Coming down to the wire...

I've been terrible about posting photos of all the terrain we've been working on. I know how to shoot miniatures, but never quite get around to shooting the scenery I've painted. I'm expecting to spend quite a bit of time at the show rectifying that problem. In less than a week, the Guns of April group will have played a whole host of games over the spectacular terrain created by Rob Chandler and Alex Landing.

Additionally, some lucky gamer will go home with their very own Rosetta Stone vignette : )

Cheers
Dave

Let's try this again...

Yesterday I tried to post up these photos of my Dromedary Corps, along with their warband list for use with Legends of The High Seas. Sadly, Blogger saw fit to completely mess with the formatting of my "copy and paste" on the warband list and wouldn't let me correct it, no matter how hard I tried.

So, until I work it all out, you'll just get the pretty pictures.

Above is my Dromedary Corps warband (minus the Savant that will accompany them). These models are sculpted by Paul Hicks, and sold by Brigade Games as part of their excellent Napoleon In Egypt range.

For each of the mounted models, I painted up a matching model on foot (just in case their camel gets shot from underneath them). From left to right: The Captain (is his local attire), the ADC (in a dashing red, Hussar pelise), and two Dromedary Corps troopers.

Should they all end up on foot, they'll look something like this. I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed painting the models, they were a real treat!

Merry Christmas, and see you all next year!

Cheers
Dave

French Troops in Egypt

Hello everyone. Its seems the Guns of April crew is off to a slow start for the 2014 event but behind the scenes we are working diligently towards our goal. When we completed our 2013 event portraying the first day actions at Gettysburg we all voted on what we would like to do for 2014. As previously mentioned we are going to run a skirmish level game of small warbands fighting it out in Egypt.

I took this opportunity to try a few new painting techniques after experiencing the time consuming painting process I used during our first project of the Battle of Salamanca. I primed my miniatures white rather than black which goes against everything I stand for when painting miniatures but since I was only painting 12 miniatures what the worse that could happen, right? :)

I tried another first by purchasing a bottle of the new Vallejo Model Wash Light Grey to see if it would make a nice wash for the white clothing and leather. After a few experimentations using the wash right out of the bottle wasn't giving me the right look so I added some Vallejo Gloss Varnish, water, and white glue for the desired result.

The miniatures are ready for some clean up but the wash allowed me to shade the white areas and it also showed me all the details on the miniature which was an added benefit. The next steps will be to begin basing all the colors to prepare the miniature for the Army Painter Dark Shade 'wash'.

Until next time.....

And with that, the game was over...

So, after all this planning, painting, travelling, building, and a bit of drinking, the first project of our little group has come to fruition. The 2012 200th Anniversary "What if?" Salamanca battle went off very smoothly, and to a very appreciative group of onlookers and passers by. Here are a quick(ish) batch of photos from the game. More detail will follow once we get some sleep and take some better photos.

From the start, the British column was up against it as we struggled with our command rolls. From failures to complete blunders, our initial strategy was in tatters from the start.

Not wanting to gloat too early, the French commanders attempt to hide their mirth at our plight.

By the time we were able to form a credible defensive line, the French second brigade was racing across the northern portion of the table.

Had this been a straight forward, stand up fight, our Guards battalions would have certainly held the center.

More action at the northern end of the line as the 42nd hastily form square in the face of French Hussars.

The battle for the chapel was a complete bunfight! All manner of units were trying to unseat the 95th from their loopholes.

With a few jammy rolls towards the end of the game, the French were able to bring three cannon into close range of the 3rd Foot Guards, with another at medium range in enfilade. After 13 shots from artillery, and another three from the Legere to the Guards front. This powerhouse unit was forced to retire 12".

After four hours of hard fighting, and incredibly enthusiastic piss-taking, the game fell to the French. It was determined as "A minor French victory, with no allowance for future French bragging, and no-one owed anyone any beers."

Above are the crew, from left to right: Joe Krone, Chris Ferich, Jamie Welling, Alex Akers, Brien Dulaney, myself, and Dave Pauwels,

There was quite a bit of spirited discussion following the game, and the results were:
a) This event had been a roaring success, despite never setting indicators for success, and
b) We'll be tackling some part of the Gettysburg battle for our 2013 project (another anniversary game of course)!

