In which I blog about my miniature wargaming and whatever else takes my interest!

In which I blog about my miniature wargaming and whatever else takes my interest!

Thursday, March 31, 2011

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....

4 comments:

  1. I bought these rules at the last show I visited, I've had a quick flick through the rules and they look quite interesting.

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  2. They are. Card driven turn sequence gives some friction. The shock points and the use of the Big Men (officers and NCOs) to control the Groups and Formations is quite interesting.

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  3. I'm glad you liked the game.

    Incidentally, if you ever want to expand your Russians, give me an email. I have a bag of Old Glory 2nd ed Russians (38 including command) that I'll probably never use.

    I also have plenty of condensed SP cheat-sheets in electronic format I can email you if you want.

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  4. Thanks Steve! let's talk about that.

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