back to Marengo

well its been a while - work and a long hot summer have kept me away from the paints. The weather here has been so warm the paint would dry on my brushes before reaching the figures!

Anyway it looks like autumn is around the corner so back to the painting it is - and back to the Marengo project which has been lacking some love recently.

so, a couple of Work in progress pics. This time a Battalion of French Guard

just command, basing and a stray figure in one company to do.

The Consular Guard fought at Marengo and the Scenario calls for 1 battalion. I think the Consular Guard were a mix of Grenadiers and Chasseurs but my battalion are just Grenadiers.

more pics when they are finished!

Chain of Command German support

To support the German Core Platoon I painted up some support elements.  So far I have 1 mortar, 1 hmg and a Panzerschrek team.  I also have figures for a second Mortar and MG, an additional squad, a senior leader and a mine field.  I'm tempted by some armour as well.

So here is the Panzershreck

The Mortar

and the MG

Soviet Platoon for chain of Command done (almost)

So it's been a while since I last posted...work and life getting in the way!

But I finally got round to basing the Soviet Core Platoon for Chain of Command. I had painted them a while back but didn't base them...but here they are, bases finished.

I have only based 2 and a half squads - ran out of the last few MDF bases! So...:

1st Squad

1st Squad Sergeant

LMG team

Rifle Section

2nd Squad

LMG team

Squad leader Sgt

Half of 3rd Squad

Back to the Naps

Well its been a while since I did any Napoleonics trying to get some quick wins by finishing most of my Chain of Command and BloodBowl projects. Before i get cracking on more of the AB Early French for Marengo, here are a couple of WIP shots of the 28mm Front Rank french reinforcement packs - painted as the Joseph Napoleon Regiment:

These figures were a joy to paint. I only ordered 1 pack as a sample but I think I will definately order more to complete the battalion. The figures are great....I'm almost considering calling time on the 18mm and going all out on the 28mm.... I just have some tidying up and basing to do.  Then back to Marengo!

Da Evil Gitz - Goblins for Bloodbowl

Well now that the Marienburg Corsairs are done, time for some opponents for them to play against.  The Nu Orc Jetz are still on the painting table, but I also have a goblin team - "Da Evil Gitz"

Goblins in Bloodbowl are team you only play for laughs.  They aren't tough enough to mix it with the other teams (except maybe halflings) but they are devious and have access to a range of special weapons that the other teams don't have.

so without further ado, here's a test figure for Da Evil Gitz:

Для товарища Сталина! - Soviets for Chain of Command

As promised here are the first shots of the Soviets for chain of command.

First is the senior leader platoon commander

and one of the support elements for the core platoon - a flame thrower team

More to follow!

Soviets for Chain of Command - update

No pretty pictures of figures this time, but as I've not blogged for a while, I figured it is time for a short update.

most of my Soviet core platoon for Chain of Command and the supporting flame thrower team are now done.  Of the core platoon, the Platoon leader, and squads 1 and 2 are done, with half of squad 3 complete - I ran out of bases before I got to the last 5 figures!

I still have the HMG and Mortar support to complete, and have enough figures for a second flame thrower team.  Once the core platoon is done I'll order enough figs to boost the support options for both the Germans and Soviets.

Soviet Chain of Command
Core Platoon
Platoon Leader	Complete
1st Squad	Complete
2nd Squad	Complete
3rd Squad	half complete
Support
Flame Thrower 1	Complete
HMG	Incomplete
Mortar	Incomplete
Flame thrower 2	Incomplete

Chain of Command Germans - second attempt

Just to prove that the German core platoon for Chain of Command is done here is a second attept at posting photos. the first set were far too dark so hopefully these are clearer:

The full platoon

3 man platoon command: Leutnant - Markus Reiner

1st Squad

1st Squad Junior Leader - Obergefreiter Jurgen Tilsner

1st Squad MG42 team

1st Squad Rifle team

2nd Squad leader - Obergefreiter Herman Weiss

2nd squad MG42 team

2nd Squad rifle team

2nd Squad

3rd Squad leader - Obergefreiter Johann Behrendt

3rd squad MG42 team

3rd squad rifle team

3rd Squad

Chain of Command Soviets

Good job I completed the bulk of the German project - Today a box arrived with some opponents, Soviets from Crusader Miniatures.  I have enough figures for the following:

Core Platoon:
Command
1 x Officer (Senior Leader)

3 Rifle Squads each consisting of:

1 x Junior Leader with SMG
7 Riflemen
1 x LMG with 2 crew

Total Platoon strength = 31

I also have figures to build the following support elements:
1 x Maxim Machine Gun
1 x 50mm Mortar
1 x 3-man Flamethrower team

in order to track progress, here is the progress chart:

Late War Soviet Platoon
Core Platoon
Command	Not Complete
1st Squad	Not Complete
2nd Squad	Not Complete
3rd Squad	Not Complete
Support
Flamethrower team	Not Complete
Maxim Machine Gun	Not Complete
50mm Mortar	Not Complete

WW2 Late War German project for Chain of Command Complete!

