Kruppfalz und Skyria

Refight: Lobositz

2011-09-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

This is a refight of Lobositz (1756) , at 50% scale-down (i.e. one battalion on the table per 2 battalions in the OOB for the battle), using KK rules, with the stouthearted (& stoutwaisted) forces of Krupp standing in for Prussian, and the vile Skyrians subbing for Austria.

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Debouching out of the hill passes, the dark blue forces formed up facing the Elbe, and Prinz Heinrich smiled his best wintry smile. It looked to him as if he'd caught the Skyrians on the hop, partly entangled in the village of Lobositz and trying to cover their retreat over the Elbe, while half their cavalry was mired behind the Morellenbach, a swampy stream, and the village of Sullowitz.

The full Kruppfalzian force faces the Skyrian centre and right. The Skyrian left is off camera (bottom right of photo)

He dispatched von Roentgen to cover the Austrian left with his own brigade and that of von Schwartzchild (scowling blackly). To his own left he posted Herzog von Bevern, with 2 brigades of foot and several heavy batteries to provide a tool to pry the Skyrians out of Lobositz, while the gap between was filled with 2 brigades of Cuirassiers, the Bayreuth Dragoons, more heavy batteries in support, and a few scruffy Hussars.

The Skyrian left, from the Kruppfalz side

Graf von Kirchwasser, on the other hand, was cursing fluidly. The damn bluecoats had marched faster than expected, and half his cavalry was still negotiating the damn marshes around Sullowitz, uncertainly guided by Graf von Hock, while the rest of his cavalry was sitting in front of his fortifications, while the good Herzog von Muller-Thurgau slept off a heavy night scouting the weinkellern. Damn and damn again, they were meant to be safe behind the breastworks. He hurriedly dispatched Spaetburgunder's foot to link the cavalry wings and stop them being both horribly exposed to flanking.

At least Pilsener's foot were esconced in the fortifications, and the advance guard were posted in advance in the centre, with von Traminer exposulating and speechifying to them.

The Krupp right wing, facing Spaetburgunder and some of the Skyrian horse in their centre

And von Riesling's brigade were posted in front of Lobositz, ready to contest the hillside and the village graveyard, with Tokaji's Avari brigade esconced in the village itself.

The Krupp left wing & the evicinity of Lobositz village

The battle opened with Kirchwasser, after eyeing the massed Krupp artillery opposite Lobositz, gingerly advance his right wing to slow down their advent into bombardment range, moving the Advance Guard and Muller-Thurgau's horse en echelon to avoid a hanging flank being exposed. Heinrich in turn ordered Bevern to probe towards Lobositz, while launching his massed cavalry in the centre towards the Skyrian horse, aiming to exploit his numerical superiority before the Skyrian left could reinforce them.

Von Hock, on the Skyrian left, cursed copiously. After diverting his artillery to the lone ford over this verdammt stream, he led his cuirassiers splashing across, only the Erherzog Ferdinand Kurasserie firmly bogged in the banks. More verdammt delays!

In the centre, the first clash occurred, when the Deaths' Head Hussars crossed sabres with Esterhazy's Hussars, and after a brief tussle, showed the superiority (well, of their uniforms anyway). After driving the Avarian horse back in confusion, a brief rush of blood to the head led them on to charge the supporting Waldeck Grenadiers, who decisively demonstrated why an uncontrolled rush of light horse wasn't a good idea. The Deaths'Head boys were last seen heading for the baggage train to, uh, reload (never rallied).

The Krupp heavy horse surges forward eagerly, supported by foot on their right and the Bayreuth dragoons on their left

Spaetburgunder's foot thrusts forwards to counter the Krupp advance on their right.

The clash of sabres in the centre was short and furious. Serbelloni's Grenadiern zu Pferde were swept away by the Liebgarde, who then smartly wheeled left to take the Portugal Kurasserie in flank while facing the Lieb Carabiner. Given those unpalatable odds, the Skyrian regiment also took to its' heels, almost disintegrating in the pell-mell. The small contingent of Liechtenstein Dragoons then got swept up in the furious pursuit, dissolving under the Karabiniers sabres.

Oppenheimer, leading his beloved Bayreuth Dragoons, meanwhile stooped upon the suddenly-isolated grenadiers of the Advance Guard, brushing aside both the Waldeck and the Daun grenadier battalions, before veering left to menace the open flank of the Skyrian infantry advance

The joyous Krupp cavalry stymied by the field works in the centre. Bayreuth Dragoons (left) starting to scythe through the Skyrian right wing

the view from the Skyrian breastworks, with Pilsener's foot soberly regarding the cuirassiers running rampant

On the Krupp left, von Fahrenheit had pushed forward in his usual hotheaded fashion, brushing back the Grenzer from their stone walls to the graveyard, while von Ohm's brigade moved up in column of battalions, squeezed for space (and anticipating resistance).

Fahrenheit's troops locked in combat with IR4 Deutschmeister, while the Bayreuth Dragoons rudely barge into the flank of IR51 Gulyas

View of the struggle on the Krupp left, from side-on: The Hautcharmoy regiment has just driven back the Grenzer again while Treskow's regiment moves in support. IR 4 Deutschmeister tries to face 2 fronts to hold off the Bayreuth Dragoons and engage with IR4 Kalnein

The Esterhazy hussars eventually rallied, and extruded themselves to menace the flank of the Prussian cuirassiers - the Margrave Friedrich Kurasserie, in an excess of enthusiasm, had attempted a sally against the firmly-entrenched Kurprinz regiment, to no avail at all.

On the Skyrian left, Spaetburgunder eyed the rampaging cuirassiers with anxiety, and prodded his men forward, hoping to enmesh with the enemy foot and get further away from the menacing horse. Hock's brigade of cuirassiers had finally extricated themselves from the marshy banks of the kleinblutbach, and were showing signs of actually providing some support on his left.

On the Skyrian right, however, all was rack and ruin - the Bayreuth Dragoons had riffled through 4 battalions of Rieslings brigade, leaving a battalion of Deutschmeister totally surrounded, and a battalion of Ferraris enclosed on 3 sides. The surviving battalions of Tokaji's brigade peered anxiously out from the houses of Lobositz and took the odd potshot, awaiting their own fate.

l'ecroulement de le Skyrie, as the observing Fitzjoie put it. Nearest, you can see the broken Liechtenstein dragoons attempting to swim the Elbe, with little success.

Then, as Hock's cavalry swept forward to combine with Spaetburgunders' clumsy advance, the Krupp cavalry finished rallying and reorganising.

And started carving up Spaetburgunder's open flank, assisted by a spirited attack by IR 20 Winterfeldt, Schwartzchild bravely waving his epee in the front rank, on IR13/Moltke's regiment.

At this point, the Skyrian morale cracked. Tokaji covered the bridge over the Elbe while Pilsenau's brigade filed across it, then retreated thither as well. Spaetburgunders foot and the remnants of Muller-Thurgau's cavalry fled pell-mell to the east, while Hock's cuirassiers kept up a front to slow pursuit. The Advance Guard, hussars, dragoons, and grenadiers, either drowned in the stormy waters of the Elbe, or went into the bag.

Prinz Heinrich, delightedly celebrating a notable victory, drank half a glass of watered brandy in joy, and was actually seen to wave to his troops twice!

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Afterthoughts: By (historically) keeping a third of the Skyrian foot locked up in fortifications, the rest of their battle line faced significantly poor odds, and that quickly showed. I probably didn't give enough weight to hindrances to movement on the hill overlooking Lobositz, as that developed quicker than historically: and the rules seemed to give much quicker & more decisive results to the clash of horse in the centre, leading to a lack of time for the Skyrians to exploit on the left (also, either I got the scale horribly wrong, or something else, because the initial 'heavy bombardment' of artillery didnt seem feasible from the Krupp side).

The rest of the French

2011-08-17T13:04:00.000-07:00

And the last of La grand armee du roi - the Gardes Francaises, the Grenadiers de France, 2 brigades of Chevaux Leger, the Cuirassiers de Roi, a stray foot regiment (Orleans), and last and definitely least, the Legion du Roi

July's labours

2011-08-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

Well this month at least bore some fruit, namely the readying of the French mounted, artillery and general staff for the fray:

There, in its slightly blurry glory - the Gendarmerie, 2 regiments of the Maison, 4 of Chevaux leger, 2 of Dragoons, a dozen batteries of guns, a regiment of light infantry, one more brigade of French foot (Flandre et Eu), a round dozen somewhat abashed and hungover brigadiers,a couple of generals, and of course, front right, His Excellency Marshal Jean-luc Godard, directing things.

My one regret was not painting up a regiment of Wurttemburg Dragoons, in order that they could cross swords with the Wurtttemburg Dragoons(Au), the Wurttemburg Dragoons (Pr), or the Wurttemburg Dragoons (Wurttmburg!), all of which already rest their sabres in my cabinets. Still, there's always next month ... and while I'm ordering the 12 figures necessary, I might as well round it up with a brigade or two of Russian cuirassiers ... hmm, plus some of those grenadiers, and maybe the Corps d'Observation .... oh, and some cossacks, and ... ah-ha! another essential, the Wurttemburg Dragoons(Ru).

vive le roi!

2011-07-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

Well, re-emerging after a couple of busy months - fortunately not all my time was frittered away on fripperies of work and life, some time got dedicated to the serious stuff - in this case, 30 battalions of La grande armee de la Roi - 6 of Wild Geese, 4 Swiss, 4 Germans, and 16 of actual Frenchmen:

These guys are all OG 15s btw - very nice foot, shame about the horses.

Refight: Hochkirch

2011-04-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

This was actually just a section of the battle of Hochkirch, with the scenario drawn from Kriegskunst (a lower-level SYW set of rules, in the GdB family).

The scenario involves the Austrian assault on the village of Hochkirch itself, with the Prussian main battery and infantry defences. Due to constraints (I didnt have a suitable terrain piece), the hill that the village should surmount has been omitted.

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The Kruppfalzen command was in the hands of Prinz Heinrich, and consisted of a pair of heavy batteries, GM von Roentgen's grenadiers (Manstein, Kanitz, Kreytzen and Kleist's battalions), and Graf von Schwartzchild's brigade (IR1 Winterfeldt and IR20 Zastrow). He was fortunate in that the GM von Ohm's brigade (IR4 Kalnein and IR16 Dohna) was marching through the town at the time the Skyrian threat emerged, and he was able to bully Ohm into submitting to his command (after variable resistance)*, and he anxiously awaited the arrival of FML Lentulus with promised reinforcements (which turned out to be GM von Heisenberg's brigade, IR2 Ostergotland and IR3 Anhalt-Dessauer.

The Skyrian assault was masterminded by FM Erherzog von Spatlese (Chichi to his intimates), assisted by FML Markgraf Curacao. The latter led an attack from the west (left), consisting of GM von Muscat's brigade (Kaiser and Jung-Wolfenbuttel regiments), the Tokaji Grenzer, and Speckwuerfeln Jager, with accompanying artillery batteries, while Spatlese led** the main attack, spearheaded by FML von Traminer's grenadiers (Waldeck, Daun and Argenteau battalions), followed by FML Graf von Liebfraumilch's brigade (Nederlander and Isenburg regiments), and GM von Rieslings (Deutschmeister and Ferraris regiments), followed at a small distance by GM Tokaji's Ungrians (Gulyas and Pandour regiments).

The attack led off with Liebfraumilchs Brigade and the Grenadiers assaulting the breastworks atop Kleinfeldberg, and Rieslings Brigade assailing the Kreytzen Redoubt to the east, while Tokaji manouevres his Ungrians towards the open plain east of the town, looking for opportunities to turn the flank of the fortifications. Prince Heinrich meanwhile, hastened the leading elements of IR4 Kalnein into position to shore up the eastern defenses, and reduce the exposed position of his heavy batteries.

Meanwhile, Curacao led his forces spurring up the Vierblatten road to the west:

Liebfraumilch, finding his command overlapping the fortifications, attempted to swing the Nederlander Brigade to outflank the Krupp grenadiers, but accurate volleys drove the initial advance back, and rapid handling by Oberst Manstein kept the grenadiers facing successive threats as they developed to front then flank. The Skyrian grenadier column made hard going of even reaching the walls, swept by musketball and canister each time, the first two battalions were each forced to retire to reorganise, while the third battalion did manage to cross bayonets ... with unfortunate results for them.

Eventually, of course, weight of numbers told, and the Manstein Grenadiers were caught front and flank by Liebfraumilch's battalions, and sheer attrition reduced their fellows to relative impotence, and permitted further assaults on their front by the Daun Grenadiers. Von Riesling was encountering some trouble getting to grips with the Kreytzen Grenadiers, cramped for room to deploy: and repeated if erratic bombardment from the heavy Krupp guns kept disrupting his attacks before they could mature. However, he was cheered (and Prinz Heinrich worried) by the progress made by Tokaji in probing the open flank.

Fortunately for the good Prinz, von Heisenberg overcame his uncertainties and his brigade came hustling south in march order to counter the Ungrian posturing.

The view looking south of Curacao's attack, with the Grenzer outflanking IR20 esconced in the western perimeter, and the jager pinging away at the Winterfeldt regiment being held back in mobile reserve. In the left distance you can see the iron trap crushing the Manstein battalion of grenadiers, and the dwindling ranks of defence there.

Eventually, the Waldeck grenadiers forced their way across the breastworks and drove the Kanitz battalion back in tatters to lurk in the Visconti di Palmetto's townhouse on the edge of town, then wheeled to face the artillery (Cezanne's company), who let out a mighty blast of canister ....

that completely missed. Von Riesling tirelessly reorganised his men for another attempt to assail the fortifications to his front, cheered by the diversion the Ungrians to his right were providing for the Krupp heavy guns.

And indeed, the right wing got itself shaken out eventually, with the Deutschmeister regiment managing to exploit the opening on the hill to start flanking the redoubt, while Tokaji's men shook out into a single line of battalions, to reduce the bombardment they were receiving, and to face the approaching Schwartzchild.

The Manstein grenadiers also eventually cracked under the weight, and attrition, and fled back to join their compatriots in the townhouse, and the whitecoats poured forward, eager to exploit the opening. Von Riesling's men, however, suffered a worse fate - the continuing dribble of losses to bombardment and musketry gradually reduced his battalions to relative impotence, and his final throw of the dice, an assault on the hopefully outflanked Kreytzen Grenadiers, was bloodily repulsed despite the FeldMarschall himself approaching and urging them on with waved hat (from a short distance, of course!)

This permitted the Prinz to release Ohm's men, who brightly turned and started driving on the exposed flank of the Skyrian attack. Liebfraumilch's men were rather stalled, finding the stout stone walls of the mayoral palace (and gin emporium) too daunting when defended by the stout Winterfeldt regiments (a succession of 6s plagued them with an inability to launch charges here), so there were driven to relying on some fairly desultory musketry to reduce the garrison. To their west, you can see the extremely dilatory Curacao urging his men to assault the rest of the perimeter, with indifferent results.

To the east, Tokaji's men had engaged with the Heisenberg brigade - while their greater width gave them some advantage in outshooting them, this was signally countered by renewed bombardment from the heavy batteries (and from the guns of Ohm's brigade, which were left behind in the rush of light)

The weight of metal, and the superior drill of the bluecoats, quickly told, and the Ungrians were quickly broken up and outflanked.

At this point, with the Skyrian right dissolved, and his centre disintegrating under flanking pressure, with no real progress made on the left (other than the Grenzers who had slipped into the village, looting the town hall and stealing the church plate and Prinz Heinrich's favorite bay, Emeltrude), Feldmarschall von Spatlese directed his men to fall back upon the uncommitted forces to south and west, to await further instructions.

Prinz Heinrich's men, much satisfied with their days work, settled down to enjoy the dubious delights of Hochkirch town, while the good Prinz himself walked, roundly cursing the damn skirmishers of course, to the remnants of Manstein's Grenadiers and praised them for their stern and agile defense against insuperable numbers, coming close to actually shedding a tear***

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*Dice roll to activate the brigade each turn until succeeded.

** using the word rather loosely

*** a Courtmartial offense in the Kruppsarmee, of course.

Post scriptum - upon reading some more of the battle, it is apparent I gave the whitecoats far too little advantage for surprise and catching the bluecoats in bivouac. Oh well, next time.

Refight: Sittangbad (of course)

2011-04-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

Naturally, after venturing into Charge! territory, I had to follow up with the battle I've probably refought more than any other except Waterloo, the Last Stand at Sittangbad, or as one of my friends once dubbed it, Bridge Go Boom.

