2nd Battalion Tarnopol Regiment

 I finished the 2nd Battalion of the Tarnopol regiment.  These are Perry plastics and this time I went with the soft caps.  With 2 battalions the regiment is ready for battle!

1812 Russian Tarnopol Battalion

 As has become the norm around here, I have been very bad about blogging my gaming and modeling progress.  I have actually been having a pretty good year on both fronts, but I have been too lazy to document it. 

My most recent completed paint project is the 1st Battalion of the Tarnopol Regiment.  This is my first unit of Perry miniature for the Napoleonic era, and I must say, they are very nice.  I selected the Tarnopol regiment using the same reasoning I have used for all my Napoleonic units, I have the flags.  I do not know a thing about this unit or its history.

I also painted a commander for the musketeer brigade, also a Perry model.  Finally, I have my second  Russian gun.  This is a 12lb cannon from Warlord games.

Perry Plastic Russians.  Excellent figures that are not really a great match for my Warlord plastics but should be OK in separate units.  The kit allows for building earlier (1807-1812) or later (1812+) units.  It also has heads with soft caps.  There are way too many figures in the box for the size units I build so I ordered some separate command frames from Perry to build more units.

I am following my painting standard for Russians of red for collars, cuffs, shoulder straps, and turn backs.  These should have shoulder straps colored based on their seniority in the division.  I don't know this info so they gat red and that's that.  I might paint some units in the future where I use the regional color for the cuffs and collars.

This is a Perry Russian Officer that I will use as a brigade commander.  I don't have a good uniform reference so he got a fairly generic paint job.

The Perry miniatures really are the gold standard for the period.

This is the same model that my friend, Tim, painted for me a couple of years ago.  The Warlord stuff is good solid and functional stuff that will not wow you.  This is a half-battery so with the two I now have a full battery of artillery.

I expect this will be the last Warlord gun I paint.  Future artillery addition to this army will be Perry.

My Russian Napoleonic collection is nearing the point where I can play a game.  I now have 4 Grenadier battalions, 2 Musketeer battalions, a battery of cannon and 2 commanders.  On the paint bench I have the 2nd battalion of the Tarnopol regiment as well as the army commander.  After that I will paint the 2nd battalion of the Narva regiment and I will have 8 battalions.  That is enough to get these guys on the table.

Future plans will be to add a second battery (Perrys miniatures) and a brigade of cavalry.  That, I think, would complete this project.  The next Napoleonic army on the list will be British.  I really don't want to do them, but like the French, hard to do do the period without them.

1812 Russian Narva Musketeer Regiment

For the first time since November 2020 I have finished a painting project.  I am VERY rusty but I am happy with how these turned out.  I am not totally sure why I chose these figure and my return to the painting hobby.  I really love the look of painted Napoleonic figures but I find painting them a chore.  I don't have any immediate plans to use these, it just seemed like the thing to do. 

This is the first battalion of the Narva musketeer regiment with the 1812 Kiver (Kiwa).  I am still struggling a bit with the colors on the uniforms.  It seems like the collars and cuffs changed to red in 1807 but the shoulder straps stayed the regimental color.  That means these are probably wrong but I can't find a reference for this regiment.  They are the Narva regiment simple because I had flags for them.

These are Warlord games plastic figures.  They are pretty nice and are not too bad to paint.

3rd Battalion, Little Russia Grenadier Regiment

 As part of the trade that got me the 12lb Russian artillery, Tim also painted a battalion of grenadiers.  These have been based and bannered as the 3rd Battalion of the Little Russia Grenadier regiment.  I have already painted the 1st battalion and Tim painted these to match. I think he did a good job matching my style.

With this battalion and the artillery I now have one fully painted brigade of Russians.  That is just enough to get a small game in.

Napoleonic Russian Brigade Commander

I have finally finished my Russian Napoleonic Brigade commander for my Black Powder Russians.  I actually painted this guy last year but for some unknown reason I let it sit on the paint table with the base incomplete.  All done now.

This model is from Warlord games and is actually a mounted colonel.  He will make a usable brigadier until I get around to finding a better model.

