A Battle Interrupted

 A Saturday afternoon here at the Lead gardens found me taking over the dining table for a weekend 40mm battle with the some newly finished units added to the collection.

 First is a second 8 figure grenadier company on the British side representing the grenadier company of the 23rd Royal Fusiliers. These fellows will form a composite grenadier unit of 16 men plus officers with the grenadiers of the 12th foot. My plans are to do the complete 23rd in a few weeks if I can find the time to cast them up.

 I also have two new 6lbr guns battalion guns painted up for each side, plus a light infantry unit for the French.

6lb Royal Artillery Battalion Gun

Volontaires Étrangers de Clermont Prince

 In the overview pic at the top of the page, you can see the initial positions of the game. The French are attempting to force their way into a small village (top left of the pic) and are confronted by a British blocking force on some high ground overlooking their route of march. This battle is based on a historical English Civil War battle,  (I have unfortunately forgot the name but I will post if I can come up with it.)

Col. Gerlach's Jagers in their element on the English left.

The French deployment

Royal Roussion Cavalerie

British Horse

These fellows are thin but tough!

Grenadiers resist a charge

Light infantry skirmish in the town

British horse move to charge the head of the advancing French column

The Royal Roussion fail to dent the British left

The 4th Horse capture a gun

Irish in French service-Bulkeley Infanterie advance on the British right

"Here they come!"

The first volleys are exchanged

Unfortunately after this turn of the game,...(it had slowly gone on for a day and a half...(my being busy with other weekend tasks...)...my dear wife dropped the "Is this stuff going to be here on the dining table permanently?"  Well at that moment I was really missing my normal back room gaming space. So I gave in and returned the dining table to it's "normal" function with the game unfinished. I'll have to give it another go at a future date

Prince August Artillery

 Got a few new molds in from Prince August and cast up a couple of new 6lbr guns. These castings are much improved on the older 12lbr, so I'm posting a few comparisons in case anyone out there is interested in 40mm figures.

The proportions of the 6lbr are really good and the detail on the gun and carriage is much better than the older casting. Also the castings are much easier to produce successfully...particularly the wheels are a bit easier...even though I did have to repair some partially cast spokes. I use round toothpicks to fill the uncast spokes...works great...

 here the 12 lb gun is in the background...

Prince August 12lb gun

Prince August 6lb gun

the 6lbr has a much better proportion and will make a great battalion gun

12 lb gun

12 lb on left, 6 lb on the right

both of these guns fit on a 60mmx40mm base

My PA collection is growing now that summer is begun!

A Productive Weekend

 This past weekend was a really productive one here at the Lead Gardens. I cast up two new units of Prince August figures as well as built and completed a baggage wagon, plus the Irish "mercs" are almost done! (...and finished some long waited for 25mm figures for a good friend...Capt. Bill, they are out the door on Monday!)

 The wagon turned out pretty well but next time I'm going to try not to make the tarp cover so "wrinkly". I found it hard to get the glue soaked tissue to look right but done is done...

I think next time I'll take the great suggestions from Mark and "Archduke Piccolo" of both making the wagons two wheelers and to perhaps use Lego wheels as per "tidders" suggestion last post. I think the idea of painting up one wagon for each infantry regiment I paint is a good way be disciplined and  build the baggage trains a little at a time.

...and a late evening update:

And as of 7pm Sunday the supply wagon now has a proper escort by way of a company of Irish mercenaries in French service...This unit represents the historical Regiment Bukeley commanded by a Colonel of the same name. i chose to model this unit because of the green facings...I thought pretty cool against a red coat! 

 Next Up: a "defend the supply wagon" scenario...

40mm Baggage Wagon

two limbers and a wood base get the wagon started...

 I'm finished with my teaching responsibilities for the summer until July so I had my first clear day of relaxation today...with the wife still away with my son. Gave me a solid few hours of time to both cast up some new 40mm Prince August figures, as well as get some painting commitments done for one of my good friend followers.

I started a scratch-build/conversion project using  two Prince August limbers and adding a wagon bed to make a supply/baggage wagon. I am using the artillery limber horses from PA to outfit the wagon, and hopefully by weekend's end I'll have finished 40mm supply wagon.

Those wheels are a tough casting problem with PA moulds!...but perseverance and a little "green stuff" wins the day...!

I also had time today to cast up another infantry unit for the French....they will be Irish mercenaries... the "wild geese"... I'm planning a "raid on the supply wagon" scenario for next week!

When the Cat's Away the Mice Will Play

Who says girls can't be wargamers!...My wife is out of town this weekend and my little daughter was game for a "daddy set up", so once again I laid out a small 40mm homecast battle just because we could. Here are some pics we took of the battle (but no report...just pics to enjoy) we didn't finish the battle but were able to play a few turns before "girlie" had to go to bed. She calls the cavalry "farm animals" and wants to put them all in the farm compound.

The Mighty 12th Foot

These are the historical Prussian Puttkamer Hussars re-purposed as Konigreich der Bleherzen Hussars

The Lorraine Regiment with grenadiers on the right.

4th Horse (the "Black Horse")

The Grand Duchess' body guard of uhlanen...flamboyant fellows!

Initial cavalry fight

right before the clash

Infantry advance

cavalry approach a melee

The Royal Artillery ever accurate...

a "Barry Lyndon" moment except the sides are reversed...

The Lorraine Regiment

Organization Part 2

This time the diagram for the cavalry regiments...for "Charge" at 40mm scale...two 8 man squadrons plus a standard bearer.... plus an officer+trumpeter for the whole unit