Bath Time !

Another displacement activity (not the Archimedes variety) is this Paraguayan general at bath time, complete with his own standard issue Paraguayan flag bath towel. Thinking now I wonder if I shouldn’t have included this in a larger vignette. ……?
 

Piano Miniatures Hessen-Darmstadt Contingent

Back in 2023 I had these 3D printed while we were in Bangalore. Very good and efficient service but not significantly cheaper than if I’d had them done in the UK. 

Anyway as with all Piano miniatures these are excellent. There are two battalions of musketeers, a battery of cannon, a regiment of light cavalry and a command stand. There are also a couple of skirmisher bases if so required (eg if using GdA).

I am pleased with the way these have turned out. I am also amazed that they survived 15 hours in an aeroplane hold without any causalities.

There’s an awful lot of coffee in Brazil

 

Here we have another displacement activity in the shape of a. Brazilian coffee station. The set is from 1st Corps (their ACW range) but I’ve added some additional ‘customers’. I guess it will make a great objective marker as well as getting in the way! 

A Room With a Review……

Being on so-called light duties has meant I have been able to catch up on my reviews, courtesy of Helion of course. Here are the first of several reviews I shall be completing over the next week or so. 

Another new addition from Helion’s excellent ‘from Reason to Revolution’ series (No. 148), edited by Zack White, is An Unavoidable Evil: Siege Warfare in the Age of Napoleon. It examines a part of Napoleonic warfare that usually gets brushed aside. I am of course, as if the clue was not in the book title, talking about the sieges. We know pretty much everything there is to know about the pitched battles, but as this book shows, generals often had little choice but to invest fortresses, blockade towns, and grind away at walls and stomachs alike. It is a collection of essays rather than a single narrative, and this approach works really well. The range is impressive, from Spain, India, to the Ottoman frontiers, and it makes clear that siege craft was not some outdated relic but very much part of the age. There are several useful maps and tables; my favourite was the chart showing how much transport was needed for only one 24pdr gun and two days of ammo. The chapters several stand out as both fresh and thought-provoking, namely those describing Russia’s wars against the Ottomans and the British in India.

Personally I would have liked more on the human side of sieges such as the suffering of civilians and the wider political impact. However, that minor and very personal observation does not detract from the overall quality of the book. Furthermore, for anyone with an interest in the period covered by the Napoleonic wars beyond the usual set-piece battles, and here I mean wargamers especially, this is a very worthwhile addition to one’s library. At just over 160 pages it is a slim volume, and it is very readable. Certainly a book I recommend if you want to see the subject in a fuller light.

From a wargaming point of view, some of the case studies here would make cracking scenarios with assaults, mining, starvation and blockades, all with the added tension of time and supplies. Food for thought.

ISBN: 978-1-804513-45-3 161 Pages Paperback

Moving on. If, like me, you delight in detailed books that straddle the line between reference work and inspiration for the gaming table, Wars and Soldiers in the Early Reign of Louis XIV, volume 8 – The Armies of Denmark-Norway, Courland and Danzig 1655–1690, is one you’ll want to add to your collection. Author Bruno Mugnai has excelled himself yet again with this book; every new offering in this series seems to offer something different, and this is no exception. For the serious or more casual enthusiasts of this period it has so much to offer.

Where to start? The book brings together the often contrasting threads of organisational history, equipment, uniforms, ensigns, and army structure for each of the armies covered in this volume, namely Denmark-Norway, Courland and Danzig. With the exception of the former these are not exactly mainstream subjects but as ever Bruno can be relied upon to come up with the goods regarding these armies. Who doesn’t want a contingent from Courland in their army?

The book features an extensive assortment of both colour and black-and-white images. Notably, it includes 16 wonderful and highly detailed full-colour plates depicting troops, uniforms, and ensigns. The uniform plates are especially striking original pieces of artwork and are the work of the author. The volume is further supplemented by numerous tables, orders of battle, appendices, maps, and additional illustrations, such as period artwork and photographs of surviving artefacts. Comprehensive information concerning uniforms, standards, and weaponry is seamlessly incorporated into the narrative sections. Organisational charts offer insight into force composition, while uniform plates and ensigns serve as valuable visual references.

