Prepping for Aspern Essling & Eggmuhl

We're hoping to do Aspern Essling and Eggmuhl next month, which has meant that I've been doing some quick work bringing the Austrian collection up to speed and some work on the terrain.  I have fairly extensive kit suitable for Spain, but not so much for Bavaria. 

Eggmuhl requires some artillery positions, so I set to working out what I could do with what I have. 

What I needed were positions built out of gabions and possibly with some form of duck boards for the cannon to recoil on.  I used a mixture of 3d printed bits from my pal Du Gourmand and some bits and pieces from Italeri artillery sets. Given that we will be playing using Command & Colours Napoleonics, these will need to cover specific sides of a hex. 

I started off by laying out some 3d printed pieces on a five inch MDF hex. This approach was growing on me when I realised that all three positions that I would need for the game were located on hills.  Therefore they would need to be smaller to fit on top of my hills. 

So I started messing about again.  Once I had something that I was happy with, I slipped a piece of paper underneath and used a pencil to sketch in the shape I was looking for. I then cut that out and used the stencil to transfer the shape to plasticard. 

I was toying with the idea of using this part of an Italeri plastic bridge to add duckboards to this, but decided against it because it's actually an infantry position and I couldn't get one of my units to sit on it neatly.  This is no doubt, unrealistic, but it just didn't look right to me and interfered with the function of the playing piece, so I scrapped the idea.  

Once I had a outline that I was happy with, I cut the shapes out of plastic card with a scissors and trimmed the edges with a knife.  All the pieces were glued down with super glue and the base itself was bulked out with pre mixed wall filler. 

The artillery position and the infantry position side by side. 

The final product.  I am debating giving these a watered down coat of PVA to make them more solid, which given that they are wargaming pieces and will see some handling, I think will be the right thing to do before I prime them. 

In the mean time, I came up with the insane idea that I would have separate named figures for the all the Austrian commanders.  This proved to be a bigger job than I anticipated, so I'm going to bodge it somewhat.   Where I have figures that represent named individuals,  I will have a round base with the commanders name on it. More generic figures (i.e. the chaps who don't stand out like Picton, Ney, Bonaparte, etc) will be fitted with a section of steel paper.  I will make name tags on magnetic material that can then be swapped out to individualise the commanders for individual battles. That's the plan at least. 

These are from the Italeri Austrian and Russian staff set.  I didn't like the pose on the grenadier officer, so I cut his arm and super glued it in place so that he is holding his sword by his side instead of waving it over his head.  I am generally terrible at conversions, but having been inspired by the superb JP Wargaming Blog and YouTube channel, I decided I should give it a go. 

My pal RB has very generously offered to paint up the Austrian leaders for the game while get weaving on bringing the Austrian troops and the terrain up to the snuff. 

This figure will be representing Colonel Frimont here.

I went rooting through the Osprey on Austrian Commanders of the Napoleonic Wars, looking for fellas who looked like the figures I had for Austrian generals. I have a box of Italeri commanders and a really lovely box of Strelets Allied Staff which should make for some decent figures.  Given that some of them are pretty similar, I'm hoping to get brave and try some head swaps. 

It remains to be seen whether this will be a success.  RB is painting up the Austrian commanders and I will be transferring my Frenchmen to round bases and adding name tags.  Du Gourmand is 3d printing the Granary for me, so the plan as Hannibal says, is coming together. 

 

Specifically general

 

1. This may be Lasalle

More than ten years ago, I came into a collection of old painted Hinton Hunt figures of Napoleonic generals. I recognised some of them, but I've decided that I'm going to rebase them on round bases with names on them, so this post is acting as part catalogue and part reminder of who is who. 

From what I can tell, these were painted with enamels some time ago. I think I'm correct with the identifications, but if you see anything that you think is mislabelled, please let me know. 

2. General Junot (I think)

3. I'm assuming this fella is a Marshal as he has a baton, but not sure which one he is meant to be. 

4. This is a Strelets figures of Grouchy 

5. I'm pretty sure I can identify this chap. His name is on the tip of my tongue. I presume he's out looking for Grouchy. 

