Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Age of the Big Battalions => Topic started by: Battle Brush Sigur on February 25, 2020, 02:24:46 PM
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Heyhey. After several years some friends and I decided to do something Sharp Practice related (we leeched off Cpt.Shandy's excellent 15mm ACW terrain and collection for long enough. :D ).
Eversince the release of the rules we (virago and I) talked about how well these would suit games surrounding the Tyrolean uprising. Now it turns out that Nikfu actually owns a rather large and half-painted collection of 28mm Eureka Tyroleans. Virago instantly did his best to lure him into playing SP with us and pledging his allegiance to the king of Bavaria to help root out the "fundamentalist religious terrorist cells". Cpt.Shandy was arm-twisted into doing French. Me, I'll play the glorious role of the k.u.k. army ("Armed rebellion? Cool, got your back, Andreas Hofer!" - "yup, we'll be there in force, totally. Just keep going" - "yeah, we ran into some trouble, talk to you in a few weeks!" - "*This number is currently unavailable.*").
The past weekend I took the time to put together some figures:
(https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_02/wip1.jpg.8bb15510c93d27f1061c0e820ec91f6e.jpg)
Victrix plastics (for line infantry and third rank skirmishers), Front Rank (for Grenzers and Jägers), Black Hussar (Camp personnell, support, and other nice bits), some Warlord (Ladies with mules).
Of course I'm also keeping a keen eye on the Perrys' upcoming plastic cavalry and I should get some more Front Rank stuff. But that seems to be the core force for now and I hope that I can get going on painting the chaps soon!
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Oh this will be good. :D
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Thinking about doing the same thing my self. Thanks for the heads up on the Tyroleans!
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Oh this will be good. :D
Haha, thanks very much. :D Depends on when I find time to do things!
@Stosstruppen: Cool, which side(s) are you doing? Yeah, Tyroleans are fun. Well, it depends :D But it's good that there's a range of them in 28mm and the conflict fits Sharp Practice really well. I'm also happy with my role in the whole thing, as I'm not majorly keen on asymetrical insurgency things in wargaming (because I'm boring), at least not so much in this period.
For now I based line infantry on 18mm washers, skirmishers, leaders and "others" on 24mm washers.
Once that was done and basing stuff was slapped on I proceeded to slay another kind of dragon:
(https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_02/20200225_164139.jpg.200fa345eee5fa1c41bdb4f53fa89a3d.jpg)
A Landau coach! I got this one, among other things, from Black Hussar miniatures. Very interesting to put together. One thing I had to fix (the stick thing underneath one of the lanterns), I also added the frame at the front of the coackman's seat. The high-ranking officer in the back technically is a Russian, but I think I can get away if I just paint him up as an Austrian officer. What do you think?
Apart from that I primed most of the minis yesterday and hope to get painting proper soon.
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Looking forward to seeing paint on these.
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The high-ranking officer in the back technically is a Russian, but I think I can get away if I just paint him up as an Austrian officer. What do you think?
He looks like the guys in my Osprey "Austrian Commanders of the Napoleonic Wars". White coat, red breeches, lots of gold braid and Bob's your uncle.
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@Stahbahraz: Thanks very much! Me too. :D
@vtsaogames: Cheers. That's what I thought as well. Then I looked into it a little more and things should work out. I'll most likely get rid of the epaulets though. Apart from that he should be OK.
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From a Bavarian perspective, you get a rare opportunity to use the 11th Infantry Regiment von Kinkel, which had rather attractive green lapels and cuffs. They were disbanded in 1811 for bad behaviour and so don't appear in the later campaigns.
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Oooh! :o Following with interest!
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@Baron von Wreckedoften: Well, they WERE named "von Kinkel". Of course they'd misbehave. ;) Interesting stuff; thanks for sharing. I know next to nothing about the Bavarian army. I once got general von Wrede to paint, but beyond the uniform I didn't have the time to do proper research. I'm sure the historybookman has a good pdf on them, but these only cover the uniforms and organization. Any suggestions for good literature on the Bavarian army, specially in regards to 1809?
@FreakyFenton: Yeah, if I ever find the time to actually get started proper! :D Hope I do so once the spring shows are done. And that big thing I have to finish by June. And the other thing. I hate to think of it, but this MIGHT turn into a summer project. Let's see.
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If you can get your hands on a copy of "With Eagles to Glory" by John Gill it will fill you in nicely on the Bavarians and then make you want to veer off and cover the rest of the German allies in the 1809 campaign!
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:D This might prove fatal, as I already got a whole lot of Poles and Italians to do as well. :D
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I'd second With Eagles to Glory. Great section on the Bavarians and the Tyrol. I have it next ton my reading list since I did not complete it last time I was reading in it. So I'll go through the whole thing again.
@Battle Brush Sigur I would do all sides in the conflict. Using Sharp Practice would not require too much in the way of figures.
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Yes, you can't go far wrong with Gill's book, although the Rawkins/historyman CD has a lot of useful background stuff in it, and there is also "Die Bayerische Armee 1806-1813" in the Heere & Waffen series (I believe they now have an English version out - something they neglected to mention to me when they sold me the German one!). The Osprey MAA is basic, but ok; no major errors, but it is now looking a bit dated.
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Naval and military press are selling the English version: https://www.naval-military-press.com/product/bavarian-army-1806-1813/
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This Landau can be a centerpiece! Eager to see it painted! Cheers!
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@Stosstruppen: Thanks very much for the suggestion! Considering the speed at which I proceed with the Austrians.... well, let's see about all these other armies. ;)
@Baron von Wreckedoften: Oh, I'm more than okay with German language publications. I'm sitting here right outside Vienna. :) Would you rate the series highly in general? I got the volumes on Pappenheim and Christian von Braunschweig and they struck me as being pretty good as a sort of concise source of info.
@LazyStudent: Cheers!
@DintheDin: Thanks. ;) After the thing sat on the sidelines for two months I think I'll change my approach to the project. Granted, it was two very busy (and of course crazy) months, but still. I think I'll do the actual troops first now and THEN proceed to the fancy extras. Eventually it will be a nice centrepiece though (or so I hope).
Right, hello. :) Here I am again. Feels like ages. I thought I'd done this thread in January or something.
Anyway, while another project is soaking in cleaner I thought I'd go back to the Austrians and now approach the project from a more productive angle. I think I got mixed up in too many extras and support and so on. Now I went back to the core troops (line infantry, 6 groups thereof, plus two leaders) and got to work on those.
Now I ran into a problem. Social media and the internet on the whole wore me down to the point at which I can't quite decide, and I'd like to hear your input on the matter of which regiment to go with. The figures I'm using are 'German', and so far I plan to use them for 1809 things in general, including Tyrol, Poland, defence along the Danube and possibly Northern Italy. Originally of course plans were to go with Tyrol primarily. Now it's gotten a bit silent around this whole project, and Tyrol would be the one main thing that limits choice of regiments, given how there were IG 16 (violet turnbacks/cuffs) and IG 26 (popinjay turnbacks/cuffs) around with Chasteler's division. Looking at the Austrian order of battle for the Polish campaign there is no overlap what so ever in terms of cuff/turnback colours. :D
So either I just stick to the Tyrol plan and go with either IG 16 or IG 26, or I just go with any old colour which strikes my fancy and decide that it's not that important. :D
Any of you have suggestions for how to tackle this or any particular preferences concerning Austrian turnback/cuff colours?
cheers.
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If Tyrol is your main area where you think they will be used then go with the violet as it sounds snazzy. If anyone complains the cuffs are the wrong colour for Poland then they have some serious issues!
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If Tyrol is your main area where you think they will be used then go with the violet as it sounds snazzy. If anyone complains the cuffs are the wrong colour for Poland then they have some serious issues!
:D yeah, I guess you very much are the voice of reason there. Following your advice I went with IR 16 (Lusignan). Here are some WIP shots:
(https://i.imgur.com/6GXeI3k.jpg)
full size image: https://i.imgur.com/6GXeI3k.jpg (https://i.imgur.com/6GXeI3k.jpg)
a bit of a closer-up shot:
(https://i.imgur.com/a9bKgNQ.jpg)
4 units of 8 fusiliers each, 2 units of 6 third rank skirmishers, a Korporal and an officer on foot for leaders. All from one Victrix box.
Glad I overcame the fascination with the fancy models and instead shifted the focus on the proper line troops. Getting these done will be good for painting morale on this project. Once these are done I suppose i'll do some Jägers (got one unit of six lying around, maybe I'll get another one) for Tyrol and then some Grenzers for ....well, everywhere else. I'm not a "plastics only" person, but I'm very much looking forward to those Perrys plastics cavalry minis. Then it's time for some Cheveaulegers. Those will become either the very, very, very sombre Hohenzollern Cheveaulegers (who were in Tyrol with Chasteler's Corps) or the extra fancy Kaiser Cheveaulegers (who were in Poland with Erzherzog Ferdinand Karl). And then I suppose it's time to start counting the days until the Perrys come in with the other Austrian plastic cavalry box (Uhlans and Hussars).. :D
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Dang! They look great!
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A real treat with their so beautiful facings! Cheers!
And you managed perfectly the shading on their whites!
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@Baron von Wreckedoften: Oh, I'm more than okay with German language publications. I'm sitting here right outside Vienna. :) Would you rate the series highly in general? I got the volumes on Pappenheim and Christian von Braunschweig and they struck me as being pretty good as a sort of concise source of info.
The Bavarian book is the only one I have, so I can't really judge it on the larger scale. That tome, however, is very good in my opinion. In size and detail, they are essentially an Osprey MAA booklet, expanded to the size of an Osprey Campaign, which can't be bad.
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Oh pretty! I have a soft spot for Austrians, as they were my first 25mm Napoleonics (long ago in Minifigs). And those are lovely.
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Those will become either the very, very, very sombre Hohenzollern Cheveaulegers (who were in Tyrol with Chasteler's Corps) or the extra fancy Kaiser Cheveaulegers (who were in Poland with Erzherzog Ferdinand Karl).
Simple, do both! ;)
Lovely project that tempts me to start Austrians myself.
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@commissarmoody: Thanks very much!
@DintheDin: Cheers. :D Facings could be a bit more colourful, but with the contrasting off-white I think they work just fine.
@Baron von Wreckedoften: I'll see if I pick up the Bavarian one then! Certainly will get the Historybookman's volume on the Bavarians too, because those are just such great value and so useful. The Austrian one's become one of my first go-to sources for uniforms.
@Shahbarhraz: Thanks very much! In fact I got a soft spot for Minifigs. :D They were the first Napoleonics I painted proper, and by now I painted quite a lot of the chaps (for a gentleman with a huge Minifigs collection). Challenging, but with their very own charm and good proportions.
@Warboss Nick: :D Yeah, well, but what if I decide to turn them into a proper full brigade and need more minis to a unit? Can't have a squadron which is half Hohenzollers and half Kaisers! ;) Well, technically I could, but you know what it's like... :P Given the situation and the fact that I won't order the box directly from Alan Perry I think I still got time to consider.
