Regular wargaming partner Roj has just put this up on his Ga Pa Great Northern War blog. A nice account of him hammering me in a very enjoyable Napoleonic encounter a couple of months back.
Great Northern War Gaming & Other Projects: Playtest Eastern Front Napoleonic Game
With a decent sized Russian army you can always give the French and their allies a good run for their money, but for 1813-14 (my favourite campaigns), you really need a healthy Prussian contingent to help with the heavy lifting. Once again I have gone for Foundry figures for the infantry and again I really like the variety and quality of these admittedly ageing sculpts. So far I have managed 5 units of line infantry (1 fusilier and 4 musketeer), plus a command base, with the intention of doing another fusilier and probably 1 or maybe 2 grenadiers. In the last Foundry Christmas offer, I stocked up on reserve infantry (6 units) and landwehr (6 units), for a grand total of 19. This should be enough!
First up is the 2nd Silesian Regiment
Following on from the initial 2 light units (see 24 February 2024 post), I thought I had better add another unit of chasseurs - the workhorse of the French light cavalry arm. Once again these are from the excellent Perry plastics box, which allows enough variety for a real campaign look. These chaps are from the 10th Regiment, which with the 9th Hussars and 4th Chasseurs, represents a pretty strong light cavalry division of around 1,800 men.
My original Italian division had 4 line units (24 figures each) and I planned to add a couple of light infantry units to bulk it out to 6 in total. As this would make a division of 7,200 men in the rules I am using, it represented fairly sizeable force. Increasing the unit size to 32 figures involved disbanding one of the line units and using the figures to supplement the other 3. I only did this because I didn't think I could paint the extras closely enough to match the originals as the white had "turned" a little since I first painted them. For the same reason I decided not to attempt a 4th line unit, instead switching attention to the two lights (in green). This represented the loss of one unit, but the remainder, to my eyes at least, look a lot better.
Here is one of the line units of 32 figures. I really do like these slightly retro Foundry figures.
My initial idea was to go for Napoleonic infantry units of 24 figures in an attempt to speed up production and get things on the table. Up to a point this was successful, but after a few games I felt that the units, particularly when deployed in attack column, just looked too flimsy. After much gnashing of teeth, I decided to upgrade them to 32s.
For my Russian army, this was easy as they were already done that way and I had simply removed a base of 8 figures to get them to 24s, intending to consolidate these later into additional units. I never got around to it, so simply returned them to their parent units - no harm done. However having sold my existing French army, and wanting to accelerate replacing it, I settled on 24s as a solution, which turned out not to work for me.
Upgrading involved painting up an additional 8 fusiliers for the 10 or so existing units and then sticking with this going forward. It was a bit of a pain to do, but I am glad that I made the effort as they now look satisfyingly "chunkier" on the table. I decided not to worry too much about representing the individual company structure with the unit. For one thing 6 doesn't divide into 32 (!!) - previously each 24 figure unit had a four figure base of grenadiers and voltigeurs and two 8 figure "double company" fusilier bases. I really couldn't face either upgrading to 36s, as they had been in the past, or re-basing, so I left the flank companies alone and just added extra fusiliers and re-painted a few company pompoms. Looks fine on the table.
Secondly the rules I am working on operate on the basis that an infantry unit represents around 1,200 men rather than an individual battalion - between 3 and 8 units (usually 4 or 5) making up a division - the basic manoeuvering element in the game. OCD it may be, but I am happier with the result and will have to settle for slower growth in the collection.
As a fully paid up member of the Old Farts Alliance, I have always had a bit of a thing against plastic figures. Whether this is age-driven snobbery I am not sure, but plastic figures were what I played with as a child and since then I have gone on to better things. Hmmm. In my earlier post about Partizan last year, I did confess to buying a few boxes of ACW Perry plastics in a moment of weakness following a beautiful display game that I saw there. And I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't however think that they would make their way into the holy of holies: Napoleonic. Wrong again. Having been working hard on my Napoleonic French army for a few months now (more to follow), I decided to try out the Perry French chasseurs a cheval box. Quite a revelation.
