Balanced History - Two Reviews

Two business trips, a great family vacation to Japan, and a hectic work schedule in-between has kept me off the Blog lately.  I finally have the gumption and inspiration to post.  First, a book review of sorts on two histories that I am reading simultaneously - the authors both share a common approach despite the difference in topic and period.

Guadalcanal by Richard Kern

While riding a bus to my son's swim meet in Daegu, another parent suddenly asked to take a picture of me (with her phone of course) reading this very detailed history of Guadalcanal.  Why?  Her father works with the author, Richard Kern, in Virginia.  A few hours later during the meet, her father had already replied back, thanking her for the post....a normal experience in the digital age of course.

This history contains more details on the Guadalcanal campaign that I thought one could find in a single published account. The author used extensive primary source material to include significant use of Japanese sources.  I really enjoyed the balanced use of sources.  Too often, a military history will provide one side of the story, merely sketching the enemy's actions and point of view.  Not Kern.  He addresses Japanese strategy, operations, and tactics at an equal level with the American point of view.

I've read the US Army's official history of Guadalcanal, which gives plenty of coverage to Naval and Marine operations, and Kern's text surpasses it for depth.  One aspect of this book that I found most interesting was his attempt to cover Naval, Air, and Ground operations in balance.  

Given that praise, the book is tedious at times.  Barbara Tuchman noted in an essay on writing history that selection of material is an important aspect of the art of a good history.  Choosing what to exclude without losing the sense of what really happened is a difficult task.  If I have one criticism of Kern's rich history, it is the lack of selection.  In comparing US and Japanese accounts of aircraft losses, for instance, he provides the details for virtually every sortie during the campaign - a bit much.

The book is certainly an inspiration for my upcoming Bolt Action gaming plan.  I am locked on the plan to play Bolt Action in the Pacific, starting with a US Army 168th Regiment-based army and a Japanese foe.  I'll expand to the USMC as my collection expands and painting skills in 28mm improve (assuming no other sudden, expensive distractions....like wargaming the American Civil War).  Modeling the Aussies in New Guinea and British Chindits would also be appealing....more on that in a later post.

Shelby Foote's Civil War Histories

I'm also working on the three volume serie covering the American Civil War by Shelby Foote.  I borrowed the volumes from my library as an e-book, and I've completed the first one.

Similar to Kern, Foote does a great job of providing both the South and North perspectives on the key engagements.  Also similarly, he provides a level of detail on the politics, strategies, and campaigns that I find incredible.  I detected a slight leaning toward the Southern sources, in terms of detail and coverage, so I wasn't surprised to find in his notes that he was from the South.  Nevertheless, the history does a remarkable job of placing Lincoln's decisions on the War within the context of Union politics, and I didn't note a bias in the tone of his work.  Having lived in Maryland, I must admit a lack of familiarity with the battles further the West, so the first volume's coverage of operations along the Mississippi and in my home state of New Mexico were enlightening.  

Despite the level of detail, Foote's narrative certainly flows better than Kern's.  I suspect the difference can be attributed to the source material and Foote's writing style in equal measure.

I shouldn't have started this reading adventure given my other irons in the wargaming fire....DBACW and the upcoming Longstreet rules by Sam Mustafa are starting to look tempting. Will my venture into 10mm figures finally happen with the American Civil War?
When will I ever finish my Napoleonic armies for DBN and Lasalle?

I'm working on DBA terrain and a few more 15mm French artillery stands right now, but I'll be buying a batch of 28mm WW II figures soon.

Grenzer Battalion

Grenzer #5 Regiment command element

I finished off a small Grenzer Battalion for Lasalle (and DBN).   This unit is composed of figures from a Battle Honors set titled "Grenzers and Jagers."  There were not enough Grenz figures for the six bases needed in Lasalle, and the figures didn't mix well with other figures that I purchased.

I decided to field one of my Lasalle battalions with the "half deployed" option - four bases and two additional skirmish markers that can deploy to other units. Since the regular Austrian infantry is weaker in skirmishers than the French, this option should work fine.

The unit represents Grenzer Regiment #5.

I'm putting Napoleonics aside for awhile.  My next project is a DBA Persian army although I need to stop procrastinating on my terrain project.

Big Brush Theory

 Having I been using brushes that are too small?

Today I did a significant amount of painting, very quickly, with a #2 flat, the brush I use to thin my acrylics.  Now I'm wondering if I've been using tiny brushes needlessly.

My son Ryan made progress on his Thessalian DBA figures today, hitting the shields.  When showing him how to thin the paint, I decided to run the loaded mixing brush across one shield face.  It left a smooth, practically completed shield in one stroke.  Ryan used the brush to quickly complete the others.

Grenzer Progress

I used the same #2 Flat brush tonight on the pants and shakos for 15mm Austrian Grenzers.  Since the figures are very similar, I was able to use a steady brush stroke across the pants legs.  I finished all the pants on thirty-two figures in twenty minutes or less.  The shakos went quickly, too.  I used a #1 round for the boots and bayonet sheaths.  