For now here's the mainstay of the force, line infantry of Lusignan regiment (No.16):
(https://i.imgur.com/CQH8IJ1.jpg)
full size image: https://i.imgur.com/CQH8IJ1.jpg (https://i.imgur.com/CQH8IJ1.jpg)
Those are mostly done now, bar for final neatening-up and basing. In Sharp Practice game terms these are four units of 8 line infantry each and two units of 6 third-rank skirmishers each. Plus a Korporal and an officer on foot.
Next up: Ho-hum. I assume Jägers? I might have to pick up another unit of those first though. ;) Last night I found something interesting - Old Glory do Austrian Landwehr in 'Hetherington hats'. It's a bit of a gamble, since they only come in packs of 30 figures and I have no experience with Old Glory Napoleonics. Does any of you? I got some ACW figures from their Sash&Sabre range, and those are nice on the whole. Casting's a bit wonky, and the metal is kinda soft, but overall I liked them. I assume the OG Nappys will be along the same lines. Preview picture on the website's as small as ever, but given how nobody else seems to do Landwehr in those hats and frankly the minis being pretty inexpensive I think I'll go for them. What do you think?
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Having had a holiday in the Tyrol last year, and only just seen this great thread, I shall be following with interest. These chaps look splendid, I’m looking forward to how you tackle the Tyrolleans themselves.
I was staying in Niederau in the Wildschönau Valley. Between there and the next village, Oberau, was a fascinating little museum with many artefacts and weapons etc from the uprising. A few of the restaurants and drinking holes I visited in the area often had paintings / murals covering the front facing walls of the brave locals that fought.
Also, saw these Trent minis on ebay
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trent-Miniatures-TYROLEAN-LANDESSCHUTZEN-AH98-10-28mm-/182859600730
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look superb.
any chance of posting an image or 3 of your minifig commission?
I've wondered whenever I've seen them again online what they'd look like dealt with by a top-class painter.
They produced such a beautiful catalogue in their 'mature' period - and the figures looked lovely (if a little 'doll-ish') in the bare metal.
Had quite a few in the past, don't recall ever daubing any!
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@Digits: Oh, cool! Back in school I used to go on skiing holidays to Tyrol with the family. Right, Trent Miniatures. These were 'the other ones' who did Tyroleans, apart from the excellent Eureka range. Thanks for the link! The problem is that I most probably won't be tackling the Tyroleans themselves. We got four players for the whole affair: Virago playing the dastardly Bavarians, Nikfu already has a collection of Bavarians lying around (half-painted, according to his account), CptShandy said he'd do French if he doesn't have to do any research or much painting, because he refuses to get into anything that disturbs his ACW studies these days. :D And I'll do the Austrian Corps Chasteler.
@Bloggard: Sure, you can find most of them here: https://www.battlebrushstudios.com/search/label/25mm (https://www.battlebrushstudios.com/search/label/25mm). More recently I finished the 3rd, 6th and 8th Uhlans of the Duchy of Warsaw which should be up on the site in ...a little while. :D Oh well, here they are (more photos will be posted on the blog):
6th Uhlans:
(https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_01/done1achrift.jpg.a598472156f4178d17527dda1c24dc23.jpg)
full size image: https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_01/done1achrift.jpg.a598472156f4178d17527dda1c24dc23.jpg (https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_01/done1achrift.jpg.a598472156f4178d17527dda1c24dc23.jpg)
8th Uhlans:
(https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_01/done3schrift.jpg.3956c55cd5af8122d68bb4dcce229f30.jpg)
full size image: https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_01/done3schrift.jpg.3956c55cd5af8122d68bb4dcce229f30.jpg (https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_01/done3schrift.jpg.3956c55cd5af8122d68bb4dcce229f30.jpg)
...and the 3rd Uhlans:
(https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_01/3done2schrift.jpg.8b29d1ff5aa7fed66a45707613ab6745.jpg)
full size image: https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_01/3done2schrift.jpg.8b29d1ff5aa7fed66a45707613ab6745.jpg (https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_01/3done2schrift.jpg.8b29d1ff5aa7fed66a45707613ab6745.jpg)
I have to say that I paint these for a gentleman who is a.) an expert on the period and the Duchy of Warsaw specifically, b.) has been an avid wargamer and painter of the period for 40 years, so he has very specific ideas and wishes for what things are to look like. When I did the first unit for him (which was also basically my entry point to Napoleonics) this was one of the most challenging things to me I can remember when it comes to painting, but as years went by I not only learned a whole lot in general, but also the way the gentleman likes his figures painted.
Here they are with their comrades at home:
(https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_01/kasten7.jpg.65bddc8faa5d13fbe593665a6ab6d3b7.jpg)
full size image: https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_01/kasten7.jpg.65bddc8faa5d13fbe593665a6ab6d3b7.jpg (https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_01/kasten7.jpg.65bddc8faa5d13fbe593665a6ab6d3b7.jpg)
In terms of Minifigs, the next I got on the plate are Sappeurs of the Imperial Guard and then I'll do the odd little duck of a unit that was the 14th Cuirassiers of the Duchy of Warsaw. :) Napoleon didn't like them, Dąbrowski really wanted them though, so even direct orders from Paris to turn them into Chasseurs went unheard until the beginning of the 1812 campaign, when the unit was all set up and ready to go.
So yeah, that's that. Now back to 1809. As it happens Victrix just announced working on plastic Bavarian line infantry!
(https://i.imgur.com/GfJ3ebQ.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/objf703.png)
Craziness, right? Sure, sure, it'll take like 2 more years or something until we can hope to have them in hands (and sure, metals are cooler ;) ), but in general this is quite cool, right?
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:o
Man... you really like Uhlans don't ya?
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Well, the Poles do! :D And I only do what I'm told to do. That being said, after the severe shock of getting pushed into Napoleonics via intrictate and very exact instructions for how things are to be done I developed a severe case of Stockholm syndrome for the army of the Duchy of Warsaw. :D
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followed your link: one very satisfied customer, obviously. Wonderful.
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Your handiwork makes those minifigs look wonderful! WOW
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Beautiful Ulhans, an excellent looking collection.
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@Bloggard: Cheers. :) I'm somewhat proud of these minifigs I've done. Not only are they a pretty cool way to shake up things, also I think that these are projects most other paintmonkeys wouldn't even take on. Compared to the latest GW plastic thing, these aren't exactly a breeze to paint, but once they're done they do look rather splendid.
@Roo: Thanks very much! :) There's a lot to be said for these minifigs, especially once they're painted and en masse.
@schoey: Thanks, I'll pass it on. :D The whole collection is a sight to behold. Just Dabrovski's army (1810-1812 I think) is on display. Then there's shelves upon shelves of more figures. French, Prussians, Russians, more Duchy of Warsaw troops, etc. All very old school of course (because most of them WERE painted 30 years ago), but with their own charm.
Right, nothing new to report at the moment since I'm currently painting about 400 15mm Samnites, BUT I placed an order with Old Glory last night. Took the plunge and got the Landwehr in Hetherington Hats. Let's see when the order arrives and what the minis are like.
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Heyhey, here's a tiny little update:
(https://i.imgur.com/dqFKPJ5.jpg)
Taking the time to get a unit of Jägers (Feldjägerbattalion Nr.9) done for Chasteler's corps. 6 Jägers, plus one officer and a musician. Just because it fits the unit having a hornist around. I think I'll just do one unit of those chaps. Jägers were always high in demand and low in supply as far as I know.
All Front Rank minis, so they look a bit tall next to the Victrix line infantry, but oh well. I just really like Front Rank minis. :)
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Heyhey, hope all o' y'all had a brilliant weekend. Here's another WIP of the Jägers:
(https://i.imgur.com/qxHSPWK.jpg)
Hope to finish them swiftly. What do you think so far?
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We all know how difficult is shading grey uniforms and these are coming out great! Cheers!
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They look swell.
The officer especially is eye catching.
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They look terrific, the Hungarian braid on the officer is very nice, and the highlighting on the hats is noteworthy. I'm only disappointed that you aren't doing the officer's sash in yellow and black stripes. (I always struggled with that on the Minifigs Austrians 40 years ago.. about the last time I painted Austrian Napoleonics.)
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@DintheDin: Thanks very much! I used to hate painting grey. :D Now I'm somewhat okay with it as long as it's not all too much.
@Ray Rivers: Cheers, and extra thumbs up for using the word "swell". 8)
@Shahbahraz: Thanks! I'm usually of the "less is more" mindset when it comes to highlighting shakos and the like, but these hats are so big that I had to do something on them. :) The sash is a constant worry of mine. Do you think yellow works better than the gold? If so - would I go yellow on the sabre strap and tassles and so on? Main reason I went for gold on these is that on past Austrian projects I went with yellow, so I just wanted to shake things up a bit. But I'd love to hear your input on the matter.
Well, the chaps are done (apart from basing of course):
(https://i.imgur.com/DS5JGOx.jpg)
full size image: https://i.imgur.com/DS5JGOx.jpg (https://i.imgur.com/DS5JGOx.jpg)
There wasn't really that much left to do, just some detailling, some highlights here and there, some last bits like the green cords on the Jägers, the powder horns, ramrods, detailling on the musician. I was lookig for detailling on the officer as well, but I think that lower ranks didn't wear any (apart from sabre, bicorn and sash) in 1809 I think.
So yeah, that's that. I'll leave them like that for now. Next: Grenzers? Maybe Landwehr? Or even just some random folks for scenarios or support choices. Deployment points will also become a thing at some point. Who knows. I'm waiting for minis from Old Glory and Front Rank. No stress, as I got more than enough stuff to do anyway, but it's nice to have this project to keep spirits up.
Hope you like the Jäger!
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Yes, we do :)
You picked every small detail! Perfect faces and shading and I like the musician's braid!
Cheers!
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Yes, we do :)
You picked every small detail! Perfect faces and shading and I like the musician's braid!
Cheers!
Seconded. Those are just lovely. Their opponents won't want to shoot at them. :)
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@DintheDin: Thank you! :)
@Shahbahraz: Ha, let's see about that. ;) "Extra-pretty painted" units tend to suffer horrible mishaps on the gaming table. :D
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@DintheDin: Thank you! :)
@Shahbahraz: Ha, let's see about that. ;) "Extra-pretty painted" units tend to suffer horrible mishaps on the gaming table. :D
Yep, that's my experience too.. the beautifully finished elites your extraordinarily pleased with get hammered by some bunch of scruffs that look like they were painted with a roller in about 1972.
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Beautiful brushwork as always! Just surprised by rifles that are modelled quite short or so it seems. But probably those buechsen shoot just as well.
