French Command Stand - Finished

I ran out out of time to take artfully posed photos of the completed command stand, but I took a couple of shots under the halogen lamp anyway because I couldn't resist after I finished the base and applied the final layer of matt varnish.

I'll take some more composed photos for the 'duel' once I get a bit more time, maybe on the weekend. The photos need to be in by the 23rd, so I've got plenty of time up my sleeve to find their best angle!

Command WIP - Nearly There!

The figures have been shaded and glued to the base. Even though it's for a game set in Russia, that's not snow on the ground, though! It's the coarse artists' gel I use for my bases. Once it's dry I'll paint and flock it.

I've also added a broken wheel and a discarded backpack for added effect, to show that my generals are capable of causing damage to the enemy!

More Command Figures

Here are the last figures for my Borodino command stand. It'll be a bit crowded for a Corps command stand, which in our rules usually means 3 figures, but as this also doubles as a duelling entry on Benno's Figures forum, I thought I'd go the whole hog!

I'll be shading and basing them next, artfully arranging them possibly with some battlefield debris.

These figures are from the lovely Zvezda French command set.

Смерть фашистам!

Another artillery base/vignette completed for Jim's Soviet forces in the world's slowest painting commission!

Again, the figures and gun are Plastic Soldier Company.

I Said WIP it, WIP it Good!

With that tip of the hat to Devo out of the way, here are the latest Works In Progress (WIP, geddit?!) on my workbench!

I'm laid up at home with a stomach virus that seems to be going around. Yesterday I felt like I was sea sick with waves of nausea washing over me, today I just feel washed out and generally bleaaugh, a technical medical term meaning crook as guts. Concentrating on painting in fits and starts and blogging seem to take my mind off it, even just for a moment, so I can legitimately say my hobby's a recovery aid; mind over matter and all that!

Anyway, here's the 2 converted figures for my IV Corps command stand and another Croatian grenadier with a head-swap.

2e Battalion, 1er Croatian Provisional Regiment

I've started a 2nd battalion of Croats for the Borodino project, starting with the elites again. This time I've given them head-swaps so that they're not as dandified as the 1st battalion. These chaps have taken off their plumes and cords and have bare shakos adorned only with the chevrons and bands.

The heads come from my stash of HaT figures that I've accumulated and won't use, especially from some of my least favourite poses, like the musket-loading infantryman, which looks so stiff and lifeless, he might as well be a statue, not a soldier!

New Command Stand

As my Army of Italy command stand was one of the tragic victims of the figures-on-the-floor massacre, I need to make a new command stand for IV Corps.

The thing about internet forums (fora?) and blogs is that they offer many opportunities to participate in challenges which tie you to a deadline so you HAVE to finish a project by a certain date. I'm participating in a painting "duel" with Deon over at Benno's Forum in order to get the new command stand out of the way.

I've bought the lovely Zvezda French command set previously and have multiple leftovers from several of the Italeri command set, so I've decided to blend figures from both sets to make another mini-diorama. However, the figures form the Italeri set don't match the style of the Zvezda figures, so I've had to indulge in a little creative decapitation again! The Italeri bicornes look puny compared to the impressive Zvezda hats, so I took one of the over-sized bicornes from the pre-1805 Italeri French infantry figures and used it to replace the figure's original hat. I also added the ostrich feathers along the top using Milliput.

 

The aide-de-camp also got a new head, courtesy of the Zvezda light infantry to replace the stunted shako he was originally sculpted with.

Talking about painting challenges, I've joined in the merry band who have participated in the growing popularity of the Analogue Hobbies' Annual Painting Challenge! This will hopefully spur me to finish various projects that have been languishing, such as Jim's WWII Soviets (the world's longest painting commission!) and my late Roman / Germanic tribes project,  as well as to complete (or at least put a healthy dent in) the IV Corps for Borodino project. That's the plan, anyway!

P.S. I just realised that today marks the 158th anniversary of the storming of the Eureka Stockade, our own attempt at revolutionary zeal. So, huzzah for "Miners' rights and liberty"!

French 1, Anglo-Spanish 0, Confusion 2

This Friday just past I took on John R.'s French with my Anglo-Spanish forces. In a foretaste of what the summer's going to be like we've had one day that nearly broke 40° Celsius mark followed by a couple of extremely humid days that felt hotter than they really were. Friday night was one of those nights and consequently didn't aid either of us in following the rules properly or remembering what to do in certain situations. I had an of instance where I thought I should have smashed his cavalry but inexplicably didn't, and another where his charge against my line seemed uncannily successful, but I also made a dumb recruit mistake which I can't in all fairness blame on misinterpretation of the rules!