1st Battalion, Little Russia Grenadier Regiment

I am making good progress this spring on my long neglected Napoleonic project.  This time we have the 1st battalion of the Little Russia grenadier regiment.  To be honest, I had not set out to model this particular unit so I really have no idea if this looks 'correct' in terms of uniform.  It is the Little Russia regiment because Warlord kindly included flags in the box for this unit.

When I started my Russians I really knew nothing about Napoleonic Russians - how to configure the units, how to paint the uniforms, what are the flags all about?  Part of the joy of historical wargaming is the research and discovery of a new period or topic. 

Needless to say I have been doing a lot of research all-be-it on the internet.  Since I have been working on grenadiers that has been my main focus.  These figures are painted in the 1809-14 style with the old style shako and large plume.  I painted the jackets more inline with my understanding of the 1812 uniform (1812 being my area of interest for this project) with the red collars, cuffs and turnbacks.  The earlier uniforms used the red turnbacks but the collars and cuffs would have been the color of the Inspectorate (basically a region) that the unit was raised from.  In the case of this unit I think the cuffs and collars would have been pink to match the color in the flags.

FOr this unit I really have no idea if it ever wore this combination of uniform traits or not.  I am not even sure a unit could have retained the old style shako but been issued the new red and green jackets.  The amount of variation I found in my research leads me to believe it is plausible. 

Another area of confusion is how to structure the units.  I play Black Powder and these rules really don't get into how a unit should be built or appear just how many figures it has and what troop classification it is.  That should make things a little easier, or so I thought.  Since a grenadier battalion has different in-game stats it is important to be able to easily identify the unit on the table.  This battalion, with its large dramatic plumes will be easy to spot.  The trouble comes with the 3rd battalion (also know as the 2nd line battalion) which I have yet to model and paint.  I am leaning in the direction of building a unit just like this one but that would deviate from the history a bit. 

It turns out that a Russian grenadier regiment was not comprise solely or entirely of grenadiers.  They also contained fusiliers, which were the equivalent of the line regiment's musketeers. Basically regular soldiers. Prior to 1812 the regiment would have had a first battalion comprised on grenadiers just as I have modeled here.  The 3rd battalion would have been entirely fusiliers without the tall plumes.  This is likely to cause some confusion in game terms.  It gets more complicated for grenadiers in 1812 and beyond.  The unit structure at that time was basically identical to the structure for the line regiments - 2 companies of grenadiers, 4 companies of fusiliers/musketeers.  This certainly would make identification of grenadier regiments difficult on the table.  Quite the problem - units that look more like the historical counter parts or units that are easy to identify on the table.

Since I am much more a gamer than a button counting Napoleonic simulator I will go with easier to identify on the table.  This means that my grenadiers will all get the tall plume regardless of the style of shako or which battalion they represent.  This might send some purists into a tailspin but I think it will make the games more manageable and fun.  Besides, the grenadiers look cool so it will be neat to have a bunch of units running around.

As a final disclaimer, I really don't know much about this topic.  I am sure I have goofed some of this up but I am sure I will keep learning.

Pavlovsk Grenadier Regiment

With my Napoleonic French at a usable point I decided to switch to Russians.  I am starting with grenadiers and the first unit is the Pavlovsk Grenadier regiment.  This is the first and the third battalions and the figures are all Warlord Games 28mm.  These are nice figures and are very easy to paint.

1st battalion front 

1st battalion rear

1st battalion command

3rd battalion front

3rd battalion rear

3rd battalion command

2nd Battalion, 2nd Regiment Swiss

I started my Napoleonic project for Black Powder almost 8 years ago.  I had really high hopes for this project and I had several friends that had expressed interest in participating.  As time has progressed most of my friends (all but one in fact) have moved on and are not longer interested.  I have persisted, although halfheartedly at best.  With the completion of the 2/2 Swiss Regiment for my French army I now have 8 battalions completed along with 2 guns and one commander.  That is not very good considering that is only one battalion per year.  This has really made me rethink this project.  It is time for me to either put some real effort into getting a usable collection painted or just admit to myself that it is time to let it go.  One of the real problems I have is that I HATE painting Napoleonic figures.  Right up until the unit is based I can't help feeling that they look like crap and it took way to much effort for them to look that way.  Then I base them and I fall in love but not enough to inspire me to paint more.

