Sir Ralph Hopton

or Baron Hopton of Stratton as he became known following his success in the hard fought battle in 1643.  Baron Hopton was one of the most faithful of King Charles I's commanders, and he achieved several great victories in his battles against his old friend, Sir William Waller.

Hopton was famously blown up by one of his own gunpowder wagons, by the apparent careless smoking habits of prisoners being transported.  The Clay Pipe seemed to be a great cause of spectacular demise in the gunpowder age!  Hopton survived this incident and went on to command the Royalist Western Army again.
For anyone wishing to read more about this great commander, then the link here:
http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/biog/hopton.htm
will provide plenty of information.

The figures are a good mixture of the finest of manufacturers of ECW figures.  Sir Ralph Hopton is one of the  excellent personality figures by Bicorne Miniatures.  The figure appears to be cast without moustache or beard, but the only portraits I have seen of him show Sir Ralph with a moustache and beard of the mid-17th Century style.  So I added these with some brushwork.

The staff officer is one from the set recently brought out by Renegade.  These are such useful figures and could be used as commanders in their own right.

The other senior officer is also from Bicorne Miniatures and is one from their King's Lifeguard of Horse set.

I have to say how much I enjoyed painting the command stands.  I find them very labour intensive as they are the figures who will always get the most scrutiny, but the result is always very satisfying.  Thankfully an army only needs a few senior commanders painted up!