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@Shahbahraz: Either that or I decide to use them in the least useful fashion and get them into trouble! Or they just don't show up, depending on the set ofrules used. The possibilities for things to go wrong are endless! ;)
@Warboss Nick: Thanks very much. Seems like they must have worked OK, since several models were in production, with barely any changes in length. :) Maybe the idea was born out of being used in forested/mountainous areas, so a shorter barrel was easier to handle and to reload while sitting in cover. But honestly I don't know. I do know that they were substantially shorter than regular infantry muskets or even the shorter than the Jäger-Karabiner (Jäger carbine). Regular infantry muskets were between 150,5 and 151,7cm in length, while these Jägerstutzen were only 105 to 106cm long. They got extra long bayonets (over 60cm IIRC) to make up for that in case they get into close combat.
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Heyhey, here I am again. Last night I put together some Napoleonic Austrians for my own collection:
(https://i.imgur.com/eEnMW0H.jpg)
In the front Carinthian Landwehr (they were on the way in Tyrol as part of the Corps Chasteler), in the back a 3-pound gun with crew, in the back right 6 Grenzer light infantry and their leader. (in between a Grenzer from a prior unit I used for basing reference; I should have taken him out before taking the pictures).
The figures in the back (artillery, Grenzers) are all by Front Rank (but they are standing in the back! I'm such a crazy dude.), the Landwehr is by Old Glory. Because nobody else makes Landwehr in top hats ("Hetherington Hats") in 28mm. Interesting. So I'm glad I found them. It's not going to be easy because the casts are a bit uneven. On the one hand great, because they were cheap and I think there are 6 doubles in the set of 30 figures at best. So just perfect for skirmishing. Old Glory seem to have a system where they combine different torsos and legs and then add an individual head. Something like that. In any case very good. And you get two flag bearers, two officers, two drummers and two corporals. Also cool. Less good are casting and durability. The guys come in a plastic bag; that means that the flagpoles are completely spaghetti-like, of course. Doesn't matter; cast-on flagpoles have to be replaced by metal sticks anyway. With muskets (and especially bayonets) this was more problematic. Only one bayonet was broken off out of the bag, but after cleaning and sticking them to bases, about 30-40% of the guys had their bayonets snapped. The material is quite soft, and the connections between muskets (which are not very well cast either) and bayonets are very thin.
So as long as they are not too bad to paint I think I will have a lot of fun with this unit. :) Because you gotta love odd things. Or 2 units, if you go to Sharp Practice. Militia, Landwehr and so on consists of 10 figures each if I remember correctly, and then you need leaders.
This is what the uniform would look like. Something different. :)
(https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_08/1150622899_klagenfurterlandwehr.JPG.8be94f44f248a2819dc15e96bb033d44.JPG)
So yeah, that's that. Happy weekend!
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Never go half way, do you?
What happened to the coach?
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Very nice. Looking forward to seeing these with paint on.
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@Ray Rivers: Nevar. I'm all about "110% is half-assing it", "refuse to lose", "all or nothing", "second place is the first loser", "pressure makes diamonds", "if you don't have 2 hours to work out every day you don't deserve a hot date" and all that good stuff. Oh, the coach? Meh, I got bored, primed it and left it standing around somewhere gathering dust. :D :D
@Shahbahraz: Me too! :D Let's see when that happens.
Today I did another step on the Austrians. I never knead up the right amount of putty. So I thought why not instead of eating any surplus as usual, why not make something nice?
(https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_08/putty.jpg.e8b3410e5a9fda43096a769e0c9c528a.jpg)
No wonder I never get anything done. :D
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You're as bad as me, I've been procrastinating on hundreds of ancients for Infamy Infamy, and instead of painting what I have, I've just been buying and prepping more.
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@Ray Rivers: Nevar. I'm all about "110% is half-assing it", "refuse to lose", "all or nothing", "second place is the first loser", "pressure makes diamonds", "if you don't have 2 hours to work out every day you don't deserve a hot date" and all that good stuff.
lol
So I thought why not instead of eating any surplus as usual, why not make something nice?
Well, that's creative! ;D
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Good to see you are doing some Austrians for yourself, too. I am always torn with Old Glory as the do have some nice extras. The quality however... Adding different hats to Perry plastics was not an option?
Got to love the Schneemann - I’ll have to try something similar for the Peninsular, a scarecrow maybe.
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@Shahbahraz: Well, I can report that I haven't bought any new figures since Janu- no, wait. Since May- no, wait. Since early August. :P
@Warboss Nick: Cheers! Yeah, working away at glacial speeds on those guys. I'll write a review about these figures once they're done. At the moment I'm very much torn. Yes, they are bordering dodgy. But on the other hand, I LIKE dodgy things and I really like all those facial expressions. There's some proper character heads on those. :D And I like the variety of subtle differences among the set. Very, very few doubles in there. The problem with adding different hats to an existing plastics set is that nobody does these hats. At least I couldn't find any. And even the metals I got off OG now had the cockades in the front. All of the sources I looked at note the cockades to be on the side. So I cut them off the models and added new cockades made of green stuff to the sides of the hats. I'll probably add some Eichenlaub later as well.
Here's a WIP shot:
(https://i.imgur.com/ZkMwR6H.jpg)
full size image: https://i.imgur.com/ZkMwR6H.jpg (https://i.imgur.com/ZkMwR6H.jpg)
As written above, I removed the cockades from the hats and put new ones made from Green Stuff on the sides of the hats, where they belong according to my sources. Loads of bayonets snapped during the clean-up process. In this case the chunkiness of the muskets came to my aid. I made new ones from toothpicks. So far they stick pretty well. Let's see how long they last. If they come off - oh well. I'll make a new one.
Of course I also snipped off the flag poles and drilled holes for wire rods.
So yeah, early WIP shot there. Next step I assume will be hair, then faces and handy, then I guess it's time for ...I don't know. greatcoats, I suppose. And then it goes on from there.
edit: oh, I forgot the breeches. I guess those are the next thing I should do after the hair and skin.
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Well, I have to say I rather like those, chunky, animated, perhaps slightly wonky in a couple of cases, but they look great. If it was me, I'd splash paint on that drum and reckon they were the best painted figures I'd ever completed lol
Looking forward to seeing further work. It's a great project.
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Well, I have to say I rather like those, chunky, animated, perhaps slightly wonky in a couple of cases, but they look great. If it was me, I'd splash paint on that drum and reckon they were the best painted figures I'd ever completed lol
Looking forward to seeing further work. It's a great project.
Funny thing is that I think that those represent people better than digital sculpts with copy-pasted, symetric faces. I'm exaggerating of course. Many digital figure drawers get really good by now and the technology's also catching up, but somehow bumpy, odd, grimacing, crooked, etc. (also exaggerating) somehow fits people better. I don't know. Might have something to do with 'soul' or empathy or something.
Look at the lengths I go to justify my purchase. :D I also always have to think of other painters (of the pro kind) who'd dismiss such sculpts right away because they're not 'pretty enough'. Makes me like'em (the figures) more. Don't get me wrong, I love me some neat plastic perrys (or Perry plastics rather), flawlessly-cast Front Rank, and so on, but I ALSO like the other figures. In fact I like most figures once I got them in hand; 3 hours into the project I like them at the lastest. I just like miniatures. Well, again. Actually, before I started painting these here I didn't touch a paintbrush in a week. No idea when that last had happened. But it was my birthday, I'd been a good (and stressed) boy throughout August, finishing 40k stuff I undercharged on, so was a bit miffed at painting anyway (and physically was unwell), so I took a week off. I did play solo games and wrote battle reports (which always takes me ages to do). And then, when I picked up the paintbrush again, on Sunday I just enjoyed painting again. Maybe that also helped in liking these figures.
Ask me again about my fondness of those dudes when I have to highlight those Hetherington hats. :D
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Amen.. I get you.. testify brother!
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Okay, fun time's over. Time to put away my 28mm single-based 1809 Austrian Nappies and get going on those 28mm single-based 1809 Austrian Nappies. I decided to just throw these in here, because they fit the subject matter:
(https://i.imgur.com/XiHsyG5.jpg)
In the back you can see the Landwehr, in the front 20 chaps of IR14. That's one of the regiments with black turnbacks, cuffs and collars. These will either end up looking really classy or really boring. :D A fun bunch though. Perrys metals (with 2 Perrys plastics smuggled in. First time I'm painting Perry plastic austrians!), 2 NCOs, 1 very cool officer model, 1 ensign, 1 drummer, 1 sapper. I think they're meant to be used with the Chosen Men rules by Osprey. Anyone of you got experiences with those rules? My own preference would be Song of Drums and Shakos, but I never read Chosen Men.
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Yo, yo. Here I am, and I don't have much to do tonight. So I finished the Austrians from infantry regiment No.14:
(https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_09/1.jpg.6ce18c7b7a21b9052736bbe47c7990fb.jpg)
(https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_09/2b.jpg.c22941d1f8ae0c12f02fabd619518eeb.jpg)
(https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_09/3.jpg.021185ec9eb99a2076e521338c8a204a.jpg)
Hope you like them. :) Next up: french 6pdr gun and crew, 2 French colonels.
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Those are just great. The more you look the more excellent detail you see. Like how neat the stripes on the drum, or the buttons. Lovely work. Thanks for sharing.
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Sigur you have inspired me! I will get up when dawn breaks tomorrow morning, break out the paints and bash on with all those wretched unfinished projects until my eyes bleed....or maybe not. :(
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Blinding beautiful!
You managed to show every little detail of these figures! Fantastic work on the whites, metal parts very well done and very accurate work on their helmets! Shall I imagine that the flag is handpainted too? :-* :)
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:o Oh damn, they do look nice.
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Very nice! :-*
Love the Austrians. One of my favorite factions in the Napoleonic wars.
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@Shahbahraz: Thanks very much. :)
@vodkafan: :D Cheers. Soo.... did it work?
@DintheDin: Thanks very much, Sir! Haha, no, the flag is just a fuzzy home-made print. I didn't even paint over it or anything.
@Commissarmoody: Thank you!
@Ray Rivers: Yar, they're interesting, aren't they.
Right, back to my own figures for a bit:
(https://i.imgur.com/MYFF3JZ.jpg)
In my defense, I'll claim that the photo is entirely un-flattering. And they're not finished obviously. I mean it's clear that these won't be the prettiest figures in the world how ever much time I invest. But I say that this shot does them a disservice. :D If it makes one thing clear though I guess it's that I won't get around doing the breeches properly. Drums need also to be finished, same with faces and the green on the jackets.
Lately I've gotten more and more into red bits on faces, lips and stubble, which of course darkens them a bit and takes out the stark higlihghts. It's always a balance act with faces, isn't it. And of course approaches/styles/preferences/etc. change on a monthly basis. At least with me.
I just added the oak leafs on the hats (green stuff), so I'm leaving them to cure now. I got other stuff to do anyway. Anyway, that's them for now, hope to finish them by the end of the month.
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Well... I don't think I can do much more for them.