Cheers
Dave

What we need is a little leadership!

The Command for Brigade Chemineau

 And we got some!  2 more bases of Brigade Commanders that is!  Both bases pictured here are painted by Dave Taylor once again.  Lending his hand to ensure the British will be crushed under the hooves of the finest cavalry in the world!

Cavalry Command from Boyer and Curto's Cavalry Divisions

 Dave grabbed these guys from me one evening and finished them off in a week before turning them back over to myself.  I got the based up and ready to roll the other night.  The gears are turning and the painting is steadily moving along!

The beginnings of the 3rd Hussars

 Hmm, I am seeing a pattern here.  The 3rd Hussars are in full swing as far as painting goes.  Again, Dave threw in with the victors and painted up the horses, leaving the blue gray of the 3rd to my discretion.  The trooper is not done yet but it gives you an idea of the uniform.

1st Battalion of the 69th Ligne

And I just had to put this guy in there.  My last battalion of infantry for the project.  I think his facial expression sums it all up! I love his snarling look.

Tonight I finished up the flesh tones on all of the infantry and Foy's command base.  Not up to my normal standard but definitely good enough for the table top.  The tiny black lines are in place for the eyes.  And things are progressing nicely!  All in all, for my portion of this project I have 36 models on my painting table.  And 8 more working days to go.  As much as I may stress in the final days.  I love this stuff!

More to come!
B

Brigade Chemineau begins to take shape...

13th Chasseurs

As you can see I have been a bit busy with Brigade Chemineau.  I can not take all of the credit.  The above unit was painted by none other than Mr. Dave Taylor.  Proof that in his heart, he loves the French and wishes them victory in this endeavor!  Why else would he paint the dreaded 13th Chasseurs?  Aside from the fact he wants our Port Wine and Brandy!  I did manage to paint the Commander of the unit however!

1st Battalion, 6th Legere

Here is a never before seen unit. The 1st Battalion of the 6th Legere. Since they are the first they have the Eagle.  And I wanted them to appear like they would be the best.  These models have a bit more character than the standard plastics.  When you think of the British in Napoleonics, you think of "the thin red line".  And when you think of the French, you can't help but think of columns of troops in attack formation.  The drums beating the pas des charge.  The muskets with their bayonets at the charge.  Ready to fire a quick volley and press the attack home.  Crushing the enemy with the weight of the French attack column! Slaughtering their enemies. Making them break and flee like the cowardly scum that they are! Pour l'empereur! Pour la France! Pour la victoire!

2nd Battalion, 6th Legere

Sorry.  I am getting a big carried away with the pride I feel for my fellow French Players and this army we have created (with the help of some of the traitorous Brits)!

Finally we have the unit you have seen plenty of, but not in it's final glory as it is now!  The 2nd Battalion of the 6th Legere.

We have roughly 15 more days to get work done.  And I have 35 more models to complete.  The 1st Batallion of the 69th Ligne, the 3rd Hussars, and Foy along with his command.  And maybe some Dragoons.

Jusqu'à la prochaine fois mes amis!

Cavalry and Polo's

Progress is slow but steady. I continue to work on my cavalry and as of this evening I managed to get 8 Dragoons base coated and 'dipped'. They will be dull coated tomorrow and the highlighting will begin. I have the remaining 4 Dragoons about 60% base coated with another 14 Dragoons with some basic colors. When I need a break from all this cavalry I have been cranking out backpacks for my fully painted infantry. 12 backpacks are done and glued on with another 27 left to go. I am really looking forward to seeing everything done and on the battlefield. Here are some pictures of my progress.

On a side note, I received our polo shirts for the crew playing the game and thought they would be cool to show everyone. We designed the shirts so we could wear them from year to year regardless of the theme or historical time period we choose. You will notice a hazy look in between the letters. That is just part of the screening that needs to be removed. 

