Each element is approximately a thousand combatants with the artillery representing some 40 guns (!). The battle was the Austo-Bavarian attempt to halt Napoleon from retiring to France after the decisive battle of Leipzig.
These elements of the French Old Guard artillery will hopefully be the 'plow' to move the white stuff away (the Austrian infantry!)
The battle is unique as it has the French emerging from a large forest through which it has moved to face the Allies in the fields beyond before the town of Hanau. Drouot, the Guard commander expertly brought out the Guard artillery and blew apart the enemy formations before him, leading the French past the town and back to France. Should be an interesting wargame.
For the forest through which the French emerge I volunteered my pine forest (the Black Forest is close by to Hanau, yes?) as it would travel much better than the deciduous trees which I fear would fall apart during transport. However I did not like what I had made. (um, some, heck 20 years ago?). So I went at 'improving' them. Not quite the before and after picture as I had already painted the rocks as they were a bright light gray originally picked up from a walkway. But the new matching flocking I feel quite nicely blends them to the ground cloth. (looks closer in the flesh than the photo probably as the glue has yet to dry and is still a darker wet!)
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| Newly refurbished woods stands to the left, old to the right. The fragile deciduous trees in the background. These are nice but to weak to make the transport. |