Papal Zouaves.

We have been away for Christmas to my sister in laws but I have managed to get the next Papal unit finished off . It's the Franco-Belgian Tirailleurs , better know as the Papal Zouaves.

The figures of course are from the  Irregular range , you can't go wrong with a unit of Zouaves in your figure collection !. Although Garibaldi never fought the Papal forces in 1860 I'm looking forward to fighting some 'what if' scenarios when I get a few more units done .

A Merry Christmas To All.

Wishing all out there in Blogger Land a Happy Christmas .

Brunswick Regt. Von Zastrow and a couple of 'Shandian' Characters.

Have pushed on and got the first company of my Brunswick infantry regiment done spurred on by the recent battle using my 40mm SYW-ish figures . I find that playing with a figure collection gets me wanting to paint more .

The yellow shafted pole-arms are my own invention - sick of painting boring brown ones ! - and the Prussians used coloured ones  . As the weather is rather cold , wet and grey I think I will be waiting for the new year and better weather before venturing out to my shed to cast up some more.

I've also finished off these couple of characters from the novel 'Tristram Shandy' . Parson Yorick on the left and Doctor Slop on the right . Both have been sat on my painting tray for ages , they are converted 40mm 'Sash and Saber' figures from their FIW range - Dr Slop could have been a bit fatter I think .

Happy Bunny !!!!!!

Great news ! my nephew has got my camera working - not sure how !? think it was something to do with the battery connections . Not that it's a expensive camera but having had it a while I have got accustomed to it being more of a 'snapper' than a photographer. So to celebrate my wife took this photo whilst we were walking the dog - and no ! that's NOT  a begging bowl at my feet but a rather chewed Frisbee . ( Hmmm ! think the colour on this photo is a bit wrong - I'm sure my beard isn't that grey !? - maybe 'Photoshop' - vanity vanity !) 

The Battle of Spurlash Downe .

As promised earlier I've finally got around to posting the Battle of Spurlash Downe , above is the Allied set up - a Regiment of foot, a Grenadier company , a Jaeger company , two guns and a Regiment of Horse. 

Another view of the deployment the C in C is the Duke of Cumberland ('Fatty' to his enemies ) , this is his first tabletop command .

The French deployment - a similar sized force to the Allies. 

Hodge poses for the camera - what is it with cats and wargaming tables !?

'Fatty' Cumberland issues his orders .

The Comte Du Fru-Fru orders the advance.

The French cavalry moves to cross the River Blast and are opposed by the British cavalry.

The French Foote try to cross the bridge and suffer heavy casualties from the Allied artillery.

The French cavalry prepare to charge across the river .

The cavalry melee in the river .

The Allied cavalry is driven back , in the background the French and Saxon Grenadiers have crossed the river further down and are coming under effective fire from the Allied Foote and Artillery.

The French Regt. Orleans suffer heavy losses as it tries to deploy over the bridge.

The British 18th Foote (Royal Irish) supported by artillery start to turn the battle in favour of the Allies.

The Schuamburg-Lippe-Buckeberg Artillery in action . At this point my camera broke down - D**m and B***t  ! , the French lost the game due to the heavy casualties in their infantry, the cavalry drove off the Allied cavalry but it was to late to influence the battle . I've taken my camera to be repaired and the man said 'Hmmm ! it will cost £25 to look at it and its an old model - would be cheaper to buy a new one !  '. I luckily managed to retrieve the photos (above) via my wife's camera , which she says I can borrow till Father Christmas brings me a new one. 

Pre Christmas Game .

Had a Pre-Christmas game with 'A' this week as he's away in places foreign over the Festive period . (the 40 mm SYW-ish game promised is to follow) We decided on 10mm AWI  and to use the successful 'Black Powder' rules . Here is the initial set up British on the far left - Americans to the right holding the hill .

The American battle lines - militia in the front and the Continentals in the second line.

My American Dragoons charge the 4th Foote in an attempt to hold up 'A's attack on the left - this worked quite well but unfortunately it was the high point of my game as things went down hill from then on .

'A' uses the purpose made measuring stick to plot his next move.The little flag markers record the Staff Rating of the Generals .

My cavalry is forced to retreat and 'A' managed to roll up my left flank .

The British artillery which wreaked havoc in the American Militia . A good game even though I lost , the rules worked well and allowed us to fight the battle in a couple of hours even with the usual chit-chat and cups of tea . The figures are 10mm (well really 12mm) from Kallistra.

