Granted 'massed' in a relative term, but the positive comments on the Jaegers post prompted me to take pics of the combined Russian Infantry I have painted this year:
3 Battalions (2 Line,1 Jaeger) plus 2 units of skirmishers to screen them, and a couple of Command figures
Each battalion is 32 figs for a total of 110 figures all together.
| Advance! Skirmishers to the flanks! |
Mix of Great War Miniatures and Warlord. Group bases are 80x40mm
Earlier this during (during AHPC) I completed the first two battlaions for my Crimean War Russian army
https://tasmancave.blogspot.com/2026/03/crimean-war-russian-line-infantry.html
Since then I've been working on a unit of Jaegers to join them: four bases of 8 figs, plus 6 individual skirmishers. Hobbying has been very start/stop lately due to a lot of work travel, so it feels good to complete them.
Russian Infantry Regiments of the period comprised four battalions: 2 Line Infantry and 2 Jaegers (with all Battalions having four companies). The Jaegers were akin to British Light Infantry, similarly armed to the line infantry but trained in more mobile tactics. Where the Line Infantry had white webbing, the Jaegers had black and invariably favoured the field caps over helmets.
These are all Great War Miniatures metal figures, so the unit has some nice heft! They are nice figures but, unlike the plastic Warlord figures I used previously, there is little variation amongst the troops.
Modelling note: The green that the Russian Jaegers used at the time was much darker, but in testing it looked just black at usual gaming distances, so I've scaled it back a few shades to give a better look on the table.
This brings my Russian force to 12 units of infantry and 2 of skirmishers. I'll turn now to some Cavalry units as the next focus.
Thanks for looking!
| Skirmishers to the Flanks! |
Presenting my first two Russian battalions for my 28mm Crimean War project. While the Russian Army of the time was renowned for having largest cavalry contingent on the continent, Infantry still made up the bulk of the Army. These are typical Line Infantry battalions of a Regiment, each of which fielded 4.
| Two Battalions with Regimental officers advancing in Attack columns |
| 1st Battalion (white shoulder tabs) - all in helmets |
I enjoyed a good dose of the inevitable "basing dilemma", badly overthinking it before deciding to go with groups of poorly drilled troops with intermingled casualties, representing both bad training and a stoic intent to get to grips with the invaders regardless of cost! Groups of 8 figs make a line unit in Sharp Practice and I figured that four units per Battalion would give some good 'visual heft' as the attack columns advance.
| 2nd Battalion (red shoulder tabs) with mixed helmets and forage caps |
Figures are mostly plastic Warlord figs with some metal models by Great War Miniatures mixed in. The former are relatively monopose, but the seperate heads let you impart some great character with modest turns. The latter are wonderful sculpts and mixing them in gives a more dynamic look. Colours by Battle-Flag.com
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This project was to be a full Regiment of 4 Battalions plus an artillery and a troop of Cossack cavalry but when real life got in the way I opted to not sacrifice quality just to 'get it done'. I really enjoyed building them and the rest will follow post Challenge.
| The army grows! |
These units and their Regimental Officers tally 67 foot and 1 mounted figure - my biggest submission of this Challenge to take me across my 500 point target line. Just in time!
Submitted to the Challenge here:
https://thepaintingchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/03/from-paulog-russians-of-crimean-war-345.html
Painting Notes
Zandri Dust spray undercoat
Greatcoats - Lavado Sepia Shade (Game Wash), Zandri dust drybrush
Trousers - Dead White (Game Color), Apothecary White contrast (GW)
Boots - thinned Corvus Black (GW)
Straps - Ulthuan Grey (GW), then white highlights
Muskets - Oak Brown (Warpaints Fanatic)
Skin - Pale Flesh (Game Color 72003), Reikland Flesh Shade (GW)
Collars - Mephiston red (GW)
Swords - black base coat, Warpaints Leather Brown, Gold hilt
Shoulder Boards
Light Blue = GW Ice Blue
Red = GW Mephiston Red
White = Dead White (Game Color)
Backpacks - oak brown (army painter)
Bedrolls - Celestra grey GW
Staff Officer in green frockcoat
Basecoat - 50/50 Yellow Olive (mode
Colour 892) / Guarsian Green (Warpaints)
Wash - game colour green ink (72.089)
Highlight - waaagh flesh GW
Basing
Group infantry bases: 80x40mm
Individual figs on flat 25mm rounds (Renedra)
Battlefield Accessories Ground compound mix
Wash with 50/50 thinned GW Agrax
Drybrush highlight - GW Zandri dust
Defending the Motherland from foreign invaders is quite a (historical) Russian tradition, and so I start my Russian Crimean War army, ready to Resist the those interfering British, French and other tag-along stooges who have landed on Russian soil!