(https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_09/landwehr1.jpg.ec109a98960dfce00adfbae89b60b435.jpg)
full size image: https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_09/landwehr1.jpg.ec109a98960dfce00adfbae89b60b435.jpg (https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_09/landwehr1.jpg.ec109a98960dfce00adfbae89b60b435.jpg)
(https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_09/landwehr2.jpg.1bc68b38249a586582c1d15a24bb1cc0.jpg)
full size image: https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_09/landwehr2.jpg.1bc68b38249a586582c1d15a24bb1cc0.jpg (https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_09/landwehr2.jpg.1bc68b38249a586582c1d15a24bb1cc0.jpg)
As mentioned before, I'll write up a full review of these chaps in the near future, because I find them to be rather interesting. The flags I added today. Just made'em up in image editing software, as nobody quite knows what these looked like. Usually Landwehr units were given Ordinärfahnen out of the line infantry's stocks and then Landwehr units added their own designs on the revers side of the flag. In this case I got two flag bearers, so I made on flag featuring a variant of the carinthian coat of arms (three black lions, red-white-red) and on the other flag I put the coat of arms of the city of Klagenfurt (white tower, Lindwurm [Wyvern]).
Seeing as how these were done I took the opportunity and based the whole collection (or what's finished so far). So here's the core of my 28mm Sharp Practice force:
(https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_09/force2.jpg.f6ed171c4050cb32c978b6600e2d8adb.jpg)
full size image: https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_09/force2.jpg.f6ed171c4050cb32c978b6600e2d8adb.jpg (https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_09/force2.jpg.f6ed171c4050cb32c978b6600e2d8adb.jpg)
They represent parts of Chasteler's corps during the Tyrol campaign 1809: Lusignan line regiment, Klagenfurt Landwehr, Jäger-Battalion No.9.
So the core of the force is done now. 3 line infantry, 2 skirmishers (3rd rank infantry), 1 light infantry and 2 to 3 Landwehr (Militia) units. Depending on whether I keep it proper and keep leaders, musicians and flag bearers out of the units or not.
Hope you like'em. :) From now on i'll add mostly "fun" units, leaders and of course deployment points. Now where did I put that coach...
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Righto, I started working on some Extras for my Austrian force here:
(https://i.imgur.com/RGMT9yr.jpg)
Artillerymen, a Vivandiere, and a priest.
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Prolific output of well painted figures 👍
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Lovely as always.
Who makes the "chaplain"?
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@Mindenbrush: Thanks very much. You summed up my mission statement pretty perfectly here. :D
@Gangleri: Cheers! He's from Black Hussar Miniatures. I got a whole bunch of "support" and "extras" figures from them; great stuff. I'm going to write a review of their stuff at some point in the future once I got them painted and find the time!
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Lovely collection! And don’t worry about the Jäger. You did all that can be done with these miniatures and more. You can’t beat the limits of the sculpts.
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Did the Austrians have Vivandiere? (Who cares!) Looking forward to seeing these progress. It's a very appealing and attractive force.
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@Warboss Nick: Thanks. :D I'm sure I could have done more, but in the end I just can't spend a ton of time on my own figures (even if I justify it be getting a review article out of them). I think they look OK enough now. I like the wonky little dudes actually.
@Shahbahraz: I'm pretty sure any army did from Kadesh up to pretty much the 20th century? I assume she would be called a Marketenderin rather than Vivandiere, but the function was the same. To this day the traditional rifle clubs (and choirs too IIRC) in Tyrol, Carinthia, etc. still got Marketenderinnen. Wives/young ladies in special costume, carrying a little barrel, going along with the traditional processions, etc.
I'm currently doing scenic shots of things for another project, and last night I took the opportunity to make an "army shot" of my Sharp Practice dudes:
(https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_09/as1.jpg.dc11aa9df9043b9ea0bccf97cdbf35f5.jpg)
full size image: https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_09/as1.jpg.dc11aa9df9043b9ea0bccf97cdbf35f5.jpg (https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_09/as1.jpg.dc11aa9df9043b9ea0bccf97cdbf35f5.jpg)
See, I also did that thing where you doctor out the bases. I'm not quite sure if I like it or not. Last week I got the latest issue of WSS magazine, and I noticed that pictures in there to a very large degree have that now. Maybe it was just an anomaly or it's becoming more and more the norm for such promo shots. What do you think?
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Did the Austrians have Vivandiere? (Who cares!)
Just in case anyone does, yes they did. There is one illustrated in the Osprey MAA on Austrian cavalry.
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Very beautiful scene, they're ready to keep the French out of their beloved Carinthian towns and lake resorts!
Thanks also for the note on Black Hussar, though sadly they seem not to be able to ship to the US during the pandemic. I am always on the lookout for clergymen to harangue my troops.
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@Gangleri: Oh right, that's a shame. Other clergymen who caught my eye (steady..): Steve Barber models has one or two interesting eastern European priests in their 1648 revolt range and Eureka got a Tyrolen (and as such appropriately angry and fundamentalist) rustic priest wielding a sabre IIRC.
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Heyhey, inspired by Captain Darling's recentl AARs, last night I put a test game of Song of Drums and Shakos on the table.
(https://i.imgur.com/2CBavRn.jpg)
full size image: https://i.imgur.com/2CBavRn.jpg (https://i.imgur.com/2CBavRn.jpg)
Tyrol, 1809. It's autumn, so we'll just quickly get these supplies and orders to the rebels before winter hits. You never know with weather in the mountains, and once it's winter it'll stay winter for a long time. For now we got nice weather. Light escort duty. Easy-peasy, what could go wrong.
(don't mind the driver's weird attire. Those civilians will wear the most ridiculous things :P ).
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hello georg, superb, if you have a side picture for me, I'm a taker ...
bye
Fred ;-)
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hello georg, superb, if you have a side picture for me, I'm a taker ...
bye
Fred ;-)
:D Haha, I'll see what I can do. If the very American Civil War looking driver doesn't bother you...
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Heyhey. The photo isn't very favorable, but I'll call'em done. Vivandiere and army chaplain:
(https://i.imgur.com/GMUj4mY.jpg)
Vivandiere by Warlord Games, the priest is by Black Hussar. Hope you like them!
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Lovely stuff, I like them very much. You are making it even harder to resist.
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Excellent job on the flesh and the clothes look so real! Splendid!
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Very nice! I'm almost done with an opposing Saxon Brigade.
Eltjo
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@Shahbahraz: Thanks very much! They're a fair bit nicer looking in real life, but I'm a bit of a crap photographer. :D
@DintheDin: Thank you, Sir! (once more ;) )
@Greuthungi: Sounds great, do you have photos of them? I was thinking of maybe adding some Saxons, but I already did the Austrians and wasn't quite keen on the idea of having their opponents in white uniforms as well. Not to mention that I'd love to add some Italians for 1809 as well, which would leave me with three armies wearing white uniforms. :D
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A view of most of my army WIP. Schützen are Perry Saxe-Weimar Chasseurs, line infantry by Emperor Toad's Emporium, cavalry by Old Glory and FG Miniz, Guard infantry and horse artillery by Black Hussar Miniatures.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SNyYvSiU8e4/X58Ytq3t4aI/AAAAAAABGKo/WYPeynp9vdMKBK8R9qFJtVXT1XaKyhjLwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/image.png)
Saxons by Emperor Toad's Emporium up close.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8hpor7QJeyw/X58ZPrgKYHI/AAAAAAABGK4/lm0s2vjqGh4KkP7m937GbTjebigXN7s6QCLcBGAsYHQ/w375-h400/image.png)
They have already fought in a Sharp Practice campaign weekend. Next weekend they will head the attack on Wagram with General d'Armee.
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Great stuff across the board on this thread. Thanks for sharing, it is very inspirational work.
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@Greuthungi: They look great! :D I'm currently preparing some more 1806 Prussians (AB figures), which of course look a bit alike these Saxons.
@Rick W.: Thanks very much!
Right, I finished my little Austrian 3-pdr gun with crew for the 1809 project:
(https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_11/art1.jpg.e17dc34df4c1915ca15d289dfb1a8bfd.jpg)
Hope you like them!
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The hue of this brown, highlights and shading is perfect! Lovely!
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Oh we do like them. Very much.
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Splendid work all round 8)
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@DintheDin: Thanks, I guess I was lucky in hitting that tone of brown. :D
@Shahbahraz: Cheers, much appreciated!
@OSHIROmodels: Thanks, Sir! :)
Right now I'm painting AB miniatures Prussians for 1806 for a gentleman elsewhere, but I already prepared the next figures for my Sharp Practice project: As you may remember, I'm planning to have my Austrians suit for all sorts of theatres of war for the war of the fifth coalition. Apart from Tyrol I'm focusing on the Vistula Campaign for now. The Austrian Corps over there didn't have any Jägers with them, but several battalions of Grenzers light infantry. I'm planning to do two units of Grenzers, both either 1st Szekler or 1st Wallachian (probably the latter, not sure). Neither of those regiments wore the tobacco brown coats by 1809 (they only really got them in 1814, I read), so they'll look a bit like Hungarian line infantry: white coats, sky blue breeches with some nice adornments. The only thing that makes them recognizable as Grenzers (to my knowledge) will be the odd (kinda stovepipe-ish) shako.
Once those are done I think I'd like to proceed to getting started on the force for the Duchy of Warsaw, so even during lock-down my Austrians got some opposition. :)
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Heyhey. I got to workin' on the next figures for this project - 2 units of skirmishers and one officer from Militärgrenzregiment Nr.14, Székler Nr.1. Just a WIP shot for now (and weirdly blurry), but at least from the picture you can guess which colour goes where, and detailwork's not done yet properly anyway. :)
(https://i.imgur.com/pkRzWrm.jpg)
full size image: https://i.imgur.com/pkRzWrm.jpg (https://i.imgur.com/pkRzWrm.jpg)
Just a slightly blurry WIP shot.
These chaps retained their white coats until 1815; officers and NCOs seem to have gotten their prescribed tobacco brown coats (which we see Grenzers in usually) a bit earlier than that. For 1809 though it's white coats for everybody.
First of the units I do specifically for the Vistula campaign (as all the infantry for the Tyrolean theatre of war is done). These guys were detached from the main force for the battle of Raszyn, the only proper battle of the campaign. But once I find good literature on the matter I'm very sure that the campaign is ripe with all sorts of skirmish fun. Loads of space to skirmish, loads of uncooperative folk, loads of horrifying Polish horsemen, ...
edit: Right, fixed the picture link now. :D
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Do we know which - if any - of the Grenzer regiments did have the tobacco brown coats in 1809? I'm particularly looking at the Advance Guard forces that opposed the Bavarians at Landshut and elsewhere in the opening days/weeks.
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@Baron von Wreckedoften: I'm going by Rawkins' (Historybookguy) ebook on the Austrian-Hungarian army. According to him the order to wear tobacco brown coats was issued in 1798. Grenz regiments 1, 2, 4, 10 and 11 adopted the brown coats in 1807. Grenz regiments 7, 8 and 9 got them right away in 1798. Grenz regiment 1 (Lika), 2 (Otocac) and 4 (Szluin) changed cuff/color/turnback colours along with the coats as well: 1&2 from violet to "kaiser yellow", 4 from orange to sulphur yellow. I don't have the orders of battle at hand for the campaign around Landshut. All other regiments made the switch later, between 1810 and 1814, apart from Grenz regiments 13 and 14, which got brown coats after the end of hostilities in 1815, although NCOs and officers seem to have gotten the brown coats a bit earlier. So that might make for a nice spot of paint as well.
