Austrians and Prussians Seven Years War 18mm

About 7 years ago I bought the (then) new Blue Moon SYW Austrians and Prussians.  Unfortunately, I didn’t realise I needed spec’s.

Then I began painting.  The toys had cunningly concealed micro strands of metal about them.  Micro strands that miraculously only appeared after painting.  They could only be removed with the paint around them and more.  It was dispiriting and I gave up.  The whole lot went back into two boxes with bad grace.

Recently, I started reading Jonathan’s SYW posts at his blog Parlouse and inspiration struck again. Here's a link https://palousewargamingjournal.blogspot.com/search/label/18mm%20SYW.

I opened my two boxes and did some painting.  The swarf (technical term) is still tricky but it appears in the same places-mostly. The spec's help.   Thus, it can be removed post undercoat at the latest.  I wonder if this was just an early days problem?  I have a fair few other Blue Moon ranges and haven't found the same issue.

You can see the results of my endeavors here.  Above combined Hungarian grenadiers with Eureka command figures. Below you will note the excellent Prussian flags from David at Not by Appointment.  See side bar for a link.

IR3 Anhalt-Dessau below.  As you can see I've packed these fellows in 6 to a 30x30 base.  An expensive choice. Then again most of the figures were bought at cheaper prices than today.  It is the look I wanted and I'm pleased with it.  

 

I think I'm going to end up with three infantry brigades, ditto cavalry and some artillery and light troops.  I won't be fielding all the cavalry at once in most games.  I may give my Prussian Hussars flags even though I know they didn't carry them.  The reason being David has given us some nice ones and I have the figures.

IR2 Von Kanitz below. 

 

Next up will be IR7 Braunschweig-Bevern and IR5 Von Braunschweig  both are nearly done.

Although these fellows will see action with Field of Battle I'm mad keen to try out Honours of War. We will see more of this project as the units slowly accrue.  Surprisingly, I find them more demanding to paint than Napoleonics.  Even so, I have another batch of units on the verge of completion and we will see them next time.

I was pleased to find that Lancashire Games SYW infantry are compatible with Old Glory and Blue Moon. In 15/18mm you just never know until you try them out.

 

 

 

Reds and Whites

 

You may recall my Spanish Civil War project last year.  It was an unexpected departure for me and proved to be a lot of fun.  Lightning has struck twice and I now find myself writing a set of rules for The Russian Civil War.  You could call it a steppe change. 

The game is pitched at the same level as Arriba e Non Passaran and the first draft is near complete.  I only have to factor in armoured cars and the like.

Once again it is a card driven game

Research is ongoing and toys are being painted.  I’ll have more to say soon. Although I may just show you a game.   Meantime here are my first three White units. 

Kuban Cossacks here.

Siberian Cossacks above.

White Officers Battalion with a splendid flag.  My first three Red units below.

Red cavalry at the gallop.  Some of the better Red cavalry units used the old Texas Ranger tactic ride in close and blaze away with a revolver.

Well equipped Red regulars above and, below and top of the page Red Sailors.

All the toys came from Peter Pig.  As with their Spanish Civil war range I found the figures very pleasing.  That said my various horses for dismounted cavalry are from QRF. 

They make World War 1 Russian ones which, see above, do nicely enough with Peter Pig.  The horses match better than the foot figures in my view.

Initial inspiration for this project came from Trebian's RCW games at Wargaming for Grown Ups.  Here's a link.  http://wargaming4grownups.blogspot.com/

For research I mainly relied on Mark Plant's excellent Russian Civil War site here. 

https://pygmywars.com/rcw/history/articles.html 

More on this one soon.  Should it be of interest my draft rules are called Reds and Whites.  There's imagination for you.

A final thought, if you enjoy a good historical novel try Mikhail Bulgakov’s “The White Guard.”