Aldringen Regiment

Plastic figures by Warlord Games form the Aldringen regiment, the flags again sourced from the excellent articles by Mark Allen many years ago in Wargames Illustrated.

This regiment was "finished" in a hurry immediately before the Wargamer show last December, so that I could add a few more figures to the Steinkirche demo. I say "finished", but in fact I have not yet done the musketeers specifically for this unit and it fought (valiantly as it turned out) with shot borrowed from Loebl and my Swedish Red Regiment (both also composed of plastic figures).

For that game, we graded the regiment "Raw", which means what it basically says, and they were one of the first units to rouse from the slumbering Imperialist camp to face the advancing Swedes and allies. They appeared alone on the Imperialist right, formed up and awaited, of all units, the veteran, well-equipped Swedish Yellow Regiment. As well as a "Raw" classification, we also gave the poor Aldringen soldaten no armour to help them, but still they held after casualties from shooting and when the Yellow Regiment ploughed into them. They held again after a beating in that first round of melee, but could not hold out after a second and routed into Jung-Tilly, stationed immediately behind them. Trained, experienced Jung-Tilly lasted just one combat against the veteran Swedes and the Imperialist right collapsed.

Aldringen had outperformed expectations, however, and earned itself a place in my heart, as well as a likely upgrade when next they take the field.



I again used some metal command figures in an otherwise plastic figure unit. The size differential between the Renegade standard bearers and the Warlord pikemen is perhaps a little too much close up, however.




I love this flag and hope I have done it reasonable justice. It epitomises Imperialist flags for me, with both sets of Hapsburg colours featured (yellow/ black and red/ white), as well as the classic crossed staves, and the modern Austrian flag on which the staves are imposed leaves no doubt as to their origin and allegiance.



Having said all the above, the other, reclined flag is halved horizontally, red and white, so perhaps they should be Poles........I am still not sure what the two standard bearers are arguing about, but "Talk to the hand" could be the caption.



Their greatest hour (though most of the regiment did not live to relate their tale). Alone and ready, Steinkriche, 11/12/11 (aka Summer 1632).

Perhaps some cavalry next time round.

G