Prussian 8th Brandenburgerischer Infanterie Regiment Takes the Field

 

My first Regiment of an eventual Prussian Brigade is completed!  This project kicked off July 1 with assembly of the miniatures.  With the use of a painter to do the basic paint job on the figures with me painting the Command figures, the Cannon, doing touch up painting and Army Painter Dark Tone wash on the infantry, and adding Flag Dude standards I'm very happy with the results!

 

 

 

The Volunteer Jaeger riflemen take the lead in Skirmish order and are backed up by the Regiment's Fusilier Battalion that is ready to either fight in line or also break up into Skirmish order to assist the Jaegers in fighting off swarms of French Voltigeurs.

 

The mounted Regimental Commander has taken his position among the Battalions to take care of business.

 

 

The two Musketeer Battalions follow up for the main assault in Angriffskolonne, or the "Zug" Column. for maneuverability and shock affect in assault.

 

 

Two 6pdr Field Guns from the Brigade's Artillery unit give the Regiment its fire support.  When the 2nd Regiment is completed, one of these guns will swing over to support that unit.

 

 

So.. a repeat of this Regiment, a Landwehr Infantry Regiment, and a Cavalry Regiment of Uhlan Lancers and Landwehr Hussars are what I have in mind to complete the Brigade.  After GenCon is over, I look forward to getting these guys into battle soon and then get cracking on the rest of the Brigade.  

 

On to Paris!

Prussian Musketeer Battalion

  

The first Musketeer battalion is ready to fight!  It's a 24 figure unit of the Nr8 Leib (1st Brandenburgisches) Infantrie Regiment and carries the black Regimentfahne standard.  Its sister battalion will carry the white Leibfahne.

 

 

As with the Fusiliers, there's an extra stand available to quickly replace plastic figure casualties that may occur during a game.

 

 

The Battalion Commander is mounted and is undoubtedly turning to yell something suitably harsh and guttural over his shoulder at Gefreiter Schickelgruber, a known skulker lurking somewhere in the last rank.

 

The last of the infantry for this first Regiment will be another Musketeer battalion carrying the Leibfahne.  It's going on the bases tonight!  Will have to post some group photos of the army so far when this last unit is ready to fight.

 



Prussian Fusilier Battalion

 

The rest of the Regiment's light troops are ready for battle.  The Fusilier Battalion is a 24 figure strong unit and, like their historical counterparts, do not carry a standard and use black webbing and straps instead of the white used by the Musketeer battalions of the Regiment.

The extra stand bringing up the rear is because with plastic figs you never know when you're going to take casualties during a game.. best to have a quick stand of reinforcements ready!

 

I love the crusty old Feldwebel encouraging his Officer to lead on!  

The Fusiliers are also capable of operating in Skirmish order.  That will be handy to keep those nasty French Voltigeurs busy or drive them away from the Musketeer battalions that have to remain formed up other when they are going through rough ground they can go through only in skirmish order.

Immer Vorwarts!

The Prussians are shaping up nicely!  As is proper, light fighters lead the way onto the field.

My first unit that is battle ready are the Volunteer Jaegers.  They are the rifle armed skirmish specialists of the Brigade that are attached out in companies to the Regiments.

 

 

Leutnant Scharf, Feldwebel Hopfer and the Auserlesene Männer are ready to take on Monsieur!

 

The next unit to be completed will be the Fusilier battalion.  They are the equivalent of French Legere or British Light and give the Regiment a full sized unit that can fight as a Line battalion or that can break into skirmish to operate in rough ground, woods, etc., and give the Musketeer battalions a skirmish screen and covering fire while they advance.

 

The Army Painter Dark Tone wash looks good on these guys, I think.  I wanted the Prussians to be darker than the French and they are definitely that.  Will keep on using it for the remainder of the units as they are ready to base.

Meeting Engagement in The Peninsula

 

Game day with my buddies at MidSouth Hobbies & Games in Memphis.  We're breaking in two new BLACK POWDER players today so we go with one of the Meeting Engagements from Charles Grant's excellent book on Wargame Scenarios.  Each side is an Advance Force conducting a movement to contact / hasty attack to seize objectives.  To win a minor victory, a side must control the building near the road junction and the road on the hill.  A major victory is to also secure the building near their enemy's entry point or break their army. 

 

 

The French forces are a brigade of 3 Ligne battalions with the two field guns from Division artillery attached to them.  The other brigade is a Legere battalion, a unit of Hussars, and a unit of Curassier.  The Brigade commanders are SR 7 and the Divison commander is a SR 8.  Half of the army comes on with a free move the first turn and the rest a free move on the second. 

 

Here my buddy Ed leads the French on with his Ligne brigade, battalions 2 up 1 back in assault columns with skirmishers out, and limbered 6pdrs all headed for the objective hill.

 

 

 

Our enemies the Rossbifs with Brunswickers along for the fun have selected a force very similar to ours other than their light battalion is broken down into a pair of 95th Rifle companies.  Their first turn see the Riflemen moving forward on their right with Highlanders and Brunswickers to the left and a field gun in support.

 

 

The grasshoppers are some very bad customers!  Looks like they are going to head for the central house objective and if they get bunkered up in there it'll be hell to pay. 

 

 

My friend Shawn's new Blackwatch Highlanders move up on the Riflemen's left.  Great looking troops Shawn!

 

Turn 2 and Ed rolls for a Brigade move onto the hill, full advance.  He rolls low and the French infantry brigade moves 3 moves up to take the high ground.  En Avant!

