18th Century 28mm – Page 4 – The Medetian Wars

Legion de Fleurie Light Gun

The mid-18th century Legion is coming along slowly. I’ve managed to finish the small artillery component – leaving the 2nd light company, the bulk of the grenadiers and the commander still to do.

The crew are very mildly converted Royal Ecossais command figures from Crann Tara’s Culloden range. They’re by the same sculptor as Minden Miniatures, so are lovely well-proportioned figures. The pointing officer received a linstock and two standard bearers received the rammer, etc. Lots of detail to paint, but worth it. The uniform is basically the same as the Legion light infantry (inspired by the Royal Ecossais themselves) and the gun is in red to match, unlike the regular Fleurian artillery which has yellow carriages and equipment.

The gun is from RSM and the 3 crew denote it as a light piece.

Deployed on sabot:

Old school style:

Legion de Fleurie Grenadiers – first figures

Following on from my previous posts about my Fleurian mid-18th century Legion ( here and here ) I have now completed the first small batch of Grenadiers to go with them. These were actually painted a couple of weeks ago but I wanted to base them before posting.

These are RSM figures (Austrian Grenadiers) painted in the same colours as the light infantry. The uniform was inspired by one of John Ray’s gorgeous Spanish regiments. White gaiters aren’t much fun to paint, but do look the business when they’re done.

I have the rest of the battalion to do of course, which will take it to a strength of 30, so lots more work ahead! This unit will be the core of the Legion, with lighter troops in support. The rest is made up of light infantry, hussars and a light gun. I aim to have it complete somewhere around the end of the year.

Now back to painting those remaining 19th century Chasseurs!

A Very Eventful Skirmish – part 2

So, up went the first pair of rockets…. and down they came… about halfway to the target! The rules for them certainly made things interesting and unpredictable, and we soon agreed that the safest place on the table to be was the target they’d been originally aimed at. Simon had some nice explosion pieces containing flickering lights which really looked the business.

As my units struggled forward over the rough terrain, I was beginning to feel that I was at least as likely to hit my own troops as the enemy. It was a good premonition, as the very next rocket mischievously decided to turn hard right and plough into one of my rifle groups (which had just failed by 1″ to charge the voltigeurs). Lovely. I’d been aiming at the village again, so as you can see from the next pic, this was a significant miss! One dead and a few shock (disruption) points. It could’ve been worse I suppose..

Still, the rifles rallied and after 1 more shot I ordered the crazy Major Brock to desist for a while, and let the enemy take a turn shooting at us. That last rocket came down short of the target like all the rest, but at least evened the score by killing a voltigeur! We were beginning to close in on the village and the fire from the rifles and the light infantry’s muskets was causing Simon a growing problem in casualties and shock points. His earlier sortie, which had caused me some concern, was recalled or forced back, and his voltigeurs somehow made it back to their own lines by routing faster than my men could catch them. With 26 shock points on a unit with only 5 men left, they weren’t going to play any further part in the action, and about time too.

Getting back to the mission, the church was still a long way away and there remained a lot of French infantry between me and it. Despite the deadly fire my units were now pouring into the defenders, time was running out and with a flurry of unhelpful (to me) cards and turn ends, the French cavalry finally turned up. As I’d feared, my rifles were too spread out and were vulnerable to being ridden down, even on the rough hills. As fate would have it, the turn ended suddenly again (those damned cards!) which freed up the newly-arrived cavalry to launch an immediate charge.

The first group of riflemen fought well, but were killed or sent packing, and over the next couple of turns the horsemen slaughtered another group, killing the rifles officer and the Irish priest who’d led them by hidden paths to the village. Although my speed-bump rifles did finally manage to stop the cavalry, and cause enough casualties and shock to dent their effectiveness, the game was up. We reviewed the table and agreed that despite the losses and disruption among the French, a successful assault by the remaining British would have had little hope of success. In retrospect I should probably have tried to focus on moving faster and ignoring the temptation to stop and shoot. That said, there’d have been a lot more enemies left to face an assault if I hadn’t wittled them down as I did, so the outcome would still have been in doubt.

