It's mostly been home schooling and lockdowns . . . .

 

The best laid plans and all that. What I'd intended to do and what's transpired aren't a very good match at all, but let's hope I can get some headway.

The main thrust for the past few weeks (excluding Christmas etc.) has been to get my 1806 Prussians finished. There's lots of work to do to get the 'model' division finished, but I've enrolled in the The Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (thepaintingchallenge.blogspot.com) to give me added incentive. It's an annual 'competition' organised by Curtis Campbell in which people compete against themselves to achieve a points target they've set. Painted and based figures each attract a certain points value and participants nave between 21st December ad 21st March (Winter and Spring Equinoxes) to pant stuff and accumulate points. I'd like to say it's great fun, but it can be hard work depending o what real life has in store. There are various challenges between participants and also an integrated challenge scheme in which people can progress as they complete them. Actually, it is an incentive to get moving and there are some really nice figures and scenery etc. submitted, along with lots of good hints and tips.

Anyway, I've posted below the latest two Prussian regiments (one of which was done for the Challenge):


IR13 Arnim


IR40 Schimonsky

 

They're both AB 18 mm units based for either Shako II or General D'Armee, both of which sets of rules are quite elastic as regards to basing. You could also use them for other sets – I've also used March Attack and Le Feu Sacre in the past.

Why pick an army which has become notorious among wargamers as anything but a killer? The original batch of figures were to form the Hesse D'Armstadt contingent of Massena's corps in the 1809 Danube Campaign, but I baulked at the thought of having to paint all that button lace and substituted them for Bavarians (and Confederation troops too, but that's yet another story). Smart move eh?

Not that smart, because I didn't like the idea of these castings hanging around doing nothing. I have no idea why that got under my skin because I've got plenty of figures hanging round doing nothing at that doesn't bother me at all. However, I thought a small Early Napoleonic Prussian force would come in handy to support my Early Russians (who are yet to be painted and are hanging around doing nothing). So, I began to accumulate figures one way or another and a good time later, began to paint them.

Ironically, the more involved I got with the research, the more interested I became and the more I wanted to know about how the army functioned and why it had picked up such a bad press. In the end I've become a bit of an apologist for the poor lads, particularly in the Jena Campaign, and I don't think they get enough recognition. Naturally, now the Perry Twins have started a range of them, they'll grow in popularity, but I intend use subsequent posts to give an outline of the army and maybe a rundown on their uniforms etc. Still, more of that anon.



Comments

  1. And very nice they look too!! Now get that brush out and paint more.

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    1. Just started IR11, Von Schoning's. Only the one batalion to form part of the advanced guard troops. Another exercise in using up odd castings and, this time, flags too because I bouoght some from GMB and Grahame does his 15mm flags in packs of 6 (2x3 units).

      It's the dullest of all the Prussian imfantry uniforms for this period, but needs must. The other flags I have 'spare have been soaked up by the two grenadier battalions, who shouldn't carry any colours, but you can't have naked units galavanting around.

      Should be up on the Challenge site in a few days, but real life insists on throwing in a crippler.

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  2. These Prussians really are terrific!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. They're not the most exciting figures to paint though. ;O)

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