Theses figures won't win any awards, but I found the large brush actually helped me avoid painting all of the way to the edge of the pants, so I have black outlines along the tunic bottom.  I also didn't bother touching up every nook and cranny, providing shading.  I generally tend to over-paint, so the fast technique worked to my favor.

I tried the same approach on the tunics, switching to brown of course for these 1808 era soldiers.  I almost had a disaster because the paint was too thin, and the #2 flat was just too unwieldy.  Unlike the pants, I risked marring the face and rifles, which I had painted before.  I switched to a #3 round, another larger than usual brush for me, and the tunic painting went quickly.

All told, I finished a good portion of this unit in an hour.  I'll use the same approach tomorrow for the backpack and bedroll.  This fast progress might dissuade me from buying those 28mm figures for Bolt Action just a bit longer.

Two Austrians Walk into a Bar

Finishing up my posts on the batch of Napoleonic figures, I'll show off an Austrian Grenzer and Jager unit today.  I painted up only two bases for DBN.  I eventually need a few battalions of Grenz units and three more Jager bases for Lasalle.

Because I started the painting effort with plans to mount these figures in single rows, I ended up with extra figures.  I used them for two Lasalle skirmish markers.

To maximize reuse, I will use a Lasalle based Jager unit in DBN.  If I have remaining figures when my other painting is done, I may create a standard DBN element consisting of only two or four figures.

Confederation of the Rhine Cavalry

 Wurzburg Cavalry trotting forward

These figures represent Confederation of the Rhine Cavalry.  I'm working on a Cavalry Brigade for Lasalle as a supporting unit for a French Infantry Division.  The figures are Battle Honors, advertised as "Chasseur and Wurzburg Cheveaulegers"  As you can see the headgear, saddlery, and rifle placement differs.

My basic reference book for Napoleonic uniforms lacked any information on CoR Cavalry, so I turned to a great French language website:

http://empire.histofig.com

The Lasalle Army list suggests that the Light Cavalry could refer to Baden Light Dragoons, Nassau mounted jagers, or the Hessen-Darmstadt cheveaulegers.  I found uniform references for the Baden, Hessen-Darmstadt, and Wurzburg units.

Curiously, the headgear does not match the Wurzburg reference images, but the uniform is pretty close.  The helmets, in particular, look closer to Austrian cavalry than any of the Confederation of the Rhine units.   In any case, I painted these guys up in the green and red of Wurzburg.  I will use them as French cavalry for DBN, too.

French Infantry

You can't fight a battle (very successfully) with just artillery.  I finished six French Infantry bases save the flag.  I will mount the paper flag after sealing the figures with clear coat.

Center Companies and Light Infantry

The six bases will form the core of a DBN army with two Elite and four Regular units.  They can also be used for 1 1/2 Lasalle battalions which use four bases.  I need eight battalions for Lasalle, so there is a lot of painting ahead!

Center Companies and Grenadiers

Austrian Infantry

I finally placed flags on two Austrian infantry battalions today.  I painted the battalions over a year ago for Lasalle. I will also use them for DBN.  Both units are composed of six bases and one skirmisher marker.  The figures are 15mm Battle Honors miniatures.

Two Austrian Battalions

One battalion is based on the German Infantry Regiment #4; the soldiers are wearing helmets.

The second battalion represents Hungarian Infantry Regiment #2, wearing shakos.

The all white uniforms are a bit tricky, especially for a new painter like me.  I did find some tips on the web about using light gray for the shading and varying the white color.

I also made progress on my batch of French units, gluing sand to the bases.  I should have the units finished up in a few days, save the final spray of clear coat.  With the cold weather here, I do plan on waiting until it warms above freezing before attempting any spray paint work.

Progress and Planning

I am making more progress on my 15mm Napoleonics, focusing on completing enough French and Austrians to play DBN initially.  My final goal will be forces large enough to play Lasalle.  Considering that I don't have a large table here in Korea or wargaming friends interested in Napoleonics, completing the Lasalle armies will be a two-three year effort, intermingled with other projects.

I have finished and based three Confederation of the Rhine Cavalry stands.  I have some French Infantry on the paint table now.  When those figures are done, I'll finishing the basing work on the whole batch.

I had scratched out my basic plan and inventory on several paper sheets.  Inspired by graphs noted in a US Army historical series on WW II, I created the visual below to help me track my progress.

Napoleonic Army progress - 18 January 2013

As I purchase and paint, I will update the graph.  The graph also provides a great visual contrast of the differences between the two Armies.

The DBN army lists are based on a 12 point army, and you have quite a few options.  I have boxed in the DBN elements that cover all options.  The red lines notate an legal 12 point force.  As you can see, I am close to completing a French DBN force.  I will need to buy some more figures to get an Austrian DBN army fielded.  Completion of two Lasalle forces will take some time!

Wishy Washy Wargaming

Now that my holiday is over, I'm back to long hours and little hobby time.  However, I made some great progress over Christmas break on Napoleonic figures: Austrian and French.  Having studied the pros and cons of double row-based 10mm and 15mm to death, I had settled on single row-based 15mm figures for DBN and Lasalle.