The final positions, with the rifles major and the priest lying dead on the hillside as the cavalry pull back to re-group, and the remaining attackers still too far away to achieve their objective:

All in all this was a very enjoyable game with lots of fun and surprises, and a believable outcome at the end. Simon was an excellent host, and played his position well, holding on for the cavalry to thunder to the rescue. The rockets were amusing and completely hopeless at the same time, but added extra flavour to the game. The rules are very good, but are vague in places and we were understandably rusty a year on from game 1. We certainly speeded up once we got going, despite grappling with cavalry, artillery and rockets for the first time. The card-generated turn sequence, with all its uncertainty and swings of luck, makes for great entertainment and a real challenge. Roll on the next game!

A Very Eventful Skirmish – part 1

Yesterday Simon (Goat Major) hosted me for our second ever game using the Sharp Practice rules. We used one of the scenarios from the Compleat Fondler supplement, which involved the British attempting to rescue an important officer from the clutches of the dastardly French before he could be hustled out of the Peninsular. We took advantage of some of our own back-story from the first game we played last year, where the British commander, Fondler himself, was captured (due to my carelessness and Simon’s initiative). It was therefore Fondler who was to be rescued then, by his own men.

Simon had set up the table (6′ x 4′) as an exact replica of the one called for in the scenario, even going to the trouble of putting in some after-work sessions last week to add a necessary large hill! As you can see, the battlefield looked enticing to play over. Pics are from my phone, but hopefully they’re OK.

The figures were an eclectic mix of our 18th and 19th century forces, some on group bases and some as singles, along with the appropriate Big Men to lead them – and my new rocket battery of course. We rolled for sides, with me getting the ‘British’ and therefore being the one to attack. Simon duly set up a tough-looking defence of the church in which Fondler was being held, with one squad of voltigeurs under Sergeant Petain required to be out on the hills to provide warning of the British approach.

The various arrivals due included my main force of light infantry and the rockets by road at the start (on blinds), my riflemen (represented by Simon’s lovely Grenzers) via the middle road after a few (but randomly timed) turns, and finally the French cavalry which Simon had to hope would come to his rescue in time. The action kicked off with increasing numbers of my infantry peeling off the road to go cross country and push the voltigeurs back so the rockets could deploy unhindered. It was to take a long time to drive them away, which definitely had an impact on my troops’ positions in the closing stages of the battle.

I had some luck with the timing of my rifles’ arrival and they were soon racing to cut off the frustratingly resilient voltigeurs, who were benefiting from the cover offered by the scrub-covered slopes they were retreating across.

The game was beginning to hot up as the rocket battery deployed on the road within sight of the main French position and started taking fire from the enemy’s light gun. As the eccentric Major Brock (slightly mad scientist and inventor of these experimental rockets) ordered the first fuses lit, no-one on either side could prevent themselves from ducking a little in anticipation of the impending mayhem that was expected to follow.

Part 2 to follow..

Once you have rivers, you need boats

I have plans for lots of Sharp Practice games set in the post-Napoleonic period, with Medetia and Fleurie again going at each other, and I fancy having the option for some riverine and amphibious actions. Now that the river bank sections are done, which can also serve as coastline or lake shores, I need a few boats for the men to use to get themselves into all sorts of trouble dealing with currents, contrary winds and the like.

I have scratch-built one in the past as a test piece, and was reasonably happy with it. However, boat building is time-consuming and I decided I’d rather see what was on offer to buy. So far I have liked the look of the Small Row Boat that Ainsty produce, and also fancy two that are available from Games of War.

I decided to order a sample of each, and the Games of War ones have arrived first (very speedy service). These are the Jolly Boat and Tender from their pirate equipment range, and lovely models they are too. They are very detailed and produced in a very light resin-type material, to a high quality. I’m very pleased with them and may order a few more. The added bonus is their price: £5 each, with free postage. The £2.80 postage the package was marked with therefore brings these excellent models down to the equivalent of £3.60 each. That’s a bargain in my book.

Each will hokd about half a dozen 28mm figures on 1 inch bases (such as those below), or a couple more of the 19mm round bases I use for my 19th century forces. That’s fine for my purposes and will pretty much allow a Sharp Practice ‘group’ of about 8-10 figures to be carried in each boat. Handy.

Once the Ainsty order arrives I’ll post a picture of their boat, and the other related item I bought..

