The "last" 6mm - ECW Painted Up

Been a bit quiet here due to domestic challenges (including Deborah breaking a leg) and a book that won't write itself, but getting back on an even keel, and behind the scenes painting has continued a-pace. The ECW 6mm figures I painted at the end of last year have finally had their bases done. Five regiments of NMA, one of Lord Brooke's (bought purple specially), two of Scots, a regiment each of ECW and Scots horse, and an extra regiment of foot and horse made up of all the leftovers from earlier paintings!

Here's some pics.

As mentioned in the last post this is my last large 6mm, batch as I'm now happy that I have "complete" forces for:

• Ancients: Greek and Persian
• Medieval: 100YW (covering British and French) and WOTR (covering Yorkist and Lancastrian)
• ECW: Royalist, Parliamentarian and Scots
• Napoleonic: French (~2 Corps), Almost Corps sized for British, Spanish, Prussian, Russian, Austrian, British Allies

I'll assign 1 month a year to paint up 6mm to fill gaps or just do some "fun" units within these periods. They'll be played with heavily, but the painting focus is switching to 20mm (and maybe.....)

Battle of Jena - ENDEX

Finally got to the end of Jena - not that it took a long time to play but just not had the time. I used to really like (the idea of) Jena, probably from being there for the 200th Anniversary, but having wargamed it twice now (Liphook and here) it really is a bit of a bore as the Prussians are vastly outnumbered and out-skilled, and the French are struggling up slopes and through woods with no room to manoeuvre, and by the time they are out on the plain its all over.

Lannes V Corps made most of the running, although Lutzeroda managed to hold out for quite a long time (about Turn 8/1030). Augeraeu's VII Corps haked its way up the ravine on the L flank to emerge outside of Isserstedt but couldn't get its order resorted in time to make a decent attack. Soult and Ney were very late to the party, although Soult's 1st Div did manage to take out the Prussians by Alten Gonna. In the end it was Nansouty and his Heavy Cavalry Corps that help delivered the killer blows, mopping up the Prussian cavalry, putting weak units to flight and opening up the way for Lannes to finish things off, with the Guard spectating from the Dornberg.

ENDEX was called at the end of Turn 12 (1230) as the Prussian fell below 50% in formations and units and their line between Vierzehnheilgen  and Isserstedt was about to collapse. Interestingly they did manage to roll for Ruchel's Detached Corps to come on at that point, but it was effectively all over.

Overall the French were running just behind the real timeline, but interestingly Prince Hohenlohe ordered the retreat at 1pm in real life, so the French actually ended up just ahead of it!

Overall the rules worked pretty well, certainly felt better, if more complex/slower, than the recent Blucher game, but will be interesting how the BOD-SLS-GT version I'm working on will compare.

Photos are a bit dim as I finished about 2330 on a winter's evening!

French (R) emerge from the woods under Isserstedt (Austrians standing in!)

Vierzehnheilgen church under attack

Another view of the church - like the perspective - just need more light

Balloon (!) shot of the final placings, Prussians in arc Left to Top

Balloon view from behind Soult's IV Corps

6mm Napoleonic Russians - Batch 2

The table is currently being set up for Jena so I'm afraid these guys will only get the mantle-shelf treatment.

My first batch (about 1/2 a Corps) were some of the first Napoleonic 6mm I painted and were some donated Heroics & Ros (thanks Alan again!). So it was nice to round off my c.4 yrs of bulk 6mm painting with another 1/2 Corps of Russians, but this time from Baccus.

Six battalions of mitre'd Grenadiers - Pavlovsk and LiebGrenadier. Blame Peter for only selling them in packs of 96!

Normally I have 12 cavalry in close order on a base. For the Cossacks I decided to go with 1/2 sized bases and only 3 per base - so I think that gave me 8 regiments worth! Painted one as Guard Cossacks and another as Bashirs.

Four regiments of heavy cavalry, two as Dragoons and two as Kuirassiers.

The LiebGrenadiers again (its the red disc at the top of the mitre to tell the difference!)

The other end of the heavy cavalry line-up.

There were also 6 battalions of Musketeers (2 each of Tobolsk, Volhynie, Kremenchoug facings) and 3 of Guard (2x Preobrazhensk, 1 x Semenovsk) and 3x Grenadiers with Kiver (Kiev, Moscow, Astrakhan facings I think).

As mentioned that bring to the end my "bulk" painting of 6mm Napoleonic so I now have about 2-3 Corps of French (+Guard), 2 of Prussians and one each of British, British Allies, Russian and Austrian.