1st and 2nd Battalions of the 2nd Swiss Regiment

Anyway, enough whining.  These guys are done and are the first completed project for Finish it February.  It feels good to get these out of the WIP pile and into the collection.  The figures are Warlord plastic French and are very functional figures.

Swiss 1st Battalion, 2nd Regiment

I really needed a break from all the ACW painting so I decided to paint a unit of Warlord plastic French line infantry as Swiss.  This is the 1st Battalion, 2nd Regiment Suisse.  There seem to be some different interpretations of the uniform for this regiment.  For this project I went with the more popular which is red and blue with yellow piping.  For the the 2nd Battalion I will go with the red and blue with red piping - a simpler and cleaner look.  I really like the ease and simplicity of these figures.

My only complaint with the Warlord French set is they only give you enough figures for 7 elite company figures.  With the way most people build units you end up short one elite company figure. Since I build my units as 24 figures I end up with 8 extra fusiliers.  The root of the trouble is doing one sprue with three fusiliers and one elite.  This is just bad and wasteful design.  I acquired a bunch of these boxes in a trade and I pretty sure I will never buy any more.

Battle of Salem Church - Black Powder ACW

On March 3rd my friends and I held the third and last game of our Chancellorsville Black Powder campaign.  Our first battle was almost 2 years ago.  We started with Jackson's flank attack against the Union XI Corps. About a year ago we played game two - Breakthrough at Chancellorsville Inn.  Both of these games were great fun and really huge.  For the final game we needed something to top them all.  This time it was Salem Church.  This game would be played as per the scenario in the Glory, Hallelujah! book, page 138.

As for rules we played mostly from the Black Powder rules with only a few of the Glory, Hallelujah! changes.  The woods were rated as Light Woods rather than Heavy Woods as the scenario calls for.  I just felt with the large table the heavy rating would just slow things to a crawl.  The Light Woods rules are from GH page 54.  We used the Passage of Lines from GH, page 59.  We used a variation of The Charge rules on page 61.  We do not apply the -2 penalty to the command roll for charging from the front.

Salem Church in the center of the battlefield.  The fields are counted as open ground with no cover.

The South woods.  All woods are counted as Light Woods per the GH rules, page 54.

The entire battlefield looking North to South.  The table is 12' x 8'.

The battle would be fought on a 12' x 8' table.  The layout is as close to the map on page 138 that our collections would allow.  The objective for both sides in the battle was very simple - destroy the other army.  The battlefield would not really allow for subtlety.  The size of the armies would also make maneuver very tough.  Basically, move forward and grind it out.

South end of the Confederate line.  Wilcox's Brigade, Anderson's Division is along the road, and completely separated from the other brigade of the division (which was deployed on the other side of the table for some reason).  This would cause some command issues for the Rebs.  This would be the location of some of the most important and dramatic fighting of the day.

The Confederate deployment in the center.  McLaw's Division would hold most of the ground in the center for the Rebs. These brigades were exhausted after a forced march to get to the battle and as such they were limited to one move per order.  This had a bigger impact on the player than on the forces as they basically decided to stand fast all game. 

The Confederate deployment in the North.  Mahone's Brigade, Anderson's Division is in the woods with McLaw's Division to their right.  Mahone would put up a stubborn defense of these woods all game (but it probably wasn't very fun to play).

The Union deployment looking South.  The 3rd Division, VI Corps is in the woods and the open ground next to it.  The 3rd Brigade would have a tough time getting moving in the woods.  The commander would blame the terrain but lack of competent command and control was the real cause.

Over 1500 28mm figures deployed for battle.  It was a truly stunning sight.

The Union center.  Mostly the troops of the 3rd Division.

The Union deployment looking South to North.  The 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, VI Corps is in the woods in the foreground (me).  The 3rd Brigade, 1st Division  is in the center ready to advance on the church.  1st Brigade is in support acting as division reserve.