The opening position, for Graf von Kirchwasser to conduct a fighting retreat, covering the rapid disassembly of the Imperial Magazine at Sittangbad, and its' removal over the Moldau river to more convenient southern positions. In the village of Eisenburg, the rather battered Bavarian brigade of GM von Pilsener, with Kurprinz and Herzog Klement regiments. In the plain to its south, FML Herzog von Mosel's cuirassier brigade, in hasty bivouacs, and the Hesse-Darmstadt Dragoons, half of GM von Muller-Thurgau's brigade, while in the foreground is Gm von Riesling's brigade of foot (the Deutschmeister and Ferraris regiments)

Further south, Sittangbad is a swirl of activity,confusion and foul language, with GM Spaeburgunder having his brigade (Moltke and Saxe-Gotha regiments) spread around the town, mixed in with the Wurttemburg Dragoons, and FML von Traminer's grenadier brigade -altho the Waldeck Grenadier battalion is still posted in the breastworks hurriedly thrown up by Oberst von Knall's engineers.

In the town, and dotted around the field, are a number of wagon trains full of supplies. Kirchwasser's challenge is to get as many of these across the bridge as possible, before von Knall is forced to blow the bridge up to avoid it falling into the hands of the advancing Kruppfalzers*

The full battlefield view:

The forces of Krupp were being driven on by the harsh words and blows of Die Altenburger (Landgrave Leopold von Altenburg), and consisted of GM von Heisenberg (rather uncertainly), GM Freiherr von Fahrenheits, and GM Bohrs musketeer brigades, GM von Hahn's Fusilier brigade, GM von Roentgen's Grenadiers (positively glowing with schnapps), GM Lavoissiers Cuirassiers, GM von Zastrows Dragoon brigade, and GM von Oppenheimer bringing his explosive temper and the Bayreuth Dragoons: and a pair of heavy batteries.

First on the field were Heisenberg's brigade, with the heavy artillery gamely keeping up, and their flank covered by the Cuirassier brigade

Von Pilsener took one look at the advancing foes, and the distant support, and pulled his Bavarians out of Eisenburg tout de suite, leaving a battalion of Herzog Klement esconced in the chateau to delay the pursuit (rumours that they had found their way to the weinkeller and were incapable of leaving are obviously just propaganda).

Die Altenburger then pressed forward, sending von Hahn's Fusiliers in march columns to sweep around the far east of the position, and massing his cavalry on the west, while Heisenberg's lads briskly swept the Klement battalion out of the chateau - the latter, after giving one drunken volley into the sky, took to their heels with the barest attempt at resistance

Meantime, the chaos in Sittangbad was finally being sorted out, and the first wagon trains were plodding across the bridge, while the grenadiers were being esconced in the fringe of the town.

The good Herzog von Mosel, eyeing the cavalry piling up in front of him, ordered his own troops and the dragoons to commence withdrawing, while keeping up a front to deter over eager pounces. He failed to notice Oppenheimer leading the Bayreuthers in a heavy column.

The view from GM SPaeburgunder's command, with the remaining dragoons filing out of town at last, and the first wagon loads completing their passage over the bridge. On the far right you can see von Riesling's brigade falling back beside the Sittangberg, while Hahn leads the fusilier brigade in long dour columns aiming to flank him

Von Riesling, seeing the fusilier columns outstripping him, and another column of musketeers (Bohr's brigade), while Fahrenheit's men tested the temperature of his troops frontally, frantically sent a single battalion of Deutschmeister off to try and slow the progress of the Fusiliers. This was asking quite a lot, even of the inheritors of the Teutonic mantle.

To the west, the Krupp cavalry force back their opposite numbers, finally pouncing and catching the retiring Portugal Kurasserie and driving them back over the redoubt, while the Bayreuth Dragoons sneak down the gedecktergang circumventing the Sittangwald.

With the Styrian cavalry being driven back dishevelled over the Knall Redoubt, Spaeburgunder hastened more garrison troops forward into it, to prevent utter ruin. In the midground, the bedraggled Bavarians are now being menaced by the Herzog von Wurttemburg Dragoons**, after leaving the second Herzog Klement battalion behind to try and slow the onrush of Heisenberg's infantry.

with the Styrian cavalry now rallying beyond the redoubt, the Liebgarde zu Pferde spotted the open flank of poor von Riesling's brigade, already being pressured by masses of Krupp infantry and pounded by the heavy batteries. Shrugging off the panicky volleys of the Bavarians, they pounced, and caught the Ferraris regiment unprepared.

While the cuirassiers made hay on one flank, Hahn put the fusiliers into line and surrounded the hapless Riesling's men.

The valiant Deutschmeister and Ferraris regiments put up an all-too-brief resistence, before being utterly shattered - a few scattered remnants ran into Sittangmoor seeking safety.

To the west, with Oppenheimer having outflanked the Sittangwald, von Mosel ordered von Muller-Thurgau's dragoon brigade to face them off (after a brief and heated exchange over seniority and chain of command, and a proffered duell). In the background, Roentgen's Grenadier brigade stalks forward towards the redoubt, determined to sweep the Styrians out

Kirchwasser, picnicking atop the clock tower, considers the onpouring blausaeulen, and nibbles another sachertorte.

Von Knall, charged with both demolishing the bridge and supervising the magazine's withdrawal, contemplates the plodding wagon trains with some satisfaction, having half of the wagons safely over the river now.

Oppenheimer, having led the Bayreuth Dragoons all the way round, then attacked north into the nervous Skyrian Dragoons (in the background you can see the Truchess Dragoons also outflanking the Sittangwald in support).

The (skyrian) Wurttemburg Dragoons managed to hold on, but the Hessen-Darmstadt Dragoons were driven back by the Bayreuthers, and replaced in combat by the Serbelloni Grenadiere zu Pferde - however, this gave time for Zastrow to lead the Truchess Dragoons into a dashing charge into the Wurttemburger rear, with predictable results. To the right, the Manstein Grenadiers are just visible forcing a passage over the breastworks, after sending the Waldeck Grenadiers reeling back.

Leaving the cursing von Mosel to supervise the ruin of his cavalry command on the left, von Kirchwasser decided to decamp, and descends the clocktower (centre), to the jeers of the

watching Bavarians. To his astonishment, he is caught up in a swirl of Kruppfalzer cuirassiers, who have broken the defending von Moltke regiment and hotly pursue them towards the bridge. The triumphant Margrave Friedrich cuirassiers gladly accept Kirchwasser into their ranks, pausing only to relieve him of his sword, wallet, watch, and gold-chased cigaret holder.

With his chief captured, the Moltke regiment being driven into the river, and enemy Cuirassiers galloping onto the bridge, von Knall decided it was high time to light the fuses, and hustle the remnants of the magazine towards Heidelburg. To his satisfaction, the explosion caught the overeager cuirassiers and dashed their ranks into the river.

With his line of retreat destroyed and facing overwhelming force, von Mosel commanded the remnants to lay down their arms and surrender.

Counting the cost: Die Altenburger surveyed the scene in some satisfaction - personally sated at having destroyed the Styrian remnant (5 out of 5 brigades) and only a little rueful at having captured but two wagon (9 points).

The Emperor, considering that his troops had rescued 80% of the magazine, and managed to mangle an elite Krupp cuirassier brigade (9 points), expressed considerable satisfaction, and claimed a moral victory, having been rid of the egregious Kirchwasser from future command considerations.

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*Scoring for this was determined to be:
Skyrians, 1 point for each of the 10 wagons gotten across the river, 1 points for each Krupp brigade reduced to 50%
Krupp, 2 points for each wagon seized, 1 point for each Skyrian brigade reduced to 50%.

** Yes, the cunning Duke of Wurttemburg managed to have dragoon regiments in BOTH armies, and they are both here in battle.

Refights: Blasthofbruecke

2011-03-10T14:55:00.000-08:00

Well, now that I have a couple of tiny armies to play with again, time to try them out, and what better place to start, than my first introduction to lace wars battles, Blasthof Bridge from Peter Young's Charge! I suppose I must have first played this out myself in 1967, so it's decidedly venerable. For this exercise, I used KK rules, with each side having 2 brigades of foot and a brigade of horse, with a couple of attached guns, and all of equivalent points value (this meant that the Skyrians are stronger in foot, their battalions being larger, but the forces of the elector of Krupp are better quality, having close drill capability).

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Here is the initial setup:

On the left, the forces of Styria bustle onto the table, evil white coats glinting in the sunlight, while to the right, the sober, sombre Krupfalzen stride forward nobly. In the foreground is the prosperous hereditary estate of Freiherr Blast, with the eponymous bridge in the midground astride the Blastbach, and in the distance, the Blasthofberg and the stolid Blasthofdorf. The river is fordable except within 6" of the bridge.

After the most rudimentary scan of the terrain, both generals laid hasty plans - FML von Finck decided to trust the mighty legs of his infantry to outmarch the Skyrians, and planned to advance down one bank of the Blast, and reach the bridge before the Skyrians could establish themselves there, while FML Graf von Jagermeister, a wily veteran, decided that trying to outmarch the Kruppen, and sent his cavalry, and von Muscat's brigade of foot spashing across the stream, while von Riesling's foot pushed up the initial bank to menace the bridge from both sides.

von Schwartchild's foot thus seized the Blast estate easily, filling it with two battalions of IR 1 Winterfeldt, while IR20 Zastrow linked with Fahrenheit's brigade seizing the eastern abuttments of the bridge.

Both sides' cavalry formed up on the eastern plain beyond the estate.

In the cavalry clash, the Skyrian Hessen-Darmstadt Dragoons putDR12 Wuerttemburg Dragoons to flight, but lost control and dashed madly after them, while the Krupp KR 3 (Liebgarde zu Pferde) utterly crushed the Infante von Portugal Kurasserie, then reformed, and moved back to menace the madly pursuing Dragoons.

In the ensuing whirl, the Liebgarde then fell on the flank of the Hessen-Darmstadt Dragoons, driving them back, then a subsequent charge smashed them off the field.

Meanwhile, Muscat's Skyrians approached the farm cautiously, while von Riesling manouevred the Deutschmeister Regiment to broach the river beyond the bridge, while the Ferraris Regiment rushed the bridge head-on (one battalion getting scathing fire from the massed Krupp artillery and falling back to restore order).

The wily Schwartzchild, seeing the cavalry had cleared his flank, extruded a battalion beyond the Blast estate in order to turn the Skyrian flank: while Muscat could turn one battalion of Jung-Wolfenbuttel to stave off the immediate catastrophe, the resulting on the pressure on the hinge then created an opening, and Schwartzchild, radiating certainty, led the other battalion of Winterfeldt into the gap in the Skyrian lines.

Von Rieslings brigade made heavy work of trying to cross the river, and made several attempts to come to grips, rushing the bridge, but the focus of musketry and artillery repelled them each time.

Eventually, the second battalion of Ferraris made a successful rush and broke the defending battalion of IR 32 Treskow, but by this time Muscat's Brigade was crumbling from pressure front and flank, while the rallied Kruppfalzen cavalry were menacing the rear.

With the destruction of the Kaiser and Jung-Wolfenbuttel reguments, the combined Kruppfalz foot brigades then decisively outshot the weary Skyrian foot. With the line of communication back to the depots of Sittangbad under threat, Jagermeister drained his bottle and ordered an immediate retreat, sauve qui peut.

SYW Prussians and Austrians for sale

2011-03-10T09:43:00.000-08:00

For those that might be interested, I've got some of my Foundry 28s up for sale on EBay:

Prussian Foot Regiment of 36

Austrian Foot Regiment of 36

A brief advertising interlude

2011-03-02T12:50:00.000-08:00

Well, in conjunction with ditching my 28mm armies for 15mm, I now need to shed my 28mm terrain, where it's not compatible. Accordingly, I'm offering for sale my Armorcast houses, painted and constructed, at the same cost as the unpainted kits from Armorcast (plus postage at cost from Arkansas). Each is available individually. Please contact me at
the.firefall@att.net if you're interested.

These two are 2-story houses, 4"x3". with the rooves still removable, at $24 each. One of them has had a dormer window added.

Next are a pair of shops, 4.5"x4", two storey, at $29.00 each. Again, the roof for each is removable, and one of them has had a bay window added.

Finally, a large shop, 4x6", two storey, with removable roof, at $35.00

In addition to that, there is some 2" wide cobbled roadway from Miniature Worldmakers. this is flexible latex, prepainted by them (and almost brandnew *sigh*). There are 2 12" strips of raised/embankment roads, 2 12" strips of sunken roadway, 2 12" strips with hedging (and gaps for farm entries/paths), 2 shorter strips with a 45 degree angle, 2 T junctions, and 1 X-junction. I'd prefer to sell this as a single group, rather than individual pieces - they costs me $131 (plus about $40 postage from Aussie), I'm offering this for $110 plus postage from AR.

Dra-goons

2011-02-15T09:35:00.000-08:00

And last, and probably least, come the corps of Dragoons:

Here is Freiherr von Zastrow leading DR12 Herzog von Wuerttemburg Dragoons, and DR 3 Truchess Dragoons

And here GM von Hartmann heading his substrength brigade, DR 8 Alt-Platen Dragoons and DR 11 Jung-Platen Dragoons (both awaiting drafts of reinforcements). Behind him is GM Graf von Oppenheimer with 'those damn Lebanese' as Popsy refers to them, the overweening and overstrength DR5 Bayreuth Dragoons*

*Well what self-respecting Prussian DOESNT have a Bayreuth Dragoons, after all

Mehr alte blaue

2011-02-11T08:46:00.000-08:00

Some more of the refurbished and scaled-down Kruppsarmee:

On the left, GM von Ohm meeting some resistance in leading his brigade, IR4 Kalnein and IR16 von Dohna, while on the right the great and good Leopold II, Elector of Krup, Erherzog of Pfalz, and Fuerst des Friedens (Popsy to his intimates) with some pioneers and the baggage train straggling behind him.

And here, GM Roentgen's grenadier brigade, clicking off the paces metronomically (IR2/3 Manstein, IR7/31 Kanitz, IR33/36 Kreytzen, and IR6/G1 Kleist converged grenadiers), beside GM von Hahn with a brigade of fusiliers - IR36 Moschow Fusiliers and IR33 Butyrskiy Fusiliers. Leading the division is FM Grossherzog Friedrich von Altenburg (Der Altenburger to friend and foe alike)

GM Lavoissiers' brigade of Cuirassiers - KR1 Buddenbrock leading, followed by KR3 Liebgarde zu Pferde.

and rounding it off, FML von Baedecker's Cuirassiers - KR5 Brandenburg and KR11 Lieb Karabinier

Kruppfalz rises again

2011-02-08T12:20:00.000-08:00

Well, the fruits of my labours over the 15mm (err, well 18mm mostly) figures are coming ripe.

First off, 2 brigades of line infantry - on the left, IR 1 Winterfeld, and IR 20 Zastrow, with GM Schwartzchild looking radially at them, and on the right IR 28 Hautcharmoy and IR 32 Tresckow, led by GM Fahrenheit, looking as cool as ever:

Next, another pair of line brigades, on the left GM von Heisenberg rather uncertainly leading IR 3 Anhalt-Dessauer and IR 2 Ostergoetland, and beside him GM Graf von Bohr parading IR 7 Alt-Bevern and IR 31 Lestwitz.

The resultant combined grenadier battalions are also ready to march, and should make the show next time

Emerging like Venus from the surf, albeit rather uglier and better-dressed

2010-12-16T12:58:00.000-08:00

Well, with the sale & despatch of the bulk of my 28mm armies, I've had the financial opportunity to build some 15mm(ish) armies, along with the time to paint some, what with having no toys to push around the table. So, one large order to Eureka, and one equally large to OG15s, has furnished me with a sufficient pile of lead to ensure my personal viability for another year or two*.

So far, I've managed to get painted up Eureka Prussians and Austrians, about half an army of each so far ... specifically:
The Dunkelblau now boast 2 brigades of musketeers, one of fusiliers, and one of grenadiers, along with 2 brigades of cuirassiers, and no less than 12 batteries of artillery (this may have been excessive!). Still languishing, undercoated but unpainted, are 3 more brigades of musketeers, one of grenadiers, one of fusiliers, and of course the Guards Brigade: plus 2 brigades of Dragoons and sundry commanders, limbers, wagons, and other riffraff.

Der Weiss now have 2 brigades of German foot, one of Hungarians, and 2 more of grenadiers, supported by a brigade of cuirassiers and another of dragoons, and 8 batteries of artillery, and a train of ammunition wagons (shock horror). Petitioning for redress is still another brigade of german foot, another of Hungarians, and a brigade of Netherlanders, with a contingent from the Empire of 2 more brigades, with another cuirassier and another dragoon brigade lurking there somewhere.