Well, after a couple of long painting sessions, my Late War German army for Chain of Command is complete!  The force consists of the the following:

A core platoon consisting of:
Command HQ
1 x senior leader
2 man Panzershreck Team

3 Squads each consisting of
1 x Junior leader
6 man rifle team
3 man MG42 Team

Total platoon strength: 33

Support elements consisting of:
1 Mortar team
1 Tripod mounted MG42 Team

I also managed to piece together some bonus support elements:
2 man Panzershreck team
1 additional Senior Leader


In order to bulk out the support elements further, I'll probably order another infantry squad or two, another mortar and MG42 Team, a medic, a forward air observer, and probably a tank or two.... but that can wait for now.  I'm just pleased I finished the initial project.  Here is the completed progress chart:

Late War German WW2
Core Platoon
Command	Complete
1st Squad	Complete
2nd Squad	Complete
3rd Squad	Complete
Support
Mortar Support	Complete
MG42 Support	Complete
Bonus Support
Senior Leader	Not Completed
Panzershrek Team	Complete

I'll post some pictures soon - the last set of pictures were far too dark, so i need to play around with lighting sources.

Chain of Command Germans

So here is the first squad of my late war German Platoon for Chain of Command

Squad leader

MG-42 team

Rifle Team:

This will be a standard Heer infantry platoon for 1944-1945. It was my first attempt at painting camoflague - I'm fairly happy with it.
Platoon command and Second squad half finished and the bases are still to be done.

As always, comments welcome! figures from Artizan designs.

1st battalion 44th Demi-brigade WIP

Just a quick WIP update - 1st Battalion 44th Demi-brigade for Marengo.

I foolishly forgot to order some foot command for my two greatcoat wearing battalions! But the first is pretty much done now.

a full update once they're finished.

Where it all began....

So a book arrived in the post - a blast from the past!

Warhammer 40,000 was what got me into miniature wargaming all the way back in the late 1980's.

I gave up playing Warhammer 40K in the late 1990's - and it seems the game is currently an unplayable mess, so I have not really been interested in playing the modern version of the game.  But, the new figures Games Workshop are producing look good, and I am tempted to put together a few small skirmish forces to play using the old rules.  Perhaps a Rogue Trader and his retinue and a few alien or cultist types....

Nu Orc Jetz test figure

Back to fantasy football and a test figure for my orc team the Nu Orc Jetz.  As the Nu Orc Jetz uniform is going to be green, I decided to paint my orcs a brownish colour. I think the green is probably too dark so I'll try and lighten it. Wearing red boots "coz red wunz go fasta."

Thrukka da Chukka - Orc Thrower for the Nu Orc Jetz.

72nd Demi-brigade

Apologies for the delay in posting, work has kept me busy!

The 72nd Demi-Brigade for Marengo is now complete.

Here is the first Battalion advancing in column...

... and line

and the 2nd Battalion

The 72nd Demi-brigade was formed in 1796 from several volunteer battalions.  It fought at Zyper-Sluis and Bergen in 1799 and Turbigo, Montebello and Marengo in 1800. At Marengo the 72nd Demi Brigade was commanded by Chef-de-Brigade Mercier.

The 72nd Demi Brigade became the 72nd Infantry Regiment in 1803 and went on to fight in a number of major battles including; Friedland (1807), Eckmuhl, Essling and Wagram (1809), Smolensk and La Moskowa (1812), Leipzig (1813) and Waterloo (1815)

Brigade Commander Carra St. Cyr

The son of an Equerry, Claude Carra St-Cyr joined the army as a sous-lieutenant in 1774, aged 13.  He traveled to America with the French army to take part in the Revolutionary War, where he was promoted to Lieutenant. In 1784 he returned to France and then in 1785 he received a promotion to capitain.  Carra St. Cyr became an aide-de-camp to General Aubert-Dubayet, before being promoted to Chef De Battalion in March 1795, Chef De Brigade in June and General De Brigade in October. Carra St Cyr alsospent time in Turkey from 1796-1798, where he was French Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.  In 1799 Carra St. Cyr joined the Army of Italy where he was wounded in fighting during that year. In 1800 he was given command of a brigade in Monnier's division in the Army of the Reserve, and took part in the Battle of Marengo.  

Following Marengo Carra St. Cyr stayed with the Army of Italy, fighting the Austrians at Arezzo and then at Pozzolo. In 1800 he was promoted to général de division and given command of the 2nd Division at the camp of Bayonne. In 1805 Carra St. Cyr took command of the coast of Gravelines and in 1806 he became governor of Magdebourg. In February of 1807 he took command of the 2nd Division of Marshal Soult's  IV Corps. He fought at Aspern-Essling in 1809 and on the Ems River in 1813.

After Napoleon's abdication in April of 1814, Carra St. Cyr became a count and Knight of St. Louis. Following Napoleon's escape from Elba, Carra St Cyr did not actively take part during the Hundred Days in 1815.