Wednesday 6 August 2014

Wargaming Waterloo 1815 : 2015 (1)

Our recent activities in ‘eras other than Napoleonics’ have unlocked some of the latent enthusiasm that we have for a range of historical periods. These will continue with one or the other of us taking the lead to increase our ability to stage historical re-fights or historically-based campaign games in periods from the Kingdom of Egypt to the American Civil War—and even beyond if Julian has his way! :).

We’ll be wargaming these periods ‘seriously’ and this has and will continue to provide much enjoyment, stimulation, interest (and learning), but will always be secondary to TOTE, ’the one true era’: Napoleonics!

As with so many of you out there in wargaming e-land, our principal project for TOTE at present is the bicentennial of the Battle of Waterloo. With our space and figures available we are planning to do this game at a figure scale of around 1:30 to 1:33.

Mark has completed a first-pass of the orders of battle for the game, so we have our 'work orders' to make up the lists. Mine are:
French & Allied
• Airfix Old Guard—two bats each for 3e and 4e grenadiers and chasseurs of Middle Guard
• Young guard voltigeurs (1e, 3e) and tirailleurs (1e, 3e) two bats for each
• Empress Dragoons (x 2—finish OG and YG units)
• Chevau-leger lanciers 1e and 2e
• YG Chasseur à cheval de la garde 
• YG Gren à cheval de la garde
• Old Guard foot artillery (x 6) two from YG foot artillery
• Cuirassiers (to make up the 12 regts, 1–12)
• Carabiniers (2 regts—Mark one, me one)
• Dragoons (2 regts, 2e and 7e)
• Chevau-legers lanciers (1e–6e: Mark three, me three)
• Hussars (7e & 5 e)
• Chasseur à cheval (1e, 3e, 4e, 6e, 9e, 12e)—me three, Mark three
• base/touch-up légère
• base/touch-up ligne
• base/touch-up foot artillery
• base/touch-up horse artillery

Anglo-Allied
• Horse guards
• Base/touch-up infantry
• 11th LDG (buff with silver/white lace)
• Base/touch-up 1st KGL, 10th, 15th, 18th hussars
• 1st DG (Mark has the other three)
• Two sets of Brunswick jäger SK (6 figs)
• Base/touch-up 6 RA batteries
• Base/touch-up RHA batteries (up to 6)
• Dutch militia unit

Our good friend and honorary member of the ANF, ‘Marc’ is kindly weighing in with some Dutch-Belgians. He has posted photos of the first of his efforts, a wonderful rendition of the Dutch 27th jägers on his blog.


We look forward to adding our own bicentennial game of Waterloo to the many that are being planned around the world. To read about these, and many, many other games of the Napoleonic bicentennial on the Wargaming Waterloo 2015 blog.

8 comments:

  1. Sounds do-able, but plenty of painting ahead. I estimated almost 2,000 figures will be needed to do Waterloo at 1:100 scale, so that means you'll be needing almost 6,000 figures. We just might be able to come up with that many (several other members have British troops and some French), but even then they wouldn't fit in my car! :-) Should be maginificent!

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    1. Hopefully we'll get them all done. We have plans for some 'heavily disguised' units if not (I know that you like that expression)!! :)

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  2. While the Waterloo Battle is fun to go over again (and again) I have found it more useful to examine the entire 100 days Campaign.

    Plans are in the works to do just such an action with 'on the web' players.

    James, you were game, right?

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    1. For mine you get very different things from these two elements of our great hobby—both of them enjoyable.
      As a student of history, I'll never tire of the historical re-fight—especially at the most grand scale possible. Campaigns provide the joys of what-ifs, alternatives and counterfactuals (a favourite of Julians).
      Yep, I'm certainly interested in a role in a 100 Days Campaign. You have done marvellously with the Campaign of Nations.
      We, French-allied, have to win in 1813 first though! Of course, that would likely make the 100 days never happen...!! ha, ha

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  3. Thanks James. A Dutch Line unit is just about finished (at the final varnish step), then I have some artillery ready to paint. Next I'll probably tackle some cavalry and Nassau troops (the later because the HAT figures are so good), but then it is time to buy more. I also have a plan for the carabiniers. I just need to stay focused...

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    1. Sounds like reasonable focus so far Mark. You need some Napoleonics to paint, given the pre-fab' nature of Wings and Sails of Glory--ha,ha!

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  4. Looking forward to this one James - looks as if your paint brush will be busy!

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    1. Thanks Ian. I rate myself as a slow painter, as I know you do of yourself, so will do the best that I can!
      Fortunately many on my list are 3/4 or more on the road to fully complete.

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