Excited about making quick progress, I painted up enough figures to cover the following for DBN:

• six French line infantry stands
• three stands of Confederation of the Rhine cavalry
• four French artillery stands (heavy and medium guns, planning ahead for Lasalle)
• one Austrian Jaeger stand
• two Austrian Grenzer stands, with extra figures for Lasalle skirmish markers

Indecision and Fear Strikes

The project was humming along nicely.  Once all of the painting was finished, I glued the figures to bases.  I then decided to de-base twelve Austrian infantry stands, painted last year, that are based in double rows.  That way, I could finish the ground cover for all of the stands at once.  When I began trying to scrape the ground cover off and pry figures loose, I realized that the risk of damaging the figures was very, very high...

Instead of destroying the Austrians, I took a test run of de-basing a single row-based French infantry stand, painted during my 10mm vs. 15mm test.   De-basing is not easy!  I couldn't imagine scraping 100  Austrian figures loose.  As I debated my plan, my son commented on how great the double rows looked...

So, throwing rational thought and my hobby budget out the window, I'm reverting to my original plan.  I'll be basing my Napoleonic armies in double rows.  I'm working on more French and Jaegers to round out the stands prepared already, so I will post photos soon.


WW II Rules....

I bought BKC II recently, and I an impressed with the rules.  I've been planning to tackle WW II as my next big project, using 10mm.  BUT, I have now stumbled across Bolt Action, a new ruleset co-produced my Warlord Games and Osprey.  Rick Priestley is the author.  Having read several reviews and game reports, Bolt Action's lower echelon game looks appealing.  It would be a very different experience than my big unit AWI and Napoleonic games.  If I went with 28mm, I could try my hand at painting this larger scale.  The only downside is the sense of scale on the table. Even on a 4x6 table, the tanks and infantry sure look to be close to each other.

I could go with 15mm, which would be much cheaper and allow me to recycle my terrain, if nothing else.  15mm would also let me play BKC II easily enough, although 10mm is more appealing for that scale of game.

I've got plenty of time to consider my options, and I may pick up the Bolt Action rules to learn more.

In the mean time, I have plenty of fun ahead in painting my Napoleonics and tackling a terrain project.  I should mention that Ryan is making progress on his DBA Thessalian Army, too.

Multi-Prong Progress

I have taken a few days off and made progress on three wargame related activities.

DBN Work in Progress

DBN

I inventoried my  unpainted 15mm Napoleonics, separated out the figures needed for DBN, and started painting.  When first planning my DBN armies, I had focused on fielding every possible element for a French and Austrian army list.  Now I plan to select options that maximize reuse in Lasalle instead.  I am painting French Line, French Artillery, Austrian Jaegers and Grenzers,  and Confederation of the Rhine Cavalry.  I have more figures waiting for clean-up and priming.

DBA

To help him choose an army, Ryan and I played some more DBA, using available elements from my Spartan and Macedonian sets to simulate the Late Greek Thessalians fighting the Aitolians, a Psiloi heavy army. I wanted to try my hand at a light force. The Thessalians won both matches.

Round One

In the first game, the Aitolians ended up as the attackers, so Ryan placed minimal terrain on the board.  My Psiloi didn't have much bad going to use to its advantage, and Ryan protected his camp with Auxilia.  Despite my efforts to move around and flank him with the Light Horse and Auxilia, the Cavalry ended up killing off three Psiloi and the Light Horse element

Round Two

In the second bout, the Aitolians were defending, so I placed two steep hills (compulsory), a river placed 600 paces from a battlefield edge, and two woods as the terrain.  This gave me some additional options, but Ryan used Auxilia to secure two bad going terrain areas.  The river ended up as paltry, so it didn't have as much of an effect as hoped on the Thessalian's maneuverability.  The game took quite some time as both armies tried to gain advantage through maneuver.  The Light Horse spent much time moving, drawing off cavalry elements but otherwise not helping much.  My final strategy was to try to attack two cavalry and the Thessalian camp with the four Spear elements.  Before I could move the slow spear across the board, four Psiloi were individually picked off.

Ryan has decided on the Thessalians.  It met his requirement for a cavalry heavy force, and he wanted something within the theme of my collection.  We can play the Late Thessalians against the Macedonians, Spartans, and Galatians.  We have primed up some Essex hoplite figures that I already owned, so he will try his hand at painting tomorrow.  We also ordered Warmodeling (Fantassin) Thessalian cavalry elements and some more Essex Hoplites and Psiloi for his project.

BKC Inspiration

I just finished an excellent WW II history, An Army at Dawn, by Rick Atkinson.  The book covers the War in North Africa in 1942-1943, starting from the US and British joint amphibious landings to the fall of Tunis.  Having read little on the North Africa campaign, this book was a great primer.  It is the first of a trilogy, so I plan on picking up the next book which covers operations in Italy.

