Preparing for first Sharpe's Practice game.

Time for my sort-of monthly blog post and there's been plenty going on since painting the French-in-Egypt Camel Corps. For starters there were hordes of Galloglas axe murderers and a few Saxons to paint and base for Doug to pay for my Badener army.  My apologies to Paul of Murowski Miniatures as almost as soon as I'd bought Doug's figures Murowski announced their range of superb Badeners. Bad timing dammit. Nonetheless I can't complain as I now have another full brigade to game with which won't take me long to get up to gaming standard - if I ever get the time that is. Having a few health issues and storm damage to my house at the same time has seen me also preoccupied with many things other than the hobby.

Preparing the single based officers and NCOs for Sharpe's Practice

The boys have discovered Sharpe's Practice from the indomitable Two Fat Lardies and after their experience with Chain of Command, want to try a small unit skirmish rule set for Napoleonic warfare. Given that skirmish tactical doctrine began  in this era of massed infantry formations (Sir John Moore's famous Light Division that gained deserved fame in the Peninsular Campaign being the ancestor of modern squad infantry tactics) I was somewhat skeptical of the historical accuracy of applying such a set of rules to that era. However, I must say the rules read well enough and they are, as most rule sets nowadays, well presented and full of eye-candy enough to entice any old rusted-on Napoleonics gamer. So I thought I'd give'em a go save for one small problem - an unforeseen family issue arose and I had to miss the game - so I'm still waiting to play it.  Despite this setback I have had the time to prepare figures for three armies: French, Austrian and Russian. All the figures are now painted and based, just have to make up the movement trays.

Officer and NCO in forage cap lead the dismounted French dragoons

Here then are the figures and units as per the SP lists. For the French I made up an 8 figure unit of dragoons under an NCO. They are the only cavalry unit that can dismount and fight on foot (historically the Austrian light cavalry especially dragoons also skirmished on foot but rarely did so as they trained to shoot from the saddle) so I adapted the Perry's plastic dismounted dragoons, creating a junior officer and a horse holder stand.

Dragoon horse holder conversion. Thinking of putting a carbine in a bucket strap on one of the horses to represent the horse holder.

All in all its a lot of extra work for a small unit that will probably operate 90% of the time as cavalry but at least it gives you the historically accurate option. They were also armed with the long carbine rather than the quite useless short cavalry carbine carried by everybody else and which was as accurate as the Charleville musket in trained hands i.e. 100-150 paces effective range.

Officer and NCO for the three 8 figure line units.

I've tried to come up with a minimum of one NCO and one officer for each group of three 8-figure units, with another NCO for the specialist skirmisher unit, with two groups of six infantry units commanded by a mounted officer. Each group of six has a light gun (6 pdr) & 4 crew and an 8 figure cavalry unit attached (Dragoons for one and Line Chasseurs for the other).  For the first French army this included 3 x Ligne (Line) units, 2 x Legere (1 x Voltigeur, 1 x Carabinier) and one specialist skirmisher Corsican Light Infantry (Tirailleurs du Corse).  The second French skirmish army is 3 x Ligne and 3 x Foreign Regt. #4 (Irish)/Croatian/Chasseurs d'Elbe - technically Legere (Light Infantry) also with a specialist Tirailleur skirmish/sharpshooter unit led by an NCO.

Legere led by the Corsican Brotherhood (aka 'the Emperor's Cousins') NCO and a Leger officer.

Tirailleurs Du Corse  ('Les Cousines')

Legere with Voltigeur (left) and Carabinier (right, in Kolpac)

Chasseurs D'Elbe Tirailleurs with junior officer (left) and senior NCO in Pokalem (on the right)

The battle-hardened Chasseurs led by their battle-damaged officer.

Ligne (Line) officer with its Voltigeur (light) company & NCO 

Mounted senior officer (Captaine) in overall charge of 12 infantry , two cavalry & two guns

French gun & crew. Unfortunately its an old Elite model so more like an 8 rather than 6 pdr.