St Angelo’s Ghosts

The last figures I painted for the May multi-player extravaganza at Ayton were a unit of Hussars. Having done exactly the same in 2013, I knew what I was letting myself in for – Hussars are not the ideal troop type to have to finish to a deadline, there’s always more detail to find just when you think you’re nearly finished! Still, despite the stress and fatigue of again finishing them on the Friday morning (the day I was travelling..) I now have another unit of Hussars in the collection.

I suspect that if I didn’t paint them to a deadline I would put off doing them indefinitely. Guess what I’ll be painting at the start of next May?!

I didn’t have an opportunity to post about the new unit at the time, but they galloped onto the table after the smoke from the recent battle at Spurlacco had cleared and posed for a few shots.

This unit is part of the Medetian army and was raised by the Cavaliere di St Angelo, a noble from the northern uplands of the country. St Angelo chose to dress his regiment in white and other pale shades and mount them all on greys (a common horse colour in the region) – hence their nickname, ‘The Ghosts’.

The figures are Perry plastic Napoleonic French Hussars, using the mirliton head option, the presence of which in the box is a real boon to people wanting to use them for the 18th century.

The flag is just a bit of clipart from the web, printed as a design onto paper and painted. As with my other Hussars, I want these to be available both for 18th century games (where standard base sizes are needed, hence the sabots) and for early 19th century games (where I need them on single bases for Sharp Practice).

This unit balances out the Fleurian Legion Hussars (Minden Miniatures) and I plan to add another similar sized unit of the same figures respectively to each side in due course (in time for the next two Ayton deadlines I guess!)

Battle honours have yet to be earned by this new regiment, although they didn’t lack for courage at Ayton. They were in the first line of cavalry that dashed itself to pieces against Iain Burt’s guns and infantry (fortunately his cavalry wasn’t on form that day or I’d have been thrashed) in front of Pescadrix. Our war correspondent’s mid-action sketch below..

Ponte di Spurlacco – Final round up

A few days after fighting the battle, I thought I’d jot down some final details and my reflections on the game while it’s still pretty fresh in my mind.

The casualty returns were as follows:

Medetian Army

Braganza Infantry Regiment 7 figures
Sebastiani’s Grenadiers 1 figure
Weissach Grenz 2 figures
Montanelli’s Cuirassiers 9 figures (unit retired)

Total 19 figures (380 men, of whom about half could be expected to return to the colours during the campaign)

Fleurian Army

Bravence Infantry Regiment 18 figures (unit dispersed)
Friant’s Jagers 2 figures (unit dispersed)
Wurttemberg Jager 2 figures
Legion de Fleurie Hussars 1 figure

Total 23 figures (460 men, of whom about a third could be expected to return to the colours during the campaign)

Not too bloody, all things considered. However, with the Medetians holding the ground at the end of the battle (and therefore capturing some of the Fleurian wounded) and with two Fleurian units dispersing (with inevitable further losses to desertion), the actual result was probably more in the favour of Medetia than the close tactical victory would suggest. Certainly the Medetian main army would now be able to capitalise on its advanced guard’s hard work and gain an early advantage in the campaign.

The next clash would take place on Fleurian soil then. I need to look through other scenarios I have kept over the years (many of them Charles Grant’s Tabletop Teasers) and decide what will offer the most interest and fun next time round.

In terms of the rules, although I still have some reservations about certain bits (generally the ‘weightiness’ of them rather than the quality), they did play well and give me believable outcomes. Where there were surprises and dramatic events they all felt plausible for the period and unit types involved, and (assuming I interpreted them correctly) coped well with the ‘tricky’ bits such as split units, fighting over bridges and in built up areas, etc. The Ayton games had given me some familiarity with Henry’s rules, although I think they work better for smaller games with fewer units, where you have more time to appreciate the details of the fighting they’re designed to evoke.

I was pleased with the look of the game itself, and although I still think the rivers are a little ‘bright blue’, the gloss paint does offer different depths of colour and levels of reflection depending on the light, which I like. I wasn’t sure about leaving so much of the table empty of scenery and had been tempted to place more trees, walls, rocks, etc, but having manoeuvered fairly large units all over the place, I’m glad I didn’t!

Ponte di Spurlacco Part 4 – The Main Action

With the Medetian heavy cavalry having shrugged off the enemy Hussars’ opportunistic attack, and their infantry driving on the village and bridge, General Amore was feeling confident that the battle was going his way. His men were doing their duty well and his artillery had the Fleurian infantry in its sights.