If I choose North Africa for my Blitzkrieg Commander II focus, I have some ideas now on the units and weapons that made the biggest difference for the Germans and the Americans.  The Germans will definitely have a Ju-88 Stuka for support.  I will mix up the American tank force to include Shermans and the weaker Stuarts.

I will do a lot more research this winter on the forces and also look at reuse for the US units for an Italian campaign.  The Afrika Korps paint jobs will not work for Italy considering that no Germans tanks left North Africa before the surrender.

WWII & Napoleon

Having considered my next project options, I compromised.  I bought the Blitzkrieg Commander II rules (ebook version) and deciding to move forward with 15mm single-row based DBN armies - Austrian and French.

My rationale was simple: I had a box full of Nap figures primed and ready to paint, so I resisted the temptation to keep them in the box and buy a lot of WWII miniatures instead.  I was also encouraged by the continuing sale of Essex Miniatures at 50 percent off at the www.wargamesminis.com webstore.  I was planning to buy some hoplites to complete an Arcananian Army for DBA, so buying the Napoleonic figures was a good deal in terms of shipping.  I now have plenty of figures to paint for several months.

As discovered through my comparison of 15MM and 10MM figures, I won't be able to reuse every DBN stand for Lasalle later on, but the difference is minor.  When I buy the final batch of Napoleonic's from another webstore, I'm going to buy a batch of WWII 10MM figures, too.  I might even buy a sample of 6MM for comparison sake.

Another reason that I decided to hold off on WWII miniatures purchases is the VAST range of options, in terms of theater, campaign, and army for this war.  Working on an overseas Army post, I am fortunate that the library has a great military history section, particularly for WWII.  The contrast in the availability of reference material for classical armies, Napoleonic armies, and WWII is stark.

Having started out with an AWI and Napoleonic armies, I easily found reliable material on uniforms (down to button color) and order of battle on the internet and in the county library back in the USA.  I bought a few books that provided solid reference material for my painting efforts, allowing me to paint figures for specific regiments.

In trying to finish a double-row based armies for Lasalle, I ran out of steam with the painting and realization that I wouldn't field two armies for a year or longer given my available hobby time. Discovering the WADBAG Unofficial Guide to DBA turned me on to the Ancients period, and I have had a fun year cranking out multiple armies and actually playing games.  However, the lack of reliable information on many of the Classical/Hellenistic armies in terms of uniform design and colors was both liberating and discomforting compared to Napoleonics.  The DBA lists kept me out of order of battle research, thankfully.  My reading of Xenophon and Herodotus certainly indicate that orders of battle are not very precise in the source material...

With WWII, the material even in our small library is overwhelming.  The BKC Army Lists provide numerous options in terms of armored vehicles and infantry forces.  I will want to focus my initial forces around historical units, so I have some reading ahead of me.  Simply choosing a theater will be a chore!  When painting begins, I won't be short of reference material, that is for sure.  I'm leaning toward Tunisia 1943, but I wouldn't be able to reuse the Germans for the European theater due to the paint scheme.  I picked up "An Army at Dawn" by Rick Atkinson to learn more about the Tunisia campaign.

I will post a Blitzkrieg Commander II review in the future.  For now, let me say that I am very impressed with the rules design, clarity, and integration of the game concepts.  The game appears to have the balance of command and control and combat just right for the intended force echelon.  I have been lurking on the DBA Yahoo Group and watching the debate on DBA rules clarity for months now, so BKC II was a joy to read. The game site is: http://www.specialist-military-publishing.co.uk.

My last post garnered some great comments, thanks readers!  I will share my thoughts in future posts on both the AWI rules and ideas for Army/Corps operations that seem to be lacking in games I have reviewed thus far.  As a teaser...

At the Army/Corps level, logistics, intelligence, and leadership of other leaders are important factors in warfare - can these operational level factors be represented in a miniatures game while keeping it fun?  Using terrain at a larger scale, focusing on the next terrain features more than the current battleground, is also a decision factor.  Can a game depict operations at the operational level successfully?  There are plenty of smaller scale games and theater level campaign systems out there - what about the middle level of warfare?

Finally, I have been thinking about ways to design rules that include features appealing to younger gamers and that teach military history (beyond button colors!) through the gaming process.  My draft AWI rules are an attempt at this goal.  Maybe it is a Quixotic effort, but I would like to see younger gamers get involved more in the historical miniatures hobby, not just in Sci-Fi and Fantasy.

The Next Project

As my Macedonian/Hellenistic Morph army winds down, I am contemplating a few new projects.   The  first priority will be improving my terrain collection.  After that, I need to make a decision on what is next.

DBA 3.0

I could start painting up a Persian army for DBA, but I am a wee nervous about changes to the Army lists until DBA 3.0 is finalized.

DBN
I could return to my DBN project. After analyzing the costs and doing a test painting run, I was leaning heavily toward a switch to 10mm.  I'm not so sure now.  I have sunk money and time into 15mm Austrians double row-based for Lasalle and already bought a batch of additional French and Austrian troops.  I may go with single row-based elements for DBN.  In theory, I can use them for Lasalle as well.  With rebasing and some more paint work, I could have single row DBN armies assembed pretty quickly. Ignoring sunk costs (time/money) the switch to 10mm makes sense, particularly for the aesthetic value.  However, it is hard to rationally ignore completed 15mm elements... One reason I am considering this compromise, even though I like the look of double row bases, is a new interest  (really a revived old one) - WWII.

