There is some excitement in the wargaming house today as two units of significance leave the basing department and march into barracks.
First up are two Wars of the Roses bases. All the figures are Perry plastic. One is a bill unit, the other archers. Both are in the colours of Lord Stanley and the billmen base is adorned with a rather splendid banner from Pete’s Flags.
The two bases will join two other Stanley bases completed recently to provide a Lord Stanley retinue, which has a role in the next part of the Piggy Longton Chronicles.
Being Lord Stanley, it is hard to say at the moment which side he will actually end up fighting for!
This action will be fought soon with the Hail Caesar 2nd Edition rules ……. It’s been a long time!
The other is a unit of French Old Guard grenadiers. The figures are from Victrix, again in plastic.
Considering these are dressed in greatcoats, I am rather pleased at the way they have turned out, quite eye-catching and a determined looking bunch. The flag came with the Victrix set.
The significant bit is that this unit becomes the 6th painted French unit for my 1809 project and so for the first time, I have enough painted units for both sides to put on a Neil Thomas sized scenario from his One Hour Wargames book.
10 of the 30 scenarios will work with 6 units on one side and 4 on the other. This is a nice little milestone to have reached along the way to my Battle of Auberge project and a game will likely see the table some time today or tomorrow.
My chosen scenario is one that I have not played before, called 'The Last Stand' (Scenario 30) and it is the only scenario in the book that allows for a game with 6 units Vs 3.
The defenders, which in this case are the Austrians, are behind a river with two crossing points. They also have a hill with a redoubt on it.
So I have dug out my scratch built redoubt, which when built was designed to take 2 x 50mm artillery bases. Unfortunately, these fine chaps are on 60mm bases, so there is a bit of a squeeze.
Anyway, the Austrians are acting as a rearguard to a routing army. This small group of 3 units are elite. The pursuers (French) have 6 regular units, but as a unit is destroyed, it is returned to play and placed back on the French base line.
This truly is a 'last stand' scenario as an elite force in a fairly good position, faces potential overwhelming numbers.
I am really surprised I have not gamed this scenario before, or at least if I have, it has slipped from memory.
This should be a fun game and allows an ongoing project to get a first reward by getting all the figures painted so far, to the table.
Not wanting to interrupt the work flow of painting for this project, Austrian Grenadiers have already moved onto the painting sticks.
What a great hobby!
Fine looking units there Norm, I look forward to seeing them in action in due course.
ReplyDeleteHi Phil, more Piggy Longton fun!
DeleteLovely looking models. And I hope that the scenario produces a fun game, it did for me.
ReplyDeleteHi, I have been browsing through the book and have a renewed appreciation of some of the situations - this one does look interesting.
DeleteAlways good when you get those freshly painted units on to the table top for a game. Those OHW scenarios certainly do make a good milestone to reach for painted units.
ReplyDeleteHi Peter, from your AAR’s we clearly share a similar interest in the type and size of battle that we want.
DeletePainting on multiple fronts? Good job! Get a project to the First Game stage is a big milestone. Congratulations! Nice looking redoubt too.
ReplyDeleteHi Jonathan, I wish I could keep up with your output …. Though I made a mistake of looking at the 1066 stash the other day! The redoubt is a bit clunky, but it does do what is needed. I have a nice resin redoubt with earth bank, gabion and spikes …. It is another thing that needs painting :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat work Norm! looking forward to both battle reports.
ReplyDeleteI have been looking at the Last Stand Scenario as well and hope to put in on the table soon.
Hi Ben, I thought I knew that book backwards, I’m really surprised that scenario 30 seems to have escaped me.
DeleteNice to get completed units ready for the table and they look great. The scenario you are going to do sounds really interesting and I will be looking forward to seeing how it plays out.
ReplyDeleteHi Donnie, I like that point in a project when suddenly you can actually do something.
DeleteAlways nice to see your units reaching completion Norm. I'm looking forward to reading the Piggy Longton chronicles' next chapter.
ReplyDeleteHi David, it’s been too long away from the table, but this should be a year of decision re Henry / Edward, so hopefully things will get back on track.
ReplyDeleteGreat new painted units there Norm and I really like the sound of that OHW scenario
ReplyDeleteHi Keith, as you. Know, I am okay with gaming with painted and unpainted side-by-side while the painting gets done, but there is of course something nice about having the full game painted.
DeleteNice new toys Norm…
ReplyDeleteYour Napoleonic game/scenario sounds very interesting…
I look forward to seeing how it plays out.
All the best. Aly
Hi Aly, a bit smaller than your usual affair, but it does have something of the teaser element.
DeleteThe Imperial Guard look magnificent! You can never have too many Imperial Guard Grenadiers... I hope they survive their first battle. My new units usually perish horribly.
ReplyDeleteThanks Martin …. 1st time out …. I shall look after them :-)
ReplyDeleteGood to see more figures Norm and the prospect of a battle 👍
ReplyDeleteHi Matt, the first game played out today - hugely enjoyable, one of those last die roll things.
DeleteIt is a great hobby when the painting chore reaches a milestone and we get results: a fully painted game. Yay! 😀
ReplyDeleteHi Stew, I do find painting a chord, but the reward is huge every time a base rolls of the production line. I have been dipping into your back catalogue as I have just bought the Revell Viking boat.
DeleteOoohh. That’s a nice little model.
DeleteIf you’re going to cut it down to the waterline; I hope it goes smoother for than it did for me. 😀
Your experiences made me think that I would cut the keel on each half of the boat before gluing with a fine toothed tenon saw, so that I can get a long stroke for straightness, I might need to create a false thin base if the result is too uneven.
DeleteSome damn fine looking figures Norm!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ray, I can report that the Old Guard Grenadiers took substantial punishment …… but held on to the end of play! Obviously the work of the paint job. :-)
ReplyDeleteAmen to that Norm!
DeleteSplendid looking WOTR troops and guardsman, they look like nice figures, I just couldn't resist full dress for mine! I also haven't played that scenario and I've mined that book extensively! What rules will/did you use?
ReplyDeleteBest Iain caveadsum1471
Hi Iain, I went with using my own rules. I was surprised because the game went for the full 15 turns and usually using other rules need these scenario turn lengths toned down.
DeleteFine troops there Norm and I look forward to giving that scenario a run out once I get to it. I have a smaller version of that Revell boat and cutting it down was a pain, even with a full workshop at my disposal. Whether I ever use it remains to be seen!
ReplyDeleteHi Steve, I looked at Stew's post on doing it and he had problems as well. I shall save it for a day when I am brimming with fortitude :-)
ReplyDelete