Milhaud's Horsemen

It started innocently enough.  I had just a few minutes so I did not want to start a bulk painting session (I hate stopping part way through something if I can help it...just me).  So I picked up the nearby French cuirassiers. (I just love the French cuirassier uniform!) to put on a few colors. Well, I just had to finish them....

 The horses I had done previously - I do a large lot of horses for various units all together for production efficiency, for which why I am considered a quick painter, I guess.  I know I have painted better in the past but age and lacking eyesight has taking a bit of a toll I think)

One of these units is the 11th Cuirassier.  It is famous for not having the cuirass as these were in short supply and so were without during the Waterloo campaign.

I modeled this unit from the trumpeter torso, scraping off the lace. I think these were from the Dragoon set but nevertheless the horse furniture was the same.  I stuck on cuirassier helmets and the 11th were born. Well, OK I was one helmet short so my favorite trick: the bandaged head...poor boy must have lost his helmet when getting his wound!

For my III Cavalry Corps (Kellerman's) for the campaign, the 11th are added to the Wagnerian darlings (also known as the 1st Carabineers) and a dragoon element.  I get to be selective in my OB ratios picking and choosing out of all the historic units within each large formation albeit trying to maintain correct proportions of each troop type.

Like something from a Wagnerian production, the 1st Carabineer is a quite the show. Surprising how with an altered helmet and only a different color scheme, it can made from the same miniature as the cuirassiers!

The other cuirassier unit done completes Milhaud's IV Cavalry Corps which led Ney's fruitless charges at Waterloo.

Milhaud's Cavalry Corps

 The last picture is the comparison of the look between the cuirassiers with the cuirass and that without the armor.

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Commentary note from author:

Yeah, OK.  Perhaps nine chaps on horses hardly constitutes a cavalry corps but neither does only 360 if one is so inclined.  That is 12 regiments @ 30 a piece; which while looking very impressive on the table, that table would need to be mighty big, and the game take a long time to play - moving that many figures alone would be many minutes! AND STILL it is ONLY 360 to represent thousands of soldiers. In the same vein as 'Volley and Bayonet', 'Snappy Nappy', and other rules of the like, I am going for the Waterloo on a 8 x 5 foot table with room and time to spare.
Personally I feel the games still look good and are fun to play without too much 'Napoleonic Rules Burnout' common with many Nappy games.

Fictional Battle of Unpont (continued!)

"THE BATTLE IS NOT OVER! YOU HEAR ME?! NOT OVER!" Napoleon rages to his aides.

(actually, I merely decided to play it completely out by myself to check out how the game progresses with fewer and fewer elements...
....The answer is attached HQ to single remaining element of their command,  lots of 'spinning' elements and outnumbering situations!)

Anyway, the battle continues as Napoleon thinks, yet again, he can pull off the victory from near defeat.

Gerard had moved up and with the benefit of solid maneuver rolls he countered the lone Garde-du-Honneur element and finally charged the Guard Foot Battery.

With the total elimination of Nansouty's command (he having received two slight wounds), Gerard still with numbers on the other flank; and Drouot's Guard infantry on the far side of the river holding the town having ultimately pushing McDonald's now very weak corps from the village but now too far away to help, Napoleon attaches himself to the nearest element of the Old Guard.

  He rallies them and has them form square lest they be attacked in the rear by the Carabiniers, Sebastiani's sole remaining cavalry.   However a short time later with yet more combat ineffective formations n his army and surrounded, he admits defeat and has his guardsmen ground their arms and halts further French bloodshed.

The final count was only 10 of the original 29 formations of both contingents remained organized on the battlefield with many of these very fatigued and on their last legs. 

The playtest was informative and I would like to thank Andrew for the go at it.

Fictional Battle of Unpont

For a playtest of the rules for the convention game of the Battle of Hanau, fellow gamer Andrew came over to have a go at the revised rules having played them at one of the club GameNights previously.
Again, as I do not have (many) other troops other than French, this was a "Napoleon vs the Royalists" affair.
In preparation, I made a decision game scenario generator but we both choose the 'up the road and right at 'em" approach

a closer look reveals Andrew's hand moving up the Royalists into contact with the Imperial Guard veterans

the photo below shows the Royalists advance with Gerard on the top, poor McDonald having to force the village and Sebastiani with the cavalry on the bottom of this photo:

Here, McDonald's Royalist concripts face the battle hardened veterans of the Guard. Note the 5 to 1 dice!

