And Now For Something Completely Different

Ok, maybe not. 1809 Austrians being yet another German speaking Napoleonic army, so not very different from the Prussians or Bavarians,  except in coat colour. I seem to like the Germans. Must have something to do with my heritage and a genetic predilection for sausages, sauerkraut and strudel. 

Victrix are molded in white. Perry in grey.

Victrix are molded in softer plastic which is easier to cut, but so many arms! 4 of 6 figures on each sprue require one or both arms to be glued on. Positives: some greater variation in leaders, and you can make skirmishers. Negatives: slows you down a lot, very fiddly and not as much variation as you'd like to think. Not a very good fit with the packs. At least Victrix gives detailed and well illustrated instructions. Mounted officers are a nice addition. 

Perry's are molded in a harder plastic and simple construction: glue on pack and pick a head. NCOs (2 of them!) are nicer. It was difficult sussing out an NCO pose with Victrix. The Perry officer is limited to head choice really.

Victrix use the same sprue layout and then just change the heads with each set: helmets, shakos, Landwehr hats, or Grenadier bearskins. So each set has both Fusilier and Grenadier packs (grenadiers have swords), which is useful for the occasional NCO who also carried swords. The Perry set has choice of helmet, shako and Landwehr hat on the sprue. But only the one pack, so you need the metal conversion set to make Grenadiers. 

As I assemble groups of Fusiliers, I am also trying to ensure that I do a 2 figure skirmisher base for every 16 figure "battalion" so I can use these for General d'Armee as well. Although a group of skirmishers for Sharp Practice will be useful as well I'm sure.

Now that I've assembled four 8 figure groups and some Big Men etc I should probably get a few primed so I can start painting them.

Speedy Silesians

After finishing the Grenadiers I tested positive for Covid and spent the August Long Weekend in isolation feeling very sick. Having had my booster shot, my symptoms didn't last long and I emerged from my room yesterday, sick of watching television and ready to bang out another battalion of Prussian musketeers.

I did these as second battalion of yellow cuffed Silesians. Both battalions of IR No.10 (1st Silesians) used the same flag, so these fellows are using another copy of the flag from the Perry information insert that comes in the box. I printed off a blue flag for IR No.11, but sized it wrong, so it's a bit small and I thought would look off.

One day to paint and then base the next is a record for me I think. It is certainly keeping the momentum going on the Prussian army despite Covid. Not being able to do anything else while I finish isolation certainly helps free up the time.

While recuperating I figured out how to convert some figures into a Reserve Battalion, so those and a few stands of skirmishers are up next as a break from blue jackets.

Fast Grenadiers

With the addition of 2 more boxes of infantry I decided that I could add a battalion of grenadiers to my Prussian infantry. 

In 1813 the grenadiers were in the infantry divisions and not concentrated in a strategic reserve so a battalion or two is entirely appropriate. 

The only thing marking them as grenadiers are the tiny mustaches and different coloured shoulder straps. Maybe I should give them tufts too.

I thought the officer in his feldmutz was unique so I based him as a single to give me another Big Man.

I got these stalwart fellows painted in one week plus another day for basing. Hopefully I can keep that pace up.

Prussian Fusiliers

Those two boxes of Perry plastic Prussians that I was gifted have generated 2x 16 figure battalions of Musketeers with command, and 3x 16 figure battalions without command groups who will be painted as Fusilier battalions. Each Prussian line infantry regiment had 2 battalions of Musketeers and 1 battalion of Fusiliers with black belting and given some skirmish training. My Bavarians and Russians have a few battalions without command groups and they aren't that annoying on the tabletop. Painting these as Fusiliers, who as far as I can ascertain, didn't carry flags anyway, fills a gap in my Prussian Order of Battle.

While working on the Fusiliers I also did this trio of Perry metal senior officers which were part of the original birthday present from Scott that kicked off the whole expansion of my "simple little Sharp Practice project."

They are all one piece castings, which surprised me. But I don't mind one piece mounted models. Makes assembly easy at any rate.

I quite like this fellow.

This one too.

This chap is OK, but filled in gap between shako and sabre had to be thought about. Too thick to carve out. I tried and damaged the tip of the sabre a bit.

So more mounted Big Men of Sharp Practice, or I can have lots of brigades for General d'Armee, once I finish painting all of them at any rate.