The author has yet again undertaken extensive research utilising archival sources and primary materials, moving beyond the reliance on secondary accounts. Consequently, this work joins the previous and equally wonderful seven volumes in making a significant contribution to the historiography of the period, rather than re-hashing already ‘established’ narratives.

Wars and Soldiers in the Early Reign of Louis XIV, Volume 8 is a rewarding companion. It will not supplant a narrative history, but it will enhance every narrative history you own — especially when you take it to the wargaming table. It gives substance to the otherwise airy abstractions of seventeenth century warfare. If you’re already comfortable with the era, or if you have a project in mind. Do not expect it to hold your hand — dive in, drink deep, and let the indexes and appendices be your guides. I am glad to own it, and am certain I will return to it often as I do repeatedly with Bruno’s earlier works. Highly recommended for serious students of Louis XIV’s early wars (especially those among us who like to carry history onto the table).

This is No. 130 in Helion’s ever expanding ‘Century of the Soldier 1618–1721’ series.

ISBN:978-1-804515-50-1 279 pages Paperback

Lastly for now we have this recently-published volume, part of Helion’s ‘Century of the Soldier’ series, S.I. Shamenkov’s Ukrainian Cossacks from the Late Sixteenth Century to the Early Eighteenth Century delivers a comprehensive examination of its subject matter. Spanning 260 pages, the book provides an in-depth analysis of the organisation, attire, equipment, and weaponry of the Cossacks over approximately one and a half centuries, from the establishment of registered companies to the era of the Hetmanate and subsequent mercenary formations.

Shamenkov has conducted extensive research. The text compiles numerous sources—including contemporary accounts, period artwork, museum pieces, and excavated finds—into an accessible overview of Cossack attire, armament, and their historical development. Rather than listing items, it presents a visual exploration of Cossack military culture. The book contains approximately 180 images, such as photographs of original artefacts, contemporary prints, and 28 pages of colour plates and reconstructions by the author depicting various troop types and a range of banners and standards. These illustrations provide detailed references for painting figures or developing Cossack-related projects. The section on banners is comprehensive, and the details about equipment and clothing offer clarification on debates regarding Cossack appearances in wargaming contexts.

The coverage allocates equal attention to both the ordinary rank-and-file members and the starshyna and hetmans. The book includes information about various formations, such as the Sich Cossacks, the Hetman’s registered troops, and the later western-style serdiuky and kompaniitsi. Weapons and clothing are described in detail, and the text also addresses tactics and battlefield methods to provide context for the visual material.

Though I have a few minor reservations, such as wishing for more maps or details about artefact present-day locations, they are greatly outweighed by the book’s overall quality. The production standards, writing, and illustrations are all excellent.

Overall, this work is a valuable contribution to the English-language literature on the Cossacks, a subject frequently overlooked in studies of seventeenth-century military history. It serves as a comprehensive reference for amateur historians, researchers, wargamers, reenactors, figure painters, and enthusiasts alike. This publication is highly recommended for those seeking an authoritative resource on the topic.

This is No. 129 in Helion’s ‘Century of the Soldier 1618–1721 series.

ISBN: 978-1-804514-46-7 230 pages Paperback


Plenty more to follow, and I might even get some little men finished this week as well!

The ‘I didn’t go to Partisan’ post

I would have loved to have been to Partizan today but sadly I am still in significant pain and not up to the trip or indeed walking round the hall trying to be cheerful.

So, instead of the usual collection of photos showing off the games, here are a couple of photos of real partisans/partizans.

I am sure the event will be a great success as usual, with the high standard of games etc.

To everyone I had hoped to catch up with I say hello. 

An update and something new…..and silly.

 I don’t have anything game-wise planned until next week. My stupid back has been kicking off again so hopefully it will have settled down by then. If it was all my fault it all going sideways then so be it, but it’s just nature reminding me I’m getting old. Katherine has been very unwell this week so it meant I couldn’t go to Nigel’s for a GdA2 game which is a shame.

So by way of light relief, here are the Paraguayan secret weapons! Dugout canoes and a bloodthirsty crew of Paraguayans intent on boarding any Brazilian ship they can find. How they get IN is another matter. On one of the occasions this tactic was used they weren’t spotted until very close as they were amidst a load of flotsam and jetsam floating down the river. They did manage to board it were driven off by the crews. They will make for a little fun at any rate.

Yesterday (Friday) was the Anniversary of the 1683 Relief of Vienna 1683, so…..