Blitzkrieg Commander II
When I first started down the wargaming path, I stumbled across Flames of War when buying some collectible cards for my son at a hobby store.  In running the cost numbers, I started looking at other options that didn't involve a huge investment, settling on AWI.  (I definitely didn't appreciate the addictive nature of the hobby regardless of era...).  Having read several rules reviews and blog accounts, I'm considering purchasing BKC II and giving it a go.  I would go with 10mm or possibly 6mm for this WWII game.  On all accounts, the rules are well written and fun.

Ideas for an Army-level Game
I remain intrigued on the idea of wargaming at the army/corps level.  I have yet to find any miniatures game that simulates the decision making of an army or corps commander-decisions about logistics and intelligence as well as maneuver operations.  I have an idea for such a ruleset. I could reuse miniatures for BKCII for testing the Army-level rules.

Working on my AWI rules
I have a nearly complete set of rules for AWI that have been tested locally.  I would like to be able to share them and possibly publish them once I return to the States.  I need experienced gamers to test the rules, though.  The rules incorporate innovative ideas about leadership and unit capabilities that seem to appeal to younger (teenage) gamers.  I am interested in promoting the next generation's involvement in historical gaming.

HOTT
Re-reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy recently got me interested in HOTT, but I think that idea has passed for the moment.  The rules look fun, though, and my son Ryan seems interested.

Choices, Choices!

Paper Drill

While hurriedly packing away my miniatures and hobby desk, I recognized an opportunity to test out the DBN wargame rules during our travels: foam core.  We had a scrap of foam core board left over from a craft project, so I created 40x20mm counters.  Being in a rush, I didn't have time to cut the pieces perfectly.  DBN uses different base depths, so the practices pieces won't capture differences in movement, such as recoils, that would take place using properly based miniatures.  Nonetheless, the counters have already let me try out the rules in our hotel room.

The Battlefield, complete with IPad-hosted rulebook

Referring to French and Russian army lists that would work for the 1812 timeframe, I labeled the counters with order of battle symbols and letters to differentiate unit types.  Later, I will label additional counters with units required to make up other armies. (I might resume DBA 3.0 playtesting using the reverse side of the counters.)

Foam Core Board Counters

Force Deployments

I played a solo game to learn the rules, pitting the

Russian deployment (Yellow square is Baggage Train)

Russian as attackers against the French.  For the Russian army, I fielded an army heavy on infantry and artillery.  I formed up the main attack force in a column, planning to advance beyond the woods that line the road before deploying.  Cossacks were positioned on the right flank, and I planned to advance a secondary infantry force on the left.







For the French, the army was a balanced combined arms force that included both light and heavy cavalry and a unit of horse artillery. 

French deployment

I placed half of the French in a defensive line, keeping the other half back as a reserve.  I tried to position artillery to support clear fields of fire.  A Legere unit in open order (LI element) anchored the force on a difficult hill.











Game Results


I played through six turns.  DBN has a few rules that ensure the game gets moving, to include compulsory advances by the attacker, the option to conduct successive tactical moves when you have enough command points, and extra command points for the attacker's first turn.  In any case, the Russians rolled a 6 in the first round, so I had plenty of options.  

Birds Eye View after deployment (The shopping bag marks the battlefield edge)

I learned an important lesson during the first two turns, realizing that I bungled the order of Russian units in the main column.  I would need to use multiple turns to get the infantry, in front of the column, out of the way of the artillery once the units cleared the woods.  Meanwhile, the infantry would be under fire from the French artillery.

Turn Four - Russian infantry trying to give the artillery some room

I advanced Horse Artillery forward to ensure a clear field of fire.  By the third turn, I was able to fire on the Russians with both the Horse and Heavy Foot artillery elements, resulting in several unit recoils.  The Russians have an unusual resilience to artillery fire (the "Stoic" characteristic), so the dice had to break in the French's favor even for a recoil result. Given the massive casualties endured at Borodino, for instance, the "Stoic" advantage adds a touch of realism to the game.

I played through six turns, ending with two Russian Cossack units flanking the French position.  The French Light Cavalry advanced to protect an artillery unit from the Cossacks; it was outfought and destroyed.  

Cossacks overwhelm French Light Infantry

Overall, the DBN rules were very easy to learn.  I did ask for feedback from Yahoo Group members on the firing mechanic (I was performing it correctly) and clarification on Light Infantry unit rules.  Once we arrive in Korea and settle in, my son and I will be playing some more foam core DBN.

I'm signing off for a few days.  We depart the USA tomorrow.

Russians and Prussians

I'm finishing off the element reuse analysis with a look at the Russian and Prussian armies.