1st French skirmish army

I've organised the Austrians and Russians the same way. Basically six infantry units, one cavalry and one gun per skirmish 'army'.  The Austrians are best suited as they actually had the right troop types who were also experienced in the irregular warfare of the day - the Grenz or border units from the Balkan frontier being the most experienced - followed by the famous rifle armed Jaeger (who the French nicknamed 'the Grey Devils'). The Austrians are composed of 3 x 8 figure line units, 2 x Grenz and 1 x Jaeger.  The Grenz and Jaeger each are led by an NCO (recognizable by the brass tipped cane NCOs carried). Each Line unit has an NCO and there are also three officers - two line and one light/Jaeger - not because they have them on the list but because I had the extra figures if I just wanted to field Austrians, for example.

Warasdiner St. George (fearsome Serb frontiersmen!) Grenzer with NCO and Austrian LI (or Jaeger) officer.

Jaegers led by an NCO - this can be a specialist sharpshooter unit all rifle armed.

Austrian Dragoner (dragoons) led by a bald NCO type. They are armed with the Austrian cavalry carbine which, better than the standard French cavalry carbine, was not nearly as effective as the long barreled version used by the French dragoons.

Austrian Line officers & NCO, with mounted 'Inhaber' (senior officer) They are old Foundry figures and a bit hobbit-like next to the Perry's 28mm plastics

Austrian light gun & crew.  Austrians still used battalion guns (particularly with Grenz and Hungarian regts) so had plenty of 3 pdr pop-guns available as well as 6 pdrs.

Three units of the Hapsburgs finest - Hoch & Deutschmeister - with their NCOs.

The Austrian 'Skirmish Army'

Although the Austrians had a modicum of skirmish experience with some specialist units as the war progressed the Grenz became more and more like standard line as high losses meant experienced Grenzer were replaced by conscripts only trained in basic drill and formations (column, mass and line - NOT skirmish).  At the same time they did eventually grasp that entire battalions of line could be used as a skirmish screen - same as the French. The true skirmishers were of course Jaeger, a third of who were rifle-armed sharpshooters. They were crack shots but never employed in large enough numbers or formations to be as effective as the British Light Division, for example.  The Russians were a different case again. They had dedicated Jaeger units for skirmishing - usually assigned a battalion for each brigade of line or Guard however they were not rifle armed and Russian tactical doctrine relied on mass formations and the bayonet throughout the Napoleonic Wars. What the Russians did have was a plethora of irregular units developed during 1812 and of course huge numbers of mounted Cossacks. They were the most outstanding irregulars of the period and even before 1812, terrified the French (and everyone else) with tactics that were never really effectively countered, if only because of the numbers of Cossacks available to the Russian armies of the time. Naturally my skirmish army had to have a Cossack cavalry unit. I even have a Cossack light gun (6 pdr) I can swap with the Russian line artillery piece.

Cossack 6 pdr.

There are five line units and one jaeger with three NCOs and three officers (one a Cossack?)

Russian Infantry units with officers, NCOs.

Russian line with NCO, line officer and Cossack officer

Jaeger unit with officer and NCO

Russian Line artillery with 8 pdr

Cossacks!

Mounted Russian commander

Russian skirmish army

Because I've had to adapt the basing to fit the single base model used by Sharpe's Practice, only officers and NCOs are individually based. All others are 2 figures on a standard 30 x 20mm base. To indicate casualties I've made up plenty of figure casualty markers for each army.

French casualty markers for relevant skirmish units

Russian markers

Austrian markers

 The only thing left to do now is make movement trays for each unit. I've made them before for WRG basing so it shouldn't present too much of a challenge after just painting and basing nearly 40 figures!  We are just about set for our first game of Sharpe's Practice which I will report on in due course. Really looking forward to it actually.

More Russians and the start of an Ottoman (and Mameluke) army

Well its been a while and before January is over and done I thought I'd better put together my 'monthly' post (bi-monthly more likely).  Unfortunately I couldn't make Cancon this year with other commitments so can't say how it went or any of the usual goss - first year in some time where I haven't been involved in a demo game of some sort. Felt both strangely liberating and somewhat unfulfilling at the same time. Its not that I haven't been busy with the collection since the last post in early December - far from it - but I have had to get a grip on my collecting mania as I have more figures to paint and finish than years left to draw breath!  I have (for the very first time) actually had the money AND the time to get most of what I've wanted. I haven't been completely rash about it as I've sold off several entire armies including my entire 20mm collection in the process which has largely paid for my new purchases but nevertheless they went for considerably less than the market price (although that is a fickle thing if there ever was).  Still, for a good cause - to help out a mate who had lost his entire collection in the Canberra fires to rebuild.  And it gave me a good excuse to collect the figures I really wanted.