A game like this takes a lot of work to put on.  The setup took more than an hour and when you throw in army assignments, terrain explanations, rules updates and deployment the first roll of the dice was almost 2 hours in.  Before all that the figures had to be collected and painted.  This battle used more than 1500 figures from the collections of 5 of the players.  Several of the players worked hard to paint new units specifically for this game, myself included.  I also re-acquired some figures from a local gamer that had not been on the bale for a long time.  Virtually all of the terrain was also supplied by the players with only a few trees from the local shop.

The 3rd Division advances in the open on the Union right.  A dazzling sight but the Rebs have already taken up defensive positions in the woods.

The Confederates are trying to get units in line along the edge of the woods to pour fire into the advancing Union troops.  It appears that one Reb regiment has left their flank hanging open but the Uniion troops were too slow to take advantage.

In the center the 3rd Divion is rapidly advancing on the right but the 1st Division is lagging behind, or so it seems.  The union plan was to try and draw the Confederates in the South towards the center and then outflank them through the woods.  The plan was sound.

The 2nd Brigade, 1st Division makes its move.  The 46th Pennsylvania is used as bait to draw the Confederates up the road towards the crossroads.  The remainder of the brigade, in march column, moves into the woods to wards the open Confederate flank.

The Confederates slowly move units towards the church but poor command rolls are hammering the effort (not to mention exhausted troops).

Back on the North end the 3rd Division is slowed by withering Confederate fire.  Casualties are mounting and disordered units are blocking the advance.  The difficulties in passing through are not helping.

In the South woods the Confederates have been caught with their pants down.  They desperately reposition units to stop the Union troops advancing through the woods.  The 114th Penn has routed a Reb regiment off the road and is now on the flank of the entire Confederate army.  The 46th Penn, that was holding the crossroads has been routed but units of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division have moved in to cover the crossroads.

The fight at the crossroads is reaching a fevered pitch.  The Confederates are desperately trying to stop the Union advance as well as contain the flank attack.  In the center the Union is in control of the church as farther North a bulge is forming in the Union lines.

The fighting in the South woods is getting brutal.  Wilcox's Brigade, Anderson's Division has broken and the remnants are retiring.  The Confederate flank looks to be in serious trouble.  The only help in the area is Wofford's Brigade, McLaws Division which is exhausted and having a very tough time repositioning.

The 3rd Brigade, 1st Division has been pressing the Confederates near the crossroads hard, maybe too hard.  They are near their break-point and the 1st Brigade has now been committed in the center near the church.  Both sides are showing signs of ware in the South end of the fight.

The Union 3rd Division has been pressing forward methodically and now a bulge has formed in the open ground.  The Confederates in the area look strong but they are taking lots of damage.

The 5th New York charges and Alabama regiment along the road.  A risky move but one that could pay off in a big way.  The 2nd Brigade is behind the main Confederate line with very little in front of them.

THe other two regiments of the 2nd Brigade are disordered and unable to move forward to keep the pressure on the Confederate flank.  This is the high-water mark for the Union.

In the North woods the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division is halted by Mahone's Brigade.  It is like a wave crashing over the rocks.  The Confederates will not be moved even against huge odds.

The bulge in 3rd Division's lines.  I am not sure what is happening here but the lack of concentration in the attack would not produce positive results.

The Alabamans have been routed but not before shaking the 5th New York.  This along with the loss of the 46th Penn would break the brigade.  The 2nd Brigade, 1st Division begins to retire back through the woods.  The Confederate flank is saved.

The 1st Brigade, 1st Division also has had enough and begins to retire.  The loss of the entire 1st Division marks the end of the battle.

Back in the North woods the Confederates are only one casualty away from loosing the battle.

This was a really fun game but perhaps not as fun as some of our previous battles.  I really think that Black Powder games really shine when there is an objective to the battle other than simply kill'em all sorts of games.  In many ways this game was a return to how we played when we first started this and in really it felt like a step back.  I had been tempted to make my own scenario for this game and in retrospect I probably should have.

This likely marks the end of big battle ACW for a while.  I don't have any plans for anything of this size again.  I will be playing smaller games of ACW using Black Powder as I continue to explore point match games using GH rules.  For big games I am still dreaming of a large Napoleonic Black Powder game.