We have already seen the Swedes. Today, we are looking at the complete Russian ensemble. The Swedes demonstrated the virtue of drill and discipline and the continued efficacy of aggressive pike men. The Russians majored in modernity.
The Russian military was all about mobility and fire power. The artillery was good and plentiful and muskets were modern Flintlocks.
The cavalry could
fairly be described as a mobile fire platform.They could and would charge in the right circumstances.
The Russian cavalry were all dragoons and yet they seldom dismounted. Instead, they shot from the saddle. I’d say this indicates an Eastern military influence. No more than that, for Russian dragoons did not hit and run or attack in waves. Rather they stood and discharged breath taking amounts of lead. More Sassanian than Mongol then should you wish for an ancient analogy. For the best result you needed lots of them in the same place, shooting at the same target.
Consider the Battle of Poltava. The amount of lead shot from the saddle was devastating.
The Russian Army was still a work in progress. Some regiments still fielded pike men others were all musket armed. The best troops in BLB speak were Drilled Elite.
The Army is best seen as an innovation to replace the old amalgam of noble cavalry and the military caste of the Streltsi infantry.
As such most of the soldiers were at best trained men with some experience of combat. Others were raw recruits newly raised if well equipped.
Russian Commanders sought to mitigate the Swedish edge in quality by deploying in depth, using field defences and exploiting
opportunities on the flank.
Cossacks and other light horse were helpful in the latter. Mine are based following Barry Hilton's suggestion. It's a visual clue that they fought in a different fashion.
Ultimately, success lay in killing or disabling as many Swedes as possible before they came into contact. If that didn’t work the Russians mostly lost. They did, of course, win the War and so decisively as to change the direction of the Swedish Kingdom for ever.
That's my Russian Army so far for With Talon and Claw. I can add more from my stock of figures but what you see here is sufficient for gaming. I do want to make a couple of redoubts for them and I have more field defences to complete in the form of gabions.
Nice work - my intended opponent - who talked me into buying and painting a Swedish army in 28mm and ever since ahs been engaged in painting Napoleonic Prussians, Landesknechts, Renaissance Pikemen and ACW troops for both sides - makes the same point about Russians in BLB. The only problem for me as the Swedes is - he knows what tactics the Russiand used to win - so when we eventually get a game on the table, I suspect the Swedes wont do as well as they did historically, at least in the early years of the conflict. Given current events, maybe we would have been better off if Charles XII had won.....
ReplyDeleteWe are very easily distracted. I bought a Berber Army a year ago. Every time I think about painting it I find myself painting something else.
DeleteIt's good to have got these two table ready-finally!
Great looking army. Always a challenge using the Russians against the Swedes, especially early in the war. The Swedes often just steam roller over you
ReplyDeleteThanks Neil. It's why I need at least one redoubt.
ReplyDeleteNice to see the Russian opponents OB, which look rather nice. Interesting to hear how they used their cavalry, as I know sod all about this conflict, other than the Russians won in the end. Always good to have two forces ready to go on the table too:).
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve. It's an interesting one to game because the two sides are so different. I'm delighted to have got to that stage at last.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog
ReplyDeletePlease read my post
ReplyDelete