Monday, 15 April 2013

Later English Civil War Royalists 1645

In preparation for the League of Ancients Renaissance tournament (how oxymoronic :-), I decided it was time to finally paint my first full Renaissance army.  Since I've always found the English Civil War the most interesting period of the Renaissance, it was natural that I would choose an army from this war, and why choose Parliamentarian when you can choose Royalist!

So an early birthday present was orderd from Old Glory and I had 7 weeks to get the army ready.  With 5 days to spare, I'm pleased to say the army is ready!  Here are some pics of my new baby.

The commanders confer before the big battle
Two more commanders wave their hats at the crowds
Armoured cavaliers
Superior Unarmoured Cavaliers
Unarmoured Veteran Musketeers
Formations of Pike & Shot advance bravely (no-one told them they're only average)
And still more armoured Cavaliers take to the field.  Why wear armour, when a buff coat will do?
A unit of dismounted dragoons screen the advance
Superior Firelock armed infantry marching to the beat of the drums and in the direction pointed to by their captain
More Pike and Shot, not afraid to get their nice white uniforms dirty.
One last unit of Pike and Shot with a touch of Irish green
And finally, where would an army be without it's supply lines - these are the only non-Old Glory figures in the army - Essex wagons and pack horses (fancy letting Essex into a Royalist army!)
Good fun painting them all.  Now let's see how they fight in the tournament.  A couple of practice games over the last few weeks suggest it's a tough army, but knowing the rules would probably help.  Wish me luck.

Well the short postscript is that my army fought heroically winning 3 of it's 4 games and placing 2nd overall.  Not bad for their first outing :-)

Thursday, 27 December 2012

Battle of Albuera Refight - October 2012

At our club meeting in October 2012, the British under General Beresford (aka Steve Green), ably supported by the Spanish General Blake (aka John Shaw), took on the might of France under Marshal Soult (moi) in a refight of the Battle of Albuera using the FOG N rules.
  
Albuera Refight
Well the battle played out very similarly to its historical counterpart, except that the Spanish put up a more traditional display.  Instead of rolling multiple sixes as they must have done at the actual battle, they crumpled under the French onslaught and fled following a few volleys and a bayonet charge by the French 1st and 2nd Divisions.  The upcoming British division was swept away in the rout and the Allied army was broken one move after lunch.  

Massed French columns on the left and in the foreground prepare to hit the Allied lines on their apex.  The Spanish Division to their front start praying for lots of sixes.  British columns are visible in the distance, trying to get up in support of the Spanish.
The Spanish fail to throw those sixes and the French force them back.  The tasteful red marker shows the passage of the Spanish rout. Alongside them, the British reserves start to arrive, but too little and too late.
One ray of light on an otherwise cloudy day for the Allies was the performance of their cavalry.  Led by the impetuous British Dragoons, they swept away their French counterparts who attempted an ill-advised uphill counter-charge.  This would have proved crucial in covering the army’s retreat should this have been a campaign battle.

The FOG N rules again proved more than capable of handling larger than corps size battles and the game was over within 4 hours.  The Orders of Battle were adapted from the Napoleon’s Battles scenario, using the FOG N army lists for troop classifications.

Orders of Battle

FRENCH


Troop Type
Name
Size
Elan
Training
Attachment
1st Corps

Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

CC2 (Skilled)
Soult
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment
1st Division

DC1 (Competent)
Girard
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Light Infantry
French Light Infantry
Small
Average
Veteran
No attachment

Line Infantry (reformed)
French Line Infantry
Small
Average
Drilled
Skirmish

Medium Foot Artillery
French 8 pndr Foot Artillery
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment
2nd Division

DC2 (Skilled)
Gazan
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Light Infantry
French Light Infantry
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Line Infantry (reformed)
French Line Infantry
Large
Average
Drilled
Skirmish

Medium Foot Artillery
French 8 pndr Foot Artillery
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment
3rd Division

DC1 (Competent)
Godinot
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Line Infantry (reformed)
French Line Infantry
Large
Average
Drilled
Skirmish