Then there are the French and Anglo-Hanoverian forces, almost as large.

Hopefully the festive break will yield enough time for a few photos of the painted portion of these forces, and perhaps sufficient for a small push-of-pike with them

The point of Uniforms

2010-11-27T14:34:00.000-08:00

According to the history books I read when I were a nipper, uniforms were introduced to help tell armies apart, so that you had fewer of those annoying friendly fire (and friendly swords in the guts presumably) incidents.

So, I pick up some tricorn-laden infantry, dressed in blue coats with red facings. Oh, they must be Prussians ... or Swedes ... or French Guards ... or Scots in French Service .. or Spanish ....

so, what was that idea again?

Downsizing

2010-11-06T15:27:00.000-07:00

Alas, due to the ever increasing weight of meine guten soldaten and the declining state of my health and fitness, I have decided to downsize enormously.

Specifically, to give up 28mm and build up 15mm (well 18mm) armies instead, so there will be something of a hiatus here while I purchase and paint up replacement armies (and sell off the existing ones to fund this, of course)

Goedelesherbach, Finale, (Part III)

2010-10-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

L'Observateur is pleased to announce that our intrepid reporter has returned, essentially unharmed by his battlefield observations, somewhat soiled and smelling faintly of Madame Fifi's perfumes. Nevertheless, herewith the remainder of his report:

Beside Esher village, the Campbell Highlanders faltered and fled from the combined action of Bollingers Chevaux-legere and Taittinger's Brigade of foot, allowing Bollinger's sabres to fall on the McDonalds Highlanders and make a meal of them* - then plunge on into the supporting Thuringer foot and drive them back in bloody ruin.

Icenian Highlanders going under a wall of grey coats

Martell's Arvergniards and the Colonian foot of Pontiac kept storming the village house by house, but it was a grim business, as Brigadier Dewars kept rallying his men and shifting positions within the village.

a combat acharne!

General Studebaker, distractedly trying to cover the ford and both sides of the river, sent half his men to try and corral the Brunschutz Horse before they completed their swim (to no avail, Schimmelpfennig led his men in a spirited gallop for the village of Goedel and, not coincidentally, the Arvergniard paychest). However, Watney saw this weakness at the ford, and personally led the Silurian fusiliers in a mad dash across the ford, braving the sweeping musketry of the Algonquin Continentals, then rudely dispatching them at the first cross of bayonets.

The Silurian Fusiliers storm the ford

With the sun reaching the zenith, Generale Taittinger finally took possession of the west end of Esher village

Taittinger's triumph

Meanwhile, as Martell and Pontiac gradually wrested control of the eastern village from Brigadier Dewars, the Butcher of Bakersfield, standing on the banks of the Bach, directed the gathering weight of his reinforcements to intrude across the river behind them - first a brigade of Thuringian Grenadiers, their caps jaunty with sunlight, then the Saxe-Gotha and Saxe-Coburg Guards in support, while Brigadier Walker, after a black look at his Prince, led the Icenian Guards across the river further upstream, to keep the Gens d'armes off the Thuringer flank.

The bitter melee over Esher, with the Thuringer intervention visible (top)

Over at the ford, with the Silurian Fusiliers deployed, the Icenian foot swarmed across, eager to get to grips with the rather shaken Colonian foot who turned to face them (nervously glancing over their shoulders at the cloud of dust showing the location of Schimmelpfennig's horse).

Watney's Brigade brushing aside the Colonial foot

General Remy-Martin, leading the Gens d'armes Royaux, took a long look at the glittering bayonets of a whole brigade of Icenian foot (still trailing a few river weeds, admittedly), and decided that it was definitely time to retire to previously prepared positions, accompanied by a volley of jeers and Icenian cat-calls

Remy-Martin evincing that rarest of Arvergniard traits, caution

With the Icenians pouring across his flank, M le Duc de Claret had little choice but to order his battered army to fall back to the west, hurriedly sending Bollinger's Chevaux leger to join the Gensdarmes and cover the retreat.

Bollinger hurrying to make a front against the flank attacks

Prinz Hedwig, thus left in control of the field, the shattered village of Esher, and - most importantly! - the viands and paychests of the Arvergniard host, ordered his men to camp on the field and hold a Te Deum in praise of the victory God Almighty delivered to his hands.

*I'm sorry, I simply couldn't resist

Goedelesherbach, Assault! (Pt II)

2010-08-19T14:52:00.000-07:00

A further dispatch from our undaunted reporter as arrived at L'Observateur, still stained with pigeon-droppings:

Much furious action has erupted on the right of the field! While the Transoceanic mounted hastened forward, seeking conclusions before the odds lengthened further, neither Tanqueray nor Schimmelpfennig were loth to meet them, and the clash of sabres resounded loud! Tanqueray's two small dragoon regiments faced the two larger Arvergnian units, with mixed results (each winning one melee), while Schimmelpfennigs brave Teutons had the luxury of both pouncing on the solitary regiment of Colonian dragoons.

Colonel Ford attempted to enthuse his raw Colonian lads, but a quick passage of arms put the whole regiment out of action, and the Braunschweiger horse poured into the laboring Arvergnians, quickly setting the whole brigade to flight - the Hamburger Horse regiment decided to pursue them far into the distance, eliminating themselves from the further struggle.

Fore, Hennessy's Dragoons struggle against the North Picts, while the Ibernian Dragoons rally, and the Braunschweiger Horse move to support. In the distance, Chryslers brigade of Colonian militia advance hesitantly off their hill.

General Claret scoured the battlefield across the river anxiously with his telescope, then elected, in a rash moment(1), to commit his reserves to support Clintons troops there, dispatching the Maison (Cuirassiers du Roi and Chevaliers de la Reine) to hasten across the Ford, and following up with Studebaker's veteran Colonian foot.

While these formed up, the advancing Icenians of Watneys' brigade of foot were encompassing the doom of the valiant Colonian Militia. Chrysler, the Colonian brigadier, saw the approaching doom - 4 regiments of Icenians leading off, with the menace of 3 regiments of Guards marching down the road behind them, and the dust in the distance presaging even more reinforcement.

(rear) Watney's brigade advancing on the Colonial militia

Menaced by the rallied Icenian horse on his flank, Colonel Chrysler attempted to form on two fronts, leaving the 2 battalions of the New Guernsey States Guard overwhelmed by the lethal musketry of the Silurian Fusiliers and 3 full regiments of other Icenian infantry. His remaining battalions manouevred desparately, to little avail, before being quickly torn asunder by steady volleys.

The Maison du Roi hasten across the river, while (rear) Chrysler's Brigade form up to try and fend off an apparently endless stream of Icenians.

While the foot were being cruelly torn apart, Brigadier Lafitte and his proud Maison were discovering the disadvantages of trying to deploy in the face of the enemy. The Cuirassiers du Roi barely managed to form a line atop the Doltberg hill, before the Icenian dragoon brigade, shouting strange Gaelic cries, charged straight up at them, while the rallied Braunschweig Horse fell upon their open flank.

The Chevaliers du Roi fleeing into the Goedel marshes, chastened by the pursuing Braunschweigers

The Chevaliers de la Reine were in turn caught forming up by the jubilant Icenians, and put to flight back across the ford in short order. Great will be the lamentations amongst the court in Trianon this summer, at the loss of their favorites.

The North Picts and Ibernians crushing the Chevaliers de la Reine

Colonel Chrysler managed to rally his foot briefly, but was then overwhelmed again by the oncoming flood of Icenian foot and horse.

Chrysler's last stand, with General Clinton slipping away to the rear

Meanwhile, on the left, Claret's assault on the village of Esher progressed much more smoothly. He had placed three brigades of foot each in 2 lines, Taittingers foot, then Martell's, then Pontiac's Colonian brigade. The far left was covered by the Chasseurs de Bouillebas, while Brigadier Bollinger held his 2 regiments of Chevau Leger in reserve.

The Chasseurs and Taittingers Brigade waded through a tall corn field, and in their initial skirmishing, the Chasseurs decisively out-shot the Caledons, and Campbells' regiment took to their heels, their ridiculous skirts flouncing behind them.

(left) The Chasseurs Bouillabasse putting Campbell to flight

Next into action, Pontiac's brigade plunged into the assault on the village, with Greene's Continentals clearing the Pferdweiss inn in fine style, driving the 57th Foot back to sulk in the Schneiderhaus behind the inn. The sight of the Colonian colors fluttering atop the roof of the inn brought a sturdy cheer, and a similar fluttering in the heart of all patriotic Arvergniards!

Major Greene brandishing the Liberty Standard from the roof of the Pferdweiss gasthaus

The assault has progressed successfully, with Martell's brigade clearing the houses bordering the Inn, and exchanges of musketry now rocketing across the main street of Esher.

Martell, and the assembled artillery, pounding the middle of the village

At the riverline, Studebaker's brigade of foot, and the Gens d'armes, are deployed in defense, while the Butcher of Bakersfield has ordered his Teuton horse to venture to swim the current, while his brigades of foot approach the ford and contemplate an opposed crossing.

The Braunschweig Horse swimming across the Goedel

(1) I assigned a 3-6 roll for him to decide to defend the river bank, so naturally he rolled a 1.

Goedelesherbach, the opening

2010-08-03T14:55:00.000-07:00

Our fearless reporter for L'Observateur has sent in a hurried initial dispatch from the clash of arms:

With le Marquis de Rohan stricken and restricted to his clutching at passing sailors from his sickbed, his second, M le Marquis de Claret, has taken charge of the mighty forces of L'Armee de la Grohne, and in accordance with the instructions bellowed at him*, has sought action with the combined Icenian-Thuringian forces around Kleinschweinestallstadt

Icenian defenses at Esher

Le Marquis' initial attack is driving along the left bank of the mighty Goidel, and has encountered initial resistance esconced in the town of Esher, consisting of a brigade of Icenian foot and another of barbarous Caledons in their dreadful skirts (and worse music).

Arvergnian forces arrayed for the attack

However, seeing approaching dust clouds, he has thrust across the river with some of his many mounted forces, and a brigade of ragtag Colonian foot drawn from General Clinton's contribution to the Transoceanic Alliance. These are detailed to guard the Fords of Fools and keep his flank secure.

Colonian forces and a brigade of Dragoons

Sure enough, the dust quickly consolidated into an approaching brigade of Icenians, accompanied by the barbarous Butcher of Bakersfield, Crown Prince Hedwig himself (Ready Eddie to his cronies), with his usual attendant butler and courtesan.

Dewars Brigade of Foot approaches

General Clinton, with his customary circumspection, has immediately thrown forward all his forces, directing the nervous Colonian Horse to menace the approaching foot, while the Arvergnian Dragoons are directed to the right, to counter the approaching Thuringer horse brigade.

Clinton (foreground) directing traffic

However, disconcerting his plans, Brigadier Tanqueray and his Icenian Union brigade has also trotted onto the field to support the Thuringern, leaving the Arvergnard Dragoons ruefully counting the odds.

Foreground, Col Hennessy's Dragoon brigade adding up, and not liking the answer

Schimmelpfennig's brigade and Tanqueray's Union Brigade facing them.

All is now poised to see the clash of sabres!

*Audace, toujours l'audace!

Sadbach

2010-07-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

Well, having won the siege of the Sewing Table, we turn lightly now to the long-anticipated struggle at Sadbach.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In the candlelit tent, Prinz Heinrich cursed and called for another glass of genever, feverishly examining his map (and brushing off the crumbs*). Having ventured so deep into Skyrian territory, it looked like the evil Kirchwasser had trapped him, coming between him and his magazines, and eluding his carefully prepared position behind the mighty Vysehrad**. Well, nothing for it but to force a way the whitecoats, and lunge northeast for home and safety.

Brooding over the inkstained mess, he decided to stand to in front of the village of Sadbach, deploying his dragoons on the right, the cuirassiers, and securing his heavy batteries on the small hill in front of the village. If the Skyrians hang back, his superior mounted arm should be able to smash their cavalry, then expose their flanks.

The morning dawned bright and clear, and the Kruppfalz forces shrugged out into line. On the left, Von Semmel's brigade of cuirassiers hovered nervously, wih Bismarks' infantry covering the hill, Pirchs brigade of foot forming the right, and Lavoissier's Dragoon brigade in close columns covering the far right.

The Pride of Kruppfalz

Von Kirchwasser, however, was disposed to a less supine posture than usual, and was preparing his own attack, with his right wing formed of both his cavalry Brigades (von Riesling and von Traminer), posting his Muenchener allies on the far left under Sylvaner, then Kerensky's Kalugan brigade, with Tokay and Hoch's solid Skyrian brigades filling in between them and the cavalry

The Scowling Skyrian hordes, leering with positively Stollenian malevolence

Heisenberg's artillery company, uncertainly eyeing the village of Sadbach

Before the good Prince could even complete his deployment, the rude Skyrians launched themselves headlong at him. On his left, he saw the Riesling and Traminer cavalry brigades galloping headlong at his rather weaker wing of cavalry. Heinrich cursed vilely***, and dispatched a frantic galloper to transfer the Dragoon brigade behind his lines.

Von Semmel (off) bravely shouting encouragement to his men from the shelter of the infantry

The PAZ reporter narrowly avoiding the hastening Dragoon brigade

While the Dragoons hastened, the first clash of swords roared over the field, with von Riesling leading his brigade (von Kornburg's Kurasserie) in pushing back the Seelhorst regiment, while Seydlitz' Cuirassiers, ably assisted by their escorting horse battery, held the Kurfurst Kurasserie to a bloody draw.

the Kurfurst regiment riding into canister range (top)

In the centre and right, Pirch's infantry brigade thinned out to cover the enormous hole left by the departure of the Dragoons. Pirch somberly regarded the weight of opposition and extruded the Ostergotland regiment, both to cover the Jagers filtering through the woods, and - hopefully - to act as a salient into the flank of the looming masses.

After a brisk exchange, one of the Ostergotland battalions fell back in disorder, but their steady accuracy had severely punished the Jager, who took to their heels, never to recover.

The Ostergotland firefight with the Miskeny Jagern

Brigade Hoch advancing on the Kruppfalz artillery, with one battalion of the Rakoczy regiment repelled by the weight of fire

After a savage passage of swords, the cavalry duel resolved itself - the Seelhorst Cuirassiers fled the field, while the Kurfurst Kurasserie was destroyed by the Seydlitz Cuirassiers, who in turn were taken in flank and driven to headlong flight by Kornberg's Kurasserie and the O'Reilly Dragoons. With the arrival of Lavoissieur at the head of his Dragoon brigade, the situation stabilised somewhat, while the Kerensky and Hoch infantry brigades poised to assail the Kruppfalz lines.

The Skyrian horse, victorious but bloodied, poised to attack the open flank

While the valiant Kalugan regiments followed Kerensky's bravely pointed arm into the assault, the Skyrian horse renewed their attack, with somewhat unfortunate results - Kornberg's Kurasserie falling back from the flailing sabres of the Kalkreuth Dragoons, while the O'Reilly regiment found the canister fire from Fahrenheit's horse artillery too hot to charge into, and refused point blank. Better success awaited Kerensky's men, however, putting one battalion of the Oldenburg regiment to flight immediately.

The desparate intervention of the Kalkreuth and Bayreuth dragoons (bottom)

The Ostergotland foot duelling with the Rakoczy regiment

On the Krupp right, Pirch had progressed from phlegmatic to sombre to depressed(*4), at the sight of 4 battalions of Skyrians (Tokay) and 4 battalions of Muencheners (Sylvaner) pressing forward undeterred. He glanced with some small tinge of satisfaction at the Ostergotland battalions, who were putting paid to the damn Magyari foot, but - time and distance, time and distance, he muttered - not in time to open a flank and save the rest of his men, he considered.

The Erprinz Regt and the Sobiesky Fusiliers putting up a brave fight against the masses of their opposition

On the left, while the O'Reilly Dragoons were stalled in front of the horse artillery, then shot to pieces, von Riesling put his hat on the point of his sword, and led the Kurasserie in a series of stunning charges, first driving back the Kalkreuth Dragoons in confusion, then smashing the 2nd line, the Bayreuth Dragoons, in their turn.

von Riesling leading Kornburg's Kurasserie in joyous pursuit of the scattered Dragoons

The remnants of Traminers cavalry brigade fleeing the field

The action by the hill became general, with the (Krupp) Oldenburg regiment being crushed fairly quickly, but the 2nd line, Livgarden, put up a stouter resistance to the Kalugan masses. To their right, the Butyrsky Fusiliers exchanged fairly desultory volleys with the advancing Deutschmeister Regiment.

von Riesling clashing with the rallied Dragoons (bottom) while the Krupp lines falter (above)

Over with Pirch's foot, the Erprinz regiment put up a stout resistance, holding off the Skyrians, but after a valiant struggle, numbers proved too much for the Sobiesky foot, and they took to their heels

Last stand of the Erprinz

With his right dissolving, his left shattered, and his centre failing, Heinrich had a final swig of genever, then turned his horse and headed for the bridge, his only consolation being the rallied Dragoons finally destroying the last of the Skyrian horse by attrition, leaving them to cover the rout.