So, for and against. Negatives first - they are quite light and you feel that a mis-judged sneeze could send a whole regiment flying in an uncontrolled charge across the table! That said, a Really Useful Box with half a dozen regiments inside is a damn sight easier to move around than the metal equivalent. I also worry about the weapons, although they do seem a lot more robust than I would have expected. Even so, the first two regiments have the sword shouldered, apart from the officers, just in case! The case for the defence is pretty solid; they are relatively cheap, very nicely designed (as one might expect from the Perrys) and are easy to convert, quite apart from the incredible variety that you already get in each box.
Below are a few photos of my first two completed light cavalry regiments: the 4th Chasseurs and the 12th Hussars. Such is the detail and ingenuity of this particular box, that you can not only assemble units of chasseurs in a variety of dress, but you can also make them up as hussars in the Kinski coat - a simple and practical alternative to the dolman and pelisse that we normally associate with that arm. A really nice alternative.
You get 14 figures in a box (my regiments are usually in 12s); so by getting five boxes and an additional 2 figure command sprue, you can get 6 full regiments (I am going to do 2 hussars and 4 chasseurs). Not only that, but by judicious use of all the spares in each box, you can easily make up another regiment's worth of riders and then buy spare horses and another command sprue and make up a 7th regiment (in my case a regiment of Neapolitan chasseurs a cheval, which fought in the 1813 campaign). No true born Yorkshireman can ignore economies like that!
The three photos above give a good indication of the campaign variety that you can build in to your units, with the odd rolled manteau and forage cap to break thing up. A really nice and unusual unit.
The same with the chasseurs - I even did a bit of minor surgery on one of the horses and riders, to have a trooper tumbling out of the saddle due to enemy fire. This is much easier to do with plastics as you can imagine.
So, am I converted? Yes, I think I am. I will certainly complete all the regiments I mentioned above and am seriously considering a regiment of carabiniers and 4 or 5 of cuirassiers. I do particularly like the Perry metal dragoons in rolled manteau, so I may opt for them, rather than the plastics - not sure yet. I would also be a bit wary of doing lancers as I really wouldn't feel comfortable with plastic lances. That said, they are a really convincing alternative to metal figures and this old dog perhaps can learn a new trick or two.
Having sold my previous French army to fill the wargaming coffers for future campaigns, I was determined to re-build it as quickly as possible. Question was how? My Russian and Prussian forces were composed of mainly Wargames Foundry infantry, due to my reluctance to "go plastic", whilst most of the cavalry was Perry. Having looked at what was available (and the Christmas 25% sale!!), I decided to go the same way with the French. Although the figures are a little "retro", they are full of character and there is a LOT of choice, with loads of in-pack variations. If you want that scruffy campaign look, it seemed a good way to go.
At the time of writing I have just finished a couple of French line battalions, bringing the total to 8, with an additional 2 light and 4 Italian line, making 14 in total. This Christmas just gone, I took advantage of the annual sale to add a further 4 French line and 2 Italian light battalions (still to be painted). I also bought enough French line artillery to furnish all the batteries I will ever need.
I have also done a couple of regiments of light cavalry to round out phase 1 of the army. These will feature in a later post.
Here are a few photos of the infantry. They are organised in "battalions" of 24 this time - I just couldn't face painting a load of 36s again!! I am intending to cobble together a quick play set of Napoleonic rules which will allow us to play medium sized games (20 units a side) in an evening and larger games (35-40 units a side) in a day. A unit of infantry will represent around 1,200 men and a unit of (12) cavalry around 600. The idea is to be able to field up to a couple of infantry corps per side, supported perhaps by a cavalry corps and maybe the odd guard or grenadier division. I will keep the blog updated with my progress (and maybe even the odd after action report!).
I have recently found a very thorough (and very kind!) review of my latest publication: "Let's Fight Leipzig!" and I thought you might be interesting in seeing it.