Operation Paint Cavalry is under way

The past couple of weeks have been very exciting for me both personally and hobby related. I recently undertook the largest cavalry painting project in my hobby existence. Yes, I know some people will laugh at the fact that I am only painting 26 cavalry and some mounted officers but I really had some bad experiences painting and playing with cavalry units so I have managed to avoid them up until this point. I was working on assembling the 26 dragoons this past week and I started painting them this weekend. Hopefully I will have at least 6-12 dragoons ready to dip before I go to bed with the rest falling into line by next weekend. In between painting backpacks and some casualties I was painting up the horses. Here are some pictures of my progress as of a few minutes before posting this article. Enjoy.

 The pictures above are of my brigade commander. Commanders are Perry Miniatures and the base was supplied by Dragon Forge Designs.

 8 of my horses are done and based. I have another 8 that need highlighting and another 8 that need to be dull coated and highlighted.

Here are the elite 15th Dragoons. I have found no evidence that they wore their bearskins in the Peninsula and more than likely they didn't but they look cool. Sometimes cool trumps historical accuracy. :)

Leger almost there

I'm helping out our French players by jumping in and painting up a couple of battalions. Above is the almost completed 1st Battalion of the 31st Leger. I decided to break with the darker trousers for the drummer, so that he'll stand out nicely from the crowd (easier for the officer to spot him in the swirling melee).

And then there's this 2nd Battalion of the 69th Ligne (sans white fanion). I'm very happy to have painted everyone out of their greatcoats, especially as painting greatcoated French is so much easier to do. I guess I'll have to use all the greatcoats for my next battalion.

As I was enjoying painting these French battalions, I was laying out an article for Wargames Illustrated on the Swiss troops who were in Napoleon's service. They sounded interesting, as does the Polish Vistula Legion. Both the Swiss and Poles had troops that served in the Peninsular, and in the Russian Campaign of 1812. So, I've been thinking a few units of those might be next on the painting table.

I must now admit I've definitely fallen far down the Napoleonic rabbit hole!

Cheers
Dave

A small update from Brigade Chemineau

Horse Artillery lining up their sights

 So I decided to give a little update on Brigade Chemineau's progress on the week.  I know it has been slow going but I have not stopped.

Above is the one Horse Artillery from my portion of the army. Fully finished and ready to go! Hooray!

The Legere are almost finished

And here we have my slow moving Legere.  Believe me when I tell you I have others I am working on and not just these guys.  But I have a question for you all.  As you can see there is one base of six men missing still.  That is because I am at an impasse and could use a little feedback.

Grenadiers or Voltigeurs?

This fourth base is typically a Grenadier base. But seeing as this is light infantry, it could also be a Voltigeur base.  So I am asking you, the reader of this post, what you would like to see? Above is a picture of the two.  So your feedback would be appreciated!

B

6th Legere - 2nd Batallion Update

The 6th Legere's 2nd Batallion begins to take shape!

So I know it's been quite a long time since I have posted any updates.  And I would like to think I have had a decent few reasons. The biggest being that my wife and I bought a new house back in December.  We had to be completely moved in within 3 days of signing on the house.  So everything had been rushed.  Throw in some repair work and unpacking and here I am.  Finally back to working on my French.

As you can see above, the Light Infantry are coming along.  Yes, I know they are not complete. I have to finish their backpacks and a few minor touch ups and basing but this is the bulk of the 2nd Btn.  I have to paint a base of 6 Grenadiers for this Batallion.

I have fallen behind on my painting schedule by quite a bit.  I still have 116 models to paint to complete my portion of the army and about 58 days to do it!  So with that gents! I bid you adieu!

B

Vive la France

Dave is quite right that the end of 2011 was quite hectic for all of us but I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are all very excited to complete this project and showcase a really cool Napoleonic game. Many of us are very involved in the hobby industry and it is not often we get to attend a show and actually play some games. This will be a great mix of work and play at Adepticon. During my 5 week 'vacation' out of country I brought a handful of my French infantry and some horses to work on during my down time. Once I returned to my home in the U.S. I quickly set to basing the finished miniatures in the hopes that I can move on to my cavalry. I have 7 infantry to complete and about 30 backpacks so I am almost done. Here are some pictures of my finished infantry and as of today I just dull coated my first unit of 8 horses. Hopefully next week I will have some more finished miniatures to show you.  Thanks and enjoy. 

