Creating A Napoleonic Wargames Army 1809-1815 E-Book

Peter Morbey

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

This book describes the creation of a wargames' army and provides essential guidance for someone starting out in wargaming through to the more experienced gamer. With over 290 colour photographs, it describes how the armies of the main nations - France, Britain, Russia, Prussia and Austria - were organized. It illustrates the uniforms and battle formations using computer-aided plans. Practical modelling techniques are demonstrated from basic to more advanced. It provides detailed painting guides with accompanying step-by-step photographs, and finally, there is a chapter on the flags carried by these five armies during the wars.

Leseprobe

CREATING A

Napoleonic WargamesArmy 1809-1815

CREATING A

Napoleonic WargamesArmy 1809-1815

PETER MORBEY

First published in 2019 byThe Crowood Press LtdRamsbury, MarlboroughWiltshire SN8 2HR

[e-mail]

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2019

© Peter Morbey 2019

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication DataA catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 644 9

DedicationTo my wife, Sandi, for her encouragement and proof-reading skills.

To Michael Holgate for allowing me to take photographs for this publication of figures that in the past I had painted for him.

CONTENTS

PrefaceIntroductionCHAPTER 1CHOSING AN ARMYCHAPTER 2MODELLING AND PAINTING BASICSCHAPTER 3THE FRENCH ARMYCHAPTER 4THE BRITISH ARMYCHAPTER 5THE PRUSSIAN ARMYCHAPTER 6THE AUSTRIAN ARMYCHAPTER 7THE RUSSIAN ARMYCHAPTER 8FLAGSList of SuppliersBibliographyIndex

Preface

IHAVE BEEN INVOLVED in the wargaming business, sculpting, producing and painting figures, for over thirty-five years, with my own company: Elite Miniatures. My initial exposure to the hobby was at around the age of thirteen when I saw a glossy advertisement in a magazine for a make of whisky, which featured a couple enjoying the beverage over a fine-looking wargames table. The game was set up around La Haye Saint, with very well modelled terrain and buildings, and well painted units of figures based in two ranks. From that point I was hooked, and the look of the game remains just as important to me as the game itself.

Enthusiasm duly sparked, I investigated further and bought a number of rule sets (none of which I was happy with) and found a local shop called ‘Stamp Corner’, which sold metal wargames figures by a company called Hinchliffe. By this time I had also discovered a local wargames club in Doncaster, which I visited. However, as they were into medieval or 1/285th armour, and my interest is Napoleonics, I didn’t go many times. Also, their games were conducted on a flat green baized snooker table with little in the way of terrain features, which did not satisfy me aesthetically.

At about this time I acquired a book on Napoleonic wargaming by Charles Grant. This book included a number of photographs of how I imagined Napoleonic wargaming to be, and introduced me to the man who would feature a great deal in my future in the hobby: Peter Gilder. I subsequently found out that Peter was the sculptor of the Hinchliffe figures that I had been buying, and that he had set up his own company, Connoisseur Figures.

I finally met Peter when he started his Wargames Holiday Centre at his home in Thornton-le-Dale, and enjoyed wargaming in the ‘Grand Manner’ rules written by Peter himself. I also talked a lot with Peter regarding the painting and sculpting of figures. My discussions with Peter often revolved around his own sculpting, and I would frequently spend time with him in his workshop learning the skills of the trade.

It was soon after this that I decided to try sculpting. The second figure I ever produced went into the Connoisseur range, helping to confirm that this was what I wanted to do. I had trained and was working as an architectural technician, but for many reasons it was not for me. I had sculpted a few individual figures, and the Spanish Napoleonic range, for Peter, so I felt confident in setting up my own company, and I soon brought out my first ranges, Prussian and French figures for the 1806/1807 period. This all went well, and Peter wanted me to join Connoisseur, but I had made up my mind that I wanted to be my own boss.

Over the following years Elite Miniatures has become my full time employment, with the ranges of figures growing and selling worldwide. During this time the business grew to include most of the Napoleonic combatants, as well as a number of other periods. I have painted a large number of these figures over time, both as commissions and for my own collection, developing my methods along the way. As a wargamer myself, I have also built my own wargames table and scenery, and have written my own set of rules: ‘Controlling the Chaos’.

