Looking Forward in 2015

First, I hope everyone had nice Christmas and New Year's celebrations.

For 2015, my gaming will involve both old favorites - Napoleonics, Seven Years War imagi-nations, Very British Civil War, and American War of Independence - as well as a couple of new game systems - Pulp Alley and Lion Rampant.

I'll be running a Napoleonic game at our regional gaming convention, Bayou Wars, in June.  The game will be a what-if rearguard action between Marshall Grouchy's retreating wing of the Grand Armee and  Generalleutnant von Thielmann's III Korps of the Prussian Army after the Battle of Wavre.  I'll have a test of the scenario in May.  I still have some more French infantry to paint for the test and the convention game.

Between now and then, I'll be running a SYW game pitting the forces of the Elector against those of the Emperor and King.  This will be another of the semi-linked campaign between the Electorische Armee Thüringen (Germanians and Britannians) and the Reichsarmee Oberer-Sachsen (Imperialist and Gallians).  I have some Gallian (French) troops to paint, specifically the Royal Ecossais Regiment.  I'll also be running a Very British Civil War game in my ongoing campaigning between the Royalist/BUF forces and the Anglican/Socialist forces along the border between Essex and Suffolk, northeast of London.  I think all the troops I'll need for this are already painted.

Later this month I'll introduce our group to Dave and Mila Phipps' excellent Pulp Alley rules.  We'll pit a menagerie of various Leagues in a hunt for the magical Dingus.  And probably in April, if not sooner, I'll introduce our group to Daniel Mersey's new Lion Rampant medieval rules.  They remind me a lot of the venerable Rules by Ral which our group uses already so I'm hoping for an easy transition to these rules.

And to begin 2015, I introduce a unit of British Loyalists for our American War of Independence armies.  The Royal Highland Emigrants were raised in 1775 from discharged veterans of several French and Indian War Highland regiments as well as new recruits from Highland emigrants to Canada and the American colonies.  There were two battalions raised, with the second being employed primarily in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and then the southern American Colonies.  The regiment was taken onto the British establishment as the 84th Foot.  My battalion is the Second Battalion and consists of a mix of Dixon and Old Glory figures that I acquired via eBay.  They originally were to be additional companies for my SYW imagi-nation Campbell's Highland Legion but the figures just didn't fit well with the original figures I used in the Legion.  They are mounted in six 3-figure stands per our standard organization.

This battalion will get its baptism of fire when our friend Tim C journeys from North Carolina to Mississippi to run a Carnage and Glory computer-driven game on Martin Luther King Day, Jan. 19.  We've never used this computer based rule system but we are looking forward to seeing how it works with our style of play.

More later!



1st King's Dragoon Guards

The 1st King's Dragoon Guards joined the Electorishe Armee Thueringen late Friday evening after a forced march.  They got their baptism of fire at the Battle of Hesselbach (battle report to follow on the Jackson Gamers blog - see link at lower left).  This 12-figure squadron are Dixon Miniatures.  These particular figures do not have the "pumpkin heads" that some other Dixons do.

The King's colours are from the Kronoskaf SYW Project web site.

Colonel Bland, the regimental commander, leads the squadron in its evolutions.

These were nice figures to paint, with the details being well defined but not, to my eye, too exaggerated.

5th Foot_Drilling

Once all elements had closed on ColCampbell's Barracks, Major General Manly-Barton orders the 5th Foot out on the parade field for some drill.

As the divisions march and countermarch, General Manly-Barton rides around the formations watching with an eagle eye for any faults.

But he can spot none, as the Lieutenant Colonel, commanding, has ensured his company officers and sergeants have prepared the men for these exercises. With his being the first of the Britannian regiments to arrive in Carpania, the Lieutenant Colonel, commanding, wanted to make an excellent impression on General Manly-Barton.  I think that he has!

Britannian 5th Foot, Part 4

The color guard of the 5th Britannian Foot has finally joined the regiment, bringing with them newly issued colors.

The lieutenant colonel, commanding, gestures as his ensigns with their color sergeants, march forward with the colors.  The flags came from the Kronoskaf Seven Years War Project page of the 5th British Foot.  I resized them and printed them on a color laser printer.  As with the rest of the 5th Foot, the figures are Dixon.

This completes the 5th Foot, unless I'm able at some point in the future to acquire an additional 12-figure division.  Probably tomorrow I'll post some pictures of the entire regiment as it drills at ColCampbell's Barracks.

Britannian 5th Foot, Part 3

Finally, the third division of the 5th Britannian Regiment of Foot have joined their comrades, marching into the barracks yesterday after completing the issue of their uniforms and weapons.

Major General Manly-Barton reviews the 3rd division, 5th Foot, after they arrive at Col Campbell's Barracks.

The third division, all Dixon figures, is composed of one officer (second from left, front rank), one sergeant (right figure, rear rank), one drummer (in front of sergeant), and nine hatmen.  The officer is ordering his men to "Preseeeeent  Arms!!" as General Manly-Barton  approaches.

The color party, one officer, two ensigns, and two color sergeants, await final finishing details, basing, and attachment of the flags.  Their picture should be posted tomorrow as well as a picture of the completed regiment.

Britannian 5th Foot, Part 2

The Grenadier Company of the Britannian 5th Foot was completed last night and is now safely settled in their barracks for Christmas Eve.

The Grenadier Company is composed of an officer (in cocked hat), a sergeant (with halberd), a drummer, and nine grenadiers, all Dixon figures.

