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.