Retreat From Moscow - Deployment Markers or Command Stands

 

As if I haven't got enough to paint already??

Me and Lee are planning to use Sharpe Practice for our Retreat from Moscow shenanigans

We spoke about the Deployment Markers used in the rules, I had a few spare figures and said about using some of those instead of a counter as per the rules?

Lets just say I got a tad carried away and only used 2 of the spares I had and bought another 2 packs of Perry's to make them both.......

The standard bearer is one of the spares, he's from the plastic Guard figures from Victrix.

I must say, I'm pleased with how they both came out.

Lee hasn't posted any photo's on his blog of the 2 stands he made, he posted a video on You Tube BELOW, instead. Its only after I finished mine when I looked back to Lee's and realised he only painted 3 figures per base, Damn!!!!

I've gone for the full effect....5 figures per base!!!

We both bought our flags from Andy at Grubby Tanks

The spare I had for this base, is once again the standard bearer, but this time he's a Front Rank figure.

The figures are a mix of Perry's from packs, FN51 Support Staff and FN53 Hangers On High Ranking Officers, while the bases are from Warbases.

Which way, should we go?

Unfortunately most figures on the bases have no thick coats of scarves to keep them warm, but hey, they're the best of the best in French elitism, they're making the decisions, so they don't need to keep warm??? Do they??

So what are they Deployment Markers or Command Stands?

AHPC15 - Ray & Lee's combined project round-up (and punch-up)

Me & Lee got together on Tuesday evening to bring both sides of our Retreat from Moscow project together in the Rejects Shed-o-War. Laid out on the table we are more than a little amazed at how much we have got done during the painting challenge. Once again this amazing event has stimulated our creative juices, whipped up our enthusiasm and kept our brushes whirling in a way we never normally manage to replicate at any other time of the year.

I beat Lee on points.........so we recreated that beating in front of our combined output from the Challenge!!

We've had a good long chat about our respective armies and have already made a list of extra units we want to add. We have already started making some of the terrain we want for this project and yesterday we agreed what to buy next and exchanged ideas of items we would like to see on a future battlefield. So while the frenetic pace of activity during the challenge will abate a little over the next few weeks, we are hoping to keep that enthusiasm burning throughout the year. I summed it up perfectly when I describe our efforts during the Challenge as "phase one of the project".

There will be more to come!

 

ANPC15 - Retreat from Moscow - Mixed Infantry & Cavalry 60pts

Originally posted on the 19th March on the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge Blog. The Challenge is now over.

My penultimate post in this years Challenge, and guess what?

More figures my and Lee's Retreat from Moscow project!

All the figures bar 2 are from Perry Miniatures.

The Commander, second left is a Front Rank figure and is my last figure in the Challenge that has had some conversion work, I've added a small cloak and a scarf which is holding his bicorne on. The Sapper 2nd row far right is the second non Perry mini, but I'm not sure who made this figure and if he is indeed a French figures??

Any ideas???

The rest of the figures are from pack FN169 Dismounted  Cavalry Skirmishing, my favourite is the chap in the middle, painted up as a Trumpeter of  the Dutch Lancers of the Guard. This is what I love about this project, you get the chance to paint up figures and uniforms that you wouldn't normally do.

Then you have the red crested French Carabinier, firing 2 pistols, what a great figure to paint up!

Lastly the usual rear shot!! I wasn't going to paint up the figure sitting firing behind a fallen friend, as I'm not sure how to fit him into a unit, because of the base size?? So he might end up as a piece of scenery or perhaps an objective marker?

So to the points, 9 figures for 45pts, then 2 figures on one base, one kneeling and one laying, so I'll give in to tonight's minion to decide the final score, your never know I might even get some bonus points for the conversion work? Cough!

Tonight's Minion was the SnowLord himself Curt who very generously gave me an extra 8 points for my conversion work!!

AHPC 15 - Retreat from Moscow - L'escadron sacré 101 pts

The Sacred Squadron (French L'escadron sacré) was an ad hoc cavalry unit which served briefly in the French Grande Armée during the final stage of the Emperor Napoleon's retreat from Moscow in 1812. It was remarkable in that it consisted - out of military necessity - entirely of officers, with those below the rank of colonel serving as troopers.

The Sacred Squadron was formed on 23 November 1812, by the Bobr River (perhaps at Borisoff, in modern Belarus) to serve as Napoleon's bodyguard. It was disbanded on 10 December 1812, in Kowno (modern Kaunas, Lithuania). It therefore served during the crossing of the Berezina (26-29 November), and continued to exist for a few days after Napoleon's departure for Paris on 5 December.