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Thanks - I don't have the books with me (basically "With Eagles to Glory" and the "Thunder on the Danube" trilogy, but from memory I think it was regiments 7 and 8, which is great as they were wearing the brown coats in 1809.
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Indeed! And according to our sources a.) The Street's the Place to gooooooooo and b.) these regiments had the mysterious cuff/collar/turnback colour "grisdelin". :D
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First of the units I do specifically for the Vistula campaign (as all the infantry for the Tyrolean theatre of war is done). These guys were detached from the main force for the battle of Raszyn, the only proper battle of the campaign. But once I find good literature on the matter I'm very sure that the campaign is ripe with all sorts of skirmish fun. Loads of space to skirmish, loads of uncooperative folk, loads of horrifying Polish horsemen, ...
Hopefully I didn't butcher the quotes...
Great brushwork, Sigur. The 1809campaign has long been my favorite. For info on the Vistula theater, try "Operations of the Polish Army During the 1809 Campaign" by Roman Soltyk. It is written by a Polish general and is very biased, but it contains a lot of detail on the smaller actions. I see that there is currently one copy on the US Amazon for $20.
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Indeed! And according to our sources a.) The Street's the Place to gooooooooo and b.) these regiments had the mysterious cuff/collar/turnback colour "grisdelin". :D
From searching on the Interweb, "gris-de-lin" just seems to be a posh way of saying "beige"!!!
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Brown coats with beige facings.. very 1960s. Well ahead of their time..
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I hear they wore orange turtlenecks underneath the coats too. ;)
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I heard they were unprepared for invasion as they were all out at Fondue parties... lol
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And what else for dessert but Black Forest Gateaux?
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Wonderful thread Sigur. Really fantastic work as usual.
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@Sharhbahraz: :D
@Baron von Wreckedoften: Hey, when it comes to desserts there's a vast range of things to choose from in the Austrian army. :D
@Codsticker: Thanks very much, Sir! Always appreciated.
Well, well, well. I'm making good time on these ca. 600 AB miniatures, so I found some time to finish the Grenzers:
(https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_12/grenzer1schrift.jpg.82b9a28f749c3e64d868162330d89414.jpg)
...despite my vow not to paint anything with a crossbelt the next weeks. :D Anyway, the bases look decidedly un-exciting in the picture. Now sure how that happened, but I'll have another look at the figures and maybe add some more different-looking static grass and tufts.
Once again, lovely figures by Front Rank. absolutely amazing faces; just a joy to look at. I have no idea which unit's up next. As mentioned above, I'm a bit burnt out on Napoleonics for now. I've done a LOT of Nappy stuff for other people in 2020, which is lovely and I'm mighty happy I get to do that, but it tends to scratch my Napoleonic itch, and I prefer painting something else for my own collections. But who knows.
Anyway, I think that's the last of my Austrian units done for now. Wow. At some point I'd like to add cavalry, but oh well. Maybe Perry plastics, maybe I'll go for Front Rank for those too.
In the mean time I could get started on Poles? I got plenty of cavalry for those of course. Oh, or I could finish that bloody coach for the Austrian staff officer, I guess... :D
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... the bases look decidedly un-exciting in the picture. Now sure how that happened, but I'll have another look at the figures and maybe add some more different-looking static grass and tufts.
Really? I think they look quite nice- very natural.
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Thanks very much. :) When I varnished the guys now and put them in the box I thought I liked the bases as well. Maybe I was in an odd mood or expected something else when looking at the picture first or something like that. Oh well. They look fine.
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What's this? Have the stars aligned? Do cats and dogs live together now? I actually started placing paint on the Landau coach!
(https://i.imgur.com/AmsDPUH.jpg)
I also started converting the Russian Tsar into an Austrian staff officer. Now I'm a bit conflicted - Online I saw a picture of a Landau coach with bone-white wheels. It does look tacky. And it does look great. Pretty sure it's a bad idea, but somehow I dig it. Should I go for it or keep the wheels black, maybe with a slightly shinier metal band around them or something?
Also relevant to this project: I started cleaning the Poles! No pictures yet, but boy, those Murawski figures are pretty. Lovely horses (all of which saying EBOB on the bottom side of their bases :D ). Very daunting too. That polish force will be quite work intensive to do.
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Looking forward to seeing the Poles but that Landau sure looks pretty. I would consider white wheels to be gauche but maybe a lining colour?
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@Shahbahraz: Thanks very much! :) Yes, the wheels are a problem. I'm inclined to agree with you. I assume they'd be black, right? Or very dark wooden colour.
Another WIP shot of the Landau coach with Austrian staff officer:
(https://i.imgur.com/XuAfZUe.jpg)
Things be proceedin' slowly. An annoying fact dawned on me: That coach won't drive anywhere off-road, so I might have to keep the base more road-like and bare, with a few little tufts of grass here and there, else it would look off on a road. So I won't be able to get as much colour into this figure as I'd hoped to. Let's see. Any ideas?
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Looks great!
As for the base... DuckDuckGo "road ruts."
An example:
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.RRQD_aNX_f41u1hb7tSs0AHaE8%26o%3D6%26pid%3DApi&f=1)
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If you wanted more colour you could paint the spokes in the green body colour and add lining detail.
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If you wanted more colour you could paint the spokes in the green body colour and add lining detail.
Coach, figures and horses superbly painted!
I concur about the spokes.
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@Shahbahraz: Good point, I think I'll give that a try.
@DintheDin: Thanks. It sounds like a good idea.
Right, today I was out doing some field research.
(https://i.imgur.com/F2qxR8r.jpg)
full size image: https://i.imgur.com/F2qxR8r.jpg (https://i.imgur.com/F2qxR8r.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/dSi20sf.jpg)
full size image: https://i.imgur.com/dSi20sf.jpg (https://i.imgur.com/dSi20sf.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/nNa6RaD.jpg)
"What are you doing, human."
full size image: https://i.imgur.com/nNa6RaD.jpg (https://i.imgur.com/nNa6RaD.jpg)
There are perks to sitting right at the outskirts of Vienna. :) Had to deliver some figures to the inner city, so I had a look at some of the Fiaker coaches standing around. The larger ones for 4 people are basically the Landau Chassis. The wheels are mounted a bit differently (single suspension on each wheel rather than one suspension for each axis), but otherwise they're pretty much the same thing.
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Looks great!
As for the base... DuckDuckGo "road ruts."
An example:
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.RRQD_aNX_f41u1hb7tSs0AHaE8%26o%3D6%26pid%3DApi&f=1)
Don't make them like this. The old double rut with a green swath down the middle is a modern phenomenon due to the internal combustion engine. The drive on this carriage is from the horses hooves which churn up the middle bit just as bad - if not worse - than the wheels. You would therefore see a fully churned road with ruts and mud all over.
If it is summer or not so muddy just a full width dusty road would be suitable.
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I'm particularly looking at the Advance Guard
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If you wanted more colour you could paint the spokes in the green body colour and add lining detail.
I‘d also go for green with black metal. That would be most in line with the main body of the landau.
As for the base I wouldn’t overstretch the quality of (dirt) roads in that time. The base looks the part, just don‘t add (too many) tufts. That being said, a little off road would surely be possible and might have happened on the battlefield (rear).
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@jon1066: Thanks for the heads up on that detail! I did not know that, but it's good to know. I never got the "strip of grass in the middle" because the horses usually also move much closer to each other than the wheels are sat. Good to have that confirmed.
@Compas: The Austrian one? I decided to get the Infantry for both sides (or first two sides) done first, then I'll add cavalry. Not the least because I was too preoccupied with waiting for the Perrys to release Plastics. At the moment I'm a bit tempted to wait for their Austrian Hussars to be released and get some Front Rank Cheveaulegers. For the Polish army I got two units (8 each) of Lancers, plus some leaders/musicians/flagbearers. So the Austrian Advance guard so far is just the two groups of Grenzers for the Polish campaign, and a handful of Jägers for Tyrol. :D
@Warboss Nick: Yeah, I painted the spokes green now, and I think it's the way to go. At first I didn't like the look, but it's growing on me. As for the roads: Very good point. Only problem is that my own dirt roads are of top notch quality and width, so I should make the base fit that in some way. I learned that in the Song of Drums and Muskets test game a few months ago:
(https://www.tabletopstories.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/IMG_2130.jpg)
AAR and Rules Review: https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2020/10/song-of-drums-and-shakos-battle-report/ (https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2020/10/song-of-drums-and-shakos-battle-report/)
I think I'll have to find a mid-way between the amount of vegetation on the base on this ACW supply coach and a bare road somehow.
Anyway, merry christmas! :)
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Ah, the gras tufts dilemma. Without them the base looks bare. With them it looks strange on road.
Thanks for the AAR and rules review!
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@Warboss Nick: Indeed. :D Especially as my brain's trained to think that in the end I'll add green fuzz on the base (most of the time anyway), so that's worked into colour scheme/balance considerations and all of that.
Heyhey. Despite all the plans I started working on my own Napoleonics during my days off.
(https://i.imgur.com/vqTJyG8.jpg)
Cleaned and based the Poles, primed them (black!), painted up some test minis. Those will follow soon. Just so you know in which direction this is going.
Just the infantry for now so I got the infantry done for both sides, then I'll add cavalry.
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Roight, that's the five testers for the 8th Infantry Regiment of the Duchy of Warsaw done:
(https://i.imgur.com/QjZDF1E.jpg)
full size image: https://i.imgur.com/QjZDF1E.jpg (https://i.imgur.com/QjZDF1E.jpg)
Maybe I'll change some bits, maybe I'll refine some bits, but overall this is what I'll go for. Now only to repeat this 12 times. :)
(https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2020_12/1735266545_8thinfantryjenchelminski.JPG.ae01055a1713a81da1bfb980523b550f.JPG)
Hope you like'em so far.
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Great stuff across the board. I particularly like the Polish troops.
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Yes, I do, very much, they look excellent.
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Very well painted, congrats Sigur!
Especially the work on their faces is first rate!!!
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Lovely painting once more :-*
Are the Murawski miniatures as lovely as they look? I‘m eyeing them for the Vistula Legion.
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@Rick W.: Cheers, me too! :)
@Shahbahraz: Thank you! Now to get the rest of the bunch painted like that....
@DintheDin: Thanks! Yes, lately I put a bit more 'colour' on faces. Just makes them look more lively and interesting, I think.
@Warboss Nick: Thanks very much! Yes, they're really nice. Well, it's Paul Hicks sculpts, so they can be expected to be. :) they also go perfectly well with Perrys, Old Glory, Victrix/Perry/Warlord plastics and so on. The one Front Rank dude on foot I got looks a tiny bit 'scaled up', but a.) he's an NCO, he's supposed to be burly and b.) once they're all painted I'm sure he won't stick out. I'll write a review about the Murawski figures once they're done.