 

1st Battalion of the 15th Ligne needing 7 more fusiliers for completion.

2nd Battalion of the 15th Ligne

1st Battalion of the 82nd Ligne with their attached company of grenadiers.

 2nd Battalion of 82nd Ligne with a simple head swap conversion.

Batteries A & B ready for action. 

All Must March.

I am somewhat late to this ball and have, to date, been remiss in posting the progress of the French third brigade.  So, I’m attempting to remedy that now, with a quick introduction and update on recruitment.

First, this project marks a full-circle return for me, as far as my wargaming career goes.  In high school, I used to frequent the now legendary shop of one Todd Fisher.  The Emperor’s Headquarters, here in Chicago, was a Mecca for wargamers in general, but Napoleonic gamers specifically.  Todd, who has been featured on the History Channel as a Napoleonic historian of no little renown, recruited some of us younger painters (we were, at that time, exclusively playing Warhammer 40K) to help paint his epic 15mm Empire armies.  Eventually, I rose through the ranks to the level of troop-pusher and even earned the right to an occasional brigade command.  But it was my college friend Sam (who infamously carried around the Empire rules- all 16,000 pages- in his pack during Desert Storm) who really got me enthusiastic about gaming battles that didn’t involve, to a lesser or greater extent, Chaos daemons.

But I apologize for waxing sentimental.  I now find myself, for the first time since those salad days of sprawling EHQ battles, painting Napoleonic models.  Dave Taylor is the kind of gamer who is so enthusiastic that you can’t help but catch some of his passion.  From the first conversation about a large, exhibition game of Black Powder at Adepticon, I was in.  100%.  I had already started collecting some of the Perry Brothers’ French infantry, so I was more than agreeable to take up arms alongside Brien and Joe, taking responsibility for the French third brigade for our Salamanca game.  I have no doubt that, come Adepticon, we’ll defeat the “nation of shopkeepers” long before the bar closes.

My first battalion (work in progress shot below) is nearing completion.  I’ll post some more detailed shots of the finished bases just after the holidays.  My plan is to update regularly and stagger my infantry battalions with guns, command, and my Dragoons.  Well, thanks for letting me drone on.  I promise my next post will be 90% photos of toy soldiers.

Vive l'Empereur,

Dave Pauwels

An update from Brigade Chemineau

6th Leger 1st Bn Command

 So it has been a little while since the French have had an update and I wanted to post some of my experimentation on the Leger (Light Infantry).  As you can see above I have my first command models done for the first base of Leger.  It has been slow going with many side projects taking priority.

One of the many inspirational units I am drawing from

I will take a moment here and explain how I want to set up my portion of our project.  As you can see just above here is a unit painted by the talented Dave Imrie.  When I first saw this I thought, "That is how the French should look on the battlefield!".  Needless to say the quest is on.  I have procured all of my models needed for this project and will be trying to capture the feel of the models above.

I intend to base one unit of my Leger in marching rank and file.  This is the one I have started work on.  The 2nd BN of Leger will be similar to what you see above.  Muskets at the charge and ready to crash into the "Thin Red Line".  I will also do something similar to my Ligne or Line Infantry.  Also I intend to dirty up my boys with a bit of pigments.

If you do any research on the Battle of Salamanca you will find that the two armies marched for days in a constant game of cat and mouse. Sometimes the armies would be within a stones throw distance from each other.  And of course, the night before the battle was a severe thunderstorm.  Later thought to be a good omen for Wellington before his major engagements.

One of my Line Officers

Well that's enough out of me this evening.  I will get some more of the 6th Leger, 1st BN finished up and on its way to you lads!

B

2nd Brigade continues to recruit

The French Order of Battle has been posted and painting continues. Here is another update of my Brigade. There are some subtle details that I am considering such as the regimental numbers on the soft caps, cartridge boxes, and backpacks. For now I want to have the units finished and presentable and I will add the cool details later. I also have casualty miniatures that I would like to use to represent the hits taken by my units throughout the game. More to come on those at a later time. Enjoy the pictures.