Russians and Prussians attack at the Battle of LeipzigAuthor: Andrei nacu at en.wikipedia, February 2008, public domain image

Alexander's soldiers
For the Russians, I compared two DBN Army lists, 1800-1806 and 1813-1815, to a Lasalle infantry division supported by light cavalry for the Conquest and Liberation periods respectively.  The first DBN list requires a total of 22 elements and the second list requires 25.

Prussian Blues
With a last name of Frederick, I've always had a soft spot for the Prussians.  It's unfortunate that they fared so poorly early in the Napoleonic War.   I compared the DBN 1794-1806 list to a Lasalle infantry division supported by Saxon infantry for the Conquest period.  I also compared the DBN 1813-14 list to a Lasalle infantry division supported by an infantry Abteilung brigade for the Liberation period (the Saxons were apparently distracted by 1813).  The first Prussian list requires 34 elements and the second list requires 28.

Reuse Recap


Fielding the early Russian army would be an efficient way to start my Napoleonic wargaming.  The DBN list only requires 22 elements, and I could reuse all but three elements for Lasalle later.  Of all the comparisons made, this force supports the highest level of element reuse.  The DBN Austrian and later Prussian lists tie for second, with only four elements left behind when playing Lasalle.  The early Prussian force has the worst reuse level, followed closely by the British Peninsular Army List.

Will my painting laziness push me toward a Russian and French combination for my first effort?  When I first considered Napoleonics, I was leaning toward the Peninsular theater due to my reading of the Sharpe novel series.  I switched to Austrians and French once I bought the Lasalle rules due to the appeal of the Austrian Avante Garde Division.  Now, I'm not so sure.  My current reading might also be influencing me.  I'm thoroughly enjoying Russia against Napoleon by Dominic Lieven.

Peninsular Recycling

Let's continue to look at miniature element stand reuse for DBN and Lasalle, focusing today on the Peninsular War.

Battle of Salamanca
Illustration von J. Clarke, Koloriert von M. Dubourg, 1812, {PD-1923}

DBN Peninsular Armies

DBN provides army lists for the French and British forces on the Iberian Peninsula as well as a special list for the British Light Division.  For the reuse analysis, I am comparing all options for an army list to a basic Lasalle force with the exception of the British Light Division. In this case, I selected enough elements to field the Light Division as I would in a game. The French Army list requires 26 elements, the British Division 30, and the Light Division 16 (as I have fielded it).

Lasalle Peninsular Forces


For the comparison, I used a French Infantry Division supported by Lt Cavalry in the Peninsular period.  The Lasalle British lists include an Infantry Division and a Light Division.  I used a Portuguese infantry brigade as the supporting force for both comparisons.

Reuse Levels


As you can see, most DBN elements for the French can be used in Lasalle.  The same isn't true for the British because DBN uses a number of unique irregular forces for the Peninsular armies.

Will this discourage me from tackling the Peninsular campaign for my first Napoleonic armies?  Or will the play value of the DBN irregular forces make up for the extra work?  Some testing might be in order...

Military Estimates

My recent 10mm painting session led to a recalculation of painting time for my planned Napoleonic collection.  The newest data indicates that I will be able to make progress much faster.  I completed the second batch of 10mm figures at the rate of 55 minutes per base or stand, much faster than the original test results of 93 minutes.

 15mm in the front, 10mm in the rear
(Please ignore the prehistoric-sized flora in the background)

Using the same assumptions as the original analysis, I calculated paint time for DBN and Lasalle Forces.  (See the "Battle of the Scales" post for more information.)

DBN and Lasalle Paint Times

The DBN armies are the French 1805-1812/1815 list and the Austrian 1801-1808 list with all options.  The French Lasalle Force is an infantry division and supporting curaissier brigade.  The Austrian force is an Avante Garde Division supported by an infantry brigade.  The time saved approaches 50 percent.  It was interesting to see how much faster I can start playing DBN compared to Lasalle.




Army Creep

If Napoleonic miniatures are as addictive as Ancients, I won't stop at two armies.  I recalculated my "weeks to complete" analysis for multiple Lasalle forces, estimating five hours of hobby time a week.

The new estimates are motivating.  I should have enough figures painted to play DBN in 11 weeks and Lasalle in 25.

Happy 4th of July!

10mm French Elite

I finished up the 10mm Old Glory French Elite Company figures, practicing my 10mm paint skills and evaluating the efficiency gained in painting larger batches.  For my time comparison test, I painted enough figures for a single double row-based bases for both 10mm and 15mm scales.  As expected, paint time was much faster per base when working on a larger batch.  There is probably a learning curve factor at work, too.

I painted three bases as French grenadiers and one base as voltigeurs.  I will use the grenadiers as elite infantry for DBN, and all five bases (counting the base from the original paint test) will also serve as companies in five Lasalle infantry units.  The figure strips were mounted on craft sticks, and I  generally repeated the same paint stroke on all figures on a stick at one time.

I modified my painting approach slightly for this batch, aiming to speed up the process without sacrificing the quality of the work too much.

