Mad Lemmey's Painting Blog

 Nick very kindly agreed to run a C19th game down, and I purposely did not ask what it was as I wanted to see where we ended up.  Imagine my surprise, neigh delight, when Nick handed us the play sheet for Big Bloody Battles game of the Battle of Coulmiers , one of the few French victories in the Franco-Prussian War, albeit in the Republican phase. He had a well thought out table, and boxes of beautifully painted 10mm Pendraken FPW forces that he hadn't used. Could Dave and I repeat the feat? In seven turns, quite an ask  The scenario is well written, with great research, clearly mapped and has clear aims for the French attack and Bavarian defence.  Yes, French attack. The Republican phase of the Franco-Prussian war actually sees some French attacks as tactics reverted away from defending with superior firepower to desperate or desultory attempts to force the allied German forces to concede ground or territory or even just get armies out of sieges. Gone are the glory...

 Andy invited me over to the Aylesbury club for another Franco-Prussian bash.  This uses these https://madlemmey.blogspot.com/2019/07/black-powder-1870-stats-and.html The French VI Corps was holding 'Le Village Est Un Trou', The Prussians had the simple objective, Minor victory - get into the village. Major Victory, breakthrough and cut the French Lines of Communication. The table from the Prussian lines. Andy had rolled randomly and got the Prussians, so I was running Canrobert and the French. French deploy on 'Une Position Magnifique'. Iem Division in the centre, 3em on the left, 2em on the right while 4em reinforces the hill centre. Unfortunately, the French had not prepared and Iem Division was half-in, half-out of various built up areas and not a coherent line (and probably enjoying breakfast and the local population). Generalleutnant Albert von Barnekow brings 16th Infantry Division forwards on the Prussian left. Then Andy has an unprecidented run of blun...

FINALLY! The missing Horse Artillery battery, and a massive thank you to Leon at Pendraken for whipping the casting dwarves raw until they agreed to produce a spare Cuirassier command figure to be General Bonnemains . This completes 1st Corps in its entirity and also 7th Corps Cavalry division Ready for action Obligatory top view     Almost completed French 1st Corps (a general and a battery to add) and the other half of Bonnemains's Cuirassier Division from 7th Corps done. All in my V&B basing system for use in Black Powder. 1st Corps Cavalry, 2nd & 6th Lancers, 3rd Hussars and 11th Chasseurs a Chevel, 7th Dragoons and Gen Duhesme The dragoons did not see action in the first battles of the war, but I just had to do them They're a pretty batch Off they trot One day, they might even get to be used Mac Mahon and corps artillery assets (that need one more base of horse artillery) Top down It's almost Prussian in...