Black Powder Painting

Since I started napoleonics some 1,5 years ago there haven't been too many updates on the paiting progress, but not all has been quiet on the painting front. Especially over the last holidays I've been painting quite fanatically.  These last weeks it have mainly been Russians, which I'll show soon, but now they're almost all done my focus is back at the French again. 

In the mean time I've also been busy with some skirmishers in a retreat from Moscow theme. I've played Song of Drums and Shako's once, and it felt like quite a nice little game. 

I've also finished two of my three Austrian regiments and received some much anticipated Russian Cavalry reinforcements. 

There will soon follow a post showing the developments on the Russian side of affairs. 

Dragoons and Cuirassiers

Chesterfied - A Very British Civil War

Recently I've been working on some new terrain and miniatures for A Very British Civil War.

Please have a stroll around the village.

The peaceful English countryside

A police patrol is going for a sandwich.

All is quiet..?

Trouble at the Kings Arms, rebellious scum

A BUF patrol reacts to the sound of gunfire.

But the Prince of Wales own volunteers are also nearby 

The postmen try their new delivery system

Battle of Turovo

Here's a quick impression of a recent Black Powder game. The scenario used is an adaptation of http://www.warlordgames.com/battle-report-the-battle-for-st-piere/ using smaller forces. In our case it pitted the French against the Russians on the way to Smolensk.

French:

Advance guard
4 infantry regiments
1 artillery battalion
1 regiment cuirassier (small)
1 regiment hussars

Main body
5 infantry regiments
1 artillery battalion
1 regiment cuirassiers

Russians:

Garrison
3 infantry regiments
1 artillery battalion
1 regiment cuirassiers (small)

Outlying force
2 infantry regiments
1 Jaeger regiment
1 artillery battalion
1 regiment cossacks (small)
2 regiment hussars (small)

The first few turns saw the French advancing towards the river. Making contact with the Russians on the left side of the village. In the end the French left flank was compromised, but the cavalry managed to protect the main assault, and one regiment could cross the river to encircle the Russians. When the main attack was launched the village was soon captured. Victory to the French.

The advance guard swings left

Russian possitions in the river delta

Russians possitions in the village

The French left flank makes contact

Russians finaly line up a shot

The advance guard is pushed back

The main force arrives

Cavalry hold the flank

The river is crossed

Oranje boven

What seemed to start out as a venture into the English Civil War is now turning into a Dutch Revolt project. Here's the first unit of pike. I'm awaiting delivery of a few flags, so they'll be added later.

So much war, so much civil.

Here is the start of something new, an English civil war army.
It's hard to chose sides in this war, so I'll just do two armies. The pike and shotte miniatures from Warlord Games make for a nice change from the napoleonic mini's.

First up are some pikemen from the Kings life guard, I'll reckon they'll make an impressive sight when the block is finished.

And then some shotte

And finally some cavalry

Battle of the monastry of Saint-Cyr

For our third Black Powder battle we decided to use a flames of war scenario, mainly to have some guidelines for deployment and reinforcements. The scenario was dust up, where each player starts in an opposing table quarter defending an objective. Reinforcements arrive from the third turn from the other corners.

Here we see the British brigade deployed around the remains of the monastery of Saint-Cyr. 3 regular infantry and a unit of foot artillery.

In the opposing corner the french have deployed around their objective, the barn, filled with precious supplies. In the first two turns the French move up to put the pressure on the British. One of the British units responds fast, but is left unsupported.

The second French brigade arrives from reserve, and marches on the monastery.

Battle lines are drawn

The British fail to organize the thin red line, and the first unit is disordered.

The French cavalry brigade arrives and starts a move on the British left flank.

French infantry columns march on swiftly, but don't deploy in line yet. In the next turn British artillery fire badly damages the front of the column, disordering the first unit.

The first British reinforcements arrive. The cavalry brigade deploys to relieve the center.

French cavalry prepares to charge the ruins.

Finally the third brigade arrives, the notoriously late Austrians.

Cavalry charges force the center units into squares. A head-on cavalry charge proves to be to much for the shaken square, which is destroyed.

Infantry charges the ruins, but the British defenders hold their ground.
The French cavalry turns their attention to center, where the British guns are destroyed by gunfire.

The Austrian brigade starts to threaten the French left flank, but their progress is slow.

French cuirassiers are destroyed batteling the British cavalry.
French hussars charge the British cavalry, chasing and destroying them.

Here we decided to end the game. The British had two broken brigades and the French were firmly in control of the monastery. We thought the FoW scenario worked really well. Next time we might try one of the others!