Introduction

THE PURPOSE OF THIS book is to describe the creation of a wargames army, its organization, the methods of painting and modelling used, and the overall approach that I have employed to achieve satisfying results in a reasonable period of time. The organizations represented are the basics, and there will be many variations, too many to illustrate in this book – but this will lead you to another fascinating part of the hobby, namely researching the history, the orders of battle and the uniforms of the period.

The techniques described are not the only ones that are universally used – indeed every wargamer/collector will develop their own methods to some degree. Mine have been borrowed and adapted to my own way of working, along with a number that are uniquely my own. In addition to describing the physical techniques to the hobby, I have tried to show, with many photographs, my own approach, where the look of the whole game is just as important as its mechanics.

The constant desire to improve, and a determination to work for many hours to achieve a successful result, are both important. Success requires sound techniques along with many hours of practice. The best modellers are always looking for ways to improve the quality of their work, and are never wholly satisfied with their results. A modeller’s toughest critic should always be himself or herself.

British allies – a Portuguese firing line.

Choosingan Army

1

THE FIRST CONSIDERATION SHOULD be your circumstances: are you going to collect both opponents, or are you just collecting an army to oppose another gamer or gamers? Obviously in the latter case your choice will be somewhat made for you, as you will want an army that historically fought against whatever army your gamer opponents have collected, or are going to collect. Other factors that will influence your choice will be the armies’ uniforms, their tactics, and how these will look on the table, and your favourite battle or campaign.

I have a permanent games room with a gaming area that is fifteen by ten feet (4.5 × 3m), which means that I collect both opponents. For me, the choice of army always starts with the uniforms, the painting of those uniforms, and how it will all look on the table. I will then read up on the campaigns and battles that these armies took part in, and focus on a battle that has a comprehensive order of battle. From these orders of battle I would choose to recreate a part of the army that has variety. This will, of course, depend on the size of your gaming area. My table will accommodate a division plus attachments on each side.

French battle line.

British battle lines forming.

I also like to try and represent the unit sizes correctly within the unit basing restrictions. For example, with infantry units, the figures in a company are attached to one base, therefore each Austrian battalion containing six companies will contain six bases. These battalions can vary in size from thirty-six figures, forty-eight figures or sixty figures, depending on the strengths in their order of battle. Having different sized units adds to the tactical problems faced by gamers on the table top, and is visually pleasing. Currently my focus is on the Battle of Salamanca in the Peninsular Campaign and the Battle of Wagram in the1809 Austrian Campaign.

From the Battle of Salamanca’s allied orders of battle, the 6th Division was chosen as our base formation. This consists of six British and five Portuguese battalions and a battery of artillery. To help vary our games, other brigades were picked, and one or more could be attached when required. These consisted of a light cavalry brigade, a heavy cavalry brigade, an extra infantry brigade, a Guards brigade, and a brigade from the Light Division.

From the Battle of Wagram the French 2nd Division of the 4th Corps was chosen. This consisted of nine French battalions, six from Hesse-Darmstadt, and three batteries of artillery. This one is a work in progress. A light cavalry division (Lasalle’s), a Cuirassier brigade, a Saxon infantry brigade and some guard troops will be added in time. For the Austrians, Dedovich’s division from the 1st Armeekorps was chosen as the base formation, consisting of twelve strong battalions, each of sixty figures, and two batteries of artillery. This is also a work in progress, and an advance guard brigade, heavy cavalry brigade and a reserve grenadier brigade will also be added in time.

View of the wargames table.

View of the wargames table from the opposite end.

British Hulse’s brigade of the 6th Division.

Rezendes’s Portuguese brigade of the 6th Division.

British Anson’s ‘attached’ brigade from the 4th Division.

French Crosson’s and Dalesme’s brigades from the 2nd Division.

Austrian Henneberg’s brigade from Dedovich’s division.

As you can see from the above examples, a nice variety of uniforms, troop types and unit sizes in your army can be achieved.

Modelling andPainting Basics

2

THE PAINTING OF A wargames army is a compromise between speed and quality. You can spend an enormous amount of time painting each figure perfectly with all its buttons, facial detail and piping, most of which will not be seen when the unit is complete. I have seen some 28mm figures with the whites of their eyes and pupils painted, but this gives the figure a lunatic stare, and also when they are on the wargames table all you see are dark eye sockets. If a reasonably large wargames army within a reasonable time period is the target, then you will need to find a compromise that you are happy with. With the painting method described here I can paint an infantry unit of thirty to forty figures well within a week.