Thinning the Paint


I primarily use FolkArt acrylic craft paint.  For my 15mm figure painting, I often use the paint directly from the containers without thinning.  I noticed that this was not working as well for 10mm.  I either ended up with too much paint on the brush or needed to reload constantly.  I thinned out the paints for the large areas, such as the coats, boots, and shakos.  It made a big difference in the ease of painting and time.  If you thin too much, though, you are in trouble.

Sloppy to Neat


On my first 10mm painting attempt, I was very careful to not stray out of an area with the paint.  This time, I didn't worry as much about  collateral damage with the initial colors, particularly the jacket and boots.  I painted fairly quickly, and I cleaned up a few mistakes later.

Highlights


I did take the time to shade and highlight the face, coat front, and pants more.  I'm not sure that it made a big difference in the end.  You certainly cannot notice from a distance of more than 12 inches!

Hat Trick


For my first painting attempt, the shako braiding and edging took a lot of time.  I tried a different approach, pulling out a Number 4 flat brush (That's right, a Number 4!).  For the shako top edge, I loaded up the brush and lightly pressed it to the top of the hat at a 45 degree angle.  Voila - instant edging!  This technique worked well except near the plume.  I also tried to use the Number 4 for the braiding and details on the front of the shako.  This didn't work as well.  Next time, I plan to try dry brushing the details.

Fast Results


I expected to paint faster when working a large number of figures, but I was surprised at the efficiency game.  The total paint time for 40 figures (eight strips of five) was 3 hours and 40 minutes, including the final wash.  I completed the work in five sessions.  The paint time for a single base is 55 minutes, compared to 93 minutes for my first test.

I also timed the basing time.  I kept the basing simple because I was working on a tight schedule due to our move, and I had already shipped much of my hobby supplies.  I used small grey model railroad ballast for the basing, covered in a Vallejo Earth paint wash.  I finished the bases with Woodland Scenics burnt grass sprinkled over Elmer's Glue.  Total basing time was 15 minutes in two sessions.

I'll work out the paint time for a couple of Lasalle armies, comparing to my original analysis in a future post.

Recruiting an Army Efficiently

Because I'm planning to paint Napoleonic figures for use in both DBN and Lasalle, I analyzed the figure requirements for the two rulesets, aiming to build up two armies efficiently.  DBN is a corps-scale game, so it includes a greater variety of units than is necessary for a basic Lasalle force.  I evaluated the forces of several major armies to determine the level of reuse of element stands.  (A stand is a base with miniatures mounted on it.)

The analyses compared Lasalle divisions with one supporting brigade to a DBN army list with all options.

Basing Options

DBN uses 40mm wide bases for its elements.  Fortunately, Lasalle also recommends a base width of 40mm.  Lasalle is flexible on the specific basing depth, so I will be able to base figures that work for both games.

Infantry Figures

Line infantry elements are completely reusable for the two games.  DBN bases some light infantry units, such as Legere, differently in terms of figure count. Lasalle treats Legere units the same as other line infantry.  I chose to use the light infantry elements as line infantry since the figures are in a regular pattern.

Other DBN elements, such as Jagers and Guerrillas, are not as easy to reuse for Lasalle.

Cavalry


Most DBN army lists include both heavy and light cavalry.  In building up an initial Lasalle force, I will need to choose between heavy or light for the supporting brigade, so I won't be able to reuse all cavalry figures.  As my collection grows, though, I can use the remaining elements in other Lasalle brigades.  DBN has a unique cavalry element, known as skirmishing cavalry, that will not be reused.

Artillery

DBN uses heavy foot and horse artillery.  Many Lasalle forces use medium artillery and howitzers, so the reuse level for artillery might be lower for many armies.

French Attack the Austrians


Before deciding to switch to 10mm scale, I was working on a French Infantry Division and Austrian Avante Garde Division as my first Lasalle forces.  I'm not sure if I'll stick with these armies as the first part of my collection now.  In any case, let's look at the reuse level of DBN elements for a Lasalle French Infantry Division supported by Lt Cavalry Bde and an Austrian Infantry Division supported by the same.

To field a DBN French Army for the 1805-1812/1815 period, I will need 30 element stands.  I will be able to reuse all but nine of the stands for my initial Lasalle force playing in the Conquest period.  For the Austrians, the DBN army requires 28 elements; I can reuse all but eight elements for a Conquest period Lasalle force.

 Avante Garde


The Avante Garde division in Lasalle is a awesome combined arms force.  Comments on the Honour forum (www.sammustafa.com) indicate that it is a fun division to play, too.  I compared the DBN Austrian 1801-1808 army list to an Avante Garde division supported by a Grenadier Brigade, playing in the Conquest period of Lasalle.

The reuse of DBN elements for Lasalle is very high.  Only four elements cannot be used in the initial Lasalle force.  Of course, the total number of element stands needed to play this force in Lasalle is much higher: 70 stands.  The 24 reusable elements from DBN will make a dent in the painting, but I'll still have some work ahead of me if I field an Avante Garde Division.

I'll compare other forces in future postings. In the last days before our move, I was able to complete additional 10mm figures and run another time test, using a larger batch of figs.  I'll share the painting results soon.