Prussian Artillery

I started these over a month ago and it was slow going. Grandchildren visiting and a flurry of end of year cadet activities sapped my time and energy. Being distracted by tiny ships during available hobby time didn't help either. (Focus! Focus!) But a breakthrough during a recording session of the Podcast (we are discussing Napoleonic rules in this episode, so it seemed appropriate) last Friday got me to within touch of the goal line. A bad night's sleep caused by a thunderstorm of a headache, and the resultant calling in sick got the bases painted and flocked.

These are Perry guns and limber. 6 horse teams, although accurate, are unwieldly on the table top, so I moved a pair of horses over to a Warbases MDF ammunition caisson. The limber came with a figure on foot, so I based one of the officers separately in case I need an artillery Big Man.

Two 6 pounder field guns and one 7 pounder howitzer. The wheels had a lot of venting flash and were a bit deformed during unmolding.

I tried a different painting technique to take advantage of the dark Leviadon Blue contrast paint I bought to try out. Kinda frustrating as it actually didn't flow and cover as well as I'd expected. I kept finding white dots in creases and corners that I had to fix. 

But this is a big part of my Prussian army done, just in time for the anniversaries of the Battles of Ligny and Waterloo.

IR Nr 10 (1st Silesian Infantry)

Another battalion of Perry plastic Prussians marches off the painting table. This and the next battalion will have the yellow cuffs and collars of Silesian infantry regiments.

I used the flag from the painting guide insert that comes with the box. Both battalions of IR Nr 10 used the same flag, and I've got two boxes, so I may do the second unit the same. Or a blue flag for IR Nr 11 (2nd Silesian) from www.warflag.com. 

Normally I photocopy the painting guide, but I just cut this one out and found the heavy paper harder to work with than the usual printer paper. It is thicker and doesn't take folds as easily and I definitely had to paint out the white edge once the glue dried.

I didn't bother with any Big Men since I have several Big Men with yellow facings from painting my Silesian Landwehr way back at the start of the project.

The observant among you will notice that I'm using a sexy new back drop for the pictures. I got it and two other designs for free from Jon Hodgson. Printed them out and glued them onto some foam core. They're only 8 1/2" x 11", so a bit tight to fit a full unit in front of, it, but what do you want for free?

Unrushed Russian Uhlans

It's taken me a month to get this unit of 9 figures done, but I am another step towards completing Phase 3 of my Big Plan.

The double stripes on the trousers were surprisingly easy to do

Here, finally, is a group of 8 troopers with a Big Man from the Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment. Like I said, I started these a month ago, but then a war started, depression, anxiety and just getting busier with Hot Lead and cadets sucked all my energy away from painting.

Perry figures via Scott. Nice figures. Easy to paint all the details, even with my crap brushes.

Close up of trumpeter

I know, I know. A cavalry officer on a white horse is a bit of a cliche, but I wanted him to look suitably heroic.

The command pack came with a standard bearer, and while hitting frustration trying to find out info on Russian cavalry flags and the decorative ribbons beneath the finial, I decided it was simpler just to give him a lance instead out of my bits box. Uhlans and hussars apparently didn't carry their flags in the field anyway, which makes sense. Fortunately, the Hussar Command pack has an officer, trumpeter and NCO. No flag pole to worry about. 

The troublesome flag pole

Lance pennons are from GMB Designs. The lance pennons provided by Scott determined which regiment I painted. Although I probably would have picked the Lithuanian uhlans anyway. I have 17 left over in the pack, so if I decide to expand the formation when Perry release the plastic uhlans, I can easily enough.

I used contrast paint for the tunics and trousers. Brown and black ink for horses and leather.

Now my Allied army has a combined (Prusso-Russian) brigade of cavalry for General d'Armee games and the Russians have a group of cavalry for Sharp Practice. 

Prost! The Last Bavarians

 

I have finished all of my Bavarians! This second battalion of Perry infantry took me quite a while to get around to finishing, but they are done now thanks to a renewal of energy and a snowy long weekend. For the Perry fahnenjunkers on this and the previous battalion I had to cut out a bit of my flags printed from Warflags in order to fit around the hand.

Yellow facings with red piping, and red collars, plus silver buttons on the officer and white lace on the drummer make this Fusilier Regiment Nr. 10 Junker. Gold buttons on the officer and harder to paint yellow lace on the drummer would have made them Fusilier Regiment Nr 9 Graf von Isenburg.

Look at me getting all detailed about regimental distinctions. But the yellow facings are pretty "slapping," as the youngsters say.

These stout fellows now give me two full brigades for General d'Armee, each of four battalions of line and  battalion of lights.

This completes Phase 1 of my Big Plan. Vorwarts to Phase 3! Prost!