Preparations

Preparation Tools

Stanley knife

metal file

modelling knife

needle files

Blu Tak

Araldite Rapid 5min epoxy glue (syringe)

Cleaning Your Castings

Most wargame figure castings are a one-piece casting, the exception being mounted figures and artillery pieces. These will require checking to ensure that all the parts will fit together, and if not, then a little filing or cutting will usually do the job. Look under the figure’s base and cut off any casting sprue remnants with a Stanley knife, and file the base flat if necessary.

The castings will then need checking for mould lines and flashing. This is where the two parts of the mould come together, and the joint between the mould halves can appear on the casting as a mould line, or the metal can seep into the junction of the two mould halves and cause flashing. Flashing is easily cut away with a sharp modelling knife, and any remnants filed down with a needle file.

Mould lines can be removed in a variety of ways, and this will, to some degree, depend where on the figure they are. The sharp modelling knife can be used to scrape down the lines until they are smooth – and make sure you have a pointed blade so you can access the figure’s more difficult areas. Wire wool and fine emery paper can be used, but are only useful on areas that are easy to get to. A needle file is the most useful tool for this task. These are available in a variety of cross sections, also flat, oval and round, and some come to a point, so there will be one to fit into all the figure’s awkwardly positioned mould lines.

Figures with separate parts can now be glued together. Use epoxy glue in syringe form, as it is less messy than separate tubes. It is a two-part glue that requires mixing together and sets in five minutes. It is quite thick, and can therefore fill any gaps around loose parts. Apply the glue to both parts to be joined, press together, and wipe off any excess. Blu Tak can be used to hold the parts in position until the join sets.

Undercoating Your Figures

Undercoating Tools

20 × 5mm (cross-section) timber battens cut to 250mm lengths

Blu Tak

Simoniz acrylic spray

primer (white)

The figures can now be undercoated. This is an important stage as it seals the metal, and also provides a good matt surface for successive coats of paint to adhere to. Because the paints that will be used for finishing the figures are slightly opaque, the undercoat will affect the finished product. A white undercoat is recommended, as this will give the best look to the finished unit. A few gamers and collectors use a black undercoat, but this will affect the look of the finished unit, which from a distance on the wargames table will look dull and dark, as the undercoat shows through the finishing coats of paint.

Figures on a ‘lazy Susan’ turntable after undercoating.

Method for spraying undercoat from under the figures.

Before undercoating can take place you will need to set up a spray booth somewhere with ventilation, as the primer does smell – a garage or garden shed would be ideal. Use an old cardboard box to form the walls and base, with the front cut away. This will stop the spray spreading on to other surfaces. Set up a turntable inside the booth – a cheap, wooden lazy Susan is a good buy for this purpose, and will allow you to turn the figures and spray them from all sides.

Fix the figures with Blu Tak to the timber battens (seven to nine figures on each) and place them on to the turntable. Shake your spray can for two minutes and spray the figures, turning the turntable, until they have been coated on all sides. This spray will only coat the surface of the figures from the horizontal and above, so you now need to spray from below. To do this, hold one end of the batten and place the other end on the base of the booth and spray the figures from underneath. Swap ends and spray the other side; repeat for each batten of figures. Leave to dry for three to four hours.

THE BASICS OF PAINTING

Painting Tools

brushes (Vallejo, Handover or Javis Kolinsky Sable, Humbrol Evoco or Palpo, Humbrol Coloro or Flat)

Vallejo Model Color (paints, matt varnish, retarder and mixing bottle)

paint rack

mixing pallets

silver permanent marker pen

figure holders (dowel rack or old Humbrol paint pots)

brush wiping cloth

kitchen roll

water container (a mug)

The Painting Work Station

It is a good idea to set up a work station where your painting projects can be left and worked on when time permits. A paint rack is a very good idea: I made my own years ago, although nowadays purpose-built racks can be purchased. These allow the storage of paint bottles in a way that allows you to see the colours at a glance. A clear work area to the front of the station will be required where painting will be carried out, and where you can place your mixing pallet and water.

An adjacent area will be needed where you can put the figures that are still to be painted; these can be fixed with Blu Tak to upside-down old Humbrol paint pots (or similar), or to dowels in a purpose-made wooden dowel rack. This rack can be made using a 63 × 38mm piece of timber, 240mm long, drilled with twelve 22mm holes in two staggered rows, and twelve 20mm wooden dowels cut 100mm long. Three or four of these racks will be required, depending on the size of the unit to be painted.

