Russo-Swedish War 1808-1809

Best laid plans and all that, but the game set up for Saturday (today) was postponed due to me needing to look after Mrs Carryingonupthedale as she has a prolapsed disc, this on top of everything else. By way of compensation I give you a parade of the armies for this project, as had things gone to plan they would have seen action for the first time. I’ve just realised that I still have tufts and stuff to add to most of the Swedish bases but never mind for now as I’ve run out apart for lots of vivid coloured flowers which need to applied very sparingly if at all. All these figures have all been done since the beginning of the year and they look, in my somewhat biased opinion, good en masse, if less so when under microscopic scrutiny. Photos seem a bit washed out but it has been very sunny here today…..so far.

First of all the Swedes (and mainly Finns):

And now the Russians:

I’ve got about three or is it four more battalions of Swedish infantry plus the Savolax Jäger to complete. If I really wanted to - which I do - I have the figures for another unit of dragoons, a squadron of guard cavalry and several rifle companies detached from their parent regiments.

The Russians can look forward to a bit (six guns I think unless I buy some more artillerymen which is unlikely at the moment)  more artillery, another 12 infantry battalions, including a grenadier regiment and another of jägers (three battalions each), and some skirmishing jäger. Command figures are on the painting desk in various stages of completion, but I do have a load of 1799 Russian generals I could use temporarily. I’m also in the middle of a dragoon regiment, and have cuirassiers and hussars to add to the cavalry arm, plus of course some Cossacks. Of course all this Russian cavalry is no good against the Swedes ie there wasn’t much deployed to the forests and lakes of Finland, but will come in very handy when facing the French! I’d better get painting.

Why I’m attracted to this little war, given I also have 1939 Finns and Russians: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baHsoEAAMZU