Black Powder - Russian Guard Jägers

The first fight of our Black Powder 1812 campaign got me seriously back to 15mm painting. To boost my Russian collection I painted full regiment of Russian Guard Finnish Jaegers, a project I've been nesting in my mind for long. And now it's done. The main event of our 1812 campaign will be the battle of Borodino, and that's the battle which my Russian collection is very much based. So now I have one more unit and this is special because they were Finnish.

The figures are from Campaign Game Miniatures very nice models with good sculpting and nice poses. They were joy to paint. The uniform of the jaegers is quite plain by Napoleonic standard, it's mainly green. It took me a while to choose whether to paint white summer breeches or green for winter use, and I couldn't make it. So I painted two battalions with green and one with white, just for fun. Green is actually better since it gives you more possibilities to paint nice red piping. I also painted one battalion as skirmishers if needed, and there might be one more of that sort.

So, let me introduce new troops for Borodino.

Drummers and officers.

Boys in all green.

Skirmishers covering in front.

Close up of skirmishers.

Officers conversing tactical situation with aide, to be used as command base.These are Essex miniatures.

Guard officer giving orders. From Essex.

Next of this will be Russian dragoons.

Crescent & Cross - Raynalds betrayal

Our continuation of Crescent & Cross "Holy Land" campaign saw very special fight this evening. Two prominent leading characters of our campaign had a fight when rebellious Raynald de Chatiliion ambushed the baron of Ibellin on a river crossing. This was due all muslims were withdrawn their presence from the area. Maybe gathering strength for the fights to come.

In this fight very similar armies met and Ibelin's crusaders were bested Milites Christi led - or should we say - misled by baron Raynald. Ibelin activated quickly at the start and started moving cross the river. But after some praying Milites Christi hit very hard on very core of Ibelin army and took out main force on crusading knights. Ibelin put up hard fight after crossing the river and killed lot of Raynalds troops, but used up most of his strength fighting with crossbow unit in a house by the river.

After hard fight Raynald sent some knights to take care on lonely Ibelin, who was taken prisoner and ransomed heavily. Raynald lived up his reputation and relations with house Ibelin and Raymond of Tripoli got worse.
Some shots of the fight.

Battlefield from the Milites side.

Battlefield from Ibelins side.

Ibelins trusty knights in a field.

Milites Christi riding with Guy himself.

Baron on foot wielding his favorite great sword.

Raynald leading from front.

Attack across the bridge.

Ibelins knights removed from the field.

Ibelin moves his troops over the river.

Mercenaries in the service of Raynald.

Raynald after the fight looking imprisonment of baron Ibelin.

Not very important fight in terms of the dominance of the holy land christians won. This was how ever very dramatic act and nice story to put some background for the ever worsening relations of the christians in the Outremer. And maybe the best of all I was able to field newly painted models of Raynald and Guy.

Maybe we will see some muslims next time.

Black Powder - 1812 Campaign Klyastitzy

Napoleonic campaign on Napoleons invasion to Russia 1812 had finally started. After over a years pondering and planning it really started. Starting fight was the battle of Klyastitzy which was fight between Oudinot's northern army wing and Witgensteins stopping force.

The battle was fought to stop French to invade St. Petersburg and it was successful and thwarted Oudinot's or Napoleons plans. There was few more fights of the same second corps under Oudinot, but more of them later.

Our fight was fairly sizable affair involving some 70 battalions all together some 35 per side and this doesn't include artillery or cavalry. There was seven eager generals around the table to command the troops to have fight over Jakobovo and other important objectives. Fight took seven hours a full days work and great day it was!

The battle has been already reported by two fellow club members, so I'll stick to their fine reports, which you may find here Napoleon Complex Gamer and here Engineered Gaming.

Some shots from the great day to remind us.

The battlefield seen from Russian side.

French (Legrands) divison on Jakobovo hill.

Advance guard fo the Russians.

Strong Russian grenadier brigade.

Starting fight for Jakobovo ridge.

Verdier's division moves to engage.

French cuirassiers in their full glory.

Bergs division joins the fight.

Russian jägers advance on point.

Musketry about to happen.

More grenadiers.

Fight goes on around Jakobovo.

Troops concentrating from both sides.

Russian grenadiers attack.

French Chasseurs hit Russian skirmishers.

Berg right finally gets into fight.

The carriage of the French commander in chief.

It was great to be back in Black Powder gaming and especially Napoleonic s. This just started campaign put such a heat to my 15mm painting that it probably will push some Crusader painting further, but such is life.

BlackPowder - Polish reinforcement for 1812 campaign

From Outremer to 1812 Russia. Yes, we are about to start long talked and waited Black Powder campaign of French attack on Russia 1812. This will be pretty similar to our Danube campaign, we just ended last autumn. So the campaign will last quite long we will have a game a month, but this pace is actually nice, since it gives good timespan to paint more and yet more troops. We will have opening fight next weekend, the battle of Jakobovo, or Klyastitzy as it was also called.

Inspired by the starting campaign I finished two battalions of Polish line infantry. Next I'll be working with Russian Guard Jägers. It will be special, since the regiment was from Finland.

Two battalions fo Polish line.

Commander of the regiment.

Light infantry in skirmish formation.

Battalion command and some veterans.

Cresent & Cross - Leaders and followers

After being bit distracted by Bolt Action I went back to Outremer painting. I'm big fan of the movie "Kingdom of Heaven", so I wanted to make some leading and influential persons during the fall of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. First would be definitely Raynald de Chatillion, maybe the number one troublemaker from Kerak. In the movie he was depicted as Templar which he was not, but I wanted follow the Hollywood fiction and styled mine as Templar in white robes.

Other personalities in my list were Guy de Lusignan and Raymond of Tripoli. For those commanders I went more or less according the history. So Guy has livery of Lusignan house. His shield is amalgamation of Lusignan colors and Jerusalem cross, he was the king after all. Raymond is all red with cross emblem.

I also got some pilgrims ready and dig up some previously painted arabian civilians to have some local flavor on the gaming table. So here's latest additions of my crusades collection.

Templar leader and Raynald in ginger hair and beard.

Raymond of Tripoli and Guy de Lusignan.

Both sirs showing their livery.

More Hospitallers for the pilgrims.

Old figures flying new colors.

Group of pilgrims en route to Jerusalem.

Led by the nun and the priest.

Local trusty sales men.

Ladies doing their shopping.

Boy do this crusades theme really drag me deeper and deeper to have more and more figures. Lets see were end...