Happy to have electrical power in Md,
Dave

Scale of Battle

Napoléon on the field of Eylau by Antoine-Jean Gros
Public domain image from Wikipedia

I have been investing time to learn the best way to get started in Napoleonic wargaming, focused on building up enough of a miniatures collection to play Lasalle, a tactical scale game designed by Sam Mustafa. Along this journey, I learned about DBN, another Naps game that is radically different and piqued my interest. DBN was inspired by DBA, an ancients game that I play. Alex Testo and Bob Carter created the game. 

Game Scales

My recent posts have focused on a scale decision: figure scale. This post focuses on a different scale: game scale. Lasalle and DBN model Napoleonic warfare at different scales. Lasalle is a tactical level game; players command a division supported by a brigade. DBN places the player in the role of corps commander.  For a corps-level game, DBN can be played on a table as small as 2 x 3 or 3 x 3 feet.  This will be a plus for me in Seoul, Korea, our new home in two weeks, because of limited space.  DBN also supports playing the major battles of the Napoleonic Wars, such as Eylau, in a reasonable play area because each figure stand represents a brigade.

A Choice Not a Decision

Unlike the difficult decision on selecting a figure scale, I will be able to enjoy both games with the same miniatures collection.  I can choose to play both.  I have had a few days to read the DBN rules now and received some great information from the members of the DBN Yahoo Group. The rules are well written and much easier to understand than DBA. My first exposure to Nap rules was a couple of rule sets that were complex and suitable for an experienced player.  Both DBN and Lasalle have the complexity level that seems right for me and my 12-year old son, who is my main playing partner.  Both games are also appealing because they don't require paperwork and endless consultation of complex tables.

Charting an Efficient Path


In comparing the rules, I noticed that some figure stands needed for DBN may not be used in Lasalle, at least not initially.  I'm planning to collect enough figures for a Lasalle division and one supporting brigade for two armies.  DBN armies are truly combined arms corps, with a mix of different foot, cavalry, and artillery.  I won't be able to use all of the units in the initial Lasalle forces.  I'm analyzing combinations of Lasalle and DBN armies to determine the level of consistency for different national forces.  More information to follow in a future post.

The Battle of the Scales

15mm and 10mm French Voltigeurs

I have finished the painting time and cost analysis for a group of Lasalle Armies to support my decision making: to switch or not to switch.  As noted previously, I have bought and painted up a small number of 15mm figures, and my other wargame miniatures are all in this scale.  Concerned about the time commitment to get playing as a new Napoleonic wargamer, I decided to invest a small amount of time in comparing two 15mm basing options (double rows of infantry and a single row of infantry) with 10mm figures, based in double rows.

As described in a previous posting, the cost difference between 10mm double row bases and 15mm single row bases is marginal, when you are comparing the cost of completed figure bases.

Painting Time


My painting test indicates that I could finish single row-based 15mm figures slightly faster.  I used the test results for infantry figures and added a 15 percent time increase for cavalry, artillery, and commander elements.  The chart below depicts the painting time, in hours, for the three options.

While I'm comfortable that the 15mm painting test is a reasonable estimate, I'm less sure of the 10mm test.  The test figures were my first attempt at painting 10mm figures, so I expect that I can speed things up with practice.  


The testing is also limited in two areas for both scales.  I only painted a small number of figures in both tests, so my test didn't capture the efficiency of painting a larger group at once.  I also didn't consider time spent cleaning up and priming figures.  I believe that the clean up for the 10mm figures went much faster.

Integrating the Analysis


Paint time and cost are only a few factors that will influence my decision.  I ran a multiple factor analysis that includes qualitative factors, such as the appearance of the miniature units.  I weighted each factor and used a logarithmic rating scheme.

The (Preliminary) Winner is...


10mm

Considering all of the factors important to me, I'm seriously considering a switch to 10mm scale for my Napoleonic collection.  I like the "mass" look of double-row bases, and the cost and time savings compared to 15mm double-row bases is significant.  I already have an AWI 15mm figures based in single rows.

Before making the big jump, I plan on painting eight more strips of French flank company figures.  Once we arrive at our new home, I may test paint a group of cavalry figures, too.

The Long Road to Lasalle

Even with a change in scale or basing, it will be a long time before I can field two Lasalle armies.  I can spare an average of five hours a week for my hobby time.  At that pace, it will be almost a year before I'm ready to play unless I can find fellow players in Seoul, Korea that happen to have a common interest.

Fortunately, I found another game, with a completely different operational scale and approach from Lasalle, that integrates the benefits of DBA with Napoleonic gaming: De Bellis Napoleonicis (DBN).  DBN requires a much smaller number of elements to play, so I plan to use basing that works for both games. This approach will allow me to play sooner while I work on a collection that suffices for battalion-scale rules like Lasalle.

I received the DBN rules last night, so I'll post a review and my plan for creating a collection that works for both games in the future.  My first impression is very favorable.  I've wondered if I could find a corps-level miniatures game, and DBN appears to get the mechanics right.