Berg Lacer 1812

 Begun my next project - a Berg Lancer of the Guard. As followers know, I like the more obscure units of the Grande Armee and I have been wanting to paint one of these for a while. The basis is a Polish Lancer figure from Tradition who's uniform is essentially identical (except for colours) as the Berg Lancer. I did consider the more colourful Chevau-Legers but all that pink and white was a bit much. One has to wonder what Murat was thinking of when he chose the colours!

This is a good history of the units early period: https://www.napoleon-series.org/military-info/organization/Berg/c_BergLancer.html

Later info is available here: https://www.goonhammer.com/goonhammer-historicals-unit-focus-berg-lancers/

Image from the web

Basic painting stage - about 1 hours work.

 

About half way there, the black wash needs toning down. The sabre and lance will be added last.

Rear view

As a side job while painting the lancer, I have this 28mm Perry's French 6lb cannon and crew primed.

HaT Bavarians finally completed

19 June 2023

My HaT Bavarians are finally finished as the 6th line infantry regiment Herzog-Wilhelm. There has been so much else going on in my life for the past few months, getting these finished seems like an achievement. I think you will agree that they are quite acceptable en masse. As getting flags from GMB can take time and is expensive for just one flag set with postage, the flags here were printed on photo paper from a download.

I always find other hobbyists workplace interesting so I have added mine, nicely cleaned up for the next project. It is in my garage and competes with garden and car stuff for space.

Capture the farmhouse wargame

Trying out Perry's Fortitude and Valour rules in a solo game.

 

I finally got some time to have a game and try out the Fortitude and Valour rules which are freely available from the Perry Miniatures website (highly recommended) https://www.perry-miniatures.com/?v=6cc98ba2045f

Given I only have a 6x4' game mat and playing with 28mm figures I viewed the game as a part of a larger campaign where the Austrians were attacking and had to capture the two river crossings (bridge and ford) as well as the farmhouse.

Initial positions

The Austrians concentrated their cavalry with infantry support on the ford while their main infantry column attempted to seize the bridge and then the (Sarissa) farmhouse. I found the fate cared system in the rules ideal for solo gaming as it throws in the element of 'unknown'.  The Austrians commenced with their artillery firing on the Swiss regiment moving to defend the bridge. If I have one minor 'gripe' with the rules is that artillery fire is not covered in any detail. As you can see, the French have two howitzers but I had to make up the rules for howitzer shells. The French artillery responded as soon as the Austrians came into range.

The Austrians advance

The Austrian advance went very well aided by good dice throws and fate card draws

The Austrians capture the bridge under heavy fire

 

 

 

 

 

The French and Swiss rake the Austrians with skirmisher fire.

Meanwhile, Austrian grenadiers attempt to seize the river ford opposed by French infantry and lancers

The battle rages with reinforcements coming .

The battle at the bridge intensifies with a powerful Austrian infantry column

Austrian cavalry support the grenadiers, will the French hold?

The Austrians break through at the bridge

The fighting is intense BUT the dice were not on the French side this day. Under artillery fire from the Austrians, the French broke at the ford enabling the Austrian heavy cavalry to outflank the farmhouse and the day belonged to them.

In the pipeline

 I thought that I might check out Hat figures, they are so reasonably priced and I fancied some Bavarians for the table.

Not sure which regimental colours I will paint them in yet.

14 March 2023

Still too hot to do much painting 25C and 80% humidity today! However, a few thoughts on the figures. Hat are obviously made to a price, The Perry brothers have no need to view them as competition. That said, the price is attractive and the figures are not at all badly made or designed. It is the little things like a bent arm being molded to the body. I could, if my eyesight was better and I had many hours to dedicate, use a file and sharp knife to clean up the excess plastic but frankly, I don't. I have no reason however, to think that once assembled, painted and based en masse on a wargame table that they will not fit in fine. It will be interesting to find out!

And moving up from 28mm to 90mm we have this lovely figure from Tradition. At this stage I am planning to paint it as a Berg lancer.

5th April 2023

The heat is finally moderating so I have made a start on the Bavarians and thought I would post a photo of what I meant above regarding the mold casting at the arms. Given the price of Hat figures I can live with it :)

5th May 2023

Finally finished the first batch of Bavarians. I think that they don't look too bad considering. Oh and I decided on painting them as the 6th Line regiment Herzog Wilhelm.

 Problem with Blogger and google

Can anyone please help? Google seems unable or unwilling to respond to my requests for assistance and I cannot find anything referring to this problem online.

When I sign into this blog, the blog shows me as not signed in but I am. I am also from prevented from replying to comments (thank you so much to those who do comment) and, if I wish to comment on another blog, I am classified as 'anonymous'. This is driving me to distraction!!!!

I have done all the usual checks in the system options and I cannot identify any reason why this should have suddenly happened. Initially, all was OK with the blog.

H.E.L.P.

Chris

25 January 2023

I have finally finished the figure. I do my painting in the garage and this time of year it is HOT and humid. I have an overhead fan but the sweat still runs into my eyes while I am concentrating, not good while doing fine detail. I thought I would mention this for my northern hemisphere modellers who are struggling with the cold. At least I can jump in the pool when I get overheated 🥵

How the grenadiers managed to cope with a bearskin in battle amazes me.

Three headgear options, bearskin, bicorne and field cap

 

 30 December 2022

Next Project

Is a 75mm Hinchliffe  French line grenadier 1807 (thanks to Tradition of London/Sweden for continuing to stock these figures). It will be a nice break from wargame sized figures.

 29 December 2022

Airfix figures

Nearly another year gone, doesn't time speed up as you age? I went on a trip down memory lane, mostly because I found the Airfix figures in the bottom of a box. I am sure that most people who wargame of my generation started out with Airfix figures. They were cheap, adaptable and could hold Humbrol enamels to a certain degree. In fact the soft plastic was awful but I digress. I gave myself a challenge to paint what I had found with Vallejo Acrylics and see how I went. I have to be extra careful handling the figures even with a coat of 'Dullcote' lacquer as the paint easily comes off.

British Royal horse artillery in movement

Royal Horse Artillery in position

French line infantry