*The food, not his brigadiers!
** A pun on Die Moldau, of course :)
*** His pet daschund , Vilely
*4 Indeed, he'd quite lost his phlegm!

New Recruits 5

2010-05-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

Well, having the wargames board tied up and unusable has certainly given more time for the painting board. Recruiting Sargeants have been travelling far and wide, with beneficial results.

First off, the Icenian Crown has added a couple of clans of rough Caledons to their ranks:

First, Campbell's Highlanders, and next, McDonald's Highlanders (abandoning their ancestral Golden Arch to bear the Union standard for once)

Next, the forces of Kruppfalz recruiting drive:

Third battalions for the Ostergotland, Garde zu Fuss, and Oldenburg regiments, plus a detachment of engineers (far right)

A brand new regiment of 3 battalions, Schaumberger-Lippe, with a new combined grenadier battalion, Die Krup Grenadiern. (this is designed to also fit into Charge size regiments, 3 line companies and a grenadier company, of 12 each)

Plus 2 garrison battalions, and a couple of stray companies to expand existing battalions

Next, a Brigade of Imperial Reich forces

From the Margravate of Glacier, Margrave Franz-Josef and the Regiment Franz-Josef

Plus, the Waldenstein and Kurmainz regiments

Next, the Colonians have drummed up some forces from the state of Lenape: 2 battalions of Lenape Continentals and one of States Guard

Finally, new forces for Skyria:

Three battalions of the Isenburg regiment

A battalion of Isenburg Grenadiers, wearing the old-style mitres rather than bearskins

And 3rd battalions for the Waldeck and Nederlander regiemtns, and a couple of companies of Deutschmeister Regiment to bulk them out.

Doctrinal revisionism

2010-04-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

After much argument, discussion, consideration and meditation*, the noble Elector of Kruppfalz has issued a revised doctrine for his combined grenadier battalions.

While the practice of combining companies of stouthearted grenadiers into independant battalions is to continue on an ad-hoc basis, those officers who can be periodically expected to command such battalions shall be promoted to a new rank, Oberstleutnant, and shall be entitled to a permanent Fahntraeger, with their own personal standard to be displayed when in such command, in order to provide a rally point for their grenadiers and to encourage esprit de corps.

In a celebratory march, the newly minted Oberstleutnants displayed their new Fahnen - visible nearest are the Wuppertal grenadiers, the Krup grenadiers, the Altenburg grenadiers, while leading the second column are the Alt-Knyphausen grenadiers, the Jung-Knyphausen grenadiers, and the Fahrenheit grenadiers.

A better view of the new flags:

The following day, the Graf von Krup issued a personal apology to the denizens of the Neumarkt suburb, and a solemn promise to rebuild the town hall, the church, the market, and recompense the proprietors of the Duck and Bill, and the Red Flag, for their losses. Rumours that Captain von Schloss has promised to marry the elder daughter of the proprietor of the Red Flag have been dismissed as "baseless, and besides he was drunk at the time"

* Not to mention losing 3 straight hands at the whist table to the Margrave of Wuppertal aka Minuet Moritz the Dance-master (to his friends).

Re-vision

2010-04-22T14:20:00.000-07:00

Well in accordance with my esteemed peers* I have revised the header for my blog, to show my own version of the Erprinz regiment - in this case the Krup Erprinz Regiment, the Pfalzen Alt-Grenderie, with the Garde zu Fuss lurking menacingly in the background**

It did make me wonder, does everyone on this blog have a representation of this regiment? I guess to look at Charge! is to lust after them (in a plumbous sense).

*specifically Grand Duke Irwin-Amadeus II, Tyrant of Stollen; Graf Ludwig von Altstein; and the King of Wittenberg, not to mention the estimable ruler of Saxe-Bearstein.

*Lurking with menaces being their speciality, particularly where local shopkeepers are concerned.

Torn from the Headlines (1)

2010-04-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

Well sadly the wargaming table has been subject to a preemptive strike for the last month, and we have been unable to evict the occupying forces (my wife's dressmaking & tailoring, in this case), but campaign activities have progressed somewhat:

In the southeast, the forces Kruppfalz have riposted against Skyrian aggression (rather a pre-emptive riposte, as the Pfalzritter Allgemeine Zeitung reports it). The Skyrians however have rather trapped the intrepid Prinz Heinrich against the banks of the Moldau, and General Kirchwasser is reported to have hosted a magnificent banquet in anticipation of crushing the impudent Electoral forces at Sadbach.

Prince Heinrich was unavailable for comment, but while being refused, the intrepid PAZ reporter did notice a large case of genever being delivered to his tent.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Far to the west, L'Observateur the bold Marquis de Rohan and his stout Arvergnian troops have joined hands with General Clinton's Colonian forces, and drunk the Moselle thrust their way across the Moselle into the Duchy of Pfalz-Sonderheim, pressing the Butcher of Bakersfields' Icenian forces, and their Teuton allies, back against the defences around the capital, Kleinschweinestallstadt.

Duke Hedwig (the soi-disant Butcher) in return gave a brief interview with Der Spiegel asserting that his position at Goedelesherbach was impervious to any attempt by the Transoceanic Alliance to turn him out of it. After brushing off his newest turquoise demi-jacket, he delivered a mercifully-brief bombastic speech asserting his expected extermination of any such attempt, in his customary quavering contralto, and promised rivers of blood.

So, two battles poised for resolution, and nowhere to play, alas.

New recruits 4

2010-03-29T15:25:00.000-07:00

Well the recruits are just flocking to the standards at the moment (which is funny, because flocking is the biggest holdup to them making it to the battlefield). The latest poor oppressed Skyrian peasants to be seduced by a silver penny reward, two regiments (4 battalions) of Hungarians:

The Gulyas Regiment

The Rakoczy Regiment

When playing BAR/Charge, these will neatly form a 4-company regiment of Hungarians, whcih works pretty well.

In addition to these, the exchequer has strained mightily and produced a few more artillery pieces - a pair of Kruppfalz howitzers (near), 2 Icenian 6pdrs, and a company of Skyrian 6pdrs, along with sundry civilian teams to mobilise them

A new campaigning year

2010-03-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the outburst of artistic inspiration by some of his betters and elders*, the proud Elector has revealed a new standard for his homeland, combining the proud Krupp eagle** and the Croix Raguly of Pfalz:

New Liebstandarten are to be issued as soon as funds can be spared from the purchase of hardtack, sausage and cheeses***

*with a particular bow to young Duke Kristjan
** The first whisper of the phrase Turgid Turkey shall be rewarded with a free trip around the Krupp dungeons, fully illustrated
*** That would be for the Electoral table

Rogues Gallery

2010-03-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

In addition to the recent recruiting drive, I have also added a few less martial figures to the collection

Our Hero, the Elector, book in hand, about to retire to a sylvan glade to read to his (well, someone's) wife while the young Prinz Wilhelm frolics

King George Hermann Friedrich, his Britannic Majesty, enjoying an afternoons' shooting, while his son, the Butcher of Bakersfield studiously applies himself to the study of anatomy.

Louis the Nth disports himself bibulously, while his latest mistress, Madame de Pompadour, preens for the artiste

Princess Mitzi anxiously casts about for her pup

The Empress Maria Tonia of Skyria, the evil witch of the South-east, allegedly on a recruiting drive.

New recruits 3

2010-03-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

Skyrian recruits: 4 battalions of grenadiers, staggering drunkenly out of Die Pferd Weiss

And the Nederlander Regiment, 2 battalions strong

Finally, some gallant Croats - the Traminer Grenzer battalion

Altenhof: the Resolution

2010-03-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

Young Marc now came galloping back through the pines, hat askew and red-faced. "Sir, Sir, Funck's brigade is engaging now! the Sobieski regiment has intruded a battalion through the wood, menacing the Skyrian flank, but one of the Livgarden battalions has taken a terrible caning from their musketry, and is in flight."

Otto grunted, "And their cavalry?" - "Oh, one regiment was destroyed by the Livgarden fire, the other has moved away towards the centre". With a handwave, Otto sent the ADC galloping back to his observation post, then trotted over to the reserve regiment of Butyrsky Fusiliers, to pass the order to be ready for an eruption of cavalry.

Livgarden regiment being pressed by the Austrians

Sure enough, right on queue, the Skyrian dragoons emerged, just as the Fusiliers faced towards them. They essayed a rapid charge, but the unbroken line of bayonets repelled them, and they halted, flank open to the remaining Krup artillery. Otto cheered, "Pour it in, lads, give them another volley!" Satisfied that the menace to his flank was contained, he peered through the hills of smoke in front, trying to see how the Oldenburg regiment was faring face to face with the Austrian foot.

The O'Reilly Dragoons try conclusions with Sobieski Fusiliers

Hearing a tremendous hullabaloo to his right, he slewed around in the saddle, and peered through his telescope,. Migod! under pressure from the Garde zu Fuss to their front, the Skyrian grenadiers were crumbling from a charge of the Kalkreuth Dragoons into their flank - it looked like they had broken through into one battalion, then swept on into the flanks of two more, tearing apart the grenadier reserve line.

Von Wesel and the Kalkreuth Dragoons destroying Muscat's Grenadier brigade

As Otto watched, in fascination, he saw the Dragoons drive on, pushing the last of the grenadiers before them, and scything into the Skyrian line brigade, already disordered by its' prolonged firefight with his own men.

The Kalkreuth Dragoons final charge, into the rear of the enemy line

Resuming his pipe, Otto puffed reflectively as the Skyrian remnants fled, and his men pushed forward trying to catch them. Marc came trotting back through the trees again, shaking his head as he saw the ruin of the enemy. "Well sir, Funck's lads put up a good fight, but got pushed back pretty thoroughly. They would have been in more trouble, but the enemy Brigadier obviously thought it better to save his own men, with the disaster happening over here.

The sole Skyrian success, breaking Funck's brigade

Battle at Altenhof: Action!

2010-02-23T12:15:00.000-08:00

Otto was busy polishing his brand-new Brigadiers' brass* epaulette when the devious General Finck gave the usual signal to commence the battle: an all-out bombardment by every gun that he could find. Otto sighed, and waved forward his new junior ADC to take forward the order to advance to his lead regiment, then drew his telescope to keep an eye on the advancing Skyrian foot: just the usual bouillabasse of Bohemes and what not, it appeared. He grasped Mark, his senior ADC, by the shoulder to get his attention, and rasped a command: 'Ride in to the south-east corner of these pine woods, lad, and bring me back regular reports of what's afoot beyond it - I want to know immediately if Funck's lads funk it'.

While the brigade, and the line, advanced, his young ADC, Hans, came galloping back, waving his hat over his head for a moment: then Otto blinked, as Hans seemed to be suddenly shorter - indeed, the first Skyrian cannonshot had removed his head neatly. 'Ach, another day, another ADC' he muttered, and stirred his churchwarden with a twig. Then he beheld a sight to bring a smile: the right-hand battalion of Skyrians had deemed the furious Krup bombardment too much, and decamped, falling back in disorder behind their supports.

2nd Bn, von Moltke's regiment, fails the first morale roll of the day

A young peasant lad, mounted on what appeared to be a cross between a plowhorse and an elephant, cantered out of the pine trees, waving a note over his head, and handed it to Otto, who scowled and pulled out a schilling to reward the youngster, then flicked open the note: "Herr General, the Skyria foot manouevres to engage Funck's brigade aslant, while their Dragoons appear to have misjudged their deployment and are manouevring for more room". He smiled a wintry little smile - that made a change from the Krup' cavalry making a pigs ear of it, the normal situation.

Riesling's infantry wheeling to attack: and Funck sending fusiliers to occupy the pines

Then from the right, there was an almighty crash of metal 'Like a thousand wives throwing saucepans at their husbands and hitting the best plate by mistake', he thought. Peering through his telescope, he saw the Skyrian hussars decamping for the rear at high speed after the briefest of clashes with the Bayreuth Dragoons, while the Dragoons had - for a miracle - retained their heads and swung into the exposed flank of the Skyrian grenadier battalions, driving 2 of them back through their own ranks in confusion.

Charge of the Bayreuth Dragoons

As he watched, puffing excitedly on his pipe, they continued, smashing in more of the unfortunate grenadiers, before their momentum expended itself.

The Grenadiers flee in disorder

While his attention was transfixed by the unexpected pleasure of seeing friendly cavalry doing something more than looting any stray baggage, Otto felt a tug on his sleeve. 'Good news, milord!' beamed young Marc, 'The Skyrian dragoons essayed a charge on the front of the Livgarden regiment, and got shot to shreds for their pains. Looks like their infantry is getting ready to attack though, and the other regiment of dragoons might head this way - I dinna think they'll be trying another frontal charge.' he explained in his broad Silurean twang. 'I'll away to keep an eye again', and he galloped off, furiously dodging pine branches.

Silvaner's Dragoons try conclusions with the stalwart Livgarden Regiment

Otto scanned his own line again carefully, seeing the Oldenburgs ready to engage the Skyrian foot at last, and spurred his horse forward, shouting encouragement, waving his churchwarden overhead (and scattering half-burnt tobacco over the nearby Buyrski Fusiliers). Off to his right, there was another hullabaloo, as the Bayreuth Dragoons, after taking hot fire from the reformed grenadier battalions, chased the impudent Skyrian hussars off the field, then headed for the Skyrian baggage (for a change). Behind them, the more somber Kalkreuth Dragoons manouevred, probing for an opening to attack the grenadiers.

Hussars and Dragoons depart the field

Meantime, the Skyrian right had finally engaged with Funck's brigade, as he could tell from the crashing volleys - in fact, making some headway and driving the Krup foot back, by and large.

*Gold being a touch rare in Kruppfalz since the drying up of the Alzberg Treacle Mines

Battle at Altenhof: Orders of Battle and Deployment

2010-02-16T15:17:00.000-08:00

Kruppfalz Order:
The excellent General von Finck
von Funck's Brigade (2 bns each, Livgarden Regt and Sobieski Fusiliers, Planks artillery)
von Pirch's Brigade (2bns each, Oldenburg Regt and Butyrski Fusiliers, Ohms artillery)
von Bulow's Brigade (2bns each, Garde zu Fuss, converged Grenadiers von Blum)
Lavoissier's Brigade (Kalkreuth Dragoons, half-strength Bayreuth Dragoons)
Roentgen's Artillery company (12 pders)

Skyrian Order:
The bombastic General von Kirchwasser
Traminer's Brigade (2bns each, Von Moltke and Waldeck Regiments, Stollen's artillery)
Riesling's Brigade (2bns Deutschmeister Regt, 2 bns Ekaterina Regt [Kaluga], Schnizel's artillery)
Muscat's Brigade (5 bns, converged Grenadiers)
Muller-Thurgau's Brigade (Silvaner's Dragoons, O'Reilly Dragoons)
Mosel Hussar Regiment

Deployment - the Skyrian Right Wing

Skyrian Right Wing

On the right, after some sonorous speechifying by Kirchwasser, the dragoons brigade of Muller-Thurgau and von Rieslings infantry were posted. Facing them turned out to be, well, nothing much, Finck having refused this flank, deploying von Funck's Brigade behind the Kieferkleinwald to slow the Skyrian rush for his baggage train and paychest.

Kruppfalz Right Wing

On the left, the Skyrian hussars were left facing the weight of the Kruppfalz dragoons, with Traminer's foot to contest with Pirchs brigade, and the opposing grenadier brigades more or less facing each other. Finck also managed to mass his artillery, placing the 12 pounder company between the 2 lighter brigades beside the wood, an ominous threat for Traminer's men

KK at last

2010-02-16T13:33:00.000-08:00

Well after about three weeks of furious re-basing, primarily of cavalry, I've now got some armies more or less ready for battle, and have played a small game to start familiarising myself with (sadly the generals havent been completed yet so it was played with essentially all-seeing brigadiers and so on). AAR to follow soon, I hope.

New Arrival

2010-01-24T13:13:00.000-08:00

Oooooooooooooo Shiney!

