After spending a considerable amount of time with Napoleonics and the development of my 1806 Project, I think that it is time to return to the Seven Years War for awhile. It is good to switch the painting and gaming projects around because too much of any one thing can result in burnout or disinterest in a particular period.
This evening, I met Monsieur Chevert half way between Brown Deer and Hesse Seewald, near Lac Geneve. There I handed over all of my winter terrain so that the good Chevert could set up the game table for our annual winter warfare in the snow game. Last year, we staged Leuthen and this year we will have a game featuring Russians and Austrians and Saxons against the Prussians, somewhere in Silesia or East Prussia. Our group has built up a force of approximately 15 battalions of Russsians among 4 or 5 players, so that is an impressive group army. No one person has to be responsible for building the whole army when you have individuals contributing 2 or 3 battalions each. The game will be played this Saturday January 23, 2010.
Concurrently, I just sent in my application to the Little Wars Convention, on April 24-25, 2010 for our annual BAR game. This year, we will refight Fontenoy for about the third time. In our previous games, we did not have enough red coats, so we used Prussians vs French in the first game, then Prussians vs Austrians in the second game. This time, we will get it right and have British against the French. As an added bonus, this deadline gives me some incentive to add to my British SYW/WAS army. I find that I often need the incentive of an upcoming game to get my brushes moving and my forces built up.
So far, I have five battalions of infantry: 3rd (Howard's) Foot, 8th (King's) Foot, 11th (Sowell's) Foot, 42nd Black Watch and the 1st Foot Guards. I also have but two six pounders for my artillery contingent and only 36 cavalry (12 x Horse Grenadiers of the Guard, 24 x 1st Horse). My goal is to add to the cavalry contingent (36 x dragoon guards, 12 x Life Guards and 12 x 1st Horse) befor the Fontenoy game.
At the end of March, I will be hosting a game at the SYW Association Convention in South Bend, Indiana. My game will be a refight of the Battle of Mollwitz. We might do a play test of the Mollwitz scenario at Chez Chevert during the month of February.
So there you have, four SYW/WAS games are on the schedule for the first four months of the year. There is much work ahead for me, but I look forward to it.
Concurrently, I just sent in my application to the Little Wars Convention, on April 24-25, 2010 for our annual BAR game. This year, we will refight Fontenoy for about the third time. In our previous games, we did not have enough red coats, so we used Prussians vs French in the first game, then Prussians vs Austrians in the second game. This time, we will get it right and have British against the French. As an added bonus, this deadline gives me some incentive to add to my British SYW/WAS army. I find that I often need the incentive of an upcoming game to get my brushes moving and my forces built up.
So far, I have five battalions of infantry: 3rd (Howard's) Foot, 8th (King's) Foot, 11th (Sowell's) Foot, 42nd Black Watch and the 1st Foot Guards. I also have but two six pounders for my artillery contingent and only 36 cavalry (12 x Horse Grenadiers of the Guard, 24 x 1st Horse). My goal is to add to the cavalry contingent (36 x dragoon guards, 12 x Life Guards and 12 x 1st Horse) befor the Fontenoy game.
At the end of March, I will be hosting a game at the SYW Association Convention in South Bend, Indiana. My game will be a refight of the Battle of Mollwitz. We might do a play test of the Mollwitz scenario at Chez Chevert during the month of February.
So there you have, four SYW/WAS games are on the schedule for the first four months of the year. There is much work ahead for me, but I look forward to it.
Yipee! Der Alte Fritz has apparently recovered from his bout of Napoleonitis.
ReplyDeleteJim, I applaud your return to the mid-eighteenth century . . . and I very much look forward to seeing your new British units as they finish donning their uniforms.
-- Jeff
Thank the gods your back ;-)
ReplyDeleteDon
Terrain for the game should be set up Wednesday and/or Thursday night.
ReplyDeleteBill/Chevert
The siren call of Napoleonics will lure you back eventually.
ReplyDeleteThough I must admit, I'm seriously considering a mid-late 18th century Ruritanian army that will do duty against my Napoleonic French. I found myself absent mindedly doodling in the margin of one of my legal textbooks.
A brigade wouldn't hurt, would it?
One of the things that I like about 1806 is that both armies wear uniforms that have an Ancien Regime look to them, only updated for "modern times". Since the Prussians of 1806 look and are organized along the same lines as the 1757 army, I feel like I am painting SYW figures when I paint 1806 figures.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, I will be switching back and forth between 1806, the SYW Minden Project, the SYW British Army project and miscellaneous SYW Prussian units for my BAR armies.
There might even be a dab of Colonials from time to time.
On the 1806 note; did I open a blog link from another site that showed your 1806 project work? I quite like the large scale of your battles and find the images inspiring.
ReplyDeleteDon
I think that there are some pix on WD3. Thank you very much for the kind words.
ReplyDeleteI have to say some of us here in aAstralia re falling for the 1790s , what with Nic Roson so handy, I am seeing him this weekend and the threat that he is doing Suvarov Russians next has me quite caught up in the excitement and if he does Valmy Prussians well frankly I amn gone, totally gone..
ReplyDelete