Another Diversion - The Germanic Horde

I'm kicking off a new project with a mate and this is my contribution - a Germanic tribe to face his Imperial Romans. 



After kicking around for some ideas I decided to pick the Harii as a suitably nasty opponent. 


These are Wargames Factory figs, nice, reasonable poses, just enough detail and a very good price - IMHO(!) and certainly good enough for a project like this. One box of warband and one of cavalry, £30, a few command and some archers and that's that. 

 

The Harii were a particularly nasty tribe described thusly by Tacitus in the Germania "



"As for the Harii, quite apart from their strength, which exceeds that of the other tribes I have just listed, they pander to their innate savagery by skill and timing: with black shields and painted bodies, they choose dark nights to fight, and by means of terror and shadow of a ghostly army they cause panic, since no enemy can bear a sight so unexpected and hellish; in every battle the eyes are the first to be conquered".

I've picked moons and white symbols on their shields to highlight the black and painted broad black stripes on their skin. figures painted completely black wouldn't be much fun but I'll keep the tones dark. The standard bearer is waving a vexillum embroidered with the faded letters LEG XIX - destroyed under Varus in 9AD!!

These tribesmen from the dim and distant past ought to have the Legions trembling in their caligae!

More Hoegaarden figs to come shortly.

Well, a great little game today. Thanks to John & Eric for taking part and playing Hoegaarden and Austria.

We played using Muskets & Tomahawks. First time we've given them a go and the verdict was pretty good. Plenty flavour, with each troop type having a distinct profile. Card driven, they took a few turns for us to get to grips with mechanisms like spotting and actions, but I think we did well enough.

After Julius's death ride - caused by the rolling of an event which created an enemy of the opposing officer - the game rolled on for a few more turns. The Austrians struggled to get across the bridge, being shot down by the jäger until another event brought down night.

It was a round that time we realised....ooops! The jäger rifles needed two turns to reload - the difficulty of crossing under fire had been meant to be offset by the low rate of fire. However that wee error aside we thought it was good enough to play again another time.

So, Hoegaarden defended, Austria repulsed, a hero created and slain....what happens next.....?

War comes to Hoegaarden!

Austrian dragoons, seeking to move though Hoegaarden and outflank the Prussians are engaged by the Feldjäger under Capt Julius.

Julius rides up to direct the battle as the Austrian dragoons clatter across the bridge into Hoegaarden.

Realising the Austrians can only be commanded by Major von Trapp, an old adversary. Julius draws his sabre and charges forward. 

Meanwhile the jäger amusette crew  and  the feldjäger begin to pick off dragoons, who turn tail, crashing through their own men. Julius surges forward to get at his hated foe!

The Austrian militia fires to cover the assault on the bridge. But the Hungarian troops send a volley into the heroic captain who fails slain from his horse.

More to follow!

A sleepy border inn, somewhere in Hoegaarden.

The Hops War Begins.

All is quiet at this sleepy little inn. A brewers wagon sits after a delivery while the driver and innkeeper refresh themselves and talk of the war in Bavaria.

"I hears those two armies is dug in and ain't shiftin'", says the drayman.

"Aye", replies the Innkeep, "Diggin up po-tae-toes to eat - that new crop. You mark my words though, them Austrians will try anything to get one over on old Fritz. I've seen Dragoons on the far bank yesterday. What they're doing here I don't know. But I told Capt Julius of the Feldjäger. Don't want no trouble here!".

Work Continues Apace!

February sees the first unit off to the painters, flags finished for Blau and Gelb regts of foot and the white Leibfahn colours and some more of my own attempts at painting finished almost finished off too.

I've really struggled getting the white uniform, waistcoat, trousers and crossbelts to stand out and not look like the figure is wearing a suit of white emulsion. 

Rgt Blau and Jäger Officers

I think I have managed it but its taken me so long I'll stick to my original plan which is to focus on the smaller groups of figs myself, leaders, personalities, vignettes and the like and let the rank and file be taken care of by a professional! 

This first battalion of Rgt Blau needs a final tone and it's banners added. The flag poles have yet to be trimmed - but I'm thinking of going large scale for the banners a la League of Augsburg. Perhaps on cloth if I can find a sheet of printable stuff!

Rgt Blau, almost complete. 

This unit and it's mounted officer should be complete by the end of the week.