It will also be useful to have somewhere to place uniform reference materials that can be viewed easily while painting, such as a sloping shelf with a timber lip on the lower edge.

Work station.

Wood and dowel figure rack.

Work-station bookshelf.

Choice of Paints

I started out painting with Humbrol enamels, but changed to acrylics a number of years ago when they started to proliferate in the wargaming and modelling markets. I now paint mainly with the Vallejo Model Color range, but this wasn’t a conscious decision based on testing other acrylic products – they were just the first ones that I tried, and I was happy with the results. The range also had more colour choices available, and they were easier to get hold of. The colours paint smoothly and don’t show any brush marks. All the colours can mix one with another, and they can be diluted with water. Slight errors can be lifted off the figures with water before the paint is dry, and the finish is permanent and waterproof. They have no smell, and brushes can be cleaned with water – no more white spirit. They also have a short drying time, which can be lengthened by adding drying retarder if required – a good idea when painting fine detail with a fine brush.

PAINT LIST (All these paints come from the Vallejo Acrylic Model Color range)

White 001

Ivory 005

Light Flesh 006

Pale Sand 007

Beige 008

Sand Yellow 009

Light Yellow 010

Flat Yellow 015

Golden Yellow 016

Basic Skin Tone 017

Sunny Skin Tone 020

Light Orange 022

German Orange 023

Scarlet 026

Red 029

Dark Red 032

Burnt Cadmium Red 034

Black Red 035

Pink 040

Royal Purple 046

Dark Sea Blue 048

Oxford Blue 049

Dark Prussian Blue 050

Prussian Blue 051

Dark Blue 053

Flat Blue 056

Medium Blue 057

French Mirage Blue 059

Grey Blue 061

Pale Blue 064

Deep Sky Blue 066

Sky Blue 067

Intermediate Green 074

Golden Olive 079

German Camouflage Bright Green 080

Olive Green 082

U SA Uniform 084

Luftwaffe Camouflage Green 086

Black Green 100

Stone Grey 104

Medium Grey 111

Buff 120

Yellow Ochre 121

Dark Sand 123

Desert Yellow 125

Ochre Brown 127

Light Brown 129

Beige Brown 135

Red Leather 136

Saddle Brown 138

Chocolate Brown 149

Black Brown 150

White Grey 151

Sky Grey 154

Dark Sea Grey 159

Natural Grey 160

Dark Grey 166

Black Grey 168

Black 169

Silver 171

Gold 172

Old Gold 173

Brass 174

Natural Steel 178

Gunmetal Grey 179

Matt Varnish 192

Drying Retarder 196 *

* this slows the paint’s drying time. It is useful when painting small details with a fine brush

Choice of Brushes

There is a wide choice of brushes available on the market today. I don’t claim to have tried them all, but I have tried enough to find those that I am happy with. I use five categories of brush: for fine detail, for general work, for highlighting, for dry brushing, and for varnishing.

Fine detailing brushes: These need to come to a fine point and keep their shape whilst in use. The best shape to use is ‘pointed round’ or ‘detail round’, made from kolinsky sable or red sable, and in sizes 1, 0 and 00. The manufacturers of these are Vallejo, Handover and Javis, each of which is quite reasonably priced.

For general painting: Use brushes shaped ‘pointed round’ or ‘round’, either Humbrol Evoco (natural hair) or Humbrol Palpo (sable). These can be bought singly, or in Humbrol’s packs containing four brushes in sizes 0, 2, 4 and 6 for the Evoco, and 000, 0, 2 and 4 for the Palpo range.

For highlighting: Use Humbrol, either their Coloro or their Flat range. These are synthetic brushes and are also sold singly or in packs of four: 00, 1, 4 and 8 for the Coloro range, and 3mm, 5mm, 7mm and 10mm for the Flat range. The Coloro brushes are ‘pointed round’, and to achieve a flatter brush you can simply slice off the point with a knife.

Brushes for dry brushing: These need to be stiff and flat ended, so use any of the above brushes that are old and worn out.

For varnish: Use large Humbrol Evoco brushes: sizes 8, 10 and 12 are ideal for applying coats of varnish.

Painting: Basic Style