This has led to some rebasing of course

For reasons passing comprehension*, I originally based my French on 50x50mm bases in 6s (along with my American militia) whereas everyone else is on 60x30 or 30x30s, in 8s or 4s. Probably some way of visually cueing 2nd rate infantry I guess. Anyway, time to fix that now .... sigh, rebasing is such fun

*i.e. I dont really remember

This month's painting

2010-01-24T13:09:00.000-08:00

Well the painting schedule has been a bit disrupted (more on that in the next post), but so far I've gotten this lot done:
12 Colonian Dragoons
24 more Skyrian Cuirassiers
12 Kruppfalz Dragoons (to expand the current regiment sizes)
12 Kruppfalz Cuirassiers (again to expand the current regiments)
2 Skyrian Divisional Generals

All have yet to be flocked but, we're almost there

Sitzungsaebel

2010-01-13T09:54:00.000-08:00

The Arvergnian cavalry has swooped like an overweight eagle* upon a lamb**, catching the might of Kruppfalz on the march. They missed their primary target, the supply wagons, and caught the column just abaft that, with the last of the supply-guard, the venerable Ostergotland infantry, marching away, and the head of the column of rearguard, the 4th Kalkreuth and 5th Bayreuth Dragoons, marching up.

First to arrive was Martell's*** brigade, the Maistre de Camp Generale, and the Allemands Dragoons.

Lavoissier and Der Bayreutern leading the way

As they trotted forward eagerly, the leading regiments of Coirvoissier and von Rieslings' brigades followed up. Meanwhile, as the Ostergotlanders wheeled to face, and the Dragoons hurriedly deployed, the leading element of von Zieten's cuirassier brigade, the 3rd von Seelhorst, hustled up at the canter.

Les Mousquetaires lower left, Kurfurst Kurasserie upper left

Followed by the 6th von Lentulus, as the Bourbons, and Kornberg's Cuirassiers made their advent on the Arvergnian side.

The Arvergnian Dragoon brigade spurred forward quickly, cantering up and readying for a mad gallop into their enemies, ignoring the wheeling infantry on their flank, while von Riesling's brigade started manouevring with a view to overrunning these infantry, prior to galloping after the wagon trains to the northeast

Der Ostergotlandern wheel, ready to pour fire into the flank of les Allemands

Alas for Les Allemands, Colonel Bohrs kept a cool head, and the Ostergotlanders fire was sharp and accurate - a first volley in enfilade, emptying half their saddles. The Bayreuth Dragoons crossed sabres with them briefly, then held their tempers, and their reins, when the Allemands fled for the rear. The Kalkreuth Dragoons had a sharper tussle with the Maistre de Camp Generales, but after a brief exchange of blows, these also deemed it wiser to urgently retire to previously prepared positions.

Meanwhile, von Seelhorst's Kurasserie, disdaining to deploy out of column(4*), trotted up the small rise of Kuhberg only to meet, blade to blade, the wildly galloping Mousquetaires sweeping down from the hillcrest, and fought these to a draw.

On the Krup right, the heroic and somewhat inept(5*) Kornberg led his brigade into a charge directly into the infantry, having failed to find their flank, while the broken dragoons swarming past them caused the Bourbons to check their pace, rather than being entangled and disordered. The final Krup regiment, 8th von Seydlitz Kurasserie, also deployed in support of the Seelhorst Cuirassiers, while the broken Arvergnian dragoons, ignoring the pleas of both Brigadier Martell, and Major General Dubonnet, trotted steadily homewards.

Kornberg seeking conclusions against the infantry on the right

Once their friends had cleaned the way, Les Bourbons trotted forwardto support their brigade-mates, only to encounter the advancing Kalkreuth Dragoons, while the rather-bemused Bayreuth Dragoons wheeled around to menace their open flank.

In the foreground, the Lentulus Cuirassiers form column and start aiming for Kornberg's flank

Meanwhile, poor old Kornberg found the undamaged Ostergotlanders too tough a meat to chew. Although the closing fire was wild and ineffective, the wall of bayonets proved too much for his gallant sabres (*6), and one regiment broke and fled after the first exchange of blows, leaving more than half their men behind. The valiant Kornberg, to add insult to injury, had his horse bayonetted, and his favourite hat seized by a doughty infantryman, so fled afoot, calling his men to rally for another charge.

On the left, the Bayreuth Dragoons delivered their threatened insult to the flank of the Bourbons, but too late to save their sister regiment - both the Kalkreuth and the Bourbons broke and ran: while beside them, the Seydlitz Cuirassiers delivered a charge in fine style, breaking the victorious (but understrength) Mousquetaires

And on the right, Kornbergs' men, reduced to a moiety, finally ran from overwhelming odds.

The final flight of the Arvergnian mounted

Just as the dust was settling from the charges, General Lentulus trotted briefly onto the field of battle, peering around less than soberly and exclaiming, 'Enemy? I see no enemy here!'

Next time I need to make the rolls for arrival a little more difficult to make I think.

-----------------------------------------------------------

*Apologies to the spirit of Peter Young for the stolen imagery

** A lamb armed with an AK47 mind you...

*** with the advent of reading EvE regularly, I notice that my generals nomenclature has become considerably more bibulous, not to mention comestible!

*4 This is definitely a problem basing in 3s, when the regiments are so small - the 'march column' is only a 3x4, leading to too advantageous a battle formation. I need to think about addressing this.

*5 It seems a bit cruel to condemn him for my ineptitude - I was angling to take the infantry in flank, but hadn't allowed for how relatively quickly a 9" move allows them to wheel

Privates on Parade

2010-01-09T12:09:00.000-08:00

The last of the reviews - first up, the Colonian infantry. Two brigades of Continental infantry, each 3 smallish regiments:

And the Colonian States Guards, in 4 regiments, plus 2 battalions of skirmishing riflemen:

Well, last, and least, is the might and power of Skyria .... well actually, just a tiny contingent, as I fear they have been very much the poor relation up to now. So far, all I have is 3 regiments of Line, and a stray regiment of Kalugans (the unpainted figures were dirt cheap on eBay and I couldn't resist ... another army to collect!)

New recruits 2!

2010-01-08T19:07:00.000-08:00

Well, latest off the painting table, a new regiment of Skyrian cavalry, the Kurfurst Kurasserie

Second, the 4th Dragoons (the Royals) for the Icenians - they've been hanging around waiting to get based & completed for a while:

Regent Park in winter

2010-01-08T09:11:00.000-08:00

And today it's the turn of the perfidious Icenians, that chilly isle. A rather smaller contingent, based on three regiments of mercenaries*

I've extended this to 2 brigades of 2 Line regiments, each with attached grenadier company ready for detachment.

And a brigade of 2 Fusilier regiments, with the recently-completed Hanoverian battery.

In order to make up 2 full detached grenadier battalions, I have 2 stray companies of grenadiers - the regiments they are detached from are currently languishing in garrison, awaiting the first sniff of undercoat.

I debated internally whether to depict the grenadiers in bearskin (a la AWI) or mitre (per SYW), but the existence of the fusiliers in mitre, together with (to be honest) a horde of cheap bearskin-clad Foundry AWI grenadiers on eBay, rather tilted the decision. In an ideal world I would have both available ... but then, I would also have the whole British army represented on a 1:10 figure scale, painted and ready for action, in an ideal world.

*purchased already painted, quite splendidly, on eBay. I regret that I've forgotten the vendor, who was I think moving out of the period, but they were beautifully & sturdily presented.

La Tour de France

2010-01-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

Well after the lads had their day in the sun, their principal (but unprincipled) opponents should get theirs, I guess (in more ways than one).

Ladies, gentlemen, and Stagonians, I give you the Might of Arvergne -

Two cavalry brigades, one of cuirassiers and one of dragoons, both looking sadly bedraggled as they have shed numerous flags*. The hussar brigade is on the drill ground at the moment (waiting to be rebased from single figure bases)

The infantry, four and a half regiments at the moment, with the scurrilous Chasseurs Polonaise on the left.

The Good infantry - three regiments Hibernois, the Grenadiers d'Auvergne, and the (half-strength, like their Colonel) Grenadiers Dauphin

And finally (as always) the artillery

* Part of the moving house syndrome

Le Tour de Force

2010-01-06T12:56:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of year again*, time for the parade of Kruppfalzen might known as the Tour de Force. Prior to the march down the Unterdentannen, here's the army in the wintry fields of North Kruppmeissen. First, the cavalry - a brigade of 3 cuirassier regiments, and a brigade of 2 dragoon regiments, all woefully under full strength:

Next is the infantry - 2 brigades, each of a pair of line regiments and a fusilier regiment, and a stray fusilier regiment bringing up the rear (their accompanying line regiments are still drilling** and missed the parade).

And finally, the grenadiers - a brigade of Erprinz*** along with the Garde zu Fuss, and a brigade of 2 combined grenadier battalions, with a couple of scruffy Freikorps shuffling along on the flank.

* well this is the first, actually, but let's be optimistic!

** on the waiting-to-be-painted board, anyway.

*** Yes, like everyone who started on Charge!, I had to get this regiment

New recruits

2010-01-02T21:35:00.000-08:00

Some new recruits - these guys didnt actually make it into the pix of undercoated figures earlier (I forgot, they were on the spraying board out in the garage, duh), but given my perennial shortage of artillery, I thought this is the place to start. First off, 2 batteries of Skyrians, resplendent in their evil leers of positively Bearsteinian aspect:

Next, a draft of levied peasants fresh from the toil and soil of beautiful Arvergne, still with the vines in their pockets (and ears)

Finally, the Thuringer have eventually gotten around to paying their Kanonmeister, so a battery of 12 pounders has wended its dilatory way into the ranks:

I'm reasonably content with getting that lot done since Christmas, in between the usual festive duties, and a little more surgery on one leg.

I should perhaps note that the Arvergnians (French), contrary to my usual standard, have been uniformed in grey rather than the more appropriate dark blue, primarily because almost -everyone- seems to have uniformed their artillery in blue and I wanted to stop losing them in the general ranks of the Prussian crews.

---------------------------------

Update note:

I had a quick run of the Skyrian artillery nestled on a ridge (just testing out rushing artillery with cavalry, then with infantry) and they proved positively Bearsteinian in their accuracy and morale as well, destroying a brigade of valiant Cuirassiers before the glimmer of a drawn sabre was seen, then crushing a brigade of Colonia's finest continentals, repelling the final bayonet charge in fine style with swinging rammers and a volley of complaints about their bad backs. Most fiercesome - if they carry on with dice rolls like this, they will prove a formidable obstacle to the victorious march of Kruppfalz

Campaigns

2010-01-01T15:46:00.000-08:00

Does anyone have any recommendations for feasible campaign systems for SYW? I have run a napoleonic campaign, using the 'Empires in Arms' boardgame, several times with considerable success and pleasure, but it doesn't seem so appropriate for the SYW campaigns.

Action at Kuhbrucke

2009-12-31T09:33:00.000-08:00

Otto von Pirch scratched the soul of his foot and sighed blissfully. Another week of relaxing in this charming little inn, waiting for the non-existent threat of the dread Arvergnards to invade and seize the delicious province of Weingarten, and he would have just about caught up with his sleeping schedule. He contemplated his morning: a hearty breakfast of saerkraut croissants and Rheingasse*, a quick constitutional out to the pine plantation where the lads were roughing it, and back to bed for a pre-prandial nap.

His contemplation was interrupted by heavy boots on the stairs, and his effervescent ADC bouncing into the room with his customary excess of enthusiasm. "Sir, Sir! The damn snaileaters are advancing! I spotted a long column of dust thrusting forward up the Lefolliet road an hour ago, and when I scouted it, it looked to be a whole brigade of infantry! With Artillery Support!"

Otto grunted, and sat up in bed - slowly, so as not to plague his back with sudden exertion. "Well done, Fritzie, now go tell the lads to pack up and get marching down the road back to Hochenberg please."

"Oh but sir! we surely have a strong enough position to hold them off here, esconced in these pine plantations, with Roentgen's Battery safely across the river. Isn't it our duty to put up a fight and show them what we're made of?"

"Bone, blood and guts? I don't really think they need to see that up close to find out, my boy." Fritzie bounded out and down the stairs again, still hip-full of vim, and Otto commenced his morning coughing bout, then pulled on his boots and started shaving, cursing the lack of hot water in this fleapit tavern.

As he was wiping the last of the soap off his face, he heard a sound to chill his blood - young Fritzie screaming, 'Stand here, lads, stand to your muskets'. He cleaned a patch on the window with his towel and peered myopically out, to see his Freikorps battalions all under arms, and apparently ready to fight the enemy - Kleists' lads fronting the southern plantation, the Electoral FK the north frontation, and Bulow's crack jager held back in reserve, while Roentgen's guns were deployed and showing every sign of starting to pot off a ranging shot or two. At least he wasn't lumbered with Heisenberg's battery, that man never seems to know where to find his guns, he thought to himself

(Kleist Frei Korps - with Fritzie on horseback - in the foreground, Otto's inn far right background)

Opening the window with a terrible screech (the hinges, not the brigadier!), he peered out, and his blood chilled further to see the Arvergnards deploying off the road already. What in Gods name was Fritzie thinking?

The leading regiments deploying

Otto hurriedly pulled on his pants, tearing a hole as he dragged them over his boots, then snatched a jacket and leaped down the stairs three at a time, cursing his arches briefly when he landed on the floor. By the time he got outside, searched for his horse briefly and futilely, and ran over to the Bulow Frei Korps, the Arvergnards had deployed their front line, a pair of 6 pounders moving up to drop into position beside the village, and a reserve line of grenadiers was marching into a second line.

The Arvergnard foot deploying from the right, rather clumsily

Otto looked at the odds and groaned. Two to one as the very minimum, and all his lads had was a few poor pine plantations to keep them safe. Too late to march off the field now, they'd have to make a fight of it. He barked an order to Bulow, to wheel and march his men into the village, as the Arvergnards had neglected to secure it so far.

The enemy, nothing loth, pressed forward quickly - well, quickly for Arvergnards - with one regiment steadfastly advancing at the Kleist, the other towards the Electoral Freikorps, while their artillery unlimbered by the village. Some accurate enfilade from Roentgen's battery across the river laid low many of that regiment, but their own first volley blasted far too many of Kleist's lads out of their boots, and they tumbled back, looking for better cover.

The Auxerre Regiment presses forward, suffering from artillery fire (off-left), while the Kleist FK falls back hurriedly.

The Electoral FK, having a rush of blood to the head, tried charging into the Arvergnard battery, but failed to catch it before it deployed, so took a blast of canister fire, then it was all bayonets and whirling ramrods: meanwhile, the Orleanois Regiment pressed forward, trying to catch Otto and the Bulow FK as they hotfooted their way into the village - with a notable lack of success.

Orleannois advancing into space, with Bulow FK just visible disappearing into a house

The Auxerre Regiment, undeterred by flanking artillery fire and broken ground, surged into the pine plantations, and, catching up with the Kleist Frei Korps, dealt them another mighty blast of musketry, reducing them to less than half strength, and shooting poor Fritzie out of the saddle (Well, Otto's saddle technically). Unable to endure, the Kleist took to their heels and fled pellmell

End of the Kleist

Meanwhile, after a prolonged slugfest, the Electoral Freikorps had enough, and broke and ran, leaving the rather battered artillerymen still in possession. However, Otto saw a chance for one shrewd blow, and ordered Bulow's men to pepper the artillery with a round of shot before withdrawing hastily to the north, before the wheeling infantry sealed him in this rathole of a village.

That peppering took a heavy toll of the artillerymen (close range elite shooting) and they in turn ran, abandong their guns.

Grenadiers Dauphinoise redeploying in foreground. In the village, Bulows FK peer out and start potshotting the artillery from behind.

-----------------------------------

Hmm, light infantry dont seem to be very effective, even in relatively broken ground. A few things I think I want to add to these rules:

- minus on shooting for Open Order targets (as well as better saves)

- bonus for troops charging

- More disruption to shooting for non-OO infantry in broken ground/woods

*cheap german imitation champagne

A brief plea

2009-12-28T12:50:00.000-08:00

Does anyone have details on the colours (colors) that the British army painted their guns in the 18th century? I've ransacked my library, scoured the internet (encountering many fascinating articles about Minden and Fontenoy), but all to no avail.

Der Unbemalte Stapel III

2009-12-27T13:12:00.000-08:00

Well, next stage is done, here are the undercoated figures for this bunch, not yet brown-inked:

In more detail, here is the cavalry: A regiment of British Horse grenadiers, 2 regiments of Austrian cuirassiers, a regiment of Prussian Cuirassiers, and a stray (small) regiment of American cavalry

The foot, as mentioned, 1 battalion of grenadiers, 2 regiments of line, and 3/4 of another line regiment, plus the company already painted for the last

Plus, of course, a few spare brigadiers (yet to be named)

There's always something I find incredibly appealing about the crisp clean look of freshly-undercoated figures... perhaps just the neatness and highlighted detail, and part the potential of what they might look like (so often, alas, unfulfilled once completed, as my painting is never as good as I aspired to)

Yule

2009-12-24T20:15:00.000-08:00

And a Merry Christmas to all .. may your revels be delightful and lacking in hangovers!