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Thank you for the quick heads up on Murawski Miniatures. I‘m looking forward to the full review. Luckily (?) I still have loads to paint before I reach the Vistula Legion.
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@Warboss Nick: Well, you can always outsource that to one of those paintmonkeys-for-hire.. ;) (sorry, I'm contractually obliged to say that) I'm not exactly sure how Murawski Minis works. I think it belongs to Emperor Toad's Emporium, which seems to encompass a few ranges of figures. Oh, and the cast-on basey bit on the (very, very pretty) horses says "Ebob". It's a complicated world. :D
Happy new year, everybody. Didn't get much painting done the past days, and what's done of the Polish infantry so far isn't very impressive. Just regular old batch painting. But i'm proceeding. Well, not right now. Right now I got a headache. :P
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Slowly I'm plodding through the Poles.
(https://i.imgur.com/TJVCg8V.jpg)
full size image: https://i.imgur.com/TJVCg8V.jpg (https://i.imgur.com/TJVCg8V.jpg)
I think I got most of the big, boring steps done now. One more major thing will be painting whites. Crossbelts, straps on all sorts of things and of course the white piping. That'll be a big one. After that the next steps will be getting the skin done properly and the greatcoats. I'm planning to vary the colour on these a little. They should be 'pepper grey', as in the French army, but of course they were manufactured all over the Duchy and maybe there'll be some who brought their own greatcoats or got them somewhere else, so varying colour on these is never a bad idea.
Even got the bases brown, which took many more steps than one might think. :D I prime the Austrians light grey and use that as a base for the brown on the bases. Of course with the black primer on the Poles I have to throw in one or two in-between steps to get the bases to a shade which goes with the Austrians.
Well, that's it. It certainly isn't going fast, but miniature painting never does, right? And it shouldn't. These are my own figures I do in my leisure time, so I make the conscious decision to paint them as that as well.
Hope you like them so far. By now the look of the guys is starting to form (which is one of the reasons why I tend to paint base colours one after another and then start detailling. This way I get a better impression of the overall look).
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Starting to look the part. One thing. I think I count 44 line infantry, which is an odd number for a SP force?
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Starting to look the part. One thing. I think I count 44 line infantry, which is an odd number for a SP force?
Very well observed! It's 2 units of voltigeurs (ie skirmishers, so 6 figures per unit). The front-most row of figures is all leaders, two drummers, and a flag/eagle bearer.
The rest of the chaps is 6 groups of 8 line infantry each. 5 of them I painted as test figures, and somehow I got an extra infantryman for free with my order, so I got one extra chap. I decided to paint him up anyway, since I'm painting all his comrades at once anyway and you never know when you need an extra figure.
I figured that these would do for starters for an SP2 force. I also got two units of lancers (of course), and I got a bunch of French Chasseurs-a-Cheval who I'll cheekily use as Polish chasseurs, because they basically wore the same uniforms. Kinda. Well, not quite, but almost. I'm also itching a bit to get some grenadiers as well.
For the Austrian "core force" I did 4 groups of line infantry plus two groups of 3rd rank skirmishers. Which isn't much, but I still got two to three more units of Landwehr for Tyrol and if needs be two more groups of Austrian line infantry with shakos as a stand-in until I get more helmeted line infantry. Oh, and I'd like to get two groups of grenadiers as well. I'm basically just waiting for Front Rank's store opening up again for EU customers to get Polish and Austrian Grenadiers. Because a.) I'd like those to be in an attack pose (so I got fusiliers in marching pose, skirmishers in ...well, skirmishy poses, and grenadiers in a high/low porte attack pose) and b.) The FR 'format' compared to regular-sized infantry by Victrix, Murawski, etc. will fit grenadiers perfectly! It will be glorious. :D
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@Warboss Nick: Well, you can always outsource that to one of those paintmonkeys-for-hire.. ;) (sorry, I'm contractually obliged to say that)
Not a problem ;) I just don’t think I can afford your services.
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Not a problem ;) I just don’t think I can afford your services.
Yeah, and I'm just weird. I much prefer to play with figures I've painted myself. I've really only bought painted figures twice. One a mix of 15mm medieval that was way cheaper than unpainted lead, and the other was the Eurofed force from the Future War Commander rulebook.
For the foreseeable future, I won't be using painting services...
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Aye, that's a sensible approach, which of course I share. Also, I'd kinda feel like a fraud using figures painted by someone else. :D But then again, pretty much any aspect about this wonderful hobby is a bit twisted for me of course. Of course with painted plastics armies especially there's very often the problem that many people don't clean the mold lines properly, which defeats the point of the painting anyway, because you'd have to scrape off the mold lines and then repaint the bits. Buying plastics second hand is very problematic in general. Metals - no problem, but plastics are iffy.
Come to think of it, I got one painted collection I kept as is. Many years ago a gentleman left me all his Warhammer Fantasy Empire collection for next to nothing. That one I kept painted as they were, because they look really nice, and it already was after the time I played Warhammer Fantasy battles. These guys (with some neatening up here and there) sometimes find use in random Fantasy games I play, like the Sellswords&Spellslingers campaigns I posted about this summer or in some Advanced Song of Blades and Heroes games.
Waitaminute, I got the Future War Command rulebook a bunch of years ago. I'll have to check the pictures for that army!
Well, no news on the Polish front. I started painting the whites on the infantry, almost fell out my chair out of boredom and my focus of interest was nudged in a sci-fi direction. So for the past day or two I've been setting up a test game for 5150:Citizen Soldier. I got barely any games in the past year, and only now I thought of trying out some Two Hour Wargames games. Those are pretty much made for solo play anyway. Then I realized I got shockingly little in the way of sci-fi terrain. I got shockingly little good terrain anyway. Of course it doesn't help that I need/want all these things 28mm and so they can fill a 6' by 4' table.
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Ah yes, terrain, my perennial bugbear. I am gradually building up bits and pieces, but pretty much everything is on hold, as my shed is leaking badly, and anything I put in there is going to get damp and mouldy.
The new year hopefully I will be able to get the shed repaired or replaced.
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@Shahbahraz: Aye, getting the existing stock of terrain not to rot away probably is a good priority. :)
Heyhey, here I am again. After a standstill in this project due to lack of time I returned to the Polish line infantry and tackled that dreaded "all the white things" stage. Also painted the rolled-up greatcoats and basecoated the gold.
(https://i.imgur.com/gCRW309.jpg)
full size image: https://i.imgur.com/gCRW309.jpg (https://i.imgur.com/gCRW309.jpg)
Next up's probably the skin, finishing metallics, the white metal eagle, bayonets, scabbards, buttons, and all the annoying extra details (some figures carry sausages, extra pairs of shoes, pots, etc. and some got slightly torn up uniforms and so on). Plus: Voltigeurs (or Woltyzerowie) details.
You probably noticed that I put leaders/musicians to the side for now. I'll see that I get the infantry done, and THEN go on to do some of the more complicated stuff.
In other news, I had a game of Sharp Practice 1809! Because Cpt.Shandy's way faster on his 1809 project than I am. So he invited me to have a game via Discord. You can read his game report here: https://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/ (https://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/).
Enjoy. :)
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Looking good! Great to see that you got a game in.
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Those are looking great. I know what you mean by all the white stage. With WW2 it's usually all the webbing and pouches. Just about to start that with a Japanese platoon I am painting for Chain of Command.
Looking at these figures I also realised for the first time that only the flank companies would have the second cross strap for the sword. I should have realised.
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@Rick W: Yes, it was nice. I managed to arm-twist my brother into playing Sellswords&Spellslingers with me last May/June, but otherwise no non-solo games for me all year.
@Shahbahraz: That's true, I suppose there's that stage with almost any figure. Problem with Nappys and the likes of course is that usually it's very rich in contrast and you gotta get that piping and so on just right. Yeah, the lack of a second cross belt is a thing I had to get used to as well. Some dudes just wore the bayonet scabbards on the belt (like SAVAGES! :D ).
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Good job on those Sigur, really admirable! Cheers!
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@DintheDin: Thanks very much, Sir! :) Hope you're having a great weekend!
I got the Duchy of Warsaw infantry game-ready and even based the sabot bases I got from Warbases. Wahey!
(https://i.imgur.com/O3PhhjD.jpg)
Look at them boys all ranked up. Neat. Am I 100% happy with this solution? Nope. They're standing too far apart of course. But that's what you get for using round bases and sabot bases, eh? :) 1.5 or 2mm of MDF between each base, and I kept the bases as small as possible anyway. Anyway, I got sabot bases for them now, which is cool.
Next steps: Polish Officers, NCOs, and other command figures. Of which I got too few and not a single suited figure for the Voltigeurs. Oh well. I'll find a way, I guess. Or just forget about the problem. The thing is: Murawski seem to have jumbled up their command packs a bit (and they sell packs only), so getting any of these packs will get me one new officer (and they got some really nice ones) and one I already got. And I'll get two more drummers I don't need and another flag bearer I don't really need. I could convert that one to another leader, but I'm not 100% keen on that either.
Front Rank sell extremely pretty single figures, but I went with Murawski with the Poles (as you do), so the FR dudes are pretty massive next to them. Something that's rather welcome to grenadiers, or the obligatory barrel-chested and well-natured line NCO, but it doesn't quite fit the Voltigeurs.
Eagly Figures got single figures and even a Voltigeur Officer. Of course here the simple fact that ordering anything from the UK became just bothersome. From the website the Eagle Figures poses look a bit stiff to me, but I'm not picky. So I guess this is the most feasible option for getting another one or two leaders.
So that's the state of things. Hope you like my 28mm dudes, hope you're having an excellent weekend!
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Amazing work sigur. Congratulations on getting the whole bunch done! I am thinking about getting some poles from Murwaski for years now. You are making it hard to resist. I will probably get a Vistula Legion battalion, but I have to finish a lot more stuff first. I hope we will see another update soon :)
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Thanks very much! :) Aye, Vistula Legion is a great project as well. I painted a bunch of the guys a few years ago.
(https://i.imgur.com/u1mLPDg.jpg)
full size image: https://i.imgur.com/u1mLPDg.jpg (https://i.imgur.com/u1mLPDg.jpg)
..and even more cavalry to go along with them. :D
Over the past two hours I got out Austrians again, built a drummer and a flag bearer, then I got out a bunch of train, civilians, etc. and worked out some ideas for deployment points. At least in SP2 you don't need as many deployment points as in Chain of Command. THEN I went straight on to cavalry and tried to work out how to turn my French Chasseurs á Cheval into Polish Chasseurs á Cheval. No biggie, all I need to do is add epaulettes and change some colours. Now I put away all the line troops and just kept the figures for deployment points, support and vignettes on the painting desk.
So much for the state of affairs. :)
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Thanks for the update. I think I remember your Vistula Legion from Warseer o_o
Could you please be so kind to shoot some pictures of your conversion of the Chasseurs á Cheval before painting?