The next photo shows the important dice markers of these rules.  The green die is the random MO or maneuver dice (McDonald in this game seemed to have quite a few of these 1s!) The black die on the HQ stand indicates an addition to the MO die roll over 6. The red die is the combat roll.  As I like the tactical situation to dictate the combat rather than a lucky roll, these dice have 3 sides with a '0', 1 with a '1' , one with a '2' and only one with a '3'.  The player has a 50% chance of having no change in the tactical situation which is good and only a 16% chance of a lucky event.

Gerard sacrificed the 1st CaC element to allow the others to cross the river ( I admit it is hard to think of these stands not as regiments but as brigades or small divisions...).

You might note the "commander label" which can be changed according to the battle/scenario.  These are of thick, mat card of a complimentary green color as not to be too obtrusive but still seen by the player as it is very important to know which element is under his control!

The battle continues:

and the French cuirassier - the coolest uniforms of the wars!

Sebastiani manages to cross the river but is ultimately countered by the Guard cavalry:

The large wheel on the cube is our "limbered" marker.  Limbered and being charged. Hmm, no wonder it was eliminated!

Thus the game came to a conclusion with the Royalists under Sebastiani crossing the river but ultimately destroyed and McDonald's numerous conscripts being worn down by the relentless Gronards.  Only Gerard had some success at a cost, with the Guard foot artillery doing considerable damage.

A few more (as usual as no rule set can account for EVERY situation!) thoughts on changes which might be made but in general the rules are working but the test will be the convention in a mere ten days.....

The Brunswick Contingent and HA completed

Sometimes one can get ahead of one's own goals.  Actually in this hobby that is quite easily done unless you have an iron discipline, and, unless the multitude of comments from fellow wargamers are not understated,that discipline is VERY uncommon (and mostly unknown in me)
And so I got ahead of myself and did up Allied unit(s) before getting to the many Prussian units I have primered and wanting/needing to paint.

However, in my defense, the Brunswicker black uniform and falling horsehair plume is way too cool not to do immediately....

As you can see the Perry metal crew has lots of character and action moving the gun up for redeployment; very unique among the many sculpts of crew standing sedately with an upright rammer (not that there is anything wrong with that!)

And while the base does seem large, it covers the large 'footprint' of ground this battery would occupy with all the accompanying caissons, limbers, and the seven other guns of the battery. 

Fictional Battle of Miani

In order to give some form to individual solo games I conduct from time to time and usually with my War of 1812 collection, I have created the fictional Maywood River campaign, in which a large British force will move along the river to ultimately rescue a trapped failed naval raid along the American coastline.

This post describes the action on the Battle of Miani, 1843, Sind (NW India) in the old magazine WI #55 (1992!) by Colin Ashton which I happened to read while doing my morning constiblution....

My 89th Regiment of Foot (Old Glory British) in the main action against the mass of American militia waiting in ambush along an old watercourse.

The American militia await in the muddy gully

The action:
The British General Napier sought to move slightly inland.  To his right was a heavily wooded area with a very high fence with only one gate.  The fence was not loopholed and he sent a company of grenadiers to guard this gate "to the last man". the few militia in this area did not make much of a fight.  With his right secure, Napier had the artillery move up to silence the American militia artillery.  he seemed to be worried about the village to this immediate left front  seeing riflemen occupying the wood structures and moved in echelon with his left refused.

As the 89th Foot on the right advanced, heads were seen just above the level of the grassy field.  Unknown to the British, they were advancing not upon a bend of the Maywood waterway, but upon it's old watercourse, the river having changed its track since the maps used by Napier were made back in 1776!  The militia commander, thinking this a good defensive line, ordered his men to occupy the old river bed.  

Recent heavy rains had made the old clay very muddy and difficult to climb for the American militiamen in order fire over the crest.  Seeing very little fire from the front, Napier quickly recovered from his shock and ordered his troops forward.  With few casualties, the British reached the old waterway and poured a volley into the milling mass of militia in the bottom of the gully, then withdrew to reload then advanced again the few yards to deliver another volley.

Huntingshirt clad militia starting to panic from the advancing British [Knuckleduster 28mm]

 Meanwhile the Americans unable to climb the high bank due to the slippery mud and huddled in a mass, broke and managed to climb the somewhat drier (sun ward?) side of the gully and run from the slaughter.

Considering Napier had moved into a trap, the British came off very lightly while the American casualties were higher. 

(the actual battle went much the same way but substituting the muddy watercourse for a bone-dry river bed)

The Swiss of the 100 Days Campaign

Here is my '2eme Regiment Etranger' of the Waterloo campaign.

