Shevardino redoubt first moves.

 The game is playing quite fast though I am jumping in and out as suites me, it's great having the time to do this at a easy pace when on holiday!

First couple of moves see the Russians moving forward rapidly on their left threatening the French grand battery and securing the hill in the foreground while the French plan is to engage the Russians on their left while the main thrust goes through the centre.

Two battalions of deployed French Leaguers push on through the woods on the French left.

Batteries on both sides are taking heavy losses, one French line battery has been forced to withdraw after taking seven casualties but the Russians are suffering too.

After having been given a 'Forwards' order the Russian Jager brigade having deployed two battalions into skirmish order briefly threatened the flank of the grand battery but the French responded in turn and a stalemate ensued.

'Hesitant' again, that's twice in three turns for the French lights on their right. Note the hexagonal markers denoting casualties.

French light cavalry in support.

The push towards the redoubt.

Dalton's brigade in support on their left occupying the Russians on the hill.

Aview of the French advance in the centre from the Russian side.

Formed Russian Jaegers advancing through the woods on their left flank.

Carnage in the redoubt. Both sides artillery blew each other to bits though this did give the French attack a chance to advance to within striking distance so far unscathed.

French line infantry battalions advancing in assault column.

The Russian cossack brigade did advance to threaten the French left but a couple of rounds of fire from a horse artillery battery persuaded them to withdraw.

The said French horse battery. Hazar!

The grand battery, even with 'Artillery Assault' orders at long range the effect was not what was hoped for, did whittle the redoubt guns down a bit though.

Minus two for deployed battery and minus one for cover made this a hard target to destroy but the French got there by the end of turn three though while incurring the damage of two batteries themselves.

I think it's about to get real nasty, stand by for the next instalment, same time, same channel.

Dave

The Shevardino redoubt, 10mm 1812.

 Well truthfully it's not but it does resemble it a bit, really an excuse to get the French and Russian 1812 10mm lads on the table using General de Armee rules.

As it's a pretty big engagement and I will be fighting it solo as Neal has buggered off to see relatives over in Canada for a while, the selfish sod! I will do this in instalments.

So, two Divisions of Davout's I corps vs Tuchov's III corps plus a couple of heavy cavalry divisions each. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Shevardino redoubt can be seen centre left of the Russian positions.

A view from the French side, they will attempt to drive straight up the centre to take the redoubt and through the woods to the left of picture.

1st and 2nd Joseph Napoleon Spanish battalions.

Dalton's brigade with two leaguer battalions deployed in skirmish formation.

Buquet's brigade pushing through a Russian town and about to deploy.

The three French reserve batteries

More leaguers on the French right flank. 

A Russian heavy battery deployed in the Shevardino redoubt.

Russian Cossack cavalry on their right.

A view across the field towards the redoubt.

French reserve heavy cavalry.

Russian Moscow Opolchenye (militia).

Russian cavalry brigade.

A second view of those French guns.

Somewhere to bury the dead!

Close up of some French infantry battalions.

Wrussians!

The Russian heavy cavalry brigade with attached horse artillery.

I think that will do for now, do watch out for more posts as the battle takes shape.
Dave.

I thought they couldn't get smaller! 10mm ECW additions.

 An update for the 10mm ECW figures I have been doing.

King and Parliament has some units equipped with attached light guns, given my small unit footfall and the fact that the units had to fit comfortably onto a 10cm hex grid system it would have been impractical to use 10mm figures to represent these attached artillery pieces. I therefore sent to Baccus for their 6mm figures and mounted them on a separate round base so that they could be used as representations of the guns. They fit in well and yet the size difference between the two figure scales shows that this is a marker which can be added to the unit as required.

Denzil Holle's battalia, Parliament.

Sir Thomas Saulsbury's first battalia, pike heavy, Royalist.

Sir Thomas Saulsbury's second battalia pike only. Royalist.

I have a couple of weeks holiday coming up soon so I intend to get all of my fairly considerable 10mm French and Russian 1812 armies out and onto the table top for a good sized General de Armee game so keep an eye out for that report later next month.

Dave.

10mm ECW progress

 Don't worry Mick I'm getting on with it!

One of the club lads have been waiting patiently for me to pull my finger out and get on with some more 10mm ECW (Edgehill) troops. To be fair the 10mm Napoleonic's have had priority to get them finished but that's just an excuse really, so, as I said, Mick, here are some at least.

The cavalry will complete a brigade each for the King's side and parliament while the dragoons give one rgt to the parliamentarians and two to the King. Dragoons of course are the usual pain in the bum as you need mounted and dismounted. I could do with horse holders but as nobody seems to do them in 10mm I will have to convert some ACW Pendraken to do the job.

Duncombe's and Aston's royalist dragoons.

Brown's parliamentary dragoons.

Waller and Wharton's parliamentarian horse.

Carnarvon and Lord Wilmot's royalist horse.

As usual for me I have just found that I'm short of a few French Napoleonic 10mm skirmish stands. It's never finished until it's finished eh!

Dave.

Almost there, 10mm Napoleonic 1812.

 It's been almost one and a half years in the doing but I'm almost done with the 10mm 1812 Napoleonic's. I did have a bit of a head start with the rebasing of my 'Blucher' rules based figures but I have added considerable numbers to the original collection to get to this point. Now of course before anyone comes on and says nothing is ever finished in a wargame collection, well of course you are right. However I do feel at a point where there are two fairly well matched sides both of whom have enough unit types to vary things a bit if I so wish.

I have said this before but it's worth repeating that if I were starting wargaming again I would go for 10mm for set piece games and keep 28mm for skirmish. My 7' by 4' table just won't cope with a medium size 28mm battle and leave any room for anything other than line em up, roll the dice and knock em down type games which I hate. 10mm with reduced scales allow a good spacious game with plenty of manoeuvring room which makes you think a bit!

The OOB's were sourced from various places and as is always the case everyone was different so a little bit of compromise has to take place. Obviously one from the beginning of the campaign is going to be considerably different from one from say Borodino and I don't want to be stuck with just 1812 but would like to move the collection on into 1813/14 as well. The figures are a mix of Pendraken, Old Glory and Magister Militum which at this scale mix together fine.

 The Russians.

There are thirty battalions of foot, fourteen regiments of cavalry, eight batteries of guns with command and skirmish bases thrown in.

The full Russian force, Tuchov's III corps with a brigade of Opelchenie and a cuirassier brigade attached.

12lb's of the Russian foot artillery.

The first Grenadier brigade of Strogonov's 1st Division with skirmish stands.

Russian Jager battalions with their replacement skirmish stands if they wish to be deployed as such.

The second Grenadier brigade of Strogonov's 1st Division.

The corps cavalry brigade.

Attached reserve batteries and a militia (Opelchenie) brigade.

An attached Cossack brigade, one of whom is painted up as Guard Cossacks for 1814.

Cuirassiers with a horse battery.

Another picture of those Jagers.

A side view of the Russian cavalry.

The French.

There are thirty four battalions of foot, twelve regiments of horse and eleven batteries of artillery, plus command and skirmish bases.

Friant and Morand's divisions of Davout's 1st corps with supporting cuirassiers and reserve artillery.

Reserve artillery and two cuirassier brigades.

Divisional artillery and attached cavalry brigade.

Morand's 1st division with Davout himself left of picture.

Friant's 2nd division.

Different angle of the 1st division, note the skirmish stands in front, one for each battalion.

The armies are set up for General de Armee rules but can of course be utilised for other sets. Took a bit of doing but I got there in the end!

Dave.