1:72 Spanish Field Artillery middle 17cent

Spanish field artillery of the middle of the 17th century

A set of figures from the brand Mars in 1:72 scale capturing the field artillery of the Spanish army around the middle of the 17th century. The Spanish monarchy was at that time waging war on several sides at once: against France, against rebellious Catalonia and against separated Portugal, and its army was among the most experienced in Europe. A field gun of the time stood on a wooden wheeled carriage, a team brought it to the battlefield, and once a position had been taken it was moved only a little during the battle itself. The rate of fire was set by the crew: load, push the charge to the bottom of the barrel, apply fire and clean the barrel again.

What you can build from the set

An artillery scene lives on each figure doing something different. In 1:72 scale an adult figure corresponds to roughly 24 mm, so the positions at the barrel and the spacing around the carriage have to be worked out before the figures are glued down for good.

Painting and preparation

• Degrease the surface of the figures before painting with lukewarm water and detergent and let them dry.
• Apply a thin base coat, as paint otherwise holds less well on smooth plastic.
• Set the metal of the barrel and the ironwork of the carriage apart from the wood and from the cloth of the clothing.
• Level the hollows with a dark glaze and go over the edges and the rims with a dry brush.
• Cut the excess material off with a sharp blade a little away from the figure and sand the remainder down.

Who the set is for

For builders of battle dioramas and collectors of historical figures. A crew will bring to life a battery in position, the movement of a gun along a road and a quiet scene in camp between fights.

Paints, glue and a base are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.