Often mistakenly called the 2nd Swiss, thus creating confusion as its yellow facing colors do not match that of the Swiss regiment previously employed by Napoleon, the Second Foreign Regiment was one of eight foreign regiments proposed by Napoleon upon his return to power. This foreign regiment made up of volunteers from the existing Swiss regiments most of whom, keeping their contract with the King, returned to their homeland rather than serve Napoleon again.

The regiment of only one battalion was barely over 400 strong, thus constituting only some 8% of Habert's Division within Vandamme's Corps and so this unit only makes up a very small portion of the formation represented.  My apologies to the 34th, 88th, 22nd and 70th Line Regiments but the redcoats of the Swiss were impossible to resist!

I used a darker red than my usual to contrast with future British units.

Not totally convinced about the old 1804 flag being used,however several reference sources suggest it, so I put one on.  I might change it later after more investigation.  Does that put me in the button-counter crowd now??

Enough with the greatcoats already!

The figure poses in the Perry plastic boxes are about half overcoated and half in Bardin uniform (albeit campaign dress-ish in nature).  I have painted all the overcoat poses I have and this is the start of the dresser versions.  Frankly the overcoats seem to me more practical, however, as a wargamer, the color is the thing for Napoleonics is it not? 

These figures were originally to be Imperial Guard Flanquer Regiments but my collection orientation and ratios have altered and so instead of green, they are wearing blue.

French Light Infantry Regiments (at left) bearing the 'Waterloo' issue flags. These were provided in the Perry plastics box set and were slightly larger, less 'decorated' and of paler colors than the 1812 issues. (yes I used the "Ligne" ones, but if one hides the lettering under a wind-flap fold.....)

The drummer is still in the Royal livery.  I guess he is none too convinced of Napoleon's ultimate reinstatement?

"The Big Battle" (La Rothiere game)

These are a few more photos of the game(s) of the Battle of LaRothiere which shows the 'look' of the game.  While we wanted to do the massive battles of the Napoleonic wars, we did not feel we wanted the requirements to go to a smaller scale nor have to paint the numbers which 15mm seem to demand. 28mm is sexier! Nor did we want to go to the 20 foot long table to encapsulate all the size and terrain elements.

  For the interest of the real Napoleonic nutters with their maps in front of them, the final photo shows the Austrian (read 'Russian') attack of General Sacken against LaRothiere (middle house).  Guilay's Austrians (and actually represented by Austrians!) are moving over the bridge against Dienville (upper left buildings) and the photo shows Petite Mesnil village as the yellow house (lower right)

Brunswick Hussars

Sometimes mistakes can be interesting.

It is my desire for my Napoleonic collection to be, as much as possible, in plastic; but sometimes this does mean a fair amount of effort.  Now this is a hobby so it is fun effort, but effort nonetheless.

With all the conversion I was doing to create French line lancers, CaC versions, etc. I was left with two officer horses with pointed saddle cloths - good for my Brunswick hussars! (well, OK not quite perfect for the button-counter, but OK for me) Just add a horse from the British hussar pack and we have the required three figures. But I could only create two of the horsehair shakos. Oh well, add a bandaged head then (no headdress you see!).

OK then-- glue, glue, glue

Only when painting do I notice I had attached the bandaged head on the torso with the upraised sword and on the charging horse; a most aggressive pose...and his horse with a British docked tail!

Well, that is messed up. But wait.  There is a story here.  The rider is obviously a headstrong type.  A real go-getter.  Wounded in the head and dismounted, he quickly reined in an abandoned British horse to continue the charge!  Heroic stuff that.

Showing the middle figure on a British horse, continuing the charge

Brunswickers of 1815

I have no idea why one of my favorite armies of the Napoleonic era is that of the Duchy of Brunswick.  Because the Duke with his absolute hatred of Napoleon who dies while in battle? The all black uniform in amongst the gaudy plumage? The complete mini-army of infantry-cavalry-artillery in perfect portions for the collector? Their death-head badge?  Because I primer in black and so really fast and easy to paint?  All these reasons perhaps.

Nevertheless, I have done the army several times (don't ask why they were sold each time....) and this time I used plastics.  But there are no plastic Brunswickers in 28mm you say?  Well, true, but if there is a will, there is a way.

My way was to use Perry British, shaving off the cuff lace and cross belt badge. I cut off the pack roll and replaced with the distinctive canteen made from cut sprue tabs! - These were part of trade which I obtained Victrix bicorne heads and the gentleman included the sprues to which they were attached and these proved to be of perfect length and diameter.  Never throw any plastic bits away!