 

I bring on the Division commander and the Cavalry and Legere brigade out in the flat ground and head for the same building the Greenjackets are.. going to be a helluva fight over that house!

 

While Ed and the rest of the enemy army begin to exchange long range gunfire up at the hill fight, the Riflemen make it up to the house but don't have another move to occupy.  These guys have to go until my Legere can make it up!

 

 

The view of the Riflemen across the field from Ed's brigade on the hill as he's seeing the approaching enemy brigade headed his way.

 

 

My division commander attaches to one of Ed's Ligne battalions for a FOLLOW ME order that charges them off of the hill and drives the evading Grasshoppers away from the building.  In the enemy's turn, their heavy cav that has arrived on table charges to force the ligne into square, redirects to force another battalion on the hill into square, and evades back to friends.  The Blackwatch get 3 moves to move up and slaughter the French square in melee.  MERDE!

 

 

 

 

 

This sets up a massive cavalry action near the objective.  The French Cuirassier charge the British Dragoons who countercharge.  The Cuirassier take damage from traversing fire from a Rifle company.  The French Hussars charge, force the Highlanders into square, and redirects into the rear of the Dragoons.

 

The British heavies are destroyed and the French lights use their sweeping advance to clear the battle area, reforming behind the shaken and disordered Cuirassier.

 

 

 

Irish Hussars charge home to finish off the beat up Cuirassier then bounce clear of the battle area.

 

The French Hussars charge the countercharging Irish Hussars and force them back.  The gallant Hussars are eventually forced back by Rifle and Cannon fire to rally behind the advancing Legere who move up and take the house.  The French still solidly hold the high ground objective and push back or destroy the British and Brunswickers who move up to try to take it.

 

The fighting for the lower objective goes on another turn or two.  The Legere are forced back out by fire from the Rifle companies, but before the 95th can move up and capture the building both British brigades break and it's a major victory for France.

 

Vive l'Empereur! 

Some more pics from the painter of the Prussian work in progress.  Hoping to have these back early next week to do the touchups, highlights, blackwash, and basing.  Can't wait to get them into a fight with my French!  :)

 

Command stand figs for the Musketeer battalions.  Will be clipping those flag poles off and drilling holes to put my standards from Flag Dude into those guys hands.  

 

The officers that will be on the stand with them are mounted.  I painted them myself.  Thought they came out pretty cool!  The two battalion commanders are on the left and in the middle with the regimental commander on the right.

 

 

The troops for the two Musketeer battalions in the Regiment.  The Fusilier battalion troops will look just like these except have black crossbelts and straps instead of white. 

 



  

Here is the unit of Volunteer Jaegers that support the Regiment.  Rifle armed skirmishers rock in BLACK POWDER!  They're not quite as good at the British 95th Rifles (the BLACK POWDER rules being written by Brits, imagine that!) but they're pretty close.  They can even roll for a 5+ to remove Disorder before movement where most other troops can't.



 

These guys are to be based two to a 60mm x 20mm base as they'll only be a Small unit and will spend all their time in Skirmish order.  That lets them evade larger formed infantry units that charge them.

 

Herr Leutnant Richard Scharf will lead my green jacketed Auserlesene Männer to victory!  :)



 

My Prussian infantry figures should be arriving back from a painter soon, so the force's command figures are on my painting table today.

First off, we have a couple of Musketeer battalion commander figures.  These are from the Perry 28mm Prussian collection.

 

 

Next is a couple of the Warlord Games Prussian Landwehr officers.  I will use these as commanders for two Landwehr battalions that will be the second force added to my Prussian Brigade.

 

 

Two more officers from the Perry line.  The guy on the left will be my first Regimental commander and the fellow on the left, his coat tails bouncing with his horse's gait, will be the command figure for a two unit Cavalry Brigade of Uhlan Lancers and Hussars.

 

And finally, again from the Perry line, are the two figs that will grace my Brigade command stand.  There's an officer with a telescope and Old Blucher with his pipe!  I know Blucher was an Army commander and some purists may frown on him commanding my Prussian brigade.  Thhhppffffttt!  I will be having me some 'ol Blucher in my Prussian army.  :)

Got a few pics back today from the gentleman painting my Prussian infantry of a test figure.. like it!  Looking forward to getting my troops back, basing them, and getting them onto the field.

 

This is one of the line infantry troops in a Prussian Musketeer battalion.  There are two of these battalions in a regiment and they are equivalent to French Ligne or British Line units.

 

The Fusiliers will look just like the Musketeers other than their webbing and cross belts will be black instead of white.  There's one Fusilier battalion in the Regiment to provide light infantry support for the Musketeers.  They are equivalent to French Legere or British Light battalions.

 

The Regiment will also have a unit of a dozen or so Volunteer Jaeger skirmishers in green coats and carrying rifles.  They are equivalent to British Rifle Companies other than having a little bit lower Elite rating to help them remove Disorder before movement phase.

 

 

 

The Prussian flags are here!

 

 

Compliments of Rick at  http://www.flagdude.com/   I have flags for two Prussian Regiments, a couple of Landwehr battalions, and two cavalry units.

 

 

 

 

I love the textured look of The Flag Dude's standards.  And they come already mounted on thin metal rod with the finishing touches included.. just have to mount them in a standard bearer's hands then paint the pole.

 

Looking forward to getting the Prussians on the table into battle with my French soon.  Immer Vorwarts!