Baden Army Kickstarter by Piano Wargames

Gepost op door JurjenB in Internetblog

Lucas Luber launched his Baden Napoleonic Army Kickstarter yesterday

As regular readers will know, I am a huge fan of his work; this Kickstarter reached all of its stretch goals within 8 hours! These are superbly sculpted and cast 28 mm figures. The price of the sets (tariffs excluded, ahem) has not changed over the past several years. They are available as STL files for digital printing as well. 

I have found the army of Baden the least well documented of the larger German minor states, but they saw plenty of action in 1809, in Spain, and in the Russian campaign.

There are limited manufacturers for Baden figures as well, Murawski being the main other option in 25/28 mm

Unfortunately, I already have a large (for Baden) army myself – 4 Line Infantry, 1 Jager, the Light Dragoons, artillery and command. Unfortunate because these figures are awesome, right?

Of course the superb painting by Stephen Huber shows them to the best possible advantage!

Although there was only the one battalion, this is such a cool unit!

As he usually does, Lucas has covered the entire army, including command and artillery; Limbers are the only thing he hasn’t done with his Kickstarters

Great selection of foot and mounted ADC’s!

More Baden goodness!

I especially love this famous unit, having done it with  the Murawski figures several years ago. 

Different pose options. 

Now these guys I want… may be enough tp break down and support this KS!

They arer most famous for there actions at the battle of the Berezina crossing in 1812, but evidently did see action in the Tyrol and Voralberg in 1809 as well. 

Yeah, I am feeling my resistance weakening here!

Two different crew sets

Lucas even did the Horse artillery. Another image on the Kickstarter shows amazing details on the canon barrel!

The Howitzer…

Like all the stretch goals, the casualties were already unlocked yesterday within hours of the KS opening.

Great skirmish gaming options!

Lucas gets great photos of his work too, doesn’t he?!

Now these fellows saw little action, but did fight in the Vorarlberg in 1809, so I don’t relly “need” them.
 

They look pretty awesome though. Hmm, I do have a strong collector streak!  🙂

Shots like this are just cruel, eh?

Another unit I don’t “need”, and which saw little action, but looks so impressive!

Yeah, definite eye candy!
As always, Lucas provides some freebies.. including free flags!

This fellow is free with pledges of 75 euros or more

Along with French General Kister at 150 euros.  Hmm, we’ll see if my resistance to this one can hold up for the next 15 days. Delivery is anticipated circa January 2026; Lucas has consistently delivered on time or early. What’s Lucas’ next project? The 1806 Saxon Army is on tap for 2026! That one I’ll go for hook, line, and sinker for sure, LOL!

I’ve seen examples of Lucas’ figures printed at anywhere from 13 mm to 90 mm, and the look fantastic in all of them!

21st “Royal North British Fusiliers” in Saratoga Uniforms

Gepost op door JurjenB in Internetblog

This venerable regiment was another key element of the British forces during the Saratoga campaign. 

As a “Royal” regiment, the regimental facings were dark blue. 

As for all “Royal” regiments, its drummers did not wear the usual “reversed colors”. 

These are Perry figures once again, with Adolfo Ramos flags

The flaps of the haversacks were often painted in the regimental facing color, and might bear a regimental device as well. 

They probably left their colors behind, but what self respecting wargamer would forgo the flags?  Certainly not I!

62nd Regiment of Foot

Gepost op door JurjenB in Internetblog

First raised in 1756, this regiment spent the vast majority of its time in North America, the Caribbean, and Ireland.

During the 7 Years War (French and Indian War in the British North American colonies, it fought at Louisburg and Quebec. 

4 companies were sent to Canada in April 1776, and it was a key part of the force invading upstate New York from Canada under General Johnny Burgoyne. 

It surrendered as a result of the Saratoga campaign, and the rank and file were imprisoned until 1782. Shortly thereafter it was named the Wiltshire regiment. 

The regiment fought in Spain and Portugal during the Napoleonic wars. Flag is by Adolfo Ramos. 

Its facings are described as yellowish buff, usually illustrated as pretty much yellow. I decided to forgo the buff accoutrements. The are Perry figures wearing the “Saratoga” uniforms. They probably left their colors behind, but my unit bears the regimental colors proudly!  The Union lacks the red saltire cross of St. Patrick, which was added upon the incorp[oration of Ireland in 1801. 

A Revolutionary Project!