The Perry Austrian officer headdress were the best part as the Brunswick Line infantry shako was not of French shape. Some sources suggest a kiwer concave design but likely more bell shaped. (thanks for those, Seth!)  The shako was formed by shaving off the cockade and raised rear flap, and scrunching up the oakleaf and pompom with pliers into a plume shape!

Brunswick Line Infantry on the tabletop

The Brunswick Advance Guard Lights were similar in working but with a modified Austrian corsehut headgear

Unfortunately with the formation scale I am using for the campaign I cannot represent all the regiments but the plastic hussars I have already modeled having used the horsehair from the portion cut off those dragoon helmets used in the creation of the French line lancers and glued onto the hussar's shako to create that distinctive look (soon to be painted)

Showing the canteen on the pack. This rear angle also shows the 7mm die in situ and the space left on the back of the base for the commanders label to be attached.

I must like the Brunswickers as they will be the first Allied contingents to be completed!

April

I think everyone has their least favorite month of the year.  Of course the reasons vary.  Perhaps your birthday is not for celebration any longer. Perhaps, because of the weather. Perhaps for the reason of work deadlines.
My month of dread is April. Not for the obvious reason of tax time, although it forms a great deal, but of the convergence of so many differing forces put upon ones time.  Spring is for house cleaning, garden preparations, work time is chaotic, the sun appears more often and yes, tax form filling outing (and the procrastination)....all this creates the lack of structure in the day and which affects my wargame painting schedule!

My favorite month? January.  In these northern climes, long hours of darkness, weather extremely miserable with no thoughts of going outside so no problem hunkering down for a long evening of painting or reading battle histories....yeah, OK, perhaps my life right now is a bit taken with my hobby, but the real world is highly overrated ....

my Blue Max stand

My first game of the convention was in the always presented Canvas Eagles air combat battles.  I play often (cough) and was given one of the stands previously by Dave McNeil.  It was plain wood. Can't have THAT can we? It is the same as unpainted figures on the table. Shame.  Yes I could have simply painted it plain green or such, putting an arrow on it to show the aircraft's direction of travel, and leave it at that. Boring!  So paint it blue and glue on some fluffy cotton balls as clouds? Interesting but.....What type of mat is being used for the games?  Green fields was the answer.  OK, I think I will model it with that in mind.
So I created:

While very 'decorated', the stand has the mandatory directional arrow (the light gray gravel field shaped in a triangle) and a large space in the rear for the altitude chits (wall lined flat field of flocking)

The thick lumber base, now painted green, has enough width and heft to allow for a car radio antenna to be used to mount the light weight plastic model plane.

Oh, my! A Sopwith Camel diving on my blue beauty.  To everyone's surprise including my own, I would eventually shoot it down for my first kill with this plane (I have flown it for years!)

"Well, it looks like move 69R3."  "So I fly backwards???" 

The above photos show the various designs of stands used (mine is in the rear). All three blue colored German planes pursuing the British bomber on its run over the airfield. It was shot down in next turn.  Thank goodness I had wounded the observer/bombardier previously as I needed to land on the same airfield immediately thereafter almost out of fuel!  (You must understand I never usually have to worry about fuel as I am normally shot down well before the fuel tank is dry)

Paper buildings

To get the terrain ready for the Napoleonic games I employed paper houses to represent the villages fought over.
see my previous entry: post
One of the major considerations was weight.  Paper, mounted on foamcore = very light indeed!

Elements of the Bavarian Napoleonic army

To have everything ready for our wargame of La Rothiere, I helped Seth with the painting of much his Bavarians; matching the style of the initial units he completed. These are all in the marching pose of the relatively new HaT 28mm hard plastic miniatures.  (for the Bavarian light troops he painted, he used the HaT 'skirmishing' poses.)

While we try to have as much as possible in plastic, some elements we are forced to use metals including these Chevau-Leger horse and the artillery but the infantry are all HaT 28mm.

The wagon wheel marker indicates the element is limbered and thus can move.  Foundry models.

Elements of Seth's Austrian Army

While we are together working toward a common battle(s), the next being Hanau, we each have plans to do our own thing, mine the 100 Days campaign (+) and his the 1809 northern theatre. Which makes sense with all the Austrians and Bavarians!
His Austrians miniatures are made by Victrix, Old Glory, Front Rank, Foundry and Perry.  They seem to play nice together on the tabletop.

a mix of manufactures are employed in this white mass

Old Glory Austrian artillery obviously deep in the 'mud'