BLB - Vienna 1683 - 15mm Polish Pancerni

 

I started painting these 4 units of Pancerni during the Painting Challenge, but ran out of time at the very end, so I've only just finished them off.

The armoured companion (Polish: towarzysz pancerny) was a medium cavalry soldier of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from the 16th to 18th centuries, named for their chainmail armour. They were the second most important cavalry force after the hussars and were mainly recruited from middle and lower ranks of the nobility.

They served in units called chorągiew (companies) of about 60–200 horsemen. In 1676, “Cossack cavalry” was renamed armoured cavalry (jazda pancerna), and after 1776 reforms, both pancerni and hussars became part of the National Cavalry.

Their equipment typically included chainmail or similar armour, arm guards, sabre, bow, pistols, and carbines, with earlier use of weapons like maces or lances (later made compulsory under King John III Sobieski).

The term pancerni originally referred, in medieval Poland under rulers like Mieszko I and Bolesław I the Brave, to elite, well-equipped warriors in the ruler’s retinue.

There are no records of units as such, so I have named each unit after 4 Pancerni Commanders who fought at Vienna, again I don't know which weapons each would have used, so this is a guess, if anyone knows any different please let me know.

For the battle 2 units need to be lance armed, while the other 2 can be armed as you like, I chose bows!

Chorągiew pancerna of Stanisław Jabłonowski

Red regt

Chorągiew pancerna of Aleksander Michał Lubomirski

Yellow regt

Chorągiew pancerna of Michał Florian Rzewuski

Green regt

Chorągiew pancerna of Adam Mikołaj Sieniawski

Blue regt

All the figures are from Essex Miniatures, I had to cut and drill to make standard bearers, which was easy for the lance armed troops, but no so for the bow armed troops!!!

And here's the list I'm working from, as you can see, there's more red than black, so hopefully I'll get the finished in the next few months.....or at least by the next Challenge!!!!

After that, I may paint more, it'd be nice to have some Austrian infantry for example?

The list is taken from Barry Hilton's, scenario in, A Taste for Victory, set during the Relief of Vienna in 1683

Ottoman Army under Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha

1st Line (Independent Commands)

Irregular Tribal Raw 12 figs

Irregular Tribal Raw 12 figs

Irregular Tribal Raw 12 figs

Irregular Tribal Raw 12 figs

2nd Line indie command

Timariot Sipahis Blade, Lance Drilled 6 figs 

Timariot Sipahis Tribal, bow/carb drilled 6figs

Timariot Sipahis Blade, Lance Drilled 6 figs 

Timariot Sipahis Tribal, bow/carb drilled 6figs

(Already painted before the Challenge)

3rd Line indie commands 

Sekban musket, loose Raw 12 figs 

Tufeckci musket, loose Drilled 12 figs 

Sekban musket, loose Raw 12 figs 

Tufeckci musket, loose Drilled 12 figs 

Janissary Brigade & Brigadier

Janissary Orta All Musket Drilled/Elite 12
Janissary Orta All Musket/Flintlock Drilled/Elite 12

Janissary Orta All Musket/Flintlock Drilled/Elite 12

Janissary Orta All Musket Drilled/Elite 12

Reserve & Brigadier

Sipahis of the Porte Blade, Lance Veteran-Elite 6 figs

Sipahis of the Porte Blade, Lance Veteran-Elite 6 figs

Vizier's Guard All Musket, Flintlock Guard 6 

Great Gun Drilled 1 model 

Great Gun Drilled 1 model 

Holy League under King Jan III Sobieski

Polish Cavalry Brigade

Lipka Tartars Tribal Cav now Raw 6figs

Pancerni Bullet, armour Drilled 6 figs XXXX

Pancerni Bullet, Lance, armour Drilled 6 figs XXXX

Hussar Banner Blade, Lance, armour Veteran-Elite 6 figs

Polish Cavalry Brigade

Lipka Tartars Tribal Cav now Raw 6figs

Pancerni Bullet, armour Drilled 6 figs XXXX

Pancerni Bullet, Lance, armour Drilled 6 figs XXXX

Hussar Banner Blade, Lance, armour Veteran-Elite 6 figs

Imperial Cavalry Brigade 

Dragoons Regt Dragoons, Flintlock, Drilled 12 figs

Cuirassier Regt Bullet, Armour Veteran-Elite 12 figs

Bavarian Cav Brig

Dragoons Regt Dragoons, Flintlock, Drilled 12 figs

Cuirassier Regt Bullet, Armour Drilled-Elite 12 figs

Saxons Cav Brigade 

Dragoons Regt Dragoons, Flintlock, Drilled 6 figs

Cuirassier Regt Bullet, Armour Drilled-Elite 18 figs

Field gun 1 model