After procrastinating for a month I've decided to take the plunge and have ordered the start off my Napoleonic Russian force in 28mm. I've decided to use Front Rank at this stage- I've ordered my artillery (10 guns to start- I need 15!) some Cuirassiers and Pavlov's Grenadiers. My aim is to base the core infantry force on the 1st Division at Borodino- basically I'll be replicating my 15mm AB arm in 28mm! I'm hoping the Warlord Games plastics aren't too far off as I intend to use them for my regular infantry battalions.
With next year being the 200th anniversary of the 1812 cqampaign it seems fitting, we will aim to get organised to run a demo game to celebrate the anniversary so getting the Russians up and running seems to be a fitting goal.
Eventually I'll put together a Duchy of Warsaw force to oppose the Russians which I will be able to combine with Kent's French for a bigger battle. Poochie and Lintman are keen to do a Waterlooe themed demo game at Conquest (October) so my Russsians will not be needed and if I join them I'll have to borrow a command from them. Which means I probably should build a small French force to join them but if I concentrate on that then I won't have a force to fight vs Kent's French (and I refuse to play non historical match ups) so we will have to wait and see.
My current issue (as always) is basing. The guys are using 50mm square bases with 4 figures per base and although it doesn't look bad it just doesn't quite look right to me. In metals it will be 50% dearer to do 24 fig battalions (6 per base) but that is also 50% more painting and time required. Using plastics it isn't such as issue as the plastic ranges are cheap enough anyway. I'll have a closer look at Kent's stuff before making my final decision.
Craig
Welcome to Craig's Wargaming Blog. Here you will find reports of games I have played as well as news about my current modelling and painting projects.
Sounds good Craig. Looking forward to seeing the Waterloo demo at Conquest. I think our Napoleonics are based with 15mm frontage per fig, 4 fig's per stand in 2 ranks and 6 stands per battalion. Works well for French, 6 stands 6 companies, not so good for Brit's at 10 companys. I also love the Front Rank figures.
ReplyDeleteI think Lassale's time has about come, Craig - I'll probably be getting some Russians when they come out too. It is just a pity they don't look to be greatcoats and all roughed up looking, since I'd like my Napoleonics to be less clean primary colours and more muddy Vets.
ReplyDeleteI think Jason is looking at playing the 'Germans' of the period too. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with for a Conquest demo.
As long as the basing is similar the number of figures per base is purely personal. I did my Prussians 5 or 4 to the base more because:
ReplyDelete1. Quicker to paint
2. Cheaper due to when I started the army only metals were available.
Up here we have decided on 50mm base width as we think it makes a good game on the tables we play one (6x8).
I think one of the main reasons we have done 50mm bases is that it makes a BW nice and easy to work out since each BW is two inches.
ReplyDeleteAs to figure numbers once the plastic russians come out I will start adding to the bases to make them six figures, but at the moment my bank balance cant afford to go with that plan.
We tried Lasalle a couple of times when it was first released and liked it- then got distracted with other projects :)
ReplyDeleteIt looks like my 15mm Russians will be sold tonight on Trademe so my army will be all Front Rank metals to start with anyway- I'd suggest adding a few to the warlord Plastics (FR do greatcoated Russians) for variety Jamie.
As for basing, I'm seriously tempted to go for 6x 4.5cm bases with 6 figs per base, with 28mms I think the extra cm to get a 3rd figure on might be handy but I'll see if I can get them onto 50mm bases first.
If I'm going into 28mm Napoleonics I want to get a look right first time so 6 figs per base is very attractive option. Of course painting times required may alter that!
Craig
Unfortunately, super-austerity-measures now in place (I never want to sell anything of mine off!) mean that it will have to be plastics all the way for Napoleonics.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to do some 'research' and see what campaigns the Warlord ones fit though. I presume that the fun bit, right in the dead of winter with Moscow burning, is really more of a bedraggled, great-coated, thing. I am sure that once I actually look into things there will turn out to be interesting things outside of what I learned in Secondary School!
My Penninsular Redcoats are going 4 (2 wide, 2 deep) to a 45mm frontage and it looks good with a little scenic basing. Not too tightly packed and not too sparse, means that the gaming tokens go a little further too.....
ReplyDeleteThats really good to hear, need more Naps in the SI.
ReplyDeleteThanks to a purchase last year, I have available 21 battalions of Russian Inf, 10/12 regiments of Cav and 3 Batt of guns all based 50mm square for Lassale.
Now working through painting up french in a mix of plastic and metal units. 1 reg Cav, 4 Inf battalions down, 5th on the go and lots to come.
A massive Borodino game next year sometime would be worth travelling for ;)
cheers