Its existence is recorded in the 29th Bulletin of the Grande Armée, by which Napoleon hinted to the French people for the first time the scale of the disaster which had befallen the Grande Armée:

"Our cavalry was dismounted to such a degree, that it was necessary to collect the officers who had still a horse remaining, in order to form four companies of 150 men each. The Generals there performed the functions of captains, and the colonels of subalterns. This sacred squadron, commanded by General Grouchy, and under the orders of the King of Naples (Murat), did not lose sight of the Emperor in all these movements."

No written order establishing the unit has been found; it is possible that it was set up orally. No official record of those who served in it has survived; considering the circumstances, it is possible that none was ever made, or that the records of Marshal Berthier (Napoleon's Chief of Staff) were lost during the retreat. Other sources give lower numbers than Napoleon's 600: Chandler says 500.

In addition to its commander Général de division Grouchy, the following are said to have served with the Sacred Squadron:

Général de division de La Tour-Maubourg
Général de brigade de La Grange 
Colonel Rambourgt 
Colonel de Fernig 
Lieutenant-colonel de Castellane
Lieutenant-colonel de Lascours 
Chef d'escadron  de Gramont 
Chef d'escadron  de Potier 
Capitaine Aimé Benoît Delamalle
Lieutenant Le Bon Desmottes 
Lieutenant Claude-Xavier-Louis-François Martin
Lieutenant Saint-Geniès 
Sous-lieutenant Korte 

My 2 Commanders, both are from Front Rank miniatures. On my brand new Warbases sabot bases.

These 4 are all Casting Room Miniatures and all have had green stuff cloaks and a scarf to hold his bicorne on.

Four more figures from Front Rank, there was no need to add anything on these, I could have added a cape for the Guard figure, but didn't want to spoil his uniform.

So there we have it, Napoleon's Sacred Squadron, or 10 Mounted Commanders, if you don't want the Sacred Squadron in a game..

Points are easy, 10 figures at 10 points each, 100 pts, maybe Teemu would like to add some extra for the the cloaked commanders.

Teemu very generously gave me 1 extra bonus point, giving me 101 pts pushing me up into the top 10, in 10th place, for the first and probably only time this Challenge, on 988 points. Only 12 away from my target of 1000.

Haitian Revolution/St Domingue Revolt - Gentlemen of the town.

 

I painted these fine looking fellows up for my game that the Rejects put on at Broadside back in June.

The Battle of Croix-du-Bouquets 1792, set in St Domingue, what it now Haiti.

I wanted to add some civilians to add a bit of scenery in the town .

The 4 figures are all from Front Rank, now owned by those luvvly chaps at Gripping Beast.

They could also perhaps be a Plantation Owner of even the Governor of the territory,

in future games. I kept my pallet a little subdued, all blue's browns and greys.

They have a slightly darker skin tone from normal, probably from too much sitting in he sun by the pool, with a cocktail in hand???

I will hopefully have their better halves appearing soon?

Haitian Revolution - Odds n Sods

 

I've been painting like a madman recently, unfortunately though, it was my bathroom walls and ceiling and not my little metal men!

I was under orders from SWMBO and to be honest I've been putting it off for a while now, so the whip was cracked and out came the tile adhesive cutters and bigboy paintbrushes.

Boo!

Anyway on with the figures,

I bought these 5 figures painted Foundry figures from Instant Armies (I think) at Partizan back in May,

They did need a little touching up and my special blend of ink to match them into the rest of my Haitian Rebels. 

I'm not actually sure how many I have now, It's probably enough, I should stop really?

This chap I did paint, he's a Front Rank British General, I think he's a personality figure? But he will be used as any old commander, when I do eventually get a game.

There's just something about Front Rank that I like.

Well that's me for today, short and sweet!

AHPC 12 - Haitian Revolution - Spanish Infantry and Commanders 125pts

Finding any information about the Spanish army in Haiti has proved to be quite difficult.

I do know they fought in 2 major battles, The Battle of Gonnaives and the Battle of Saint-Raphael , both in 1794.

I did find a picture online of the Batallon Auxiliar de las Tropas Espanolas de la isla de Santo Domingo.

Which looked pretty fancy, with their light blue cuffs and facings.

So I decided to paint them up as that unit, with the longest name EVER!

The figures are from Trent Miniatures, now sold by Skytrex and Warlord.

The command are from Front Rank, as Trent don't sell Spanish command figures.

Also from Front Rank are these three mounted Colonels.

Two are painted in the same uniform as the infantry, while the last figure is painted up in the normal Spanish dress of a General.

I found the Spanish flag image online, its not specifically for this unit, I don't even know if they carried a flag or not, but I think it adds a little panache to the unit.

Brigadier General

Mounted Infantry Officer

Field Officer

There are 19 x 25mm Foot figures @ 5 pts each = 95pts

and 3 x Mounted 25mm figures @10 pts each = 30pts

Total 125 pts