In another example of heat addled brain-power, I brought my camera, but minus batteries and SD card! Luckily I brought my phone, so at least you can view some grainy images of the night's action.

In the end, the result didn't really matter as we were both there to have a bit of fun, and that was achieved! I had some success in skirmish combat and with my Spanish infantry, including my new light infantry, but my British line infantry and cavalry had an underwhelming night. I really haven't come to grips with the linear tactics of playing British, even though they are some of my favourite units in my collection.

Anyway, John had the bulk of his forces on my left wing with a further brigade in the centre. Ove on the right, he had an artillery battery and a large hussar regiment to protect that wing. I'd split my British into two brigades with the Spanish in the centre to act as a reserve.

The action started with John advancing his skirmishers and a cavalry vedette to m yside of the ridge, while his forces lurked behind it. I sent my skirmishers to dispute the ridge and managed to force his back. When skirmishers of equal quality and number face off, it's usually an exercise in frustration, resulting in stalemate. Not this night! My dice were cooperative and I ended up pushing his skirmish screen back and inflicting casualties. I was wary of his large regiment of lancers that I knew had to be somewhere behind the ridge, so I didn't do anything rash like advance too close to the ridge, but my light dragoons were copping casualties from his horse artillery.

In the centre I moved my foot battery to the top of the ridge and moved infantry up in support. Stupidly, I plonked one infantry line directly behind the battery, just asking for trouble! that trouble came when he charged the battery after having a few casualties inflicted by close range fire. The battery stood to their guns and were wiped out, but because the infantry behind them were too close, they bore the brunt of the follow through of the French charge without being able to fire and suffering the disorders of having the routing artillerymen crashing through them. Stupid recruit mistake!

Meanwhile, John angled his lancers to aim laterally at my now weakened centre. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to charge his annoying horse guns and hopefully clean up his lancers with a charge into his flank. I managed to force his guns to limber and flee, while his lancers managed to turn to face my oncoming charge. Even though I didn't manage to catch him in the flank, I did catch him flat-footed, which should have counted for a lot. As it turned out, I was the one who was sent packing with losses, while he hardly suffered at all! I think we missed something in the pre-melee morale check. Anyway, it was all downhill from there; the lancers charged in the next turn and cleaned up my light dragoons, while a similar thing happened on my right where his hussars, aided by his guns cleaned up my heavy dragoons. Another battalion of infantry was broken in the centre and he started a wide flanking manouvre on my left. Things were looking crook!

Another regimental charge by his infantry sent another British line backwards (a retreat, rather than a break; phew!) which left my gallant Spanish dragoons with a difficult choice to make. I'd angled them to threaten another French battalion, but now they found themselves with 2 battalions at close range on their flank. If they stayed where they were, they were toast. First, I tried scaring them away with the Spanish light infantry on their flank; no dice! Second, I decided to take the lesser of two evils and move away from the threat, incurring a flank shot and the resulting morale check. Being Spanish cavalry, I expected them to melt like fog before the sun but, no! They survived the morale test with one casualty, to move around to provide a threat to the encroaching French hussars' flank!

Meanwhile, the Spanish light infantry fired into the flank of regiment in front of it when it charged forward. They weren't as lucky and failed the resulting morale test, retreating back over the ridge. As it was nearing time, we agreed to end it there with a moral victory to the French, seeing as my cavalry had evaporated while his had the opportunity to create havoc. However, I was heartened to see that the troops I had the least expectation of, were teh ones who ended up being the most successful; namely the Spaniards!

Olé!

Anglo-Spaniards

Fowards, boys!

Le Français

Combined arms on the left flank

My gallant Spanish dragoons

British 9 lbers surprise the skirmish line!

John's horsmen with pointy-poky sticks!

John's skirmishers advance to cover his flanking move

The infantry should have stayed there, or even backed off, to survive the inevitable charge.

But, no, I moved them right up behind the doomed guns!

It looks heroic, but...

...the inevitable happened...

...and this is the result of heroics!

Skirmish combat!

My dragoons charge (and miraculously leave his skirmish line unharmed...hmmm, missed something there!). John turns to face, survives my charge and...

...counter-charges my blown light dragoons next turn! My skirmish line was saved by the tree line just to the left queering John's line of attack (phew!).

Run away!

Run away #2!

Another mess!

Spanish dragoons feeling a tad exposed!

Things looking a bit crook!

The Spanish light advance and fire, to no effect!

Spanish dragoons make their Great Escape!

John's regiment flees back over the ridge after second flank shot form Spanish lights.

2 nice gaps in both lines!

John's flanking move receives cavalry support...

...while the other half of his lancer unit pins the infantry to the front. Game over!