6. I would hazard a guess that this is Davout

7. But then again this might be Lasalle as well. 

8. This chap has been identified as Nansouty, but I'm not sure about it. 

9. It's been suggested that this fella is Marshal Murat 

D-Day - Juno & Sword

The lads getting stuck in at Utah Beach & the American Airborne landings. 

In 2014, Days of Wonder published the absolutely massive D-Day expansion for Memoir '44. It's huge and involves six sprawling maps covering all the invasion beaches and the airborne landings. 

They can be played in a number of ways, but we've had a lot of fun playing as an eight player team game by sticking two of the maps together. 

 

With a pre printed map, set up is surprisingly quick. 

The Germans contemplate the Allied Fleet. 

What I should say right now is that General Du Gourmand went absolutely above and beyond prepping for this game. He printed a huge amount of additional landing craft, bespoke figures and terrain for the game.  While all the terrain you need is printed on the map sheet, adding 3d houses, woods and bunkers added a pleasingly toy-like look to the game. 

Utah beach proved to be a death trap

The Allies pulled off an unlikely win in a close fought game on Utah, but it was touch and go for a long time.  A German counter attack managed to reach the beach at one point and the US Airborne were hanging on by their finger tips, but the Americans managed to get just enough troops ashore to hold it. 

I think historians would be writing about "Bloody Utah" for generations. 

After a pause for an excellent lunch, we launched ourselves into our second game. We played Juno & Sword, the Canadian and one of the British beaches, next.  I got to play in this one and thoroughly enjoyed myself. 

Allied Commander General Nolan giving a pep talk to the troops. His inspirational leadership was exactly what was required in the circumstances. 

"You see that's your problem right there Kommandant.  There seem to be a lot of Allied soldiers that have just turned up".

A gallant but ultimately doomed German counter attack. 

Keeping the reinforcements rolling off the landing craft was very important. 

One of the unique aspects of this particular game is the reinforcement table. This is a chart where the players roll a number of dice and attempt to match them to a menu of options, Yahtzee style.  The Allies have an easier time getting reinforcements, but need to get them off the landing craft which can be a challenge under fire.  If you can clear a beach, itself a tricky proposition, you can place your reinforcements there. 

Kommandants Sydney and Du Gourmand face a growing Allied beach head with the calm and aplomb that only years of Prussian schooling and six pints of stout can bring. 

We had a bit of a traffic jam on the beaches with German fire raining down on the lads while they tried to clear the wire and fight their way up the beach.  Note the Bridge layer tank on the right. 

A Churchill AVRE swings into position...

One of the unique units that the British can bring to bear are specialist armour known as "Hobart's Funnies". We had the option of deploying a couple of these on each beach.  We settled for the Bridging Tank and a  Church AVRE, which is armed with a particularly large mortar. This was specifically designed as a bunker buster and got a bonus against them. 

...and completely levels the German bunker, but somehow leaving the troops inside completely unharmed. 

This particular made me laugh a lot.  I just had visions of the bunker being shattered by the mortar bomb and the shocked German survivors crawling Wiley Coyote-like from the rubble. 

All in all, a cracking days gaming which ended with two close Allied victories, neither of which were a shellacking for the Germans.  We had some new faces (welcome DC!) and a lot of old friends around the table.  I'm looking forward to our next game day in August, which will hopefully be something in a Napoleonic line, though that is to be decided. 

The name of the Lord is a strong tower:

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe."
 - Proverbs 18:10

Life, work and Kinchlets haven't left much time for other activities of late, but I've been pushing on with a few things here and there.  This is the venerable and much fought over Battlemasters Tower from the MB game of the same name.  

Not sure what I will do with the banner, but that it future Kinch's problem

This was very simple really.  I primed the tower in standard grey and then gave it an undercoat of brown.  I prefer brown for an undercoat for stone because it makes it seem less stark and cold.  I just prefer the effect.  