Raise a stein to your friends, and confusion to the French!

Oh, and to update on the unpainted pile being worked on at the moment:

'Twas the night before Christmas
and all through the house
not a creature was stirring
except for a Dremel and some Glue...

The infantry shook out into a 32 of grenadiers, 2 32's of Line, and a 24 (which will go nicely to boost the company-strong Regiment #9 Nederlander to a full 32-strong battalion).

The cavalry however are much more dubious - I have 36 Front Rank riders, 18 thinner/older (I think they are either Minifigs, or a knock-off drop mouldings - I think the latter as both horse and rider exhibit the typical signs of the mould being pressed too hard (i.e. thinner in the middle than at the ends), altho I have to say if they are drop-mouldings the flash has been well-cleaned.
Unfortunately almost all the horses seem to be the latter, leaving the FR riders rather precariously balanced on underbred & underfed ponies. Oh well, I guess I can paint them up as Spanish cavalry :)

More pics when they are properly undercoated & browned

Der Unbemalte Stapel II

2009-12-23T13:23:00.001-08:00

At the clamoring of multitudes - well, one - here are a few (really bad) photos of what I was talking about in my last post, taken on the cameraphone, which reduces my usual appalling photography to an even worse state :/

The pile of Austrians I've dragged out to work on looks like this:

This is a fair sample of what I'm being handed as an Austrian Grenadier, but the shape of the bearskin looks wrong (ignore the clearly-focussed painting table please)

And ... this is a Foundry horse? or even Front Rank? I think not, poor wee starved creature that it is

This is a fair sample of the 'Foundry' Austrians, clearly lacking the usual Foundry girth, barrel chest, squat legs and savagely cruel expression of malicious evil ... no wait, that last bit is universal to SYW Austrians of all manufacture, I forgot.

Der Unbemalte Stapel

2009-12-23T09:13:00.000-08:00

Well, I seem to have finished off my 25mm (ha!) Romans, with a unit of cataphracts, so time to dig out some more unpainted lead.

One thing I had been working on before we moved house in October & all got reduced to confusion, is trying to undercoat and brown-ink all my unpainted ancients, and base them (i.e. de-flash, file the bottoms flat, and loosely glue to bases). This has gone pretty well, and most of them at least have had this treatment, so are available to use at home, if not outside! This also - of course - makes it much more likely they will get painted eventually, as all the boring bits have already been done.

Time to move on to my SYW pile*, so I had a quick scan (ha!) last night, and found a pile of Brits, a big pile of Prussians, and a big pile of Austrians (memo to self: must buy some more Russians). As the Austrian (Skyrian) contingent is woefully undermanned, I thought best to start on these**, so extracted 4 large bags of lead as a place to start.

Hmm, these were all bought off eBay (some year or 3 ago) as Foundry Austrians, but looking at them now, I'm not at all sure. The Grenadier bearskins look suspiciously AWI-British, and a lot of the cavalry look far too underfed*** to be Foundry at all. Still, I'll undercoat them and see what they look like. I have to admit, with the diminishment of my painting time, ability, and general concentration, anything 2nd rate is more likely to get sold off or binned than painted - with limited time resources, why invest it in rubbish? Money isn't as scarce as time nowadays (a radical change from 30 years ago!)

* it should be piles, plural, but thats too subject to misinterpretation!

** Fear not, my beloved Prussians, I shall return to your ranks! Funny how your favourite armies always massively outnumber the opposition, though :)

*** Not to say Foundry figures are as overplump as many wargamers, but every blister should probably have a Nutrilife sticker on the back

The Battle of Dienstleutenberg

2009-12-20T10:06:00.000-08:00

Quick summary of my 2nd try-out of the BAR rules, featuring the retreating Colonians (Americans) being pursued by a couple of brigades of Icenians (British) after an apparently disastrous confrontation between the Colonian/Arvergniard alliance and the Kruppfalz/Icenian armies.

The egregious General Greene (above, rallying some disheartened States Guard troops) has selected a hilly hamlet to make a rearguard stand:

Start here
then this
this
and finally this

A couple of observations about the rules:

The artillery was pretty pathetically ineffective, despite what seemed like a decent position
First fire is DESTRUCTIVE - and after that, vastly less effective
DONT CHARGE FORMED FOOT FRONTALLY WITH CAVALRY!! Man that astonished me

There are quite a lot of holes in the rules that I had to make up rules for on the spot, which I need to write down so it remains consistent (to be fair, I may have missed them in the rules, it's hard to say), including:

Passing Fire
Shooting into Melees
Shooting overhead

Edited:
These are the OB's

Battle of Dienstleutenberg

CSColonia					1718
Maj General Green	Elite				110
Brigadier Bickle	Veteran				60
1st New Hull Continentals	Veteran	line	24	10	240
5th New Hull SG	Trained	line	18	9	162
2nd New Hull SG	Trained	line	18	9	162
Schiphol Rifles	Trained	light	12	7	84
Brigadier Bartlet	Veteran				60
1st Algonquin Continentals	Veteran	line	24	10	240
2nd Algonquin Continentals	Veteran	line	24	10	240
Green Mountain Rifles	Veteran	light	12	8	96

Mcallisters Battery	Trained	art	8	18	144
6pdrs			2	60	120

Incenian					1914
Maj General Fitzpheather	Trained				90
Brigadier Maxwell	Trained				50
12th Foot	Veteran	line	32	10	320
39th Foot	Veteran	line	32	10	320
7th Fusiliers	Elite	line	32	11	352
Maxwell's Grenadiers	Elite	Gren	32	14	448
Brigadier von Kurse	Elite				70
Kurse's Kurasserie	Veteran	Cuir	12	22	264

Dienstleutenberg (4)

2009-12-20T10:04:00.001-08:00

The Fusiliers, somewhat slow in their reforming, got then caught by the advancing 2nd Algonquins, whose advance inspired the riflemen lurking in the woods to more adventurous conduct (and, alas, even more adventurous marksmanship, or lack of it)

On the right, the 12th Foot fled, but Maxwell managed to rally his Grenadier battalion, and turn to face the advancing States Guard.

Meanwhile, the Cuirassiers retained control and did not pursue, instead charging down the New Hull continental regiment.

To general* amazement, however, the Novohullers retained their nerve, held fire til the last moment, and blew away the whole regiment of menacing horse with a single lethal volley, wounding the accompanying brigadier von Huff in the bargain. Pausing only for a stern cheer (Kruppfalz Sucks!), they advanced to menace the fleeing Icenian foot

On the right, the Fusiliers managed to reform their line, somewhat reduced, only to find themselves enfolded in a slow stinging fire

The reformed Grenadiers, after one swift look around the field, elected to turn and retire at the double, pursued by stinging volleys from the advancing Colonian troops

Meanwhile, the Fusiliers found themselves assaulted front and rear, insulted in flank, shaken and dismayed. Their remnants raised mitres upon bayonets, surrendering to the victorious Colon

Final count:
Icenians:
12th Foot: Routed, 9 casualties of 32
39th Foot: Routed, 17 casualties of 32
23rd Fusiliers: Wiped out, 22 casualties, 10 prisoners
Maxwells Grenadiers: Retreated in good order, 19 casualties of 32
Seydlitz Kurassierie: Wiped out, 12 casualties of 12

Colon:
1st Algonquin Continentals: Routed, 14 casualties of 24
2nd Algonquin Continentals: Good order, 3 casualties of 24
1st New Hull Continentals: Good order, 8 casualties of 24
1st New Hull States Guard: Good order: 5 casualties of 18
2nd New Hull States Guard: Routed, 11 casualties of 18
Schiphol Rifles: Good Order, 0 casualties of 12
Green Mountain Rifles: Good order, 4 casualties of 12
Algonquin Artillery battery: Good order, no casulties of 8

*Well, mine anyway!

Dienstleutenberg (3)

2009-12-20T10:02:00.001-08:00

In the centre, Maxwell's grenadiers decided the fire was too oppressive, and the menace* of the looming artillery too much, and decamped to find a more salubrious position, sweeping away the vainly gesturing Maxwell as they went.

However, far more ominously, a weak regiment of Kruppfalz Kurasserie trotted down the road, sabres gleaming in the somewhat soggy sun. A shiver ran down the line of Colon foot, but the sturdy presence of Colonel Bickle apparently settled their nerves.

On the right, the 1st Algonquins elected to charge the advancing 39th Foot, rather than waiting for the dread cuirassiers to exploit their advent. They also drew the States Guard battalion beside them into the charge. Apparently catching the Icenians by surprise, their receiving fire was ineffectual, but the clash of bayonets was fierce on both sides, leading to both the 39th and the Algonquins breaking and running, leaving the somewhat-astonished States Guard holding the position.

On the Colonian right, the Fusiliers, having overcommitted in their charge, elected to form on the right to reposition themselves, the opposing riflemen pelting them with cottonballs and the occasional walnut (for all the effect their shooting had)

As the second line (12th Foot) moved up to replace the broken grenadiers, they in turn got assailed in their flank by a mob of shouting States Guard - however, the Icenians were apparently made of stern stuff, as they simply brushed off the charge without injury. The 2nd Algonquins, meanwhile, moved to try and screen the advancing cuirassiers.

Alas, they did not press ardently enough, and while the advancing Colonian foot all fell onto the front of the halted 12th of Foot and smashing them, the Cuirassiers fell upon the flank of the States Guard with cries of joy, breaking them immediately

General Green, meanwhile, occupied himself trying to rally the fleeing foot, to no noticable effect.

Next here

Dienstleutenberg (2)

2009-12-17T20:08:00.001-08:00

Green peered again through the borrowed telescope, and sure enough, hot on the heels of the quick-marching Colonnials were a brigade of the damn Icenians, two regiments of foot heading the pursuit.

Bickle led his Continentals off to form the far left of the front line, followed by half his State Guard, while he sent the rest to reinforce the second line, forming in between the two Alqonquin regiments

The evil Icenian commander, however, seemed to elect to avoid the woods on the right, and started forming up opposite the Colonian left, with the regular foot forming in two lines, and a combined battalion of grenadiers (Maxwell's) extending the front line.

Last of the Brigade on to the field was a regiment of fusiliers, the famed 23rd Gwynedd, and these seemed to show some inclination to at least mask the wood to avoid insult to the flank of the advancing foot.

While the Icenians formed up, and pressed forward their attack, the Colon Artillery popped away several times, to little discernable effect - the only hit Green spotted was when a pair of oxen went flying into the air, presumably saving some butcher the effort of providing dinner that evening.

On the Right, the Green Mountain Rifles got a trifle keen and pressed too close to the advancing Fusiliers, and a well-timed first volley from the latter laid a third of them hors de combat. The Schiphols, rather more cannily, loitered in the fringe of the woods, potting away the occasional shot but to little effect on either side.

The Icenians kept pressing forward, drawing the 1st Algonquins off the hill to support the first line, while their sister regiment pressed forward to assail the apparently exposed flank. A fierce exchange of first volleys on the Colonian left was equal in overall injury, but the weight of numbers on the more exposed grenadiers on the right, told viciously. The New Hull Continentals
took damage, but the straight shooting from the 2nd Algonquins laid low many a furred hat, and the Grenadiers reeled under the press of damage.

On the right, the Fusiliers charged with a mighty Gwynedd shout, but failed to catch either rifle battalion, altho the Schiphol boys were so dilatory in their endeavours, the glittering bayonets came close

Next here

Back to the table (1)

2009-12-17T11:17:00.001-08:00

Well, after an interlude for sickness, house hunting & acquisition, and moving, back to a second test of BAR:

----------------------------------------------

The sodden infantry of the CRC squinted, pulled their tricornes closer over their eyes, and scowled into the rain as it dashed against their faces. After the beating they took at La Follet, when the miserable Arvergnards left them in the lurch, they counted themselves lucky to have hats and muskets, and to be alive to retreat from the field.

General Green sniff forlornly at his snuff - as drenched as everything in this wretched army. Behind him, he knew, the Icenians, or their leash-holders the Kruppfalzen, were hot on the trail, and he blessed whatever stars had kept their fiendish cavalry off his back so far - abandoning the wagon trains and artillery seemed like a stroke of brilliance now, despite all the arguments. Still, it wouldn't be long before they caught up, and it behooved him to find somewhere for his squelching troops to make a stand, and try to dry their powder.

Up ahead he could see a low ridge, with the road leading into the pitiful hamlet of, of, of ... some blasted Allemannic craphole, he cursed under his breath. Dienstleutenberg, if he didnt misremember. Rapping his wooden leg* for luck, he sent a runner to Brigadier Teague, directing him to post his remaining few 6 pounders on the ridge, with the Algonquin infantry covering to either side of it, and send the Green Mountain boys into the copse nearby to avoid insult to that flank. He squinted behind him .... somewhere back behind the curtain of rain, there was Bickle's brigade of brash New Hullers, hopefully somewhat intact: the raw Janelanders were probably all dispersed, those that had escaped the dreadful sabres of the damned Cuirassier charge.

After an hour resting on the ridge, and watching the rain recede, his troops had managed to dry out somewhat, and the first of Bickle's men were visible down the road, the seedy and shaky Schiphol Rifles in the van. Peering through Colonel Roosfelt's telescope, he could see more thick columns looming behind Bickle, rather ominously close. He sent a runner to Bickle, directing him to form up in front of the ridgeline the Algonquins were posing on, and to send the riflemen to reinforce the Green Mountain rifles in holding the woods.

* His favoured weapon in battle, this was a leg his father had wrenched off an Arvergnian Colonel in the assault on Schellenburg 50 years earlier, and he carried it strapped to his saddle when not waving it vigorously to encourage his men.

Next here

Pferdweissgasthaus, the first encounter

2008-09-02T07:35:00.000-07:00

I've recently acquired some new SYW rules, called BAR (Battalions d'ancient regime, or as I prefer, Big-assed Regiments), which uses fairly simple Grant-esque rules, and substantial formations (ideally up to 60 figures a regiment). This is a series of gradually-escalating solo games I've been fighting to evaluate and learn them.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Young Kurt von Bulow cursed, and pulled his boots on again, over his sore feet. March all day, then the verdammt Major General wants to send a brigade off to seize some gotverliess hovel of an inn, just because it holds a case of Mouton Rothschild '24, supposedly: and of course the Margrave is already in his cups, and unrousable, so it's up to the Brigade Major to take charge, again. He stamped his foot in irritation, then moaned at the pain.

Nevertheless, he got the brigade swinging down the road towards Pferdweissgasthaus, ready to seize the Gasthaus as instructed, and alert to probing French patrols in the same direction. As the leading regiment, the Oldenburgs, approached, they could see in the distance a similar cloud of dust. Peering through his eyeglass, Kurt could make out the billowing ensign of the Normandie Regiment, in column of march, with the dust promising further arrivals.

Hustling the Oldenburgs into line rapidly, he sent his aid galloping back along the column, sending the Ostergotland Regiment swinging wide, while the Erprinz made for the gap between the two.

The French Brigadier, Guitar, meanwhile had tugged and pushed the Normandie Regiment into line, and brought the Bourgogne Regiment up beside them. Lacking room to deploy further right, due to the inn and its' outbuildings, the French converged grenadiers (the Alacarte battalion) headed left, towards the Ostergotland Regiment

This left the Ostergotland regiment at somewhat of an advantage, as the french Grenadiers, deploying to line from the right (as all infantry do), were markedly slower forming into line (seen here, with the head of column ready, and the other companies about to extend the line leftward).

Both sides elected to press forward, the French hoping to delay the Prussian advance, the Prussians eager to catch the French grenadiers still in column - in which pursuit they were partially successful, catching them halfway formed to line (the head of the grenadier battalion just visible here).

However, the overeagerness (or something) allowed the French infantry to fire first, all down the line, producing fairly shattering results on the Oldenburgs, and severely marking the Erprinz Regiment: their return fire, both having lost a third of their strength, were somewhat less devastating, although fortunately poor dice throws were matched by poor saving throws by the French.

However, the Alacarte Grenadiers got caught by the steadily advancing Ostergotland regiment, and lost almost half their number at the first blast of musketry, leaving their own reply truly derisory.

Guitar, now anxious for his left, decided to lead the Bourgogne regiment in a charge against the Oldenburgs, and pressed home through fierce musketry, putting the Prussians to flight (upper right, with the Oldenburgs hovering around the edge of the board at this point).