The aim now is to paint a "batch" (~30 units) every year of "fun" stuff or to fill in gaps - but that will be shared with ECW and Medieval. Some more Spanish seem to top the list at the moment (esp the guys with the long tails on their hats!)

Battle of Auerstedt - STARTEX

Finally got my solo game of Auerstedt (14 Oct 1806) started. 6mm, Steady Lads Steady Rules, battalion manoeuvre units, 200m hexes (Hexon 10cm).

Scenario opens at 0700 as Gudin's 3rd Division (bottom of image) of Davout's III Corps tops the defile from Kosen and the Saale valley onto the main plateau. Up ahead of them is Hassenhausen (centre of image above). Problem is it's thick fog so they can only see 100m ahead of them, so they aren't yet aware of Blucher's Light Cavalry Brigade approaching through Poppel (top of image) - and more importantly of the whole Prussian Army (well at least its 1st Line and Reserve Corps). The rest of the French, including Napoleon, are simultaneously engaging the rest of the Prussian's at Jena.

The scenario rules allowed fog to lift at a random rate each turn. All units  not on the table at the start also come on with random delays - so a unit may arrive 6 turns later than you'd hoped.

So, on with the game as it played.

The French close on Hassenhausen at the same time as Blucher. Blucher's cavalry are first in just as the fog lifts, see the French and charge straight out of the town (unformed). The French hold their nerve and send the horses packing.

With the cavalry pushed back (smoke/damage markers) the French infantry can push on into Hassenhausen.

End Turn 9 (1000), Petit's 7th French Bde are in Hassenhausen and Schimonsky's Prussian Bde is about to try and retake it. The second Prussian Bde is swinging south (left in image), and the 8th French Bde (Gauthier) is swinging N (right) to secure the line to Spielberg.

End Turn 12 (1100) - Bloody fighting for Hassenhausen, the Prussians come through the sunken road/woods on the W (right) of the town, get repelled by the French, French counter-charge form the flank, rout the Prussians but then get charged themselves by the Prussian 2nd line.

Nice view from Fr lines S of Hassenhausen towards Poppel church.

Overview of the whole battlefield. Friant's Division is being swung S (left) of Hassenhausen to go against Albensleben. The line to Spielberg is being probed by Prussian cavalry but holding. I was worried that the masses of Prussian cavalry would unbalance the scenario but they've been pretty ineffective against the French and the small amount of French cavalry has also sent some packing. The battlefield is now too crowded for them to be effective.

End Turn 15 (1200)  Battle Royale developing just S of Tuagwitz/Poppel with about 4 - 6 Bn a side getting involved. The  Prussians appear to be getting the upper hand at the moment, but both sides have fresh brigades to throw into the fight.

The Prussian are also now assaulting the French right wing with elements of Wratensleben's Division. Davout is desperately awaiting the arrival of Morand to either shore up that flank, or if it's holding to punch through Friant in the South.

Medievals WIP

Getting on nicely now with the Medieval French (and others). 3/4 of the knights done, just done some nice Scot and Swiss pike (just need mounting), all the crossbows done. Just one batch of knights (4 units), one of levy bow and the commanders to do. Should bring them all in ahead of schedule, and then need to do the bases properly before I play Agincourt in celebration.

Battle of Bosworth - Troops on the Table

Mike Ingram's book presents the following deployment for each of the battles and artillery for either side.

Bosworth Deployment Zones

And with the troops on the table it looks like this:

The broad view looking North

A birds-eye view look West

Henry Tudor looking towards the Ricardian line

Burgundian crossbowmen with Richard behind

De Vere's billmen have a good view of the advancing Yorkists beyond Fenn Lane Farm

Well, there's nothing for it now but to play the battle - game on!

Late Medieval Army - Tranche 2

Destined to fight its way through the War of the Roses and the Hundred Years War my second tranche of Baccus 6mm Late Medievals was completed this last month - just need flags and unit labels. I should now have enough to do all major WOTR/100YW battles at 1:33, possibly even 1:15.

First up later this month will be Bosworth, and I also just bought the Anne Curry book ready for Agincourt next year.

Four early artillery pieces with dismounted men-at-arms and hobilars behind (just love hobilars). (even more so after Salute where whilst browsing the Lance and Longbow stand - and buying an excellent book on WOTR Livery - I overheard some guy asking about Lord of the Rings stuff - he mistook hobilars for hobbits!)

Richard III mounted men-at-arms retinue.

The third tranche next year will be mostly French mounted men-at-arms!