Amongst those of course are my Perry's Napoleonic Russians. I have finally finished most of them - just one regiment of Dragoons to go.  I now have a brigade of Cossacks plus a regiment of Uhlans and a battery of horse artillery. To go with them I now have a five battalion/regiment (4 x line, 1 x jaeger @ 24 figures each) infantry brigade and a grenadier brigade of 2 batt. plus 1 of jaeger. There is a battery of foot artillery (6 x guns) to go with them. This is (or will be once the dragoons are done) a perfect wargaming army.  A bit on the small side true BUT they can also go with my much larger Austrian army of three infantry (2 x line 1 x Reserve) and two cavalry brigades. But there's also a lot more to do to finish off all the Austrians.

Above, the line infantry of the Narva Regiment and below the Jaeger in the same brigade in Bagration's army. All Perrys of course.

Also got a number of mounted officers and the pick of the litter is the grenadier Colonel on his rearing horse - as good in its way as the famous Front Rank commanders (I have both Bagration and Archduke Charles on their rearing horses). A very finely featured and animated figure he is.

Apart from the Herculean task of organising Christmas at my place for the family AND very hectic work in between I have been finishing off collecting my Napoleonics.  In this Perry's tempted me beyond restraint with their new line of Bavarians. After much deliberation I finally caved and bought enough to fit out my Bavarian brigade.  Unfortunately/fortunately I have an artillery battery otherwise I'd have got the guns, crews and multitude of caissons etc as well.  The latter are particularly good, with a range as extensive as that of the Austrians - at some future date I can see myself having to get me some...  but not for now Josephine!  As it is I now have 80+ Bavarians to paint up as well. I also have another brigade of French to do as well. You see what I mean about getting a grip on the collecting mania? Look - it's an addiction OK? I said I'll handle it - right? [palms head]  But that's not the worst of it. Not by a long chalk. What Doc also did over Christmas/New Year was to buy an entire Napoleonic Mameluke/Ottoman army. Mostly unpainted of course.  Totally crazy of course.  Madness in fact.  Hundreds more figures to paint. Clearly I did not have enough already!

So I started on the ones that came sort-of painted (and based, but not the greatest paint job).  I now have a full orta of Cairo Janissaries, another of turbaned (Cairo?) archers under command of a mounted Turk Janissary officer and what appear to be either Ottoman Akinji light cav or some other (Dixon figures). The latter were beautifully painted, just needed a clean up and re-basing. I'm now in the process of doing up ten Old Glory Mamelukes. Crappy figures but will come up a treat with new paint etc.  That just leaves 28 Brigade Games Mamelukes (magnificent figures) 20 armoured Spahi and 20 Akinji light cav plus two ortas (@ 30 & 28 figures each) of Janissaries and Nizam plus artillery crews (also currently in hand) - so still some 80 cav and over 100 foot to paint. What a project!

Cairo Janissaries - Old Glory figures.

Detail of the Cairo Janissaries - OK figures with some crazy poses (well, they are irregulars!)

The Dixon Ottoman (?) cavalry - either Akinjis or the Egyptian (Mameluke) equivalent. Beautifully painted, now re-based and just awaiting the proper green jihad flag.

I don't know who did the painting on the Dixon Ottoman cav but although small figures (true 25s?) they are beautifully done and now all chips and blemishes removed and on proper bases. 

Not to be outdone of course is our little Janissary officer in charge of the archers.  Again some unknown painted them but I've re-based and repainted the officer to more closely match his men. Mounted on a Shetland pony of course! 

I particularly like the standard bearer as well.  Big job carrying something that size!

He really is a tiny, tiny little Turk...

To see the quality of the other Ottomans and Mamelukes I'm currently doing, check them out on the Brigade Games site (Napoleonics / Ottomans) They are as good as anything the Perry's have done (i.e. their superb Sudan range) and are remarkably similar to Paul Hicks sculpts - so very high quality indeed. I'm encouraged to try and get a really good paint job on them which should outshine even the above. A lot of work but looking forward to doing something really different. Another advantage is that the Ottomans can also be adversaries to my Russians - so another very rich source of wargaming. I'll post again next month hopefully with some more progress on the colourful Mamelukes and Ottomans.

Cheers,

          Doc