They and the rest of the denizens of Col Campbell's Barracks wish a

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS 

and a

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

to one and all!!

Britannian 5th Foot, Part 1

Tonight I completed two divisions of the Britannian 5th Foot Regiment.  These 24 Dixon British infantry are the first unit in a brigade that will be commanded by Major General Manly-Barton, Colonel-in-Chief of the 5th Foot.  Some of their in-progress pictures were featured in previous posts.  This unit is organized for "big battalion" gaming using Bill Protz's rules, Bataille de l'Ancien Regime [link].

The 5th Foot was part of the second reinforcement contingent to His Britannic Majesty's Army in Germania.  It is the senior regiment of that six regiment contingent.  For additional information on the "real" 5th Foot, see this Kronoskaf link.

As usual, please click on the pictures for larger images.

First, the Colonel-in-Chief, Major General Manly-Barton.

He is a Dixon mounted British officer who continues to wear the regimentals, although the coat has been heavily embellished with silver lace.

The 1st division of the regiment, consisting of one officer (second from left, front rank), one sergeant (far right, rear rank), one drummer (far right, second rank), and nine privates.  Notice the sergeant is checking on the alignment of his men.  You can almost hear him saying, "You there, Jones, watch your dressing, you slovenly excuse for a soldier of the King!"

The 2nd division of the regiment, with the same composition and placement as the 1st division.

I am painting the 3rd division and the grenadiers, and still have to do the color party.

And a picture of both divisions, 1st on left and 2nd on right, with Major General Manly-Barton in the center.

Britannians - Continuing the Work

I've done a little more work on the Dixon figures, getting the lace painted on the first 12-figure division, including the drummer.

The drummers were the most intense to paint since each regiment's drummers seem to have worn a different amount of lace.  I had to guess on this regiment (the 5th Foot) since I didn't have a picture of its drummer.  Here you can see a drummer both before (right) and after (left) the application of the lace, plain white in this regiment.  I haven't decided if I want to try to do a replication of the regimental shield (St George killing the dragon) on the front of the drum.

The hatmen of the center companies were a little easier than the drummers although nine of them more than made up for the single drummer.  Again, a before (right) and after (left) picture.  The belting and muskets haven't been done yet.

Finally a picture of the two officers and two drummers in the first two 12-figure divisions.

More anon.

Britannians - Works in Progress

After completing the painting and "dipping" on the Screaming Panther Clan, I started on the first two "divisions" of the Britannian 5th Regiment of Foot and a mounted officer.  Although this regiment was part of the second contingent sent to fight with His Britannian Majesty's Army in Germania, it will also see double duty fighting the Gallians and Asturians in the 'Murican colonies.

These figures are Dixon, with the classic Dixon "pumpkin head" on the infantry.  Up close the heads do look unusual but I think from a distance in an organized unit that the heads will not be so apparent.  The figures have been primed with gray Liquidtex gesso before I started painting them with acrylic craft paints.  I mount my foot figures on large headed finishing nails and my horses on plastic 2-liter soda bottle caps.  As usual, please click or double click on the images for a larger picture.

Britannian mounted officer

Sergeant and nine hatmen

When I complete these figures, I plan on posting a comparison between the various horse and musket manufacturers I have.

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Bland

The last figure completed in December 2009 (and in fact the last in 2009) is Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Bland, commander of the 1st King's Dragoon Guards.  Bland is a Dixon dragoon officer who will (eventually) lead three squadrons of the 1st KDG, although all that I have on-hand now is a single squadron, still unpainted.

Bland is a real person, the nephew and heir of Lieutenant General Humphrey Bland, colonel of the 1st KDG.  Although I don't think Thomas Bland was ever in the 1st KDG, he will be for my imagi-nation purposes.

He is painted as close to the uniform of the 1st KDG that I could get.  the only thing that I wasn't able to paint was the red and blue rolled blanket roll on the rear of the saddle and the blue line in the center of the gold trim on the saddle cloth and holsters.

He will also initially command my Brittanian forces as they battle the Gallians and Imperialists both in Europa and in and around the Capitania General de la Florida in the southeast of the Brittanian colonies in the New World.

Latest Acquisitions

As I sit here at the computer listening to the pipes and drums and military band of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, my pulse quickens. Major General Campbell is pleased with his latest acquisitions.

First, as a result of the sale of Dixon figures by FAA-USA Wargames, I've added enough SYW British to complete a good sized battalion of Britannian infantry to augment the allied forces of the Margraviate of Carpania.


This 56-figure battalion consists of a 5-figure color party (officer, two ensigns, and two color guards), one 15-figure grenadier company (officer, sergeant, drummer, and 12 grenadiers), and three 12-figure center companies (each officer, sergeant, drummer, and 9 hatmen).

In addition I obtained a 12-figure squadron of Britannian dragoons and an extra mounted officer.

Say what you will about the "pumpkin heads" of some of the Dixon infantry (and these have them), they are still nice castings and will make a welcome addition to my big battalion SYW troops.

Earlier I got a good buy from eBay. Sixteen Hinchliffe Scots Grays. Although these are Napoleonic vintage (wearing the bearskin cap), they will comprise the mounted portion of the Major General's mercenary band, doing double duty as both SYW era imagi-nation troops and Napoleonic era troops.

They came attached to their horses and on ovalish shaped metal bases that had the basic terrain effect done. And they were primed! As you can see there will be some bracing needed for several of the horses who are either balanced on their rear legs or just on two opposing legs. That will be a fun evolution (he writes with a grimace).