Can you recommend literature on the Vistula Legion and the Dutchy of Warsaw?
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I think I'll just make some fringed epaulettes from Green Stuff. :) The set probably includes more correct coats as well (before the 1808 regulation they wore basically regular kurtkas like the infantry, but dark green. From 1808 they were to wear the 'Kinski' coats like the French did, also dark green. The 1st Chasseurs á Cheval of the Duchy of Warsaw seem to have worn the kurtka for a bit longer though. In general there seems to have been quite an overlap with the implementation of new regulations. But the Perrys plastics box contains the Kinski coat, so that'll work nicely. Only difference is that the Chasseurs of the Duchy of Warsaw wore fringed epaulettes even on the centre companies. The Perrys box includes those parts as well (for the French elite companies). Problem is that when I built and painted mine I made them a mix of centre and elite company, so my centre dudes will have to get some epaulettes. :)
By far the most comprehensive books on the topic I've seen is the series of books illustrated by Ryszard Morawski. It's a whole series of rather expensive and as-of-now hard to come by books, but based on my limited knowledge these are the definitive work on the army of the Duchy of Warsaw (and Lithuania) during that period.
I got "Orphan Eagles - Polish armies of the Napoleonic wars" when Warlord Games released it. At the price point I think it's okay. It gives you an overview of where and when the Legions and the army were involved in combat. Unfortunately the layout quality and picture quality are just ...well, one reviewer used the word "regrettable", which I think is a diplomatic way of wording it. However, it's not a bad jump-off point I think, especially if you can get it relatively cheap. It's not really a book I enjoy getting out and reading it, but I think it's rather useful.
There's "In the Legions of Napoleon: The Memoirs of a Polish Officer in Spain and Russia, 1808-1813", which might be useful for your research. I haven't read it, but it keeps on popping up, and gets good reviews. Seems to fit your field of interest spot on as well, and I think it's pretty widely available, so most probably worth checking out.
Last, but not least there's "The Army of the Duchy of Warsaw 1807 – 1814" by W.J.Rawkins (tidied up and edited by his son, the late historybookman). Only available as ebook and endlessly useful. It's very concise on 'fluff' and sticks strictly to uniforms, unit organization, and such. It's basically an Osprey on steroids, covering all arms of the army. It's great, it's incredibly useful, it costs about five pounds. Sadly, it's currently unavailable since the historybookman sadly died late last year, and the family don't carry on the store. They wrote that they will make the books purchaseable again in some form. He also had a separate volume on the Polish Legions (reviewed here: https://www.napoleon-series.org/reviews/uniforms/RawkinsPolishLegions.pdf (https://www.napoleon-series.org/reviews/uniforms/RawkinsPolishLegions.pdf)). His ebooks are amazing and I hope they become available again soon.
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wonderful all 'round.
love the minifigs (?) - never seen those looking better.
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Thanks for that overview sigur!
I have bought "The Polish Army in 1939" by Vincent W. Rospond, which also was published by Winged Hussar Publishing. It has the same issues as you have described regarding "Orphan Eagles - Polish armies of the Napoleonic wars." Additionally, the editing / translation is horrible. Good to know. I am going to stay away from that publisher and I am going to try finding Morawski's books.
Thanks for the help!
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Yeah, I think the Warlord and Winged Hussar versions are the same. I ordered "European Weapons and Warfare 1618-1648" by Wagner(?) back when Warlord re-released that. I got the Winged Hussar version, which has a slightly different cover, but otherwise is the same thing and ....yeah, the quality's not good on that one either. Luckily a friend gave me his copy of the original book as a big, hard-back version a few years later.
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Heyhey,
As you might know my friend Cpt.Shandy started an 1809 Sharp Practice thing in 15mm parallel to my 28mm efforts. Of course he's so much faster with his 15mm figures that he already had several games AND wrote a campaign system.
Here's my report of our second Sharp Practice campaign game, using the Star of Bravery campaign rules. This time Capt.Cruchot of the light infantry took on a force of Austrian Grenzers:
https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2021/06/sharp-practice-campaign-game-2/ (https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2021/06/sharp-practice-campaign-game-2/)
(https://www.tabletopstories.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20210624_190758.jpg)
Hope you enjoy the article!
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Yikes stripes, yet another battle report! Third game of our Sharp Practice 1809 campaign. An ambush on a prisoner transport, featuring cavalry!
https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2021/07/sharp-practice-campaign-game-3/ (https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2021/07/sharp-practice-campaign-game-3/)
(https://www.tabletopstories.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/20210709_174842.jpg)
Hope you like the battle report!
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Heyhey, happy wednesday! Hope everybody's fine. Here's my report of yesterday's Sharp Practice game, campaign game#4:
https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2021/07/sharp-practice-campaign-game-4/ (https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2021/07/sharp-practice-campaign-game-4/)
(https://www.tabletopstories.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/20210720_175931.jpg)
Hope you enjoy the report!
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Thanks for sharing and it was good to say hello at VL6.
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Thanks for sharing and it was good to say hello at VL6.
Thank you for reading!
And indeed, the whole VL6 thing was much more pleasant than I thought it would be. :D Especially the pub part! I'll see that I take part again next time.
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Just caught up with this after some time away and read the four battle reports - excellent!
One suggestion - it might be useful for SP2 players and non-players alike to list the stats for each troop type on both sides - not necessarily on here, but perhaps on a page on your personal blog with a link to each game report so readers can check up on what characteristics you are using?
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Just caught up with this after some time away and read the four battle reports - excellent!
One suggestion - it might be useful for SP2 players and non-players alike to list the stats for each troop type on both sides - not necessarily on here, but perhaps on a page on your personal blog with a link to each game report so readers can check up on what characteristics you are using?
Thank you! I'll see that I get the stats online, but I'm not sure in how far Cpt.Shandy would like to keep a lid on those for now, depending on in what way he'd like to publish the campaign rules at the end of the whole thing. This campaign we're playing is as much as playtest as anything else. The stats I think are pretty much set, but we tinker with the campaign phase stuff and some of the scenarios here and there.
In the latest battle report (below) I added a simple overview of the forces involved and the special rules. Grenzer line infantry requires fewer command cards to Step Out as well. I'm not entirely sure whether adding stats is a good thing or unnecessary for the narrative approach. But I like the idea of having the stats somewhere, so people can look them up if they want to. I'll see that we can get that done.
Right-o, last night we had the 5th campaign game! Capt. Benés' Special Assignment.
https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2021/08/sharp-practice-campaign-game-5/ (https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2021/08/sharp-practice-campaign-game-5/)
(https://www.tabletopstories.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/20210811_170942.jpg)
Hope you like the battle report!
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Interesting and albeit surprisingly brief engagement. A joy to read as usual.
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@Grumpy Gnome: Thanks very much! We were rather surprised ourselves. Well, I was. :D
Heyhey, here's the latest episode of our Star of Bravery campaign in which Capt. Camille Cruchon has to escort the general's mistress. However, the evil Austrians hatch a plan to intercept her coach! Set in 1809, Sharp Practice rules. #spreadthelard
https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2021/08/sharp-practice-campaign-game-6/ (https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2021/08/sharp-practice-campaign-game-6/)
(https://www.tabletopstories.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/20210818_172300.jpg)
Hope you find the game report interesting and entertaining!
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You can read Cpt.Shandy's report of the same game here: https://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/2021/08/20/star-of-bravery-ep-6-escort-duty/ (https://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/2021/08/20/star-of-bravery-ep-6-escort-duty/)
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I'm ashamed - ashamed, I tell you - that a member of the Bavarian aristocracy could not be bothered to find a matching set of horses for her coach. Tsk, tsk!!!
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lol
But you are on to something... watch out for the next episode. Mme. von Pfünz might not be who she seems to be...
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Fantastic AAR! I really enjoyed following this thread! Thank you for sharing!
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@Baron von Wreckedoften: :D Given how the French are out and about, it's a wonder she still has any horses, no matter the colour!
@MaleGriffin: Thanks very much!
Heyhey, here's the latest battle report in our Star of Bravery campaign! In this Capt.Benés once more attempts to forage for supplies along the Danube.
https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2021/08/sharp-practice-campaign-game-7/ (https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2021/08/sharp-practice-campaign-game-7/)
(https://www.tabletopstories.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/20210827_190210.jpg)
I hope that you enjoy the battle report!
Don't forget to drop by Cpt.Shandy's blog where you can read about the games from a slightly different perspective, also where you can also read really, really good stuff about terrain building and research: https://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/ (https://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/)
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Splendid looking game! It is hard for me not to instantly want to dig into this era... but restraint is probably the wiser tactic here.
I have only played very little SP, but I have seen a fair few reports/AARs on youtube and so on. I find that the games appear to end in very long firefights with very little movement once the units have found something to shoot at. Am I completely off the mark?
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Splendid looking game! It is hard for me not to instantly want to dig into this era... but restraint is probably the wiser tactic here.
I have only played very little SP, but I have seen a fair few reports/AARs on youtube and so on. I find that the games appear to end in very long firefights with very little movement once the units have found something to shoot at. Am I completely off the mark?
Not entirely. Especially for new players the temptation is to find a good firing position and blaze away. But that will almost always cost you the game against an experienced opponent.
I don't have the link to hand but search for The Tactical Painter AWI and he goes into it, as he found in their first couple of games they were making that mistake. He makes some very astute observations.
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As Shahbahraz says, when playing for the first time, people often get drawn into firefights. However, blazing away, especially at long range, usually achieves nothing and becomes a long contest of attrition.
In our games, it often settles into one fire element (consisting of 2-3 groups, although Sigur prefers his 5-group sledgehammer) trying to pin the opponent's force while other units try to work around his flank - which, I think, is historical plausible.
However, with special objectives, things tend to get messier and more chaotic - with Sharp Practice, it pays to invest the time in creating a scenario (or use one from the many that have been published, either in Lardy Supplements and Specials or on blogs).
By the way, here is my report of the last game: https://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/2021/08/28/star-of-bravery-ep-7-sour-grapes/ (https://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/2021/08/28/star-of-bravery-ep-7-sour-grapes/)
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Thanks for that. Very enjoyable, and a nice looking game. I was also impressed by the farmhouse you made.
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@Dr. the Viking: Thanks very much!
@Shahbahraz: Yus, the Tactical Painter's stuff on the subject is very much worth a read.
I'd say that getting bogged down in prolonged firefights is always a risk. In Sharp Practice the infantry line with those big, impressive volleys is a very powerful tool, which often will decide games. The thing is to get to where you want it, when you want it there, and when it comes down to it having more in that place when the right time has come. And once the firefight starts, it very often stays there, and it's hard to get your line out of it when you realize that the situation is not favourable to you.