I have a lot of old citadel paint which is on the way out and I've just fallen in love with AK colours so I won't be buying anymore, so the used up what I had.  The base with a heavy stippling of Russ grey, which is quite blueish, but then a lighter drybrush of Fenrisian grey over the top of that.  I then hit the model with some shades and diluted contrast paints just to add a bit of variety to the colour and tied it all together with a drybrush of Ulthuan Grey. 

Gave the Temu dry brush a go 

I got these for a few quid on Temu and I hadn't tried them before.  They seem to do the business here, particularly I was jamming them into the pots to get the last of the paint out of the bottom. 

The doors were just left in the brown undercoat and I washed them with some brown ink and then painted in some wood grain with Contrast Snakebite leather.  The tower is mostly done, but I'll finish it off this week. 

Also the boy and I were struck down with the same tummy trouble a few weeks ago, something I suspect he brought home from school. 

Regardless, we spent a day on the couch feeling very sorry for ourselves, watching Stranger Things and building this rather handsome COBI (a sort of Polish Lego knockoff) Spitfire, which was a gift from a dear friend of ours.  Time well spent.  It is now happily dangling from the ceiling of the kids room.  I'm wondering if it should be joined by a 109 or a 190 of some kind. 

Reading, Painting, Sikhs, Turtles & Salute.

​

One of the things that I noticed last year is that I barely read anymore.  Between work and children, I rarely get time to just sit down and appreciate a book.  I'm determined that this is the year that I rectify that.  I've been bringing a book with me where ever I go, but there are certain books that don't lend themselves to being dropped in a bag.  

"Into the Valley of Death" by John & Boris Mollo was based on research that they conducted on the British cavalry in the Crimea while working as advisers on Tony Richardson's 1968 film on the Charge of the Light Brigade.  I've been spending twenty minutes on the couch with it in the evenings while the kids are watching cartoons.  For someone with a good knowledge of the period and an interest in the (albeit niche) subject matter, it's a very pleasurable read.  Best enjoyed with a whiskey. 

The plates by Bryan Fosten are a joy to behold. 

The Heavy Brigade, often forgotten, get their due in this edition.  Top stuff. 

Meanwhile I've been experimenting with some AK paint pens on my tea breaks in work.  This is a 3d printed Dwarf automaton by Frank Turfler.  These were made to fill a hole in the Heroquest line up.  One of the quests calls for some of these, though the game advises you to use Chaos Warriors instead.  

It seems mad to be painting them up for just one quest, but the heart wants what the heart wants. 

Meanwhile the Sikh Project continues apace.  I have boxed up the current roster of British and HEIC infantry, while I wait for the rest of the lads to arrive.  I have tried to exercise some self control with these.  Not every regiment is there, so long as they have the right headgear and the right facings, I'm willing to allow some units to double job.  

I was sad to hear that Ian from Irregular Miniatures is retiring and lobbed in an order to complete my Sikh War forces.  Between them and some more figures from Newline Designs, I should be in a good place with this project relatively shortly.  Though given that Irregular Miniatures will be closing down next month, I added two small Indian Mutiny armies to my order.  

Because if not now, when?

He is struggling to contain his excitement.  Holding a tortoise was like meeting a celebrity. 

The other thing we did recently was take Bear to the National Reptile Zoo for a "Zookeeper for a day" experience.  It was a combined birthday and Christmas gift as it was quite pricey, but given that he was radiating joy for the whole six hours it was worth every penny. 

Bear has a real interest in the natural world in general and reptiles and amphibians in general. 

Feeding "Tank the Tortoise" some chicken. 

Did I pay good money for Bear to pick up Tortoise poop.  Yes I did. 

He did seem to develop an alarming affection for millipedes. 

Life admin, work and children have been hoovering up most of my time, but we're hoping to do a big Napoleonic bash next month with possibly some Second World War action as well. My Battlemasters project with the kids is continuing, though I'm waiting to get some more of the forces painted.  My own gaming has been some solo Napoleonic action using Rebels & Patriots and an online semi-Kriegspiel with some friends. 

I am really looking forward to going to Salute in April. If any of the bloggers will be attending, do give me a shout - I really appreciate the opportunity to finally put some faces to names last year. I've already got my shopping list ready!