I've just had a cunning plan, Baldric....

After playing in Steve Thompson's Sharp Practice game at Hotlead (these are pictures of actual game I played in too), I started thinking about my fledgling Napoleonics collection. I have one box of Warlord Prussian Landwehr (which I reviewed last year) and 60 odd Russians I got two Hotlead's ago in the Bring & Buy.

I had been thinking that wasn't really enough to do anything with and I'd need more. Not being able to afford a lot more I put them away.

But at Hotlead I had had a pretty good time with a pretty smallish army (2x 24 figure units, 2x guns and an 8 figure cavalry unit). So I started thinking about my Napoleonics and realized that the box of Warlord figures would make a fine unit and the Russians would easily organize into at least 2 units.

In Sharp Practice figures are organized into Groups of 8-10 figures, and then the Groups are organized into a Formation. A Formation can have a flag and a Big Man with musicians to help him issue orders. A Group may have a lower ranking Big Man like a sergeant.

The Warlord Landwehr will easily sort themselves into 3x 9 figure Groups plus a command element of Big Man, drummer and ensign. The Russians have been resorted into 2x Formations. A Line Infantry Formation of 3x 9 figure Groups plus Command Group and assorted Big Men and a Grenadier Formation with 2x 8 figure and 1x 6 figure Groups plus Command Group and assorted Big Men. There's also an 8x figure Group of chaps with their muskets at the high port who would probably make a nice detachment of Jaegers. The also have an artillery piece.

I have enough Russian gunners to man two guns. I can probably get a second gun from Mike.

Hurray! Instant army! By the time I get all the infantry painted I will probably be able to save some money to buy a few cavalry and expand the Prussian contingent. Mike already has enough French to fight them if he can find enough extra command figures to make the Big Men.

Now I just need some time to do a bit of painting for myself....