Line Infantry (reformed)
French Line Infantry
Large
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Line Infantry (reformed)
French Grenadiers
Small
Superior
Veteran
No attachment

Medium Foot Artillery
French 8 pndr Foot Artillery
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment
Polish Division

DC1 (Competent)
Werle
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Line Infantry (reformed)
Duchy of Warsaw Infantry
Large
Average
Veteran
Medium Artillery

Line Infantry (reformed)
Duchy of Warsaw Infantry
Small
Average
Veteran
No attachment
Dragoon Division

DC1 (Competent)
Latour-Mabourg
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Heavy Cavalry
French Dragoons
Small
Average
Veteran
No attachment

Heavy Cavalry
French Dragoons
Small
Average
Veteran
No attachment

Light Cavalry (Lancers)
Polish Hussars
Small
Average
Veteran
No attachment

Horse Artillery
French Horse Artillery
Small
Average
Veteran
No attachment
Light Cavalry Division

DC1 (Competent)
Briche
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Light Cavalry
French Chasseurs
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Horse Artillery
French Horse Artillery
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

ALLIES 


Troop Type
Name
Size
Elan
Training
Attachment




Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

CC2 (Skilled)
Beresford
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment
2nd Division

DC1 (Competent)
Stewart
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Line Infantry (reformed)
British Line
Small
Average
Drilled
Skirmish

Line Infantry (reformed)
British Line
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Line Infantry (reformed)
British Line
Large
Average
Veteran
Skirmish
4th Division

DC1 (Competent)
Cole
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Line Infantry (reformed)
British Line
Small
Average
Veteran
Skirmish

Line Infantry (reformed)
Portuguese Line
Large
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Medium Foot Artillery
British 9pndrs
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment
Portuguese Division

DC1 (Competent)
Hamilton
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Light Infantry
Portuguese Cacadores
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Light Infantry
Portuguese Cacadores
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Line Infantry (reformed)
Portuguese Line
Large
Average
Drilled
Skirmish

Light Cavalry
Portuguese Dragoons
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Medium Foot Artillery
Portuguese 6pndrs
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment
Cavalry Division

DC2 (Skilled)
Lumley
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Impetuous Shock Heavy Cavalry
British Heavy Dragoons
Small
Average
Veteran
No attachment

Horse Artillery
British Horse Artillery
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Medium Artillery

CC1 (Competent)
Blake
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment
Vanguard Division

DC1 (Competent)
Lardizabel
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Light Infantry
Spanish Cazadores
Large
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Line Infantry (non-reformed)
Spanish Line Inf
Large
Poor
Drilled
No attachment
4th Division

DC1 (Competent)
Lardizabel
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Line Infantry (non-reformed)
Spanish Line Inf
Large
Poor
Drilled
No attachment

Line Infantry (non-reformed)
Spanish Line Inf
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Line Infantry (non-reformed)
Spanish Militia
Small
Poor
Conscript
No attachment
Spanish Cavalry Division

DC1 (Competent)
Loy
Small
Average
Drilled
No attachment

Light Cavalry
Spanish Hussars
Small
Poor
Drilled
No attachment

Heavy Cavalry
Spanish Militia Cavalry
Small
Average
Conscript
No attachment


 Historical Albuera
To forestall an attempt by Soult to relieve the British siege of the fortress of Badajoz, Beresford offered battle on the hills near the village of Albuera (on a site apparently chosen by Wellington).
Soult feinted with his right while launching a sweeping attack round the Allied flank with his left.  The Allied army, which included a Spanish Corps under Blake was in serious trouble from the start, with the Spanish bearing the brunt of the fighting at first.  Contrary to their typical performance in the Pensinsular, the Spanish put up a stubborn resistance and held the French at bay long enough for the British and Portuguese reserves to arrive and restore the situation.  However, the British suffered fearful losses doing so, including the destruction of an entire brigade to a charge by Polish lancers. 
Neverthless, the French were finally pushed back and the battle ended with both sides bloodied and exhausted, the French being unlucky not to have won.