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

AHPC16 - My Challenge Wrap up

 

I'm a month late with this post, the Challenge ended on the 21st March. Salute and others took over I'm afraid!!!

Well that's another Challenge over and done with, I'm very pleased with how many figures I got painted  and its almost a shame its over, on was on a roll. Now as per usual my painting will die down for the rest of the year, which is a shame, but I don't think Mrs R would approve me diving into the garage every 5 minutes, like I have been and more disappointingly, I've got lots of decorating to catch up on now, so its a bigger brush I'll be using for a while!

Like I said I'm pretty pleased at my painting haul, these last 3 months and when you get in all out on the table together it looks rather impressive! I managed to paint up....

225 25mm figures

200 15mm figures

9 25mm barricades

76 25mm trees, (base and winterize them)

20 25mm Road sections (various shapes & lengths)

 

Jason & the Argonauts 22 figures

Jason and the Argonauts 

Winter War Finns

I think I went a little OTT??? ( Not like I usually do?)

9 x Infantry section

1 x Machine Gun section

7 x Heavy Weapons

A selection of the 76 trees winterized.

Winter sandbags

The Medic

37mm Bofars

Machine Guns & Mortar

Kaukopartio Long Distance Recon Squad

3 of the 9, 8 man Infantry sections and Command group

Retreat From Moscow 

Vienna 1683 in 25mm

Polish Dragoons for Donnybrook

Vienna 1683 in 15mm

Tufekci & Sekban

Lipka Tartars

Polish Winged Hussars

Irregular Troops

Janissary's

I hoped I would get all the 15mm Vienna 1683 figures painted, but failed, I was halfway through the Pancerni when the Challenge ended, so they will appear soon. But I'm still pleased with the progress. All the other figures are prepped and undercoated and in the queue, so will hopefully join the other in the painted box before the start of the next challenge???

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 XXX

Timariot Sipahis Tribal, bow/carb drilled 6f XXX

Timariot Sipahis Blade, Lance Drilled 6 figs XXX

Timariot Sipahis Tribal, bow/carb drilled 6f XXX

(Already painted before the Challenge)

3rd Line indie commands 

Sekban musket, loose Raw 12 figs XXX

Tufeckci musket, loose Drilled 12 figs XXX

Sekban musket, loose Raw 12 figs XXX

Tufeckci musket, loose Drilled 12 figs XXX

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

Pancerni Bullet, Lance, armour Drilled 6 figs

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

Pancerni Bullet, Lance, armour Drilled 6 figs

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

Rats!

Roads

Some of the Wintered trees

I gave myself a target of 1200 points, which I hoped would push me to get stuff done, which it did, I ended up with 1749 points in the end, which gave me a 13th place finish, which I am very pleased with, long gone are the days of Challenge II where I finished in 1st place, I'm in a different job now and don't get anywhere near the time to paint as I did back then. But the crazy 12 Challengers above me helped to pull me along and challenge for a top 20 place, which is one of my main aims, so thanks guys!

Here is my record during the Challenges so far.

Challenge II 4940 points 1st
Challenge III 2586 points 4th
Challenge IV 1227 points 17th
Challenge V 691 points 37th
Challenge VI 681 points 36th
Challenge VII 1093 points 24th
Challenge VIII 662 points 40th
Challenge IX 2274 points 8th
Challenge X 1687 points 11th
Challenge XI 2260 points 8th
Challenge XII 2168 points 7th
Challenge XIII 1111 points 27th
Challenge XIV 1160 points 25th
Challenge XV 1299 points 15th

Challenge XVI 1749 points 13th

Interestingly, (well for me anyway?) is this year's points total is my 5th best total of points earned, in the Challenge so far, and my highest total since Challenge XI back in 2020/21.

1 Challenge  II 4940 points 1st
2 Challenge  III 2586 points 4th
3 Challenge  IX 2274 points 8th
4 Challenge  XI 2260 points 8th

5 Challenge  XVI 1749 points 13th
6 Challenge  X 1687 points 11th
7 Challenge  XV 1299 points 15th
8 Challenge  IV 1227 points 17th
9 Challenge  XIV 1160 points 25th
10 Challenge XIII 1111 points 27th
11 Challenge VII 1093 points 24th
12 Challenge V 691 points 37th
13 Challenge VI 681 points 36th

14 Challenge VIII 662 points 40th

Its also my 6th highest finish in the rankings.

1 Challenge  II 4940 points 1st
2 Challenge  III 2586 points 4th
3 Challenge  IX 2274 points 8th
4 Challenge  XI 2260 points 8th

5 Challenge  X 1687 points 11th

6 Challenge  XVI 1749 points 13th
7 Challenge  XV 1299 points 15th
8 Challenge  IV 1227 points 17th
9 Challenge  XIV 1160 points 25th
10 Challenge XIII 1111 points 27th
11 Challenge VII 1093 points 24th
12 Challenge V 691 points 37th
13 Challenge VI 681 points 36th

14 Challenge VIII 662 points 40th

So if you've enjoyed the Challenge and fancy a go of it yourself, go visit Curt's blog, here normally in late November for more updates, the roster gets filled up very quickly, so be quick.

Lastly thanks again to Curt and Sarah for putting up with Curt, Minion DaveD and everyone involved in the Challenge and I look forward to more fun and games in December.

Salute Loot 2026 & Blogger Meet up

 

For a change, when I rummaged through my bags of loot I picked up at this years Salute, I was very surprised at how much there was!! (That never usually happens???)

So firstly was my Salute Goody bag, the Saladin figure, some Dwarf figures, some very handy magnetic bases from Warmag and another base, I've not really delved into what it is yet?

And in no particular order...

From Products For Wargamers, two large ponds, a small pond and some counters.

All of these will be snowified, for the Retreat from Moscow and the Winter War.

A mix of figures for Jason and the Argonauts, from Wargames Foundry, Crooked Dice and Fenris. From Warlord, some Bolt Action dice, (£18 for dice!!, my heart bleeds!) and artillery markers and some free Konflikt 49 sprues. Paints from Sheppey Models and 15mm Ottoman tents form Debris of War.

The Campaign Book, Chronicles of Midgard

I've got the rules already and am seriously thinking about buying 2 armies to paint up!

Hmm???

Stream/River sections from The Last Valley and a few bridges, once again these will snowified!

And finally I picked up a pre-order of some magnetic bases from Warbases and a strip of  Green Stuff!!

So this lot should keep me bust for the foreseeable future, especially if you add all the other stuff I have in my leadpile.

And lastly a rather small Blogger Meet up was held at 1 o'clock, which was a shame, but thanks to all the guys who made it.

Matt, Andy, Carl, Lee, Postie, Steve, Mike, me and Reject Dave

See you all at Salute 54!!!!