| Za Rodinu! Za Tsarya! (For the Motherland! For the Tsar!) |
I had intended this to be a more fulsome "first battalion" reveal but unfortunately, impacts of world events said no. But a start is a start, so here is a stout Russian Officer leading a few feisty skirmishers to defend the Rodina - and after months of planning and painting I'm pleased to get the first batch posted!
| Regrettably, I didn't get a chance to setup a nice photo shoot for them. Apologies! |
The 6 musketeers are metal figs by Great War Miniatures, and the Officer is a Warlord metal sculpt- together they form a light infantry unit in Sharp Practice plus a basic level leader.
Their brave but poorly trained friends will make an appearance soon!
Submitted to the AHPC16 "Resistance" Bonus Round here:
https://analogue-hobbies-theme-rounds.blogspot.com/2026/03/resistance-by-paul-og-russian-crimean.html
| Ineptus the Vexillifer! |
| Kept to the 4 colour "Zorn palette" to match the erst of my army |
Submitted to the "Empire" Bonus Round of AHPC 16 here:
https://analogue-hobbies-theme-rounds.blogspot.com/2026/01/empire-from-paulog-crusading-ancient-57.html
| A little bit of OSL goes a long was and was fun to do! |
| 2 Crusading Squads, an Execrator, a Crusade Ancient and an Apothecary! |
I've loved this model since it came out, yet somehow never painted one despite the wonderfully evocative posing.
| Brother Euthenasius of the Black Templars |
Having just extracted the progenoid from the deceased battle-brother at his feet, he contemplates in remembrance of his fallen comrade before it joins others dangling around his neck, speaking to other recent losses (and ultimately the complete futility of a grim darkness of a far future where there is only War, but I might be reading too much into that...)
Anyway, he joins my growing Black Templars force that I've been working on this year with my Crusader squads.
Painted like the rest of my Black Templars in the Zorn palette style using a combination of Apothecary White (what else?) contrast paint as well as experimenting with some make-up sponge dabbing techniques. Details were painted separately and assembled at the end. Mars styled basing to match the rest of my BT army.
Submitted to the AHPC16 Challenge here:
https://thepaintingchallenge.blogspot.com/2025/12/from-paul-og-astartes-apothecary-9.html
When playing Black Templars, you can never field enough Chaplains to chat Litanies of Hate and inspire Righteous Fury in the Brothers. I went with the master crafted power sword just because it looked cool, but he can take a hand flamer or master crafted bolt pistol instead.
| Pretty cool model - tempted to get another and make him with different weapons |
Hobby Notes
Undercoat Coat - Pro-Cryl Brown Black
Base Coat - thinned Abaddon Black, Corax Black, then heavy drybrush with Dawnstone
Silver: Iron Warriors, Nuln Oil,
Golds: Belthazar Gold, Agrax Shade, Retributor Gold
Red: Mephiston Red, Thinned Reikland Flesh shade, 50/50 Mephiston / Evil Suns Scarlet
Leather: Vallejo,
Basing (as per all my other Black Templars)
Martian Ironcrust Technical texture paint
Doombull brown
Tuskgor fur
Reikland Fleshwash shade
Drybrush Tusgor fur and Karak stone
Did a bit of a count up of the big box of Bronze Age figs I inherited from a friend who sadly passed away last year and hadn't gotten to this particular project. It was a little melancholy with his hand written labels amongst them, but I know he'll be glad they went to a good home.