Kurt, cursing volubly, led the Erprinz regiment forward, their superior training and morale coming to play, and they outshot the Normandie regiment, helped by a truly daunting blast of canister from the battalion artillery (the french failed all 6 saving throws), while the Ostergotlanders pressed forward to take the most advantage of the disordered Grenadiers, whittling their numbers down further - the Grenadiers return fire was scattered, although their spirit remained intact, as their cheers showed.

Guitar, after taking some time rallying the Bourgogne regiment, then debated briefly whether to try and swing to take the Erprinz regiment in flank, but noticed that the Oldenburg regiment, having decamped to a safe distance, were now rallying, so he elected instead to press forward and scourge them before they recovered good order: and so it proved, another blast of musketry decisively outshooting his opponent and routing them again, this time for good.

However, that drew him well away from the rest of his brigade, for better or worse - the Normandie regiment, woefully depleted, decided that without leadership, it was time to seek reinforcements and fled pell mell: they attempted a brief rally, but a further volley from the Erprinz saw them take to their hells.

Meanwhile the Grenadiers earned unbounded Prussian admiration, by remaining, fighting to the last man, attempting to cover the rout (note: 1 company of 6 left, with 4 casualty markers on them).

Both Prussian regiments then turned to deal with Guitar and his heavily damaged Bourgogne regiment, but the latter decided enough was enough, formed march column, and stalked off the field, leaving Kurt to lead the Erprinz Regiment to seize the Inn, while the Ostergotlands, nothing loth, seized both the overrun French battalion gun (and claimed it for their own), and the provisional flag of the Alacarte Grenadiers, to grace their permanent headquarters.

A good day for the blues, Kurt thought, seated in front of the inn with a spare bottle of brandy, soaking his longsuffering feet.

Prussian Losses:
Oldenburg: 18:32 and routed
Ostergotland: 9:32
Erprinz: 14:32
1 Gun crew

French Losses:
Bourgogne: 23:36
Normandie: 26:32 and routed
Alacarte Grenadiers: 36:36
1 4lber and 2 crew, all captured

Observations: quick and bloody rules indeed! Not sure morale has quite enough factors, and having other units rout affecting you only when burst through, seems a little too restrictive: certainly the grittiness of units not testing morale until under 50% for -anything- makes casualty rates skyhigh ... which is OK if you assume a high rate of return to the colours after battle (troops run, or helping the wounded, or whatever), but can look a little odd.

OTOH the manouevring is quite awkward and un-Napoleonic, which is definitely a big plus. Have to see how artillery in quantity, and cavalry, affect things.

My overall inclination would be to add a morale test for friends of same/higher quality routing within 6"; adding a -1 to morale for losing a firefight (not just a melee); and adding a -2 to morale for having enemy behind flank within 12". I daresay a lot more factors will occur to me, but I do want to keep things fairly simple, and not fall into the perils of 5th Edition/Gushite tests.

Skirmish - First US Tournament

2008-07-17T06:59:00.000-07:00

Well, we went to Dallas last weekend, and met up with some of the Okie posse (Ray Summers, Monty Walls, Pat Sweeney), & played in my first US tournament. This was with Field of Glory (FOG) rules, 650 points, only published army lists.

I borrowed my army from Ian Buttridge, the extremely able & genial umpire, and used Aragonese:
3x4 Kn Superior Hvy Armoured Undrilled
8 & 6 Almughavar - MI Impact foot, sword, Superior, Prot, Undrilled
8 MIlitia, HI Off Spear, Armoured, Poor, Drilled
4 Jinetes, LC JLS, Protectd, avge, Undrilled
8 Crossbows, LI, Xbow, Unprotected, avge, undrilled.

Game 1 was Komnenan Byzantine, on a close table - woods on the left,
impassable cliffs on the right, and a bunch of uneven ground at the foot of
the cliffs, giving a choke point about 2.5 foot wide in the middle of the table.
I aimed the almughavars & LC down the uneven ground, the knights at the
gap, the LI into the woods, and the spear in reserve, near the woods. He
deployed MI archers opposite the uneven ground, Skutatoi beside them,
Elite Varangians next to them, Frankish knights (H/armoured), then
Byzantine (armoured) knights, then opposite the woods more MI archers.
He put 3 LH groups in front of Skutatoi, Frankish knights, and Byzantine
knights.

We both pushed forwards as fast as we could, but in turn 2, he had a
sudden rethink and decided the archers opposite my Almughavars might not
like the matchup, and reversed them - they spent the rest of the game
running back to the camp. Then, as my knights thrust forward, I charged my
Jinetes at the LH opposite them, and he elected not to evade (because it
would disorder the Skutatoi, but to stand. As I had POA in impulse and
melee, I massacred them (altho without killing a stand), so they routed -
through the Skutatoi, disordering them. He then detached his general from
the Varangians to try to rally them, a fairly pivotal mistake.

On my left, his archers were (unsurprisingly) pushing my LI back briskly, and
managed to rout them with shooting (some poor dice throwing didn't help
that). The archers then turned inward to threaten the flank of my knights.

Meanwhile, the main lines clashed - On impulse, all was equal, except that
the Varangians got disordered (I had a general in the front rank there, so we
were both effectively elite: they also lost the melee, but retained cohesion &
dropped a stand, giving me an overlap. In the rest of the melees, our CinCs
met in the middle, both leading identical HArm Knights, and drew; and my
knights defeated the lighter Byzantines, disordering them.

Of course, my victorious knights then got struck in the flank (disorder), then
lost the impulse combat (not allowed to fight back as facing enemy to front),
and became fragmented, then (of course) lost the melee and ran like girls.
Our CinCs tied again, and the Varangians lost again, dropping another
stand and fragmenting. I should add, the Byzantine general was now at the
back of the table, having failed to rally his LH. Oh, yes, I forgot - I got
overambitious with the Jinetes, and got stitched up by his 2 remaining LH
units.

In my turn, the Almughavars plowed into the Skutatoi, fragmented them,
then routed them in melee, while the Poor spearmen charged the Byzantine
archers - who of course had had to extrude beyond the woods to fight- and
were compelled to also charge into the disordered Byzantine knights, due to
the angle of charge.

This turned out to be a good idea, as the spearmen fragmented the archers
on first impact, then routed them in melee: and fragmented the Byzantine
knights in the melee. Our CinCs drew (again), and the Varangians lost
again, but again didn't lose cohesion - however, the test for the Skutatoi
routed them (at last!), and the cohesion test for that disordered his CinCs
knights, while the routing archers caused the Byzantine knights to rout,
which test in turn caused the CinC to fragment. With 5 routing units and a
fragmented Knight unit, that was the game, 18-7.

Game 2 was against Lance Gamble, who had Federate Romans - and his
Patrician list was the worst possible, I think, for this sort of open comp.
There was virtually no terrain, and game was a walkover - I deduced that
the only matchup that might help him would be lancers against my MI
Almughavars, so I ensured that didn't happen, and once deployed, he didn't
seem to think of trying to redeploy (given that his mounted were all undrilled,
probably just as well I suppose).

Anyway, from the left, I deployed LH, the small Almughavars, all my Knights,
the big Almughavars, then the Poor spear. He deployed 1 unit of Hun Cav
(Bow/Sword), 3 units of 4 Cav lancers & 1 of cataphracts opposite my
Knights, then his 2 x10 Warband (O), then 2 6s of Auxilia.

I saw no need for finesse here & just rolled forward. The only change I made
was to push the small Almughavars out to meet his Huns (where they spent
the game staring at eachother ), and pulling the LH inside them to flank the
lancer line. Essentially, just rolled forward, and POAs did for him all down
the line.

From the right, my Spears got into one of his auxilia palatine (the other
being distracted by crossbowmen), and having armour and an overlap,
massacred him. The big almughavars caught his Warband in 3 ranks, giving
up an overlap and being Avge vs Superior, and got massacred just as
quickly.

His other warband were only briefly a speedbump for the first of my knight
units, while his combined cav - he rather mismanaged these, so that they
were forced to charge while outside the cataphract charge reach - got
equally slaughtered by Knights enjoying overlaps and POAs for armour &
lances. All in all, in 2 turns I managed to rout 8 of his 11 units.

Game 3 was against the guy who'd defeated Monty (just), with Seleucids. I
thought this could be ugly, with Pikes and 2 units of Elephants, none of
which bring joy to the eye of the charging Knight, but, well, not so much.

The table had a fair amount of broken & rough ground on the right, but
otherwise essentially open (a couple of irrelevant low hills). He deployed with
his cavalry (Huns, sup Companions, elite Agema all in 4s on my left, then
elephants, then pike (resting on the uneven ground), then 4 LH, 2 units of LI,
and an ambush of 6 Thracians.

I deployed all my knights on the left, then the Almughavars opposite the
Pike, then Spear opposite the uneven ground, then LC & LI. Initially he
pushed forward with the skirmishers & LH, and more slowly with Pike &
Elephants & cav, while I pushed the end 2 knight units, held the third back
somewhat, and angled left with the almughavars and spearmen.

He got a bit incautious with the LH, who got chased off by a charge of
spearmen, then - to my amazement - when I charged my LH at his 2 6s of
skirmishers (right at the join), he evaded. I'm fairly sure if he'd stood, the
combination of shooting as I came & melee would have crunched me, but
there you go. As it happens, I caught both units in the back when evading,
and mullered them (drop 1 for hit in the back, lose the impulse - one broke
then - then lose the melee - the other broke then). That relieved any anxiety
I had about the flank of my spearmen, so the foot slanted hard across the
front of his army/

I couldn't quite get into charge reach of his elephants, but my big
almughavar unit charged into the pike, hitting both units, while my spearmen
hit the end element of the pike (not accidentally, I'd cribbed this idea from
Ray) - led by a general, to negate the Poor. The spearmen lost the impulse,
but passed cohesion, then expanded out to gain an overlap in melee, which
they won. The big almughavar unit covered itself with glory, winning the
impulse and the melee, winding up the pikes as fragmented.

In his turn, he charged one elephant unit into the small almughavar unit, and
pushed the other towards my knights (not quite getting in charge reach),
while his Skytian Cav and lancers pulled back in front of my knights,
unsurprisingly. The elephants lost & disordered, then lost again, passed
cohesion, but failed their death roll - that of course caused them to flee &
expire, being 1 element strong, so the small almughavar unit pursued into
the flank of the other elephant unit. Meanwhile the big almughavar unit
broke their pike opponents, and the spearmen fragmented theirs. The
fragmented pike then broke on testing for routing friends, which caused his
LH beside them to disorder.

On my next turn, we did for the other elephant unit (hit in the flank, losing,
and failing death roll so it expired), and my LH charged his disordered LH,
beat them and they dropped 2 1s, to rout in the impulse phase - that meant
7 routed units of 11, for an astonishingly easy win, 25/0. I didn't lose a stand,
in this one.

I'll let Monty describe his tale of woes, pausing only to observe that I don't
consider Lydians to be viable out of period, now.

Fairly pleased to have won a tournament straight off the bat, but it was pretty tiny, only 6 people, so not too difficult, I suppose.

Ready!

2008-04-28T05:02:00.000-07:00

Packed at last! A mere, lets see, 47 drawers, 15 file boxes, and 12 sundry boxes filled with painted and unpainted lead (an alarming amount of unpainted lead - including, just in ancients, 15mm Ottomans, Anglo-Irish, Gauls, Caesarian Romans, LAP, Greek/Macedonians, PreIslamic Arab, and 25/28mm Romans, Late Romans, Greeks, Macedonians, Medieval allsorts, Aztecs, Arab Conquest/Empire, Byzantines, and Anglo-Danes... plus more I've doubtless forgotten).

Now to finish packing the books ...

Painting update

2008-04-17T04:54:00.000-07:00

Well, packing for the Great Move to the USA proceeds apace, and - as it turns out - is a beneficial prompter of painting, as I need to take regular breaks from the packing, which easily converts into small batches of painting interspersed with the wrapping of toys in bubblewrap.

Anyway, I've now added:
British: another 2x32 Line, 2x32 Grenadiers, 32 more Fusiliers, and 12 Light Infantry
(total: 24 Dragoons, 4x32 Line, 2x32 Fusiliers, 2x32 Grenadiers, 2x12 Light Infantry)
Austrians: 8 Line infantry (strays)

I've also been buying up cheap Front Rank SYW from eBay, to the tune of: 260 British infantry, 213 Prussian infantry, 46 British cavalry, 16 Austrian Cuirassiers, 29 Austrian Dragoons, 150 Austrian infantry, 75 Austrian Infantry (Hungarians), 36 Swedish infantry, 36-ish Russian infantry, and 12 Pandours: aside from the shipment of Front Rank last year, of artillery, and British & American cavalry, which I've forgotten the numbers for.

Perhaps time to stop for a while - thats about 25 more regiments of foot, aside of the rest!

hmmph

2008-03-07T05:09:00.000-08:00

Well, that didn't work so brilliantly ... perhaps the labour of photography (at which I am, I admit, rubbish); but more, I think maintaining the concept of fictional nations requires a certain folie a deux, for which I lack a co-conspirator. Never mind, for the moment, I'll just use this for my sundry battle reports and painting project reports.

Which reminds me, I must take an audit of what I've got, and what still needs painting (*wince*). Haven't touched the Byzantines, Nubians, Romans, Aztecs, or Dacians which I know are lurking around: on the bright side, making progress with the SYW figures that I can't find a regular opponent to play (!) - still have an unopened box from Front Rank, plus a regiment of British cav needing retouching (thanks eBay), and 5 regiments of British foot only undercoated, plus a light infantry unit. That might be all the outstanding 25mm lead ... then there's the 30YW French, Anglo-Irish, and Arabo-Aramaean 15mm armies, and I think enough lead to make up a Kushite army as well. Hmm, have to find something new to use all those Arabo-Aramaean archers for, now the army doesn't exist. Hmm. Oh, and the French knights if I can ever get hold of Matt the Painter.

Anyway, the painted 28mm SYW now consists of:
Prussians: 2x32 foreign Guard, 32 Prussian Guard, 32, 24 & 20 Grenadiers, 2x32 Fusiliers, 4x32 Line, 2x12 Freikorps, 16 & 2x12 Cuirassiers, 16 & 12 Dragoons, 6 guns
French: 32 & 24 Grenadiers, 3x32 Irish, 4x32 & 1x16 Line, 2x12 Chasseurs a pied, 16&12 Cuirassiers, 16&12 Dragoons, 16 Hussars, 12 Hussars needing repaint, 4 guns
British: 24 Dragoons, 32 Fusiliers, 2x32 Line
Americans: 2x24 & 2x20 Continentals, 2x27 & 4x18 Militia, 3x12 Rifles & skirmishers
Russians: 32 Line
Austrians: 3x32 German Line, 12 Cuirassiers
Also, 4 Battalion guns suitable for any army.

A notable dearth of artillery (it's pricey stuff!), which will be partly corrected by the new shipment of lead, and partly by detaching the crews, so the guns can be used in any army, with appropriate gunners attached.

Bitburg, part five

2007-12-14T04:48:00.000-08:00

As Lentulus deployed his grenadiers to storm the much-battered Inn, with his fusiliers behind them, the elite Erbprinz Regiment (in 2 battalions) filed onto the field, heading for the rather-depleted left wing: fortunately, the stern fighting over Bitburg itself had dissuaded the Arvergnians from pressing forward here, for fear of exposing their flank.

To Lentulus' relief, the Oldenburgs had managed to sort out their musketry woes, and forced La Marine to retreat, while they were replaced in the line by the reformed Normandie regiment, somewhat depleted from their ejection from Bitburg. In the centre, the Schwandrie combined Grenadiers and the 58th Foot joined hands, preparing to storm both town and Inn at once. (In the distance, you can see more Arvergnian horse filing onto the field).

On the left, the combination of two depleted fusilier battalions, and the heavy battery, had reduced the Clare Regiment to relative impotence, and they were showing signs of wavering - however, another Grenadier regiment had moved up to support them, and behind them, the Auxerre Regiment deployed in further support.

The disordered Kalkreuth Dragoons, having eliminated the Bourbon regiment by virtue of attrition and superior numbers, now launched themselves at the open flank of the retreating Normandie regiment, as a target too tempting to resist. Beyond them, the Bayreuth Dragoons swept forward, causing the gunners to abandon their ill-deployed guns, only to be met by another regiment of Arvergnian cavalry, Les Mousquetaires. The resounding crash of their meeting echoed over the field, but to no effect, as they drew.

On the left, you can see the Clare reigment now recoiling from the firefight, while the first Erbprinz regiment deploys into line, ready to replace the wavering fusiliers. Further in the distance, the resurgent 58th Foot seize Bitburg again, while the Inn is taken for the third and final time, by Lentulus' grenadiers. Alas, the fair Bernice had by now been spirited out of the inn.