However………I’ve replayed the above at least twice and have no desire to do it again just yet, or at least until I get the remaining Ottoman infantry finished (or started) to give them a chance next time.

But first the obligatory cat photo.

So instead of that we are transporting you the reader to the plains of Northern Italy in 1676’ish as yet again the French army of warmonger Louis XIV fights to wrestle the key County of Waldensia from its protector Victor Emanuel of Savoy. Before anyone heads off to google this, it is all made up. There was a large community of Waldensian Protestants living in Piedmont, somewhat precariously. For the purposes of this ongoing series of battles (the last one was three years ago) the people were ruled by a Protestant count, approved by Savoy, but he fell off the battlements of his castle under mysterious circumstances. His horse, wife and heir also died with him sadly. The French are now demanding that as they have the rightful ‘heir’ under their wing, they will fight to win him his rightful place and thus gain them the leverage they desire in Northern Italy.

The French are on the left.
 Spanish and Savoyards facing them.

Geographically the county is on a vital route, south from the Alps and east-west between Turin and the rest of Italy. Luckily for the Waldensians, the last thing the Savoyards want is a pro French count as head of state, a sentiment shared by the Spanish and their allies in Italy and Southern Europe. Consequently the Waldensians can field a small army of mercenary regiments hired en bloc from the likes of Saxony, Brandenburg and even Celle, together with ‘volunteer’ contingents from elsewhere such as Venice and the Papacy. Add to these the forces of Spain and a formidable (on paper at least) army to face the legions of Louis XIV exists. Ok, they’re mostly newly raised but the Spanish are all veterans to balance things out. The French are also an army of extremes with a couple of brigades of Maison du Roi (horse and foot) but the other infantry with the exception of some Swiss are decidedly average at best. Their line cavalry brigade and dragoons are pretty good though. 

The French objectives were to capture the town, the sleezy bordello (of which more later) and the bridge on the Savoyard baseline. The Savoy/Spanish alliance had to deny these to the enemy and drive them back over the border.

Six regiments of Savoyard infantry on the right flank. 

Nick commanded the Spanish on the allied left, facing all that French horse.

In turn one Richard fired his artillery and managed a double 1. Boom! Actually, not, as we remembered that ‘boom’ doesn’t happen at long range according to the rules…..why not I ask?

Nigel commanded a large body of French dragoons and the infantry of the Maison du Roi, namely two battalions of Gardes Francais and one of Gardes Suisse.

The French centre

The pride of France in Conrad’s capable hands.

This supposedly burnt out villa is actually where Madame Ghislane has her bordello, a hotbed (indeed several hot beds) of intrigue and a crossroads for the agents of both the French and the Savoyards. Madame has a secret book which if released to the French would seriously embarrass the Duke of Savoy and maybe even the Kings of Spain and France.

Meanwhile life goes on in the town.

Savoyard cavalry and dragoons on their right wing, under the command of Paul.

The French gave Conrad all their cavalry, deployed on their right flank. In all there were 11 squadrons of Maisonette du Roi and other good quality horse.

 Custom seems slow just now……

Conrad threw his horse against the Spanish. They kept bouncing.

Getting ready for another charge.

And here is another charge. It bounced again. What I did t understand was why Nick stuck his Spanish cavalry behind his infantry where they could do nothing rather than taking them round the right of the convent into the centre of the battlefield.

A General if at times slow advance by the French centre.

The Savoyards occupied the bordello but were attacked by countless dragoons and the Gardes Suisse.

Paul’s cavalry was not making much progress on the allied right.

The French dragoons holding the line of the stream.

Repeated attacks by the French cavalry did little other than pin the veteran Spanish infantry where they could they could not intervene in the main battle.

Cuirassiers du Roi in blue and to the right a squadron of Gendarmes.

Back in the centre the French suddenly lurched forward. The royal Rousillon regiment survived the closing fire from the Savoyard guns ( they all missed) and overran them.

The rest of the Savoyards centre began to crumble under the pressure.  This mercenary regiment from Brandenburg held on grimly.

The Swiss brigade before they assaulted the town.

Dumbarton’s regiment saw off the Savoyards to their front.

While all this was going on Richard had managed to occupy the town but was under attack from three sides. We got the rules wrong and he managed to hand on to the town despite being shaken.

