Great Waterloo Information and Painting Guide Website

This should come in useful for my future 28mm Waterloo Painting Project:

http://centjours.mont-saint-jean.com/index.php

"My First" Prussians make it to the Leipzig Tabletop

My Prussians finally make it to the tabletop in a battlefield formation! It has only taken them ten years to turn from silver legion wannabes to fully painted Prussian heroes with a flag (see below, as they march on to meet the French):

Meanwhile the Prussian maidens and womenfolk are left weeping as their menfolk walk off to war (see below, their view - "Will they ever see them again?") :

As part of the "map consolidation phase", the two separate battles being fought simultaneously are joined together on one table. An impressive Herculean task if truth be told as apart from the very "gingerly" physical movement of toys, much mental dexterity was required to rotate and merge the battlefield geography without teleporting troops in random directions (see the following photo sequence for full appreciation of the size of the battle):

My Prussians are part of a massive mixed  Prussian and Russian infantry XXX (see above top left, second formation down, the neatest formation bar the French "Old Guard" on table IMHO). On teh downside, they are headed towards a formidable line of French Artillery backed by infantry and cavalry. In short an "all arms" wall of death, not a nice wargaming christening (see below):

The panoramic view from the French lines on the main battlefield (see below, the Prussians/Russians are top, moving onto the battlefield and the French in the center of the photograph to bottom, ready and waiting, just off to the right would be a large formation of "Old and Middle Guard!" just emerging from the fields around Leipzig):

The view of the French dispositions across the blue river in the above photograph is shown below (see below, the French have a good combined arms force but are outnumbered, however the Guard Artillery 'park' and Cavalry XXX are within easy reach): 

The man himself, Napoleon, is now awake and talking to his beloved Guard, admiring their potent artillery pieces and the glint of steel catching the bayonet and cuirass of their infantry and cavalry (see below, ahem note the understated six figure command base as befits The Emperor):

I have a feeling The Guard may have to be committed early to crush one threat and then turn upon another in true Napoleonic genius for the French to win this one!

Advancing along "The Road To Leipzig" are MY newly finished Prussians

I am more proud of the fact that I actually managed to finish these fine Prussian fellows after about ten years WIP status, than the finished paint job. It is after all my first attempt, albeit a long awaited final product (see below):

Playing around with the camera settings as per the 1/72 Commando post (Note: I am a cautious child as after over a years ownership and I am only now starting to play and experiment) gave me the close up of the command stand (see below): 

Brave fellows to a man, especially since they are on "the road that leads to Leipzig"! I now have to work out if I move over into 'factory production mode'and simplify my painting technique for a faster turn around for my remaining 176 Prussian 15mm Old Glory troopers.

After the unit was finally completed I did get a sense of satisfaction that 'deep down' meant I wanted to do more ;) 

The Good, The Bad and The Napoleonic

Confession: I am a Wargaming butterfly. Flitter, flitter, flutter. Recently I have been looking at WWII and Ancients, now Napoleonics have caught my eye. Oh "look" there are some fancy Frenchmen in uniform approaching (see below, some 15mm Napoleonics started originally back in 2005 [I think]): 

As a wargamer I have found that I always come "back round" (eventually) to the "Hardcore" topics, be it Alexander, Ceasar, Napoleon or WW2 aka Hitler/Stalin/Churchhill. I could have easily added in ECW, ACW and the Renaissance too. I think this cyclic pattern keeps me same. The periods seem to draw you, tantalising fashion, with the figures, models, rules and books (usually lots and lots of books). Look some Frenchmen facing the other way (see below, I should have added some trim/hem to the bottom of their coats):

The hardest genre by far to me is Napoleonic. Look some 'unfinished' (the shame of it) Frenchmen, who look a little "posh" in comparison to the previous photographs (see below, note they are NOT Guard, regular LINE just me taking some time over them):

I am still wary of it (seemingly thousands of lead figures required, it will swallow me whole), but I am beguiled by it at the same time, tables full of figures look fantastic. Look those "posh" French,men are facing the other way now (see below, argh too much detail!):

There seems to be too many books, too many toys, too many rules and too many experts. You cannot simply collect one army, who would you fight? See here are some Prussians! (see below, albeit seemingly sliding off the edge of the world):

OK ,, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere (see below,the right way up):

What I need is a sensible small project to be involved in. Look these Prussians are now going the other way too! (see below, not sliding oof the edge of the world):

Something small? Waterloo, no it's being done better by others (although I do want to get some 15mm British to paint, eventually). Leipzig (the largest Napoleonic battle ever), er that seems small enough to contribute a stand or two (see below, Prussians being painted, officer types):

Typically I will probably need to track down the new providers of these old metals (15mm Old Glory) as the moulds have changed hands since I last bought them.

Note: I think it is (tbc): 
http://www.timecastmodels.co.uk/minis_catalogue/minis_catalogue.html

I still have plenty of unpainted lead
to get through before I have buy more (see below, though the French as yet don't have any officer types):

What course of madness have I started on? Naturally I have moved paint manufactures since I last painted these, so I am trying to get a best match with Vallejo Game Colour, wish me luck ;)