Project Alma - the Battle

 Yesterday I had some friends over for a game. In the warm sun (and blustery breeze) we played the Alma game I've been painting up figures and getting scenery for. 

The breeze played havoc initially with the gazebo we played under and a few times blew in and knocked down trees on the table but it died down and we spent a very enjoyable afternoon playing the scenario, based on Neil Thomas's from his 19th Century Wargames book but using the mechanisms from Rebels and Patriots to play the game. While we played our wives chatted in the other corner of the garden and we got together for a nice Turkish inspired meal cooked by my wife. It was a cracking day.

 But back to the game, John and Eric took the British and  Bill and Graham the Russians. Things did not go well for the Brits to start with, kicking off an artillery duel against the more numerous Russians meant the Royal artillery were soon in disarray - one gun knocked out and two forced to retreat. The Russians then began to open up on the infantry and John and Eric's dice throwing for activations was so bad that I had to intervene as umpire and inform them that Lord Raglan had moved his position so that they could get an additional CinC bonus and actually move things forward ! 

Starting Postitions

The high water mark

This did the trick and after dinner in particular the Brits were able to get moving and cause some real damage to the Russians.  Bill and Graham hadn't got things all their own way. A couple of blunders meant they accidentally fired in their own men, and once they got in range of the British on their left they were losing men quite quickly. Graham's guns in particular holding back the British around the village and the right of their line. 

Eric had by now managed to get his dice properly warmed up and was able to send his men up the slopes, but they were too few to cause enough damage to the Russians who began to advance towards him. Their large units soaked up 16 points of damage compared with 12 for each British. John was still stuck on the British right and although another Russian unit made its back to its box, it was clear that the British had no chance of taking the day and we wrapped up the game. 

Id painted up two old Tradition 30mm Crimean figures by Charles Stadden...one for Best General and one for unluckiest. Due to his activation rolls in the first half of the game Eric took the Unluckiest home, while Bill gained the Best General award. 

A great days gaming, good company, a few beverages and fine food with friends. 

Now....what do I need for Balaclava?.... 

Project Alma - Reading Material

 Some reading material arrived today. 

The French book in particular looks interesting. 

(Ronin is not connected to this project at all but I have a lot of Warlord Samurai, ashigaru, shoei etc., and it looks a neat set of skirmish rules). 

Project Alma - a fine day for a varnish

 Dry and warm days have, until this week, been a rarity in this part of the world. Or when they've been here I've been elsewhere. So with the sun out it was a fine chance to get my Crimean stuff vanished in one go. 

1 tin of Windsor and Newton at the ready and off I went. 

Russians first. 

Each unit has a base of skirmishers and lurking behind are 5 guns, 2 cossack batteries and 3 line. 

British next.

The Guards Brigade, Highland Brigade and part of Pennefathers Brigade, with the 95th skirmish order. Hussars and Lancers and Artillery to the rear.

Seeing (almost) everything laid out like this makes me want to do more...light dragoons, heavy brigade and Russian cavalry, and maybe French, Turks and the Sardinians......uhoh! 

Project Alma - Crimean War Rebasing 2

 I don't like basing stuff....meh! 

But it needs to be done and I want to all to match when it is done. So this is a slog (for me at least).

Russians textured, just need flocked. I'm short of some guns for my Cossacks so will get that sorted and since the British have staff the Russians should get some too.

By happy coincidence each unit of Russians has a stand of skirmishers which makes it look like they are at least trying to deploy them!

The British need their bases textured and I have flags to fit to the Highlanders and Guards. That's todays job.

The Brits have riflemen as their skirmishers. Both sets are really well animated and even if they play no part in a game are nice to have even as scenery! 

Rebasing my Crimean War Figs - Project Alma

 Some time ago I read Matakishi's Blog article about his Crimean War project. I've already based my 16thC figures on the 80x60 units bases which he uses for his projects. I am a big fan of Neil Thomas's books and have amended his Napoleonic book rules into a set which gave some good games. My Crimean war figures were individually based and as the collection grew this became a bit clumsy. I was using movement trays and things were getting fussy...

And I want to do a big Crimean war game for my Birthday in July. 

Put all that together and there's a big case for rebasing. So I went for it. 

My British will be the Guards Brigade, the Highland Brigade and two line regiments and the 95th rifles. Supporting them will be light cavalry in the form of Lancers and Hussars along with several guns. 

Facing them are 3 brigades of Russian Infantry, 12 units in total , with Skirmishers, Cossacks and Artillery in support. 

The infantry will be two stand units, each of 6 figures for the British and 8 for the Russians to simulate  their bigger units. Cavalry will be in two stands of 3 and one gun will represent a battery. Skirmishers will be units of 6, but these will be based on 3 round bases of 2 figures. 

I have enough figures to do all of the British, albeit I need to paint two units and I am short of some of command figures for the last 3 Russian infantry, but that's very easily fixed. My figures are a mix of Warlord plastics for the Russian infantry and Great War for most of everything else. 

For rules I will either be sticking to Neil Thomas's 19th C set or I will take Rebels and Patriots a little bit off piste and and use the units in there as regiments - this partly influenced the number of figures on my bases. Originally my units were 12 and 18 strong, 16 is the size of a large unit in R&P, so easily accommodated. I like the activation rules and the blunders in R&P and while the Crimean war may not be that rule sets intended scope is it smack bang in the middle of its range. Homemade rules are a third option.

I know the Russian regiments were much much bigger than the British. But this disparity in scale is lost by the execrable performance of the Russian army. Their big units on the table are still a threat, because they can soak up damage allowing them to close and they are supported by some decent quantities of artillery. The challenge will be in their deployment. The British command is poor - their challenge will be activating to defeat the larger number of Russians before they are overrun. Well that's my hope - I'm keen to see how it plays out and if it goes well I may fill out the Armies to include British heavy cavalry, Turks or French and some Russian Hussars and Dragoons and do Balaklava too. 

(I am also keen at some point to use the Russians against 1848 Hungarians, Neil's rules make this very do-able....but more on this another time...I'm sworn to secrecy!).

So I plan to have the figures finished by the end of April and terrain ready by the end of May. I need some slopes but have plenty polystyrene to use. I have buildings and everything else. 

This week I've painted 5 guns and crew and finished painting the 42nd highlanders. Not a bad start...one British regiment to go and then I need to do a LOT of basing!