Gepost op door JurjenB in Internetblog
Battle of Freemans Farm near Saratoga
Back at the beginning of this year I mused about future projects, having two different ideas in mine. One was Dark Ages: The Last Kingdom, 1066 and all that – Normans, Saxons, and Vikings, etc. The other was the American War of Independence. Obviously, the Revolution won out. There were a number of factors contributing to that, but with the 250th Anniversary of the Revolution, starting this year, it won out. Destiny is all!  🙂
Having decided that, the next question was the organization of the units. I wanted to keep the units small (the actual units in the AWI *were* small anyway), to keep the cost, painting time, and storage space needed for the project manageable (famous last words, right?). I settled on 12 figures for most infantry units, 6 figures for the very little cavalry that fought in the war, and 1 gun with crew for the Artillery units. 2″ square bases will be used for most (already obtained from Litko).  I decided to shoot for about 18 Infantry units, 3-4 Cavalry units, and 4 Artillery units a side – with command and sundry, on the order of about 300 figures a side. I also decided that the focus would be on the war in New England, and the mid Atlantic, at least initially, especially the Saratoga Campaign of 1777. Reference materials began being delivered to my door on a regular basis, as well as cataloguing available online resources. 
The figure scale would be 25/28 mm; that was a given from the start. Then there was the matter of which manufacturer(s) to use. The main candidates were the extensive range by Perry, Brigade games, and Fife & Drum, all of which seemed like they would be reasonably compatible. I considered Old Glory as well, but I wasn’t sure they had an AWI range, and for once I wouldn’t be fielding enormous armies. The Old Glory AWI is rather obscure in its placement in their on line catalogue (I just found them last month, and are not well illustrated. Alas, Old Glory has stopped attending Historicon, so an in person. The Fife and Drum figures look great, but their AWI range is small. Complicating this was the whole Tariff nonsense (don’t get me started!). I wound up getting a test order from Perry  in May (see the Q2 expense report earlier this month), and a selection of figures from Brigade Games when I was at Historicon in July. That was quickly followed by the decision that I would use Perry for all or most of the British infantry (and Hessians and Indians), plus the cavalry and Artillery, whilst Brigade Games would be used for most of the American infantry. Orders went out in August just under the wire for the tariff nightmare to both manufacturers, and also Adolfo Ramos for the flags. Whew!
How about rules? My preferred Field of Battle rules will work just fine for this era, with some nice period wrinkles; Jared and I played the Battle of White Plains with FoB2 (very near the site of the actual battle) ? 10 years ago.  The planned organization would work perfectly for those rules, too. I enjoyed Chris Parker’s “Big Battle” Lion Rampant battle at HAVOC, and doing much the same thing with Rebels and Patriots should work with this organization, too. I also have Eric Burgess’ Guns of Liberty, and there is also Live Free or Die from the little Wars TV guys, among others.  Plenty of viable choices!
The first few units are preparing to march off the painting table shortly. The tea has been dumped in Boston harbor, and chapters of the Sons of Liberty are springing up all over the 13 colonies!

 

Snappy Nappy Campaign in a Day for 2025

Gepost op door JurjenB in Internetblog

The next Snappy Nappy Campaign in a Day event will be held on Saturday, October 18, at The Portal Game store in Manchester, CT, from 10 AM until 5 PM.  Mike Seibert will once again be the GM for this event, which will involve 14 tables, more than 20 players, and hundreds of 25 mm wargames figures. As in the past, the rules will be Snappy Nappy by Russ Lockwood. 

We can still accommodate a few more players, so if anyone wishes to join in, please let me know ASAP!

Battle of Vittoria, June 21, 1813.

Wellingtons Offensive in Spain, June-July 1813

 
In September 1812, Wellington advanced up the main road, arriving before Burgos and beginning his attack on Burgos Castle on 19th September 1812.  The attack was unsuccessful, forcing Wellington to spend the rest of 1812 in a fighting retreat back to Ciudad Rodrigo.
 
Joseph and his chief of staff, Marshal Jourdan, were advised by all the French generals with knowledge of the country, that if Wellington was to advance in 1813, he would be forced to use the well-trodden route from Ciudad Rodrigo to Salamanca, Valladolid and Burgos. The French needed only to repeat their strategy of the previous year and hold that road to bring Wellington to a halt, as they had in 1812. 
 
Wellington’s army of British, Portuguese and Spanish troops assembled in the area between Ciudad Rodrigo in the south and northern Portugal and began its advance in May 1813.  Thru some flanking marches, Wellington skillfully maneuvered the French out of Madrid and out of Burgos.
 
Napoleon has told his brother King Joseph to stop retreating.  It was time to hold the line of the Ebro River and to try and take back Burgos.
 
Wellington’s scheme for the campaign of 1813 was going to be a very ambitious one—aiming not at local successes in Castile Province, or on recovering Madrid, but at driving the French right up to the Pyrenees.
 
And so the campaign in June 1813 begins.  FORWARD MARCH !

 
 
Frances’s situation- June 1813
 
5 years of fighting in Spain has taken its toll on the French forces. In 1812 King Joseph and Marshall Soult had forced Wellington out of Madrid but the king was finding it increasingly difficult to control what remained of his realm. Wellington’s success has encouraged the Spanish guerrillas who are now so active that even with four divisions general Clausell was fully occupied with trying to keep open the route between Madrid and the Pyrenees
 
 Jourdan, the chief of staff, saw that the South and the northwest of Spain would have to be abandoned, whatever the Emperor might wish, there were not troops available to control all of it. The vital area was Old Castille and Aragon: the route to the Pyrenees, Bayonne and Paris, with the ports of Santander and San Sebastian.  In early 1813 The British have retaken Madrid and driven the French back beyond Burgos.  Worse, Napoleon has taken 25,000 troops out of Spain to defend Germany.  This leaves them about 68,000 men.  Joseph has pulled back to what he hopes is a smaller perimeter to defend in the northern part of Spain.  But he must maintain the line on the River Ebro.  Failing to do so will embolden all of Napoleons enemies to join the Anti French Coalition and doom the Empire.
 
 
 
Britain’s Situation
 
Wellingtons campaign of 1813 saw his combined British, Portuguese & Spanish army of 79,000 strike northward towards Burgos without allowing Joseph’s French armies to concentrate.  Wellington’s forces marched hard to cut them off from the road to France.  He had spent the winter reorganizing and reinforcing his forces for the purpose to attack the French and push them beyond the Pyrenees mountains.
 
Spain’s Situation
 
The Spanish have longed to remove the yoke of repression of the French occupation.   The people are rising up against the invader, having been encouraged from the British success in the prior year (1812).
 
 
 
Objectives
 
Napoleon needs his Marshals in Spain to repel the British Army approaching the frontier.  Taking Burgos would set the British back, as this traces supply all the way to Portugal.  He also needs to avoid a major defeat, as that likely would persuade Austria to join the coalition forces in Germany.   The British need take the major cities & to push the French out of Spain and capture the main road to Bayonne, which is Frances main source of supply.