Bitburg, part four

2007-12-14T03:52:00.000-08:00

The Kalkreuth Dragoons, even though disordered, held the Bourbon regiment to a draw, and both sides rapidly debouched into line.

Lentulus, having deployed his leading regiments, now led them forward, his favorite Oldenburgs in the lead. They marched up to the La Marine square, carefully preserving their fire until close range, then unleashed their first volley at this plump pigeon. Peering through the smoke, Lentulus started spluttering and gibbering, turning an alarming shade of purple, before he could clear his throat and turn to the Brigade Major. "Two dead! Two miserable men dead!! what have you done to my boys?"**. The Brigade Major turned white, then hurried down the line, quickly checking muskets and kicking the arses of sergeants.

Beyond this, the Arvergnians brought up a fresh regiment of Grenadiers, and assaulted the town, driving the 58th Foot back in some confusion.

Meanwhile, the rest of Lentulus' brigade arrived - a regiment of Fusiliers, and a combined battalion of Grenadiers.

Somewhat against the odds, the Kalkreuths drove the Bourbon regiment back in disorder, then pressed forward, inflicting further injury, despite Baron de Batz joining the Bourbons to rally them.

Meanwhile, on the left, the 12th Foot, after seeing off the Picardie Foot, had themselves been caned by Clare: maintaining good order, their much reduced ranks formed column, and fell back into reserve behind the heavy artillery, leaving the Fusiliers to face the Clare regiment. Above, you can also see the 58th Foot rallying after being ejected from Bitburg.

** First Fire, against a Dense Target, not moving, and they roll 2x1 on 2d6

Bitburg, part three

2007-12-14T03:42:00.001-08:00

Here you can see Lentulus' troops marching up to reinforce, while on the right the Kalkreuth Dragoons ride roughshod over the Bulkeley Regiment, their first victim of the day, and the Bayreuth Dragoons skirt circumspectly around the Arvergnian square. In the centre, the Icenian fusiliers have just ejected the Grenadiers Savoie from the Inn, again, while the 58th Foot is exchanging futile volleys with the Arvergnian foot occupying Bitburg itself. On the far left you can just about see the Picardie regiment starting to flee the unflinching Icenian volleys, across the closed field.
As the Kalreuth Dragoons drove the Bulkeley Regiment back in ruin, the following Dillon Regiment hastily formed square, comforted by the arrival of the first of the Arvergnian horse, the Regiment de Bourbon Cuirassiers.

However, von Lessow, commanding the Kalkreuth, was nothing loth and flung his dragoons, disordered or no, straight at the Bourbon regiment. (In truth, as the alternative seemed to be to rally directly in front of a newly-arrived Arvergnian battery, the charge looked a better choice).

Meanwhile, the Bayreuth Dragoons took the opportunity to deploy into battle line, and menace the deploying artillery.

While this was going on, the 58th Foot had decided that their firefight was pointless, and had drawn bayonets and ejected the Arvergnian Normandy regiment from Bitburg itself, in short order - ironically, just as the Savoy Grenadiers seized the Inn and Lady Bernice for the third time.

Bitburg, part Two

2007-12-14T03:33:00.000-08:00

Rathenau had meanwhile led his dragoons over to the west of town, and the Kalkreuth dragoons were mounting the first of the low ridges there: their appearance caused some consternation amongst the Arvergneaux, and the Normandie Foot regiment had formed square in response.

Now, as the dragoons marched urgently off, his own brigade started pouring down the road, and he trotted down to join the head of the column, aiming to march in support of the dragoons**

At this time, the Grenadiers flung themselves at the Inn again, successfully ejecting the Icenian fusiliers.

On the left, the exchange of fire continued, with the faltering Arvergnian foot being now supported by the Regiment de Clare, against the superior numbers and discipline of the Icenians.

As he joined the Livgarden Regiment, he saw the Savoyards launch their third assault on the (rather battered-looking) Inn, while to the west he could hear trumpets blowing the charge - the Kalkreuth Dragoons had apparently found a target (not, he prayed fervently, that French square).

Indeed, it was not, but rather the unfortunate Bulkeley Regiment: Patrick Bulkeley having misestimated the reach of the dragoons, and neglected to form up from march-column, and was caught by the squadron-columns of the Kalkreuths (above, about to start their charge).
Meanwhile, the 12th Foot had pressed their advantage against Picardie, advancing to close range (while the second battalion of fusiliers dropped back into support, leaving room for the continued bombardment of the town), and Picardie was rapidly wilting under the storm of shot.

** Not to mention the juicy target of a regimental square of French!

Bitburg: the early phase

2007-11-19T05:12:00.000-08:00

Riding in advance of his troops, Lentulus soon reached the heights of Bratschen, and gained a panoramic view of the lively clash.

The retiring Arvergnians had installed one regiment of foot as garrison in the town, with another regiment on each side of the town, neatly in line, and a reserve column of the Grenadiers de Savoye held behind the town. They showed no sign of artillery or cavalry as yet, while the Icenians had a battery of 12 pounders in action beside Lentulus, in ear-splitting but rather disappointing action already.

Clinton had apparently concentrated his two infantry regiments on the left of the town of Bitburg, splitting his elite Fusiliers into a pair of small battalions, one to act as general reserve, and the other as a storming party to assault the White Horse Inn, on the edge of town*.

As he watched, the right-hand battalion of Fusiliers stormed the Inn successfully, eject a company of Arvergneaux in short order, and securing the courtyard. To their left, the rest of the Icenian foot pressed forward, the 12th Foot lining up against the Picardie Regiment across a closed field, while the 58th Foot headed towards the town. The Arvergnian foot on the other side of the town kep marching in stately fashion, while the road south showed suspicious dust clouds and - sure enough, when peering through his spyglass, the flags of the Ibernian brigade.

He turned in the saddle, and saw the Kalkreuth Dragoons trotting briskly up the road, with half the Bayreuth Dragoons behind them, all neatly in column, and smiled in some satisfaction.

Back at the town, the Savoy Grenadiers had formed an attack column and flung themselves at the Inn, but been repulsed by sturdy fighting by the Fusiliers, while to the left, the 12th & the Picardie regiment had exchanged some extremely disappointing first volleys, and now moved to close the range.

Behind the town, he saw, the Regiment de Clare was forming line to support Picardie, while the rest of the brigade headed for the other side of the field, still in march columns: and the Savoy Grenadiers, nothing loth, had flung themselves at the Inn again, only to be repulsed after some sustained combat.

*and temporary residence of the fair Bernice, hence the assault.

First Stirrings

2007-11-05T03:05:00.000-08:00

At last, the long-anticipated news arrived: Arvergne and Styria were stirring, and readying their armies to seize the Rheinpfalz again. Leopold extricated himself from the Royal Conservatory, in the midst of composing Concerto #17 for Recorder and Quartet, and hobbled excitedly down to the Royal War Room, where he had to kick out four patrons in order to clear a table*.

Die Altenburger and von Lentulus broke up their whist quartet and joined Leopold, as the other generals hastened in at the news. Studying the map spread out on the table, Leopold quickly dictated his plans, sending the bulk of the Kruppfalzarmee south and east to face the Styrians, while detaching Lentulus and Rathenau to cover the southwest frontier, and hopefully link up with the erstwhile allies of Grand Icenia, in the blithe assumption that perfidious Prydin would honour its treaty obligations.

However, while the Elector gathered his army for the descent on Styria, news arrived from the Icenians, that Arvergne had broken the frontiers already, descending on Osnabrueck and with a brigade of infantry seizing the annual Wax shipment just prior to it being sent to Icenia: and Brigadier Clinton had set out in hot pursuit, determined to prevent the Arvergneaux taking the shipment back to their own lands. Leopold threw up his hands, and ordered all his forces to rush to the assistance of the rash Clinton**

First in the saddle, and first to march, was Rathenau with his brigade of dragoons, hotly followed by Lentulus with his infantry, the others straggled behind. Pausing briefly at Kleefeld for a hasty kaffee, the two heard a rumour that the Arvergneaux had seized not just the Waxerie, but also the fair Lady Bernice Witherscomb, which explained the hasty pursuit by the amorous Clinton. Redoubling their efforts, the twain headed south, rewarded by the distant sound of musketry and the occasional thud of artillery.

*In accordance with Leopold's customary frugality, the Royal War Room serves as a kaffeeklatsch and whist room for subscribers while not in more martial use.
** Not to be mistaken for the Clinton Rash, an entirely different affliction.

Mutiny in the ranks!

2007-10-15T03:19:00.000-07:00

Akk. I've been beseiged all evening by a pestilence of skirmishers. Upset at being omitted from the relevant lists of armies, the Arvergnard regiments:

Arquebusiers de Grassins (12 Skirmishers)
Fusiliers de Conti (15 Skirmishers)

have been pestering me to rectify my glaring omission, while the Kruppfalz troops:

Freikorps von Kleist (12 veteran skirmishers)
Freikorps von Bulow (15 2nd-rate skirmishers)

have simply staged a strike for double-pay in recompense. Consider me suitably chastised: and as double nothing is nothing, I thought to offer the Freikorps triple-pay instead.

Grand Icenia

2007-10-15T01:25:00.000-07:00

I've only made small inroads on collecting the fourth army, that of Grand Icenia and Thuringer. So far, I've accumulated some pre-painted figures, courtesy of the Great Bazaar of eBay, and none painted by my own hand: however, with the damn Yankees almost complete, this is about to change. What I have to hand is:

7th (Silure) Fusiliers: 32 Veteran Line
12th Regiment: 32 Line
58th Regiment: 32 Line
Royal Lifeguard: 24 Cuirassiers

However, on the painting board are:

1st (Pict) Fusiliers: 24 Veteran Line
3rd Regiment: 24 Line
27th Regiment: 24 Line
Maxwells (Fusilier) converged Grenadiers: 20 Grenadiers
Richards (12/58) Grenadiers: 16 Grenadiers
Farquharson's (3/27) Grenadiers: 16 Grenadiers
1st Battery, Royal Artillery: 3 12#
2nd Battery, Royal Artillery: 3 6#

And in the further distance, yet to be undercoated:

43rd Light Infantry: 12 Veteran Skirmishers
52nd Light Infantry: 12 Skirmishers
60th Rifles: 8 2nd class Skirmishers
1st (Royal) Dragoons: 12 Heavy Cavalry
2nd (Pict) Dragoons: 9 Heavy Cavalry
5th (Ibern) Light Dragoons: 9 Light Cavalry

Eventually, I'm aiming to add a 3rd Artillery battery, and perhaps another cavalry regiment; and to expand all the line infantry to 32-strong regiments.

Grand Army of the Republic

2007-10-15T00:46:00.000-07:00

I've almost completed the third force, the ~~Rebel Scum~~ Confederated States of Colonia, close allies to Arvergne ever since the Great Rebellion against their rightful and natural overlords, the Brigants. Being new and poor, they are so far lacking in cavalry, and their artillery has yet to be delivered by the foundries of Lyon and Dijon.

So far, the army thus consists of two divisions, from their most populace states:

1st Algonquin Continentals - 24 Line
2nd New Hull Continentals - 24 Line
5th Algonquin Continentals - 16 2nd class Line
6th Somerset Continentals - 16 2nd class Line
Green Mountain Rifles - 12 Veteran skirmishers
New Hull States Guard - 18 Militia
New Somerset States Guard - 18 Militia

3rd Bawdian Continentals - 24 Line
4th Bawdian Continentals - 20 Line
7th North Clementine Continentals - 16 2nd class Line
Hatfield Rifles - 12 Veteran skirmishers
North Clementine Regiment - 24 Militia
South Clementine State Guard - 18 Militia
Janeland Home Guard - 18 Militia

Two batteries of artillery should shortly be making their way into the lists, and eventually the odd squadron of dragoons may finish ~~falling off their horses~~ training, and add their weight to the army.

L'armee de l'Arvergne

2007-10-12T07:10:00.001-07:00

The other large force I've more or less completed, is the Arvegnch army. This so far consists of:

Grenadiers d'Arvergne, 24 Guards
Grenadiers de Savoye, 24 Guards
Bulkeley Regiment, 32 Line (Hiberns)
Dillon Regiment, 32 Line (Hiberns)
Clare Regiment, 32 Line (Hiberns)
Normandie Regiment, 32 2nd-class Line
Picardie Regiment, 32 2nd-class Line
Limousin Regiment, 32 2nd-class Line
Auxerre Regiment, 18 2nd-class Line

Les Bourbons, 16 Cuirassiers
Les Mousquetairs, 12 Cuirassiers
l'Allemands, 16 Dragoons
Maistre de Camp Dragoons, 12 Dragoons
Chasseurs de Fischer, 16 Hussars
Maroczy Hussars, 12 Hussars (on loan from the Skyrian army)

Dole Artillery, 2 12# pieces
Vesoul Artillery, 2 6# pieces

Other than rounding out the Auxerre, no plans are afoot for this army.

The Army of Der Kruppfalz

2007-10-12T06:42:00.000-07:00

After some consideration & playtesting (and much dithering), I've settled on Kunstkrieg, the SYW variant on General de Brigade, as the most suitable rules for my troops, and have based them up on that basis - not least because I've always favoured large regiments as giving more visual grandeur.

At the moment, Der Kruppsarmee consists : (pix to be added later)

Erprince Regiment (IR1), 2 battalions, each 24 Guard
Oldenburg Regiment (IR7), 1 battalion, 32 Veteran line
Ostergotland Regiment (IR9), 1 battalion, 32 Veteran line
Livgarden Regiment (IR2), 1 battalion, 32 Veteran line
Vastmanland Regiment (IR10), 1 battalion, 32 Veteran line
Knyphausen comb. Grenadiers, 1 battalion, 32 Grenadiers
Sobiesky Fusiliers (IR14), 1 battalion, 32 Line
Butyrsky Fusiliers (IR16), 1 battalion, 24 Line
Lowenstein comb. Grenadiers, 1 battalion, 24 Grenadiers
von Lentulus Kurasserie (KR3), 12 Veteran Cuirassiers
von Seelhorst Kurasserie (KR6), 12 Cuirassiers
von Seydlitz Kurasserie (KR8), 16 Cuirassiers
Kalkreuth Dragoons (DR4), 12 Dragoons
Bayreuth Dragoons (DR5), 16 Veteran Dragoons
Detwald Heavy Battery, 2 12#
Julich Medium Battery, 2 6#

The whole is usually commanded by General von Finck, with General Lentulus and Die Altenburger leading the infantry brigades, and General Lavoissier the Dragoons - the Kurasserie has yet to find a stable commander capable of not being shot out of the saddle, slain by his wristwatch, or fleeing like a very frenchman at the first shot.

In the fullness of time, it is intended to round the army out with another pair of infantry regiments (Pfalz-Sonderheim and Schaumburger-Lippe), a Hussar regiment, some more artillery, and of course, another draught of Dragoons to expand the Bayreuth regiment's strength. Much of this already resides in the fabulous riches of Der Unbemalte Stapel (The Unpainted Pile), languishing along many an Arab, Byzantine, Roman and so on.

Wye Knott

2007-10-12T05:18:00.000-07:00

I suppose it's inevitable even the old grumblers will venture into Blogosphere - scouts posted, sentries alerted, and muskets loaded, of course.

This is intended to be a fairly occasional blog, to let me track the size and growth of my seven years war collection, and the nations thereof, and any battle reports that might ensue. Being of grandiose ambition (and ever-expanding, like my waistline, it seems), I have not a single fantasy nation, but a whole continent of them:

Der Kruppfalz (und konigreich von Rugia), ruled by the wily Kurfurst Leopold, and his dimwit son, Landgrave Joachim.

The Monarchy of Arvergne, lorded over by the otiose King Louis XXXIII

The Holy Gothic Empire (also known as the Twin Thrones, of Skyria and Avary), held in the iron fist of the Empress Josefina as Regent for her slackwilled son, Villy .. also nominally ruling over the sprawling mass of duchies, bishoprics, marks, and freistadts making up the bulk of Alamanny.

The realm of Suzlov, more or less ruled by the Tsar Vladimir

The Kingdom of Grand Icenia (or Brigant, colloquially), with it's appanage, the Duchy of Thuringer, in the firm, fair hands of King Charles III

The Rebel Scum, err, rather the Confederated States of Colonia - principally the Commonwealths of Algonquin and Bawdia, ruled by none, with the People's Assembly allegedly organising them.

and lesser players and occasions for war, such as
The Frisian Republic
The Helvetian Republic
The monarchy of Ispania
The principality of Lusitania