Picton makes a stand at Caillou Waterloo mini muster and battle report part 1

unfortunately the project and campaign has been put on the back burner due to work commitments,  but we have managed to finish the next part of the campaign all be it a little late. This fictional  battle took place when the 5th British infantry division with cavalry support from the Netherlands cavalry Division, were ordered to hold the Quatre Bras to Montreal St Jean road against the leading elements of Reille 2nd corps. ( in our campaign the battle of Quatre Bras never took place the French main attack against the Prussians did happen all be it a little further south of Ligny. This was a French victory and they drove the Prussians north isolating the Allies to the west ) The main defencive line of the Allies was now along the ridge with the village of Caillou on the British right. Wellington needed time to withdraw to his favoured defencive position at Waterloo, but to do this he needed time. The French under Reille were  advancing down the main road with elements of their cavalry covering the flanks.

The Allies
The 5th British infantry division
CNC Sir Thomas Picton    (AGGRESSIVE )

8th brigade Sir James Kempt (AR2)
28th British infantry
32nd British infantry
79th  British infantry
Plus 6 coys of 95th rifles

9th brigade Sir Denis Pack  (AR2)
3/ 1st British infantry
42nd British infantry
2/ 44th British infantry
92nd British infantry

5th Hanoverian landwehr brigade Von Vincke (AR4)
Gifhorn landwehr
Hemeln landwehr
Hildersham landwehr
Peine landwehr

2 attached foot batteries

Part of the Netherlands cavalry Division
1st light brigade Baron C de Ghigny  (AR4)
4th Dutch light dragoons
8th Belgian hussars

2nd light brigade J B van Merlen  (AR4)
6th Dutch hussars
5th Belgian light dragoons
Total 8,551 men

The allies force with command and attached artillery.


The French
Elements of the 2nd corps
Comte Honore Charles Reille (AGGRESSIVE )

5th infantry Division Baron Gilbert Desire Bachelu
1st brigade Baron Husson (AR3)
3rd line 2 battalions
61st  line 2 battalions

2nd brigade Baron Campi (AR3)
72nd line 2 battalions
108th line 3 battalions
attached foot artillery battery

6th Infantry Division Prince Jerome Bonaparte
1st brigade Baron Bauduin (AR2)
1st light infantry 3 battalions
2nd light infantry 4 battalions

2nd brigade Baron Soye (AR2)
1st line infantry 3 battalions
2nd line infantry 3 battalions
attached foot artillery battery

2nd cavalry Division Comte Hippolyte Pires
1st brigade Baron Huber (AR3)
1st Chasseurs
6th Chasseurs

2nd brigade Baron Wathiez (AR3)
5th lancers
6th lancers
attached horse artillery battery

The full French force plus command

The rules we are going to use are called Napoleon at war. They are designed for large scale battles. You can customise the army's while still using the same bases. The base can represents a battalion in a corps action or a brigade in a large combined, corps action. The (AR) after each of the brigade commanders is there activation rate in the command phase of a turn. Each player rolls as many D6 dice as he has Brigade commanders, plus 1 D6 for the Command. More on command in the battle report.



ORDERS

ALLIES
the Allies orders are to hold the ridge line and the village of Caillou to allow the main army to assemble at Waterloo. If at the end of the 10th turn, the allies still hold the ridge and the village the French must withdraw and the Allies can claim a victory. If the Allies only hold one of the positions they must withdraw, and the French can claim the  victory.

FRENCH
the French orders are simply to clear the allies from the village and hills to the north of the main line of the Armies advance, as soon as possible. If at the end of the 10th turn the allies still hold the ridge line and village, you must withdraw from the combat.      ( you can explain this to Napoleon )
If the Allies only hold one of the positions they will be forced to withdraw from the combat, you can claim victory.

OPENING MOVES
 The British and  Hanoverian infantry move onto the ridge. The 28th and the 32nd British line move to the right and move into the village. The 95th rifles move down the ridge to cover the main road leading to Caillou and the woods to its left flank. The remaining British infantry hold the centre with the Hanoverian infantry positioned on the left. The 2 batteries of artillery are posted near the centre. The 2 Brigades of Netherlands cavalry are in support on the left and centre.

The French begin there advance down the main road leading to Caillou  the 6th Infantry Divisions 1st brigade leading the infantry with the cavalry Brigades on both flanks. The rest of there command is strung out on the road.
We are going to leave it there a full battle report in will follow in part two.

Till next time.

update 2 1799

Managed to finish off the dragoons coldones and there bases thanks to a bit of peace and quiet on fathers day. Also managed to paint the 4 light infantry figures and finish the bases for them and the adventures. Happy Father's Day indeed.

The dragoons painted and based

the light infantry

the group so far.

 The adventures begins 

Till next time.

Space 1799 update

Progress so far on the Mars adventure.
I have finished the dragoon conversion and painted up the dragoons, have gone for the traditional dragoon green uniforms, the Flintloque miniatures have a lot of equipment which looks great when painted. Hopefully will get to work on the coldones.
All so i managed to paint the privateers. Again lots of detail on the miniatures. Great to paint. See pictures for details

The dragoons painted just got to work on the mounts and the bases

The privateers just the bases to work on then there  ready for the expedition.


With the words of Napoleon still ringing in their ears of adventures to come and glory to the Republic, the members of the  expedition stepped through the portal and vanished. On the other side they found themselves upon a vast plain, with mountains on three sides far away in the distance. There was no sign of the portal they had just past through.
I believe we shall advance, announced the colonel North would be best one of the privateers gestured. Then north it is and with that the expedition moved out.
Till next time

space 1799

Having found a group of old Flintloque figures in the bits box I wanted to do something with them, a moment of inspection came when a friend mentioned a set of rules about napoleonic battles on Mars. Know there's an idea, a sort of Napoleon meets stargate. So the start of something a little different. What I had, I could put together a 15 man strong infantry unit plus a 4 man adventures unit made up of privateers. Plus a four man bodyguard unit plus I found 3 lizards big enough for months so I added 3 dragoons to the force. Plus a command figure and there you had it my Mar's expedition force 1799. It's time to go bug hunting.

The starting point

One of the dragoon conversation in it's early stage  and the command figure completed

Close up of one of the dragoons conversation

Well that is so far, will start to complete the dragoons first hopefully some updates on the project soon
Till next time

Another Flintloque for the bits box

Having started to paint miniatures from the bits box I find myself painting up old fantasy miniatures this on is a elf from Flintloque I have discovered a few more elves and undead, so hopefully more soon
Till next time

P.S the wife has noticed the pile of metal on the work bench. Did you really buy all of those. Guilty as charged.

More miniatures from the bits box

Having found some old Lord of the rings miniatures see last post I have found some old Flintloque miniatures the 105th Riles anyone who has read Sharpe will notice a likeness to some characters.

Fantasy Napoleonic's know there's a thought. 

Enjoy 

Till next time 

Heroes and villians

I found some old Lord of the rings figure in the bits box, I thought I would try a few painting techniques. First up the Heroes, Frodo is a basic acrylic  painting technique, with high - lighting details with eyes. Aragorn is a oil paint version of the acrylic  technique, this time with no eye's.

Now for the villians, the Orcs of Sarumam are again acrylic  painted technique with different types of basing sand and painted with high - light same again with added static grass and just sand.

Sarumam him self is painted using water colours a new one for me the undercoat is first acrylic then a white mat paint so the water colours stay put then a varnish is applied. Make sure you use a spray varnish don't brush it on as you will wash the paint off (just as I did)

Well that was a good exercise as well as fun way to spent a day, any excuse to hide in the den.
Till next time.