The action was not decided yet, however.

General Bevue watched anxiously from the other side of the river as his Jager bore the brunt of the Medetian assault. Although they blasted away at the approaching enemy, too few Grenadiers and Grenzers fell to slow the advance.

Closer to the river the Wurttemberg Jager were trying to hold their own against the serried ranks of the Braganza Regiment, who traded a powerful first volley against the constant skirmishing fire of the Jager.

A general view of the battlefield at this time, with the infantry coming to grips, the artillery in place and the cavalry yet to fully engage:

Both sides’ infantry regiments were manoeuvring for control of the bridge but neither seemed keen to storm across it until things were settled in their favour elsewhere.

With the cavalry on the other flank yet to really get stuck into each other, the Fleurian artillery decided to intervene first. With an enfilading volley of prodigious dice throwing, 7 hits were scored on the hapless Medetian Cuirassiers (only 2 were saved) as they struggled to form up on dry ground. This was to be a decisive point in the battle.

The Medetians were tough fighters though. The Grenadiers went in with bayonets fixed and the hard-hit Cuirassiers turned to face the Fleurian Dragoons as though they were unwilling to admit the presence of the guns that were busy re-loading..

The infantry fight continued meanwhile..

The reason everyone has Grenadiers in their army – one turn of fighting and the village was theirs, with the Friant Jager taking to their heels.

The Medetians were about to receive a blow to their chances however, when a second artillery hammer blow was delivered on the Cuirassiers. Reduced to half strength, they were forced to retire, leaving the entire flank open and with only the river to protect the artillery, the Medetian line of communication and, basically, their whole position.

General Amore faced a moment of truth; should he accept that his cavalry’s departure had rendered his position untenable or ignore all that and push on with his attack? From fighting stock going back generations, he wasn’t going to give up now! Over the bridge went the 1st company of the Braganzas. Nearby the opposing lines blazed away at each other, with casualties mounting on both sides.

After suffering some casualties, and being outflanked due to the loss the village, the Wurttemberg Jager splashed back over the river and took up new firing positions. Fearing a collapse, Bevue’s ADC waded into the fray and directed the Bravence regiment into positions to repel attacks from two directions.

Seeing the backs of the Cuirassiers as an opportunity, the Fleurian Hussars benefited from a very good command roll by Bevue and thundered forward at an outstanding pace. The Rutowsky Dragoons left their position on the Medina di Spurlacco and followed the Hussars to threaten the flank of the Medetian artillery..

.. which frantically turned a gun to oppose them.

The Weissach Grenz, having helped the Grenadiers take the village, quickly about-turned and dashed back to protect their precious guns. Would their effort be in vain?

Everything was about to turn on a single moment – the Medetian infantry stormed over the bridge into the Fleurian line. Who would prevail?

The dice favoured the bold – and the defenders routed. The impact of the charge, combined with the losses to musketry from across the river, was too much for them.

For General de Bevue this was the end. Although he had dominance on the left where his cavalry were unopposed, without his infantry and with the loss of the village, the Fleurians could not hold their ground against such an aggressive enemy. He ordered the cavalry to pull back to protect the rest of the force, and his artillery to retire in sections, offering covering fire as they went. There were few orders for his infantry, they weren’t stopping to listen!

A few final pictures as the game came an end and the Medetians consolidated their possession of the vital bridge.

Thank you for staying with my battle account, there were a lot of pictures in the end!

So, I’ve blooded my 18th century armies in the Medetian campaign, had a good time with the rules, and enjoyed a superbly fun wargame – hopefully in the spirit of many of those who’ve inspired me in the hobby.

A final word on the scenario: well done Phil, Spurlash Down is a brilliant introductory game and offers a fascinating tactical challenge – even if you’re controlling both sides!

Ponte di Spurlacco Part 3 – Opening Moves

There was little hesitation on either side, and the first turn saw plenty of movement.
Both armies advanced according to their orders, although the command rolls created some variety in the urgency of their marching. Good old General de Bevue was a bit slow off the mark and the more impassioned Amore got the jump on him a little.

So, to the action:

The Medetians advanced, while their Cuirassiers swung right to cross the river.

