for John Mclennan. I saw John’s army at a Wargames Tournament in New Zealand, fell in love with it, and asked Roland to paint one for me. Which he did. He was, I understand, a little tired with the Dutch by the end of it. These chaps can do service in the latter part of the Eighty Years’ War or in the Thirty Years’ War.
Sources for the Eighty Years Wars
An annotated bibliography for the Eighty Years War / Dutch Revolt.
Spanish and Dutch Order of Battle in the Eighty Years War
The Eighty Years War (1568-1648) overlapped the Thirty Years War (1618-1648). The organisation for the main protagonists of the Eighty Years War, Spanish and Dutch, are given here. See the Organisation in the Thirty Years War page for Swedes, French, Imperialist, etc.
Timeline of the Eighty Years War
Timeline of the Eighty Years’ War.
No-Mans Land Mini-Campaign
This is a skirmish level mini-campaign set in no-mans land on a fairly static front. It is applicable to any period (see the possible settings). Each player is a junior commander whose job is the patrol and control the area between the opposing forces. Over three game days and nights each player must plan and execute 6 missions from a predetermined list. The interest lies in the fact that each player is picking from a different list to that of his opponent. The key problem being addressed is “How does a commander react when faced with events not covered by his orders?”
Painting Guide for the Thirty Years War
I have revamped, and split up, my painting guides for the Thirty Years War.