My Latest Napoleonics

I bought myself a Christmas present through Warlord Games: a box of late Victrix French infantry and then some officers, casualty figures and a small group of engineers made by Warlord Games.  Here are some of the pictures.

Warlord Games French engineers

Warlord Games British officers (figure on the left painted as a Portugese colonel)

Warlord Games French officers (grenadier head taken from the Victrix infantry box)

Victrix grenadier company

Victrix infantry command stand with Warlord mounted colonel.

Victrix voltiguers

Victrix line company

The whole battalion

Warlord Games French casualty stands

My collection of these 28mm plastic figures has grown to be formidable and includes infantry, cavalry and artillery.  I want to get a box of the new Victrix French artillery and add another box of Victrix British artillery.  Perhaps one day I'll actually put them on the table and have the two forces slug it out.

Middle School Gaming Event

Today I was able to host my first event for our Military History in Miniature Club.  12 students participated, along with two alumni who ventured over from the high school.  The majority of the club wanted to play Flames of War.  This game was entirely student led and had 10 of the 12 members participate.  I added a small game of Sharpe's Practice that attracted the other two students and we had a great game as well.  I was able to use my Napoleonic figures for this go.

In the Flames of War game, it looked like the Germans got the better of the Americans based on the number of flaming hulks I saw towards the end of the day.  I was involved in my Shape's Practice game and wasn't able to pay much attention, but everyone seemed to be having a very good time.  The two student leaders did a good job of keeping things moving.

The German armor at the start of the game.

The American armor.

Turn One: The Germans advance.

Here they are using the wood to cover their attack.

Turn 3: German armor getting the upper hand.

The Germans secure the farmhouse on their side of the table.

The end of the game.

In the Sharpe's Practice game, the French outnumbered the British significantly, but the redcoats had the advantage of solid cover.  The French player moved out boldly, his cards coming up all at once.  The British player elected not to garrison the buildings in the town in the first turn and this would come back to haunt him later.  The French units closed quickly and, due to the way the cards fell, got most of the first shots.  The French player rolled well and the British casualties began to mount.  The 1/63rd's 1st company charged a portion of Sharpe's riflemen defending a wall and killed them to the man, including the gallant Captain Sharpe.  The voltiger company was able to occupy three of the town's buildings that same turn and that was the beginning of the end.  Some British reinforcements arrived, but were too late to alter the situation.  This was clearly a French victory.

The beginning of the game.

The French right.

The defense of the town.

A section of the Royal Foot Artillery coming up to add to the town's defense.

The French player moves up his artillery.

The French close in for the attack and overwhelm the outnumbered riflemen.

It was a very good start to our wargaming year.  It's a good group of kids and a few of them are investing in figures of their own.  That's a big step forward towards raising up the next generation of gamers.

2016 Preview

For Christmas my oldest daughter gave me Prelude to Waterloo by Andrew Field.  This gives a French perspective to the battle of Quatre Bras.  It has some excellent maps and it has inspired me to take on the project of developing scenarios for the various phases of the battles.  I have the complete order of battle for each side, and now I know where and when the French forces joined the battle.

As for my painting table, I believe the second half of a commission I started last December will be coming my way.  In addition to that, I took advantage of Warlord Games' after Christmas sale to pick up some mounted officers and French infantry which should be arriving in the next week or so.  Between these two projects, I should be keeping busy for a little while.  I'll post pictures as they become available.