Then in the centre the Spanish cavalry finally changed direction and appeared in the centre, attacking the French in the flank, sadly too late to influence the outcome. On the Savoyard right Paul’s cavalry was unable to get into action due to the terrain and poor command rolls.

So there we have it. I had to request we halted the game a little early as my back was excruciating. It was hard to call who had won. The Savoyards held all three of the objectives but their centre was about to collapse and they were about to be kicked out of the town. Nevertheless at the time we called a halt it was a Savoyards and Spanish victory.

These figures are my favourite collection by far. It was good to see them on the table after a long break.  Pike and Shot, even with my house rules didn’t seem to be adequate for the task. I might bite the bullet and try Impetus Baroque next time.

Thanks to everyone for playing in what at times was a tense game. I enjoyed it up to the point my back went ‘ping!’ 

Saturday will see another game……but what?

 I’m running a game here on Saturday for six of the Burrowers. Can’t make my mind up what to do.

The easy option is something from the Helder Campaign of 1799 as the French and Russians are on the table already; just need to remove the Alps! Add some English and away we go.

Alternatively I could do a 1672 game, but that will require a bit more tidying up. Not my strong point at the moment as it usually does my back in…… what I REALLY fancy is a 1940 Rapid Fire game. We shall see. Never played the rules so a bit risky…..

Nothing much has left the painting table this week. A battalion of Paraguayans and a regiment of Brazilian cavalry. The remainder of the Paraguayan fortress artillery is also done so things are ticking along nicely. I should finish my Paraguayan secret weapons this week as well . Can’t say what as they’re secret.

I’m also pissed off that I was not well enough to take part in the Like a Stone Walls Waterloo game this weekend. It looked fantastic. Never mind….. Common sense prevailed this time. 

Back to the Revolution, part 2

Continuing on from the skirmish on Thursday, Saturday saw the table re-orientated, terrain reset and more troops added. Those with losses from the earlier game started off carrying one or two hit markers depending on their losses. The Russian cavalry was too battered and useless and was sent off to escort the baggage as the army had been joined by a brigade of Austrian cavalry and another brigade of Russian infantry.

 

The French carried fewer losses over and received another brigade of cavalry and another strong brigade of infantry. The Polish Legion were also joined by their third battalion and two battalions of the Lombard Legion. The armies were numerically more or less balanced, except the French had four batteries of artillery against two of Russian mountain guns, and they had a slight advantage in squadrons and battalions, but not by much. Where the French were at an advantage was in their troops’ and generals’ quality, together with complete domination in the area of skirmishers.

What follows are the usual series of photos showing how the game progressed. John the Red, Nick and Shaun were the French while Neil, Nigel and Jon were the Russians.

The Polish Legion

The Lombard Legion

I've not annotated all the photos as I think they tell the story well enough. On the Russian right the French made very slow progress but did eventually drive the Cossacks out of the town. Their main line and the Russians barely fired a shot at each other, which given the poor quality of this French brigade may have been a blessing. (They were rated as newly raised with more enthusiasm than skill and experience).

On the right the Austrian cavalry got the better of the French horsemen but were unable to exploit their success. The French infantry on this flank advanced on the Russian positions. The Russians attempted several bayonet charges but to no avail and eventually only two of the six Russian units in the brigade were left, the rest having fled. While they could the Austrian cavalry survivors beat a hasty retreat.

In the centre the main attack was led by the Polish and Lombard Legions. They were facing four battalions of combined grenadiers (somewhat battered from their previous engagement but no less dangerous). The French were unable to break the Russian centre, even with their superiority in artillery and skirmishing capability.

The game had been set to last eight turns, by which time it was deemed the Russian baggage train had safely slipped away. The French had failed to prevent this so despite their success on the battlefield it was not enough to prevent the enemy escaping with a minor victory.

Valour and Fortitude are very much like marmite, with the added complication that some days I like marmite and others I don't.  I was less enamoured of them this time than I had been when playing the Paraguayan War.  But they work on big multi-player games like this and are imho infinitely preferable to Black Powder. Not everyone had used the rules but everyone was soon pretty much up to speed. With fewer players, and players who were familiar with the rules, I would probably have used General d'Armée II. 

Thanks to everyone for the game which hopefully was an enjoyable one. I now have the bug for another French Revolutionary Wars game next time. We shall see........