The Battle of Saltanovka 23rd July 1812

Hello There! Here are some photos from the latest game from the New Buckenham Historical Wargamers club. We have been putting on game days in a large hall which helps with social distancing, (so what is UNsocial distancing?).

Here is an over view of the battlefield after a few moves. The Russians were attacking fron the top and right of this picture, as the French forces that were already present on the field were being reinforced fro the lower part of the board. A fordable river ran from the top left to mid way down the right.

The Russians could cross the river but had to dice to see if the suffered casualties or were disordered.

This is part of the green tide that attacked across the river. Some Russian forces had a bridge to cross and were held up by a stoical French battalion which repulsed many attacks.

Further attackers crossed the river further along and joined in the assault.

Some forward French troops tried to stem the tide and others manned a village in the Russian line of advance.

Here is the view of  the village across the bridge which slowed the advance.

The Russian attack was also supported by MORE than adequate artillery!

Here is one stubborn French battalion and its view of the approaching enemy.

A close up of the figures froma club members collection.

French artillery assisted in holding the Russian hordes back while the light cavalry division which had been deployed closest to the river. They were to try and delay the enemy as much as possible.

While this battery repulsed this attack once it was not going to be so lucky next time.

Some heavier French cavalry were available but had a number of moves to complete before making their presence felt.

French infantry arrived and began to deploy for the attack.

The panorama of this battle looked very impressive from a distance.

After the Russian infantry their cavalry started to appear.

Further Russian troop were thrown across the river and while they were delayed the result seemed inevitable.

The forward French cavalry were able to manoeuvre and charge into the advancing Russians but could only move to contact one regiment at a time. While merrily singing 'Lets go die!' the outcome was sadly predictable!

In the middle of the table French forces deployed from the right just in time to face further Russian forces crossing further along the table.

Some better views of this second Russian attack gives a good spectacle of the number of figures involved in the game.

Further French troops were added to stem the Russian hordes.

Here Polish artillery fire into the attack.

Watched on by their commanders.

Eventually the French efforts to stem the Russians, ended and the light cavalry brigade was broken and one of the infantry divisions became disordered and left the field. The Russians made it across the river, despite one of the bridges being broken by the French before the start of the game, and the Russian running the risk of suffering disordered status as they crosssed the river and started to push the French back.

This was a very enjoyable and well run game. It was also a nice change to get back safely to gaming after the long break due to the pandemic.

Further pictures and a battlefield report can be found here.

Resin Products for Sale

Hello There! I have some resin walls and corners from my business stock available. If you woud like to fill out your scenery and start blocking all that 'line of sight' across the battlefield.

Please PM me through here or my facebook page on here.

I have added a price list at the end of this post.

Here I have based one length of wall with a Perrys Union Cavalryman to show height, (25mm), and how the pieces paint up. The walls were painted in Vallejo 994 Dark Grey, washed in a very thin 950 black paint and dry brushed in 991 Dark Sea Grey.

The walls are made out of a resin that if placed in a dish or bowl of hot water they can be bent to meet the curves of your road. Once curved into place pour cold water over the wall and it will stay in its new shape. Above is the wall painted and unpainted.

I have based by walls and corners up on modular bases which have been cut out in multiples of 6cm. There is no further cutting and the walls simply but up against each other. The modeller can simply cut the walls with a junior hacksaw and place scored square section plastic strut next to the end to represent a wooden post.

Next up are my range of resin haystack and hayricks. With the advent of modern mechanisation the Countryside has seen a change in how the harvest is gathered. Once present in many fields the older style haystacks and hayricks have now disappeared but for wargaming periods from ancients up to modern, (in Yugoslavia during their Civil War), these haystacks could be seen.

Here is a closer look of the painted partial stack. These were painted in vallejo 941 Burnt Umber, dry brushed in 819 Iraqui Sand and then Iraqui sand mixed with some white and flocked and varnished.

Next the set of three hayricks. These varied in size and shape and again are supplied either painted or unpainted. Bushels are grouped together and a roof placed on top to repel rain.

The next item are a set of three hayricks. More suited to 15mm figures I have shown a 28mm Perry Union cavalryman to show scale. 

This is one of the set to show a close up.

Prices are:

H001   Hayrick (set of 3) unpainted                                                            £7.00
H002   Hayrick (set of 3) Painted                                                                £11.00
H003   Haystack complete unpainted                                                         £6.00
H004   Haystack complete painted                                                             £10.00
H005   Haystack partial unpainted                                                              £5.00
H006   Haystack partial painted                                                                  £9.00

The walls are available in packs of 6 x 18cm lenths                                   £12.00

 and the corners are in a pack of four items 4 x corners                             £5.00

You can PM me through

Warlord Games 'Stick' Mule Train

 Hello There! I have completed the second Warlord mule train offering. It has the same mules but the muleteer is different.

Again I have replaced the reins as there was nothing on the moulding itself. Here I used old flower arranging wire painted in white enamel then acrylic.

According to the Warlord Games website illustration this figure wears a British coat and I added various colours to make the figure stand out more.

Here are the two sets together. I have also purchased further sets from Warlord Games including a French cantiniere and a different mule train. The latter has a different mix of mule loads and has a fat killed pig loaded! 

I have a number of  items to complete for the planned feature for WSS including some items from  Brigade Games which are expected soon.