Triples Game - Preliminary run through

Last night we played over the proposed tabletop but only using about a third of the figures we intend to take.

Austrians on the hill and the French facing. It has to be this way round because of some of the scenery (yet to be revealed) that Andy is building.

So a view down the table from the extreme left of the French side - not in shot is the superb Austrian horse that Andy has put together. So to make up for it.....
All the figures are Front rank although some are mounted on Connoisseur horses I believe.

And should you want more inspiration, or even the reason to visit us at Triples, here's Andy's latest unit - Prussians in Imperial service.

As for the game.

The massed horse of both sides clashed on the left and after a vigorous series of melees the winner was....neither.

The Royal Carabinier regiment of the French ended the game threatening the flank of the Austrian line, whilst the Kuirassiers of the Austrians were threatening to do the same to the them.
Both sides advanced their lines of foot and engaged in a deadly firefight. At times both sides appeared to be gaining an advantage only to see the chance slip from their grasp. The French forced back the Austrian first line and thought they had the field only to see the retiring Austrians rally and reform. In turn the French were forced back but were unable to rally behind their already depleted reserves and the victory that looked imminent just a few turns earlier failed to materialise.
In the end the Austrians were able to hang on whilst, as has been the case so often in the past, the French failed a series of morale tests and were forced to retire.

The final version will have over twice as many horse and foot present. Enough to form three if not four lines of infantry interspersed with ten field pieces.

I'm looking forward to getting the whole thing together now and to seeing the massed troops presented in all their glory.

And as a parting shot - the plastic Swiss made their debut and acquitted themselves quite well under the command of my son James.

Painting Guide

I saw this item on Ebay recently and was surprised that someone was prepared to pay so much for a second hand item.
Why was I surprised?
Because for the same price I bought it new from Amazon (£17.28 inc. postage I think).
As for the book itself it is a wealth of information and help. I particulalry like the step by step guides. Of course the whole book is based on the Foundry Paint system but there is help in converting to the GW system (see below).

www.paintingclinic.com/clinic/guestarticles/citfoundrypaintchart.htm

Movie sought

I was in Blockbuster a few months back and whilst rimmaging through their pre-owned bin I saw a movie about the American Marines in the Great War. At the time I couldn't fit it into the deal bundle and had spent enough.
Of course I now regret that decision but for the life of me cannot remember the name of the movie. I do know that it was not a documentary or any such but a fictionalised version of the US Marines expereince.
Any ideas anyone?

Triples Game - Whetting the Appetite

The game intended for Triples begins to take shape.
Below is part of the table we are going to be playing over.
The game will, when complete, be 20 feet by 6 feet but last night we laid out the boards for the first fourteen feet of the length.

The idea being to get a handle on the playing surface, make the layout look as natural as possible using our existing terrain boards and, to identify the remedial work and repairs required for the boards.

The remaining parts of the display boards have yet to be finished.

The above boards will get some TLC over the next few weeks repairing cracks, damaged edges and corners etc. Then repainted in the new colour scheme to tie in with the other club scenery that Mal & Andy have worked hard on over the last few weeks.

And as a teasing hint about what is to come...........

I've got to create some siege artillery models to go with the ideas being developed by Andy.

Next week we will be playing a small game (about a quarter the size of the real thing) over the table above to see whether the boards allow the units to be shown in their best light.

Surbeck

The first of the plastic figures are finished. Regiment Surbeck is ready to take to the field.
Thirty two figures with a slightly different base format to the other regiments I've done. Two ensigns, two officers, two drummers, two NCO's but this time only two grenadiers to add to the twenty two foot figures.
Keeping to the dark red theme I've adopted the regiment is seen with blue waistcoat and breeches with white stockings.

I've also used the Army Painter dip for the first time in this project. I have used the dip on other projects but not for the WSS. somehow though I thought the plastic figures would benefit from this process.

Two thoughts here - first the plastic figures lack some of the finer details and definition of their metal counterparts. Nothing wrong with that but it does make it more difficult to do a three stage paint job, for me at least.

Secondly using the dip actually enhances the definition that can be hard to paint in. I like the way it shows up the belting without having to black line or paint more shade around the belt. Although I don't like the way it accumulates along the edge of the coat.

So there they are. Just two more foot regiments to do (those would be the sixty four in the background of the last photograph).

Empty Rooms

The world of music is quieter tonight with the sad news that Gary Moore died in his sleep last night.
I saw Gary play several times over the years although I was never fortunate enough to see him in the band that made him famous - Thin Lizzy. The first time was 1985 at Sheffield City Hall where I was lucky enough to shake his hand as he went along the front row of the stage.
I have all his albums in my collection and I can't place a bad one among them. No matter who he played with his playing is unmistakable and always impressive.

I even cycled to see him get married at North Thoresby where Phil Lynott was among the guests sporting striped trousers and a straw boater.

I'm going to miss him.

Stuppa

The next Swiss regiment in French service is finished as promised.

Thirty two figures from Old Glory.

Apart from the two grenadier figures these are all brand new metal. I bought extra figures at the Derby show in anticipation of having some of the old figures fall by the wayside since I had expected the weak ankles of the Old Glory range to not withstand the rebasing process. Happily I was proved wrong and ended up with enough figures to create the above.

I've decided to paint the plastic figures from Wargames Factory (see earlier post) as more Swiss. Partly because I like the flags for the Swiss, partly because there were a lot of Swiss regiments in French service and, partly because I'm struggling to find information on the flags for the Cologne regiments.

Right now I've blocked in the first thirty two figures who will become Surbeck once completed.

Just twelve weeks now to Triples and I reckon I have twelve units to get done (three Swiss infantry, six French guns, limbers and wagons).

15mm Napoleonic Austrians v French

First game of the year and, predictably, it didn't go well.

I brought my 15mm Austrians onto to the table to take on Marks French. nothing too big just a division of infantry with an attached division of cavalry. So twelve battalions of foot with three batteries (two support and one position) and five regiments of horse, two Hussars and three dragoons.
The French had sixteen battalions and four regiments of horse facing me.
Both of us deployed according to the terrain with me pinning my left on the large wood on my left flank and then attempting to attack and overwhelm the French on my right. The idea being to send the Hussars on a sweeping outflanking manoeuvre whilst the Dragoons pinned the enemy horse and the first foot division held the enemy brigade facing them.
Simple.
So the Austrian right advance into a withering storm of artillery fire from the French whilst the supporting fire from the Austrians was less effective.

The enemy horse didn't respond either. It failed to be impressed by the overwhelming numbers of Austrians and stubbornly held on. The Austrian Hussars failed to make any impression on the enemy inflicting little loss and suffering worse.

In the end the French had the advantage. Repulsing the Austrian infantry attack with ease and them managing to rout three battalions with concentrated musketry as the Austrian battalions became isolated and exposed when their friends retired past them.

It was all over very quickly. In a couple of hours the French had managed to destroy an Austrian infantry brigade and never even bothered with the other as the Austrian right flank crumpled under the pressure.

The rules used are our own and have been written to use brigade structures and thus try to recreate the higher level of command and control then is possible in 28mm games where the focus tends to be at the battalion level.

My Austrians are all from Chariot Miniatures and represent the early period of the wars.