'Kugelhagel' The Battle for the Bridge (Part 1)

 

As this is the first battle using these rules I decided to keep it simple . The Prussians have to push aside the French and capture the bridge within 6 moves . French advance units in the centre , the Prussians coming down the road in the distance . 

The initial French force 3 Battalions of the 45th Ligne and a Battery of Artillery - reinforcement will arrive on a D6 dice roll .

The Prussians march onto the table they hane a Fusilier Batt. (count as Light Infantry) 2 Musketeer Battalions , 2 small units of Jaegers and a unit of Landwehr Lancers - both sides are more or less equal points with a slight advantage to the Prussians .

The French decide to take the battle to the enemy and advance the 1st. Battalion and open fire on the Prussian Fusileers who are disordered by the volleys from the French.

The Prussians draw this card and get to move a unit 3 times .I'm using an old deck of Skat cards - you only use 7,8,9,10 and Aces. 7,8 = 1 move activation - 9 = 2 activations 10, Ace = 3 activations .

Towards the end of the first turn , the white markers show how many times the unit has been activated (can be activated twice per move) . The forwards movement by the French has rather halted the Prussian advance forcing them to deploy early and holding up the arrival of the rest of the column.

The Prussians the Fusileer Battalion has deployed in open order to screen the column but has been disrupted by enemy fire, the Jaegers are deploying to the flanks and the Musketeer Battalions are starting to form assault columns.

The French get lucky and reinforcements will arrive next move , the Brigadier has 2 'Joker' cards which he can use to disrupt the order of play and activate a unit 3 times - very useful ! - Part 2 soon ! 

The way forward - 'Kugelhagel'

 

I've been 'umming and arrhing' which rules to use with my homecast Prince August 25mm Napoleonic collection . I bought this copy of 'Kugelhagel' * , the English translation of a German set of Horse & Muskets era rules - they are sort of  Black Powder with card activation - which I like as it is ideal for solo play ! .. They have taken some getting my head around as although simple D6 based the translation is a bit strange at times. Luckily there is an active Facebook group ((1) Facebook) where my questions have swiftly answered .

Have got a couple of more units done - here the 2nd Legere .

A Prussian Volunteer Jaeger unit - using that strange little figure I find quite cute ! 

The tabletop is set up ready for the game - a report from 'the Tabletop of Mars' coming soon ! 

*'Hail of Bullets' 

Back after a short pause for DIY duties

Back again having tiled the bathroom floor with those self-adhesive tiles - of the 24 tiles I laid only 4 (!) went down uncut, the rest having to be cut/trimmed in various ways !! . Nothing in the bathroom is parallel or square on - it must be about 20 years since it was last done and I'd forgotten the horror of it all ! . However I have been busy casting and painting - and varnishing ! , a Unit of Prussian Hussars - the 1st Regt. Life Hussars - the mould is actually meant to be a British Hussar - but a Hussars is a Hussar so I'm rather pleased with them.

Next a Battalion of Landwehr - these are the standard Prussian mould but I 'green stuffed' to make them into the longer coat worn by the Landwehr . The Prussian General is a rather nice Hinchliffe figure provided by 'S' the proprietor of all things Hinchliffe .

These are rather strange portly chaps from a mould I got off eBay - the are Prussian Jaegers , but Prince August don't do them now so I assume they are an old out of production model - odd chaps but I like them.

To counter these here are some French skirmishing .

French Light Infantry - the 1st Batt. 2nd Legere . Because I'm only using 12 figures per unit I'm cracking on getting them done and a simple 'toy soldier' paint job helps as does a gloss varnish to cover up all the mistakes.

The 2nd Batt. 45th Ligne overseen by another excellant Hinchliffe General, again cast up and provided by 'S' . Prince August don't do General moulds so Hinchliffe are the closest match . Time to set up a game and play with these figures on the 'Tabletop of Mars' .......

Peter Cushing - a Wargamer with Style !

 

Now that's painting figures with style ! - that's whats wrong with the hobby - a lack of dress sense !

Found these on the Peter Cushing Appreciation Society Facebook page . A different era sadly lost - but I wouldn't want to wear a tie to game !

Wargaming humour No. 36

Me when I walk into a Games Workshop store for some paint ! 

 

More from the Casting Pot .

 

Had another go at casting today , this time cavalry , a couple of moulds I got from Prince August in their recent sale . I find you get the best results from casting if you use two or three moulds at a time which gives them time to cool , you need them warm to get the best results - but not to hot - a sort of 'Goldilocks' moment .

This mornings sessions results - three Hussars and their mounts . They are described as 'British Hussars' but they are vauge enough to do as French and with a little tweak - Prussians .

One I did earlier - the French gun and crew painted up and newly glossed , working on casting the other gun and crew to make up the Battery - more photos of painted stuff on the way.

What's the plural for a group of moulds ? *

 

Prince August was doing a 3 for 2 sale on their 25mm Napoleonic moulds , so I had to pick up a few more that I needed ! . This afternoon I had a go at casting from the French Artillery moulds . The crew cast well as did the barrel and the carriage - however the wheels were a right pain ! . Casting spoked wheels in homecasting is notoriously difficult and it took me numerous attempts (and much bad language) to get the two I wanted .

The finished gun and crew ready for undercoating . I will be using these figures for the Prussians as well - with suitable conversions .

*sadly there doesn't seem to be one