With the unpredictability of Sharp Practice (via activation cards and command cards, plus the dice factor), it's not easy to foretell that you'll get your firefight where and when you want it, and under the circumstances you want to fight it. In the latest issue of WSS magazine they mention the old phrase "getting there first with the most", which I assume is at the basis of any open, symetrical combat. So the firefight will feature prominently in those AARs (not the least because it looks good, you can put the puffs of smoke there, it's action-y and you see the uniforms). The nail-biting phases of "can I get my guys there faster than the other guy can?".
It's funny how SP2 toys with our hopes. During the first few phases of the game you work out grand plans in your head of taking an objective or the enemy's deployment point in a glorious coup de main. And while possible, usually those don't quite work out and as time goes on, the game becomes a series of little fires between which the leaders scuttle about, trying to put them out. Having a plan and/or reserves in THOSE phases of the game will really put you at an advantage.
In this latest game yesterday, the big firefight between Cpt.Shandy's three groups of Landwehr and my own three groups of French regulars overall had my guys at an advantage, but only after enduring three or four salvos (which almost made my line crumble). Once I was at the fence though (providing a little cover, leaving the enemy line in the open) my guys were at an advantage and eventually got the better of them.
However, all of a sudden I had all my troops committed (the other two groups in the back basically standing around in a pretty tight spot, without room to maneuver, which they needed dearly) in one way or another. At my right flank the Austrians deployed an annoying group of skirmishers who until the very end of the game tied down my own skirmishers (to protect the flank). The two groups of Grenzers deployed and ran over my left flank were a real problem though. In the AAR you can see how I have Sgt.Bonhomme try to maneuver his two groups to meet and delay the Grenzers, while taking a battering (in hindsight I should have kept them in reserve, but then maybe the Grenzers would have started firing my own infantry line in the flank). When they finally got there, all I could do was a desperate charge, which didn't do a thing really. The Grenzers not just running ahead, taking my wagon away in great parts was just dumb luck (their officer fell over) and the fact that the Austrians had run out of command cards to activate their flanking units.
Another thing with line infantry and their firefights is that once you've committed all of a sudden you got flanks to worry about. Which is the main reason why I always seek to cripple enemy skirmishers early on. An infantry line is pretty hard to knock down once they stand and are led by a high-ranking leader, but getting to fire them in the flank or rear with a group of skirmishers or charging their flank with light cavalry or infantry will put you at a definite advantage.
I think that this game especially showed that the firefight, while deciding in the end, was very much just a ticking clock, while at the same time loads of other things went on.
So yeah, I think that apart from "get there first with the most" (which is great, but uncertain), the infantry line firefight escalates the game to a point where the daring plans and skirmishes fall apart and run into the a series of crises. Having a plan at this point and being able to stick to it (ie having a reserve of two line groups and running them down my wide open left flank) will lead to major trouble for an opponent who decided to stick all his units into a yard. In that firefight I enjoyed an advantage, but the Landwehr held out long enough for the Grenzers to make it dangerously far. If my line had a group break off early on (as they almost did), I would have been in trouble. If I hadn't had the command cards for the Crashing Volley I would have been in trouble (mostly because the Landwehr repaid me with a Crashing Volley of their own right away). If I hadn't gotten rid of the Jägers very early on and if they'd gotten into the mansion I would have been in a world of trouble.
This game especially had several little events working together, which made it especially exciting.
So much for me rambling on. I think that SP2 works very well for modelling certain problems a commander at that level will face. The firefight between lines always feature prominently, because that's where the stuff hits the fan, but I think it's mostly the circumstances surrounding that firefight which will decide the game (that and dash of dumb luck, as always).
Just to waffle on for a few more paragraphs: I played a lot of Chain of Command, and this game's often viewed as having the problem of getting bogged down in firefights. Maybe it's a bit more of factor there, but on the other hand I've been at the receiving end of a lot of MG34s, with just one Bren gun on my side, which makes the 1:1 firefight undesirable to begin with. Apart from the fact that it cripples both sides and leads to a black hole to which you lose manpower and force morale to, it's unpredictable to a point. You know that the firefight WILL break out, but the trick is trying to have it be on your terms. Which usually leads to having to make risk-reward-based maneuver/positioning/baiting/withholding reserves decisions early on, and once the shooting starts these diminish (as your options diminish because troops are committed to said shooting), and it comes down to trying to keep your men in the fight whilst identifying openings to make the situation less comfortable for the opponent.
At least that's what I think. I mean getting in your opponent's face and rolling lots of 6s will do as well. :D
edit: Oh, there was two more comments while I was typing away. Er... yeah, what shandy said. :D He puts a lot of effort into working out these scenarios, I just show up and try to break them. ;)
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@Shahbahraz: Thank you!
@Battle Brush Sigur: This is an excellent piece on tactics in Sharp Practice! I'd be worth putting into the next Lardy Annual...
Concerning how SP toys with your hopes, as you said: For me, SP is one of the most psychological games out there. There are few games where losing initiative - not in a games mechanics sense, but in a psychological sense - can be as devastating as there. This happened in the game before, when I was completely overwhelmed by your aggressive charges and fussed about defensively. I was only reacting and didn't regain my footing.
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I do agree with everything said above. SP is one of my favourite games, I think because it can be gloriously unpredictable and really tactically challenging. Prolonged firefights are for mugs.
And the extra twists and turns of individual characters and how their story grows is one of the quiet joys. Much kore so than CoC in my opinion. Right, back to Hornblower, sunshine and beer. Glorious warm sunny day here in Scotland.
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I don't have the link to hand but search for The Tactical Painter AWI and he goes into it, as he found in their first couple of games they were making that mistake. He makes some very astute observations.
Thanks Doug, for anyone interested you can find a post here:
http://thetacticalpainter.blogspot.com/2020/09/coming-to-grips-with-sharp-practice.html
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heyhey, here's the latest battle report from our Sharp Practice campaign:
https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2021/09/sharp-practice-campaign-game-8/ (https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2021/09/sharp-practice-campaign-game-8/)
(https://www.tabletopstories.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/20210901_191519.jpg)
High stakes, high drama, fire, sheep, this one's got it all!
Also make sure to read Shandy's report of the same game from a French point of view:
https://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/2021/09/02/star-of-bravery-ep-8-loves-labours-lost/ (https://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/2021/09/02/star-of-bravery-ep-8-loves-labours-lost/)
Hope you like the AARs and have a lovely weekend!
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Instead I present you with a battle report of the 10th game in our Sharp Practice campaign:
https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2021/09/sharp-practice-campaign-game-10/ (https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2021/09/sharp-practice-campaign-game-10/)
(https://www.tabletopstories.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/20210915_174448.jpg)
This time Capt.Cruchon has to capture an Austrian gun before the enemy can get them back to their lines. Hope you enjoy the battle report, next week we got the big final game of our campaign!
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Cpt.Shandy made something for better overview. The cast has grown quite a bit since the first game:
(https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2021_09/1862201984_dramatispersonae.jpg.cb36f75ec6698bb653de41efd69bebc2.jpg)
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On a lighter note, Cpt.Shandy wrote a piece on his Star of Bravery campaign rules we use for our Sharp Practice campaign:
https://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/2021/09/19/star-of-bravery-special-behind-the-scenes/ (https://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/2021/09/19/star-of-bravery-special-behind-the-scenes/)
(https://i.imgur.com/Ma9ES5d.jpg)
Recommended reading, not the least because this is a very clever little campaign system which keeps things simple and very much narrative-driven. If you'd like to see the rules in full (probably as an article in an upcoming Lard Magazine), let him know! Or me, and I'll tell him. ;)
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Right, yesterday we had the big final game in our Sharp Practice campaign! So today I present you with a double feature. First, a little article on what Capt. Benés has been up to (and why we haven't heard of him in a while):
https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2021/09/sharp-practice-campaign-interlude/ (https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2021/09/sharp-practice-campaign-interlude/)
...and then of course the battle report of the big season finale of Star of Bravery. In which both our heroes enter the field as part of a large battle at the doorstep of Vienna. The final clash between Napoleon and Archduke Charles.
https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2021/09/sharp-practice-campaign-finale/
(https://www.tabletopstories.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/20210921_170658.jpg)
Hope you like the battle report and story!
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Great stuff. Hugely enjoyable, and thanks for all the efforts you put into the reports. I look forward to the next campaign. And hopefully the further adventures of Benes and Cruchon.
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A great joy to read as always. Thank you for sharing the exploits and I hope we see a season 2 one day!
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@Shahbahraz: Thanks very much! Yus, many thanks to Cpt.shandy for putting in all the work.
@Grumpy Gnome: Many thanks. Yup, maybe one day. Or somethign new, with a new cast of characters. Who knows. :)
In between, here's a spontaneous little game of Song of Drums and Shakos we had a few days ago. It was the baptism of fire for my 28mm Polish figures (at least a handful of them ;-) ):
https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2023/01/song-of-drums-and-shakos-aar/ (https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2023/01/song-of-drums-and-shakos-aar/)
(https://www.tabletopstories.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/pol1.jpg)
Hope you enjoy the game report!
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Huzzah! 👍
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Totally blown away from your fantastic AAR! Nice models, cool terrain and what I really liked is that for once there is a Napoleonic game set in Central Europe!
I’d have stayed in „Zur Bequemlchkeit“ eating Schinken and drinking Gösser lol
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Perfectly lovely little dust-up and report. Those minis and the terrain look great!
Whose battle mat is that? I have one that is the same only different from Cigar Box...
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@Grumpy Gnome: 8)
@DivisMal: Cool, thanks very much! Yeah, I got this interest in the Austro-Polish war from 1809. I think for skirmish gaming in particular it's got a lot to offer. It's just a bit hard getting info/literature on the topic. Theoretically I'd also be interested in the Italian campaign of the same time, but having white-clad napoleonics on both sides sounds a bit daunting. :P
@CapnJim: Cheers! This mat is by DeepCut Studio in Poland. I got it a bunch of years ago. I also got a few Cigar Box mats, which I love, because I like the slight fuzziness. Deep Cut only do that slightly plastick-y cloth (and I never got into mouse-pad stuff, because you can't put stuff underneath it properly to make hills and whatnot).
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Heyhey, here's the first Sharp Practice AAR of the year! Back to 1809, back to inner Austria. Here's the Struggle for Mariazell.
https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2023/02/sharp-practice-struggle-for-mariazell/
(https://www.tabletopstories.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/20230207_203528.jpg)
Hope you like the article!
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Excellent work! Well done!
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Another fun AAR, thanks! 👍
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@MaleGriffin: Thanks very much! It's mostly Cpt.Shandy's doing; his terrain, his scenario, his figures. Even his dice! I just show up and play. :D
@Grumpy Gnome: Cheers, thanks for reading!
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Well done, lad! That was a well-fought battle. Tis a shame it couldn't go just a bit longer...oh well, such are the fortunes of war(games)... ;)
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Well done, lad! That was a well-fought battle. Tis a shame it couldn't go just a bit longer...oh well, such are the fortunes of war(games)... ;)
Indeed! Problem was we met at 4pm and the game ended close to 10 in the evening. Didn't include chat time and looking up exotic volunteer formation uniforms in Cpt.Shandy's library. :D