  

Return to 'Old School Madness' *

Just started painting up my next 40mm  SYW-ish  regiment using Prince August moulds , here we see the first two members of what will be the Brunswick Regt. Von Zastrow with a suitable seasonal backdrop .

I came across my collection of Phil Olley's ' The Classic Wages Journal' whilst looking for something else , it's a shame this fine magazine had a short life and I looked through them and came across a article on the 'Battle of Spurlash Down' - a sequel to the classic 'Blasthoff Bridge' .

The set up for the battle in the magazine .

My own attempt at the terrain for the battlefield - Hodge is pointing out I haven't got the curve of the River Blast just right ! . So my plan is to re fight this battle using the 'Charge' rules and a report of it will appear in my next posting . 

* a quote attributed to my wargames colleague 'A'  

Holding The Vlliage (Finale)

First published 26/01/13

The cavalry melee goes into it's second move and results in the French Hussars retreating .

Move Allied reinforcements arrive , events are turning against the French .

The company of the French Regt. Du Roi manage to break into the village and take over the large house , however Allied infantry are closing in and they have manoeuvred their gun to fire at the building at close range !.

French reinforcements arrive in the form of another company of the Swiss Regt. Castellas , newly painted and the varnish still tacky - but to late to save the day for the French.

With mounting casualties and both flanks now threatened by Allied cavalry, Comte Du Fru-Fru decides discretion is the better part of valour and signals for his forces to retire . A overwhelming Allied victory with the French suffering double the number of casualties . The French were unlucky with their reinforcement dice and I was perhaps to generous with allowing the Allied reinforcements a chance to arrive early . A great game which played well and was exciting to the very end. Now I'm off to cast up some more cavalry for the next game.  P.S. Blogger has seemed to have cured itself and is now allowing photos to be loaded as normal without using Picassa - I do wish they would stop messing with it !.

Holding The Village (Parte the Thirde)

First published 20/01/13

I brave the near Arctic conditions of my wargaming room (the 'toy soldier' room my wife calls it !?) to bring you the third instalment of this increasingly exciting battle .

The Regt. Du Roi storms the village , they succeed in forcing a entry but are ejected by the brave Jaegers and lose heavily. (a bit of a blurred photo - camera shake probably due to the cold !)

The survivor's of the attack retreat.

More reinforcements for the Allies arrive - 2 companies of the British 20th Foote. (if I were to play this game again I might make it a bit harder for the Allied reinforcements to arrive - but such are the vagaries of the dice !)

On the right of the village the two forces of Hussars clash in a protracted melee.

Uncle Toby encourages the British Foote on !

A second attempt to storm the village struggles to gain a foothold.

Sensing victory is on hand the Carbineers attack the reformed Chasseurs and drive them off again . The remnants of the Regt. Du Roi rally to their standards in the centre.

The situation about half way through the day, on the right of the village the cavalry fight continues , the French infantry try again to force a entry into the houses but British troops are moving up to flank them. In the centre Count De Fru-Fru tries to reorganise the French Foote. The Allied Carbineers are victorious on the left , in the distance French reinforcement move up - but will they be in time ? Too be continued ........

An Aside / Personality Figure.

First published 19/01/13

I should be reporting the third part of my 40mm SYW  game, but the weather has turned very cold and my wargaming room is NOT the warmest place in this type of weather . My wargaming colleague 'S' regularly dons several layers of extra clothing to game with me at this time of year. Fear not !, I will continue with the game shortly.  I found the above 40mm figure on EBay , manufacturer unknown . He is actually a Marlburian figure I think (?) but as there are not many 40mm figs about I bought him on a whim ! . He will be Uncle Toby an English Officer and Gentleman - okay several wars and decades out of period , but I don't care ! . Now I need a suitable figure for his servant Corporal Trim . I have tried to read 'Tristram Shandy' several times but failed (hangs head in shame)(where of course Uncle Toby appears) this may spur me on to try again !. P.S. just noticed this is my 200th post ! Huzza !

Holding The Village (Parte the Secunde)

First published 15/01/13

Col. Scheither orders his Carbineers to the left flank to protect the gun and crew .The gun fires - but misses ! , the Col. sends orders to "wait till they can see the whites of their eyes "! (historians have argued that this is the first usage of this phrase !?)

Luckily the Allies receive reinforcements on the second move in the form of 'Black' Prussian Hussars . Col. Scheither greets them with relief !.

The French Regt. Du Roi deploys into column of companies .

The Chasseurs 'crown the hights'

The Carbineers charge them taking 2 casualties but drive the Chasseurs off !.

The Regiment Du Roi advance but take casualties from the Jaegers hidden in the buildings . Too be continued .....