Let’s Fight Leipzig - A Look through the scenario book - YouTube
It comes from Boots on the Table with Dom, a wargaming Youtube Channel I hadn't come across before. There are literally hundreds of reviews as well as videos of his own work, across a wide spectrum of wargaming history. Well worth a visit. He has a fantastic bespoke wargames room too!!
Hi All.
Well it has finally arrived - a few days late, but considering all the postage troubles at the moment, not too bad. Firstly a quick apology: I have sent out all the inland copies but the chap behind the counter at the Post Office clearly didn't have English as his first language because despite asking for 1st Class postage "for everything" after the first 7 had been processed he said - "you did say 2nd Class didn't you?" Being English I said no, I wanted 1st Class, but not to worry (that wasn't what I was really thinking!). So a few of you will be getting your copies a day or two late - sorry about that!
Here are a few photos that you might enjoy, whilst waiting for it to arrive - these are my pre-production shots, but you get the general idea.
If you would like to order a copy for immediate despatch PAYPAL is probably the best way to go. The book costs £23.50 within the UK including 1st Class postage (!!) £27.00 in Europe and £29.00 for the rest of the world.
You can contact me at steveshann@blueyonder.co.uk if you have any questions.
The book has come out rather well with some lovely photos and maps. I hope you will enjoy it.
Thanks very much once again for your support - if you like it, please tell your friends, as getting the word out there is the biggest problem for one man bands such as I
Last but not least, I hope you all have a pleasant Christmas and New Year and a great wargaming 2023.
Cheers
Steve
Hi All
Finished at last and here is the front cover:
I am really pleased with the way it has turned out. There are a dozen scenarios from the great battle, each with some background information, specially commissioned maps and orders of battle as well as special rules where appropriate for each scenario.
There is also a little historical background to put the battle into context, but unlike in my Seelow Heights book, where much of the information I included was less widely known, Leipzig is a very well documented battle, so I have kept it to a minimum.
Here is the map from the Lindenau scenario. All are full page and, (I think), have come out particularly well.
The book costs £19.50 + £4.00 postage and packing in the UK (£23.50 in total). To Europe the total is £27.00 and £29.00 to the rest of the world.
Payment via PAYPAL to my email address: steveshann@blueyonder.co.uk
Those of you in North America should be able to obtain a copy from "On Military Matters" in due course. I am also pleased to report that Elite Miniatures Australia have agreed to carry it for me Down Under. Please contact them if you would like to reserve/order a copy.
I hope you like it!
As a one man band it is rather difficult to get the word out about what I am doing, so if you know anyone who might be interested or, if having bought it, you feel able to give it a review or mention on any blogs, forums or Facebook pages you visit, I would really apprecate it.
Many thanks.
Following on from my Seelow Heights scenario book, published a couple of years ago, I have decided to go back to one of my first loves in wargaming - Napoleonic.
Always a big fan of large scale battles, especially re-fights of historical actions, I thought that a Napoleonic scenario book would be fun and interesting to do. I took the title from Peter Gilder's articles in Miniature Wargames 4 and 5 (all the way back in 1983!) and it is, I suppose, a kind of homage to him and everything he did for the hobby.
The book itself is very similar in style to my Seelow Heights volume, with a dozen scenarios featuring attractively drawn maps and detailed orders of battle. There is a little background information as well, although I have cut this back compared to Seelow as it is very easy to find detailed material on this battle from such authors as Nafziger and Hofschroer amongst others. I have also included a large number of colour photos of troops in action; below are three of the working snaps I took, prior to having the actual shots taken by a professional who knows what he is doing! I must admit they look pretty nice.
Publication should be around the end of November.
I will let everyone know when it is available, mainly on various Facebook pages and wargaming forums or you can keep checking back on this blog for the latest updates.
Another excellent day out at Partizan last Sunday. It really is a great show with the usual selection of first class games on display. Top of the list for me was the marvellous game put on by friends of the late Ian Smith; the game he was intending to showcase himself but for his untimely death. It was a fitting tribute. Here are a few photos of the game - enjoy!