Toysoldiers - Rearranging "The Battle on the plains of Abraham"

Manufacturer:   JohnJenkinsDesigns

Scale:   60mm

What to do if you can´t sleep and are awake at five o´clock in the morning?

Yes, find some joy by looking at your collection of miniatures. 

But I did not like the look of my setting of the "Battle on the plains of Abraham" anymore. The display is about 95cm wide and about 55cm deep. Because of problems in placing the figures I used to place the British forces in the background and the French in the front. Not very clever because the French only could be seen from their backsides. I also didn´t like that the little vignette showing the death of General Wolfe was not really visible. Not very satisfying.

So, I had the time as iit still was about half past five in the morning and I also had the inspiration to change the look of the diorama. I made some trials to place the figures in a way they could been looked at from their sides. But how to change a frontage of miniatures that former needed 95cm to be placed to a much smaller width of 55cm?

I decided to place the French artillery on a hill, firing over the regiment de Bearn that I had placed in front of the artillery. Regiments LaSarre and Languedoc (I don´t have as many of the last one mentioined) are now advancing next to Regiment de Bearn. If I should get more figures for these regiments some day I would have enough space to let them advance in two sepaerate rows.

That´s what I did with my British troops. One regiment is advancing behind another regiment that´s already within heavy fire fight with the French. And next to this unit there is another regiment in line firing volleys at the Regiment LaSarre. I placed the two pieces of artillery behind each other with the frst on in front and next to the British firing line while an officer gives commands to the crew of the second gun to place it beside the first gun.

That was (in my opinion) the best opportunity to place the mass of figures on the limited battlefield. Both Leaders, Montcalm and also Wolfe, are now perfectly visible, too. And another very good thing - if there are some more reinforcements to join my collection I still could add some figures to the actual units. But there won´t be enough space to place another new unit.

I always have great fun in rearranging my collection. I get in touch with the figures, have again a closer look at them and enjoy to view the result of my efforts in the end. If you don´t rearrange your displays from time to time the displays loose their fascianation. And you always get aware of your actual collection. 

Cheers 

Mike

The death of General Wolfe

Here you can see the picture that was used by JohnJenkins as a template for the small vignette.
In my opinion he did a very good job.

Soldiers from Regiment LaSarre rescuing the mortally wounded
Marquis de Montcalm.

And this is the picture that was used as a template for creating the vignette of
rescuing Montcalm. JohnJenkins has sculpted the scene perfectly.

          

Regiment LaSarre advancing.

A British piece of artillery next to a British firing line (28th Regiment).

Another Brutish Regiment.(47th).

The French Regiment de Bearn supported by two French militiamen.

The British reinforcements advancing.

An overview on the British Infantry.

A few men of Regiment Languedoc marching on the road accompanied by some skirmishing militia.