The Fleurians, being a nation with a long memory, remembered what had happened to their French allies at Blenheim and decided that the best time to attack was while the enemy’s cavalry was disordered after crossing water. With that, the Legion Hussars galloped forward and prepared to charge the first line of Medetian heavy cavalry as it emerged from the river Asta.

Pagani’s battery got into position overlooking the bridge and unlimbered swiftly, its commander seeking out the first target for its guns.

Meanwhile on the eastern flank, with lots of lighter troops involved, things were moving more quickly. Friant’s Jager company occupied Spurlacco and immediately took up defensive positions to repel the inevitable Medetian onslaught. It was certainly coming; TheWeissach Grenz soon emerge from the woods, supported by Sebastiani’s grenadier company – the perfect assault troops.

The Wurttemberg Jager moved up alongside the village, to provide its defenders with flanking support. With the enemy’s Braganza Regiment coming coming on inexorably it would be require careful decision making from the Jager commander on how long to stay and fight, and when to pull back. Shooting commenced at long range in an attempt to disrupt or at least slow the attack.

Across the River Asta, Rasalle’s battery had deployed in its central position. Although the respective batteries were within each other’s line of sight throughout the battle there was only to be a single attempt at counter-battery fire (when no other target was viable), which had no success. No, the artillery was to ply its deadly trade against horse and foot, as it was trained to do.

Skirmishing began on the edge of the village, with the safely ensconced Fleurians getting the better of their enemies in the initial exchange.

On the other side of the battlefield the lone squadron of Legion Hussars charged home into Sebastiani’s Cuirassiers as they pulled themselves up the river bank. Although outnumbered and outmatched they had momentum and elan on their side.

The clash lacked weight however, and the hussars effectively bounced off their heavier opponents, losing the fight by one.

What had been a daring move of dash and courage soon turned to disaster as the hussars, lacking support and having failed to make a dent in the Medetian regiment, suffered a moment of doubt and made for the rear!

General Amore waved his hat and shouted ‘bravo!’ as his victorious cavalry brushed themselves down and dried themselves off. Although they showed restraint and didn’t take off after the retreating enemy, the Medetians had won a foothold on the enemy side of the river, just as their infantry on the other flank was pushing forward decisively between the village and the all-important bridge…

..and that’s where we need to leave things until the next installment. Will General Amore’s bold plan continue to succeed after such a good start, or would the slow but steady (and often tipsy) General de Bevue be able to turn the tables and provide Fleurie with an early victory in this campaign?

Ponti di Spurlacco Part 2 – Deployment

Generals Amore and Bevue both looked at the ground they would fight over, and in particular the bridge which was the key. The way the land followed the river on either side of the border meant that each advanced guard would be able to easily push forward on its left, while having to cross the river to engage on their right.

General de Bevue, Fleurian aristocrat that he was, despatched the last of his chilled Sancerre and, via his ADC, ordered his forces as follows:

The Bravence infantry regiment was to march swiftly in column towards the bridge and engage any enemy it found there or on the way.
Both Jager companies were to cross the river before arriving in the area and make an immediate beeline for the village of Spurlacco, to hold it against the expected Medetian assault.
The artillery was to deploy in the centre and support everything else, while denying the opposite bank to the enemy.
The cavalry was to operate on the left flank, to prevent the enemy from crossing and threatening the army from that direction.

General Amore sent off a final love letter to his most local mistress and, from the saddle, gave orders to his Medetian units:

All the infantry was to push forward on the left, capture the village and swing right to take the bridge. The Weissach Grenz would operate on the extreme flank, using the spinney (boschetto) for cover.
The artillery would dominate the centre, while the cavalry would cross the river at the start of the action and drive the enemy’s lighter cavalry from the area around the farm, before pushing onto the high ground and making the Fleurian position untenable.

Sensible plans all round then, with more boldness from the Medetians and a bit more ‘wait and see’ from the Fleurians.

Here are some shots of the forces moving onto the battlefield.

From behind the Medetian line:

Fleurian Hussars move ahead of the rest of the army:

Medetian Cuirassiers on the right flank, with orders to wheel right and cross the river:

The Bravence Regiment massed to rush towards the bridge:

Fleurian light infantry ready to make an early descent on the Medetian border village of Spurlacco:

General view from behind the Fleurian left flank, morning sun on the water:

Everything’s set up for the battle then, so I just need to find some dice and try to remember how the rules work! Battle report next.