Line troops
Spearmen - 92 assorted
Swordsmen 54 assorted
Missile troops
Archers (helmets) - 18
Archers (no helmets) - 6
Naked Slingers - 12
Javelins - 18
Lukka - 8
Dendra - 19+1 damaged
Myrmidons - 8
Major Heroes
Achilles
Hector
Sarpedon
Agamemnon
Odysseus
9 light Chariots (2 horses)
Now to see if I can entice Slowpainter John to join me in this endeavour!
The first models I've finished in a year! Good to be back!
Black Undercoat overall, V heavy drybrush- Corvus Black, Heavy drybrush Skavenblight dinge, Light Zenithal drybrush with
Shoulderpads - Drybrush x 2 Celestra Grey / Titanium White x 3 (Pro Acryl)
Tabards & Cloth - Dark Sand / Sepia Wash
Leather boots/gloves: Vallejo leather, XV88 highlights
Yellow Weapons - Averland Sunset (2 coats) / Sepia wash / Averland sunset highlight, Ariel yellow top highlights. Red templar cross decals (Initiates only, not Neophytes)
Fleshy Bitz - AP Barbarian Flesh / Flesh Wash / mixed AP Barbarian Flesh and AP Light Flesh
Aficionados of this blog may recall that I did a unit of French Grenadier Garde to start a Crimean War project (...almost 2 years ago now):
https://tasmancave.blogspot.com/2024/01/ahpc-14-french-grenadiers.html
Well its about time to get them somebody (Historical this time) to fight on the tabletop!
Planning this to be a project for AHPC 16. I really missed the challenge last year so hope to participate in a limited way this time around (hard to call it "Winter" in Hawai'i!)
Fun to get some paint on my first model in 10 months. It always amazes me how quickly hobby skills degrade! Also a bit of a shock to go from big chonky primaris marines to far more reasonably scaled and lithe Eldar :-)
Overall he came out well but the overall look is a bit more lime green than the saturated I was going for, and a bit more patchy than I expected. Think I will swap the gems to red for contrast and need some more yellow on the accents.
Basing - considering jungle style for the stealth theme (nice excuse to try out the AK Dark Earth basing mix!)
Modelling Notes
Undercoat- Vallejo Grey (brush on)
Body Basecoat: 1988 era Striking Scorpion Green
- Some Drucchi Violet pin washing in shadow areas
- Pin wash of Vallejo Green ink
Highlight Moot Green
Edge highlight 1988 era Bilious green
Metallics - Black basecoat / Leadbelcher / Black wash, Retributor / Agrax wash
Leather - basecoat vallejo Leather brown (871), GW Tuskgor highlights
Eyes - Mephiston Red, Lugganath Orange pupils
Lots of work travel this month (3 countries and 2 stints at sea) so not much hobby done. But I did complete Pallidus (the Pale One) the Retiarius, a Gaulish prisoner of war, who is now ready for action in the arena!
| That fair skin is going to suffer in the Mediterranean sun! |
| "Ave Imperator, morituri te salutant!" |
This week I invited a select group of Lanisti to my Province to celebrate the Maius (May) Spring Festivus. OK its autumn here in the antipodes but we needed an excuse to roll dice and hurl insults in appalling Latin is a good one!
And so the matchups began - my Murmillo faced John's more nimble Thraex, who was all over me from the start. I took a couple of light wounds and was getting fatigued so tried some different tactics to turn the tide. I managed to disarm John, but he dashed in, retrieved his blade and wounded me again. As things were looking bleak for me, I was lucky to land a disabling head wound and the crowd were appropriately merciful.
Next to us, Alan's Thraex fared badly against Marty's Murmillo who was bludgeoning him to a pulp. That is, until 2 quick strikes incapacitated Marty's heavier fighter.
The final match saw Alan's Secutor face off against veteran Lanista Frank himself and his Retiarius. The fisherman danced around at range, and even managed to ensnare Alan, but he managed to escape and disable the trident wielder, to the crowd's delight.
| Alan clearly had just suffered some kind of wound when this pic was taken! |
So 3 bouts and 3 Victories by Missio. Once again, we were most entertained!