Black Powder: Austrian - Deutsche Jägers

I didn't make just one battalion of  Jägers, I made two when I was already working on them. This will be used as either a second battalion together with the last one, or I can divide them up and have up to three small units running around as attachments to other brigades.

This is going to represent the 8th battalion of Jägers - Deutsche Jägers, that fought as part of the 3rd column as part of II corps during Aspern-Essling where they was part of the effort to hold back the first and second break out attempt by the French cavalry and suffered quite some casualties as they was also present as Wagram but with severely reduces strength.

But really the miniatures can represent any Jäger battalion as they all looked the same.
The unit I've done in the same was as the last one with two 40x40 and two 20x40 bases.
This also makes the 20x40 bases perfect to use for instance in a game of Lassalle as they can represent the skirmish value of the units there.

With both battalions gathered I am for the moment done with the jägers, I have some grenadiers in the pipeline now

Black Powder: Austrian - Waltrich Jäger

It's time to look at some of the other regiments that was present at or around Eggmühl, and I've now put together a battalion of Jägers, most of the corps had a few jägers hanging around, and III corps was no different. The Erzerzog Karl Legion - Waltrich Jäger was attached to III corps.

During the Tehus-Hausen battle the Jägers was sent to the austrian left side together with a battalion of Grenzers and was the first to encounter 10éme Légère, together they held them in check but then 3éme Ligne was sent into their flank and pushed them back starting what was to be collapse of the Austrian battleline.

I've based these so that they can have a more skirmish look to them, with two normal 40x40 bases and then two 20x40, just to be able to spread them out a bit more, and I've as can clearly be seen, roughly half of the miniatures that I would use for a line battalion. Again to make them a bit more skirmish.

They are based on the normal Victrix landwehr infantry, with only a few tweaks, I've removed the bayonet on all of them, I can't really see this unit going into close combat that much, also I added some arms from different sources such as my French to give some more poses in the unit.
The trumpet is from Perrys light cavalry box for their medieval range.

Black Powder: Austrian - Line Infantry IR 38

The Austrians just keeps on marching in, now in the form of Infantry Regiment 38 Württenburg.

This regiment formed the reserves in the battle of Teugn-Hausen, only being sent forward in the last phase of the fight to support IR 20 as they was pushed out of the woods just north of Hausen. Their presence did not have enough impact to get the 10éme Légère back into the woods again as they took up strong positions just at the treeline.

When they first marched out for the campaign IR 38 only had 12 companies with them, and therefore they only deployed in two battalions, but as they had an mostly supporting role in the Eggmühl battles, they did not suffer as much as other regiments.

The battalion itself is this time made up of Perry Miniatures Austrians, given them a slightly different appearance, the miniatures are a bit different, not what I would call better or worse, but there are some details that are apparent on the Victrix miniatures that you can't really see on the Perry once and vice versa. For my style of painting I like the Victrix a bit more, just for the exaggerated details in the faces and on the coats.

For now I'm going to do a few other things than line infantry for a little while, I want to try to do some Jägers as well as doing a battalion or two of my newly arrived Grenadiers, even though they did not appear in the Tehus-Hausen battle, they could have, if just Archduke Charles would have committed them and not stayed in Grub and been indecisive.

Battle Report: Black Powder - Battle of Corunna 1809

This week we got to play another game of Black Powder, this time I took on the role as GameMaster as the other players wanted to play and it was their first and second game respectively, so I was there to be rules judge and give advice on what to do and when to do it. I also wrote the scenario for them to play, and too keep it a bit more like the real thing, I didn't tell the anything of what's going on around them.

The scenario concentrated on the action around the small village of Elviña and the main thrust of the French advance with the 31th and 47th regiments in the front and with reinforcements arriving thought the battle. On the British side it was the 1st Foot Guards in support of 4th, 50th and 42nd regiments.

To make it a bit easier to remember what was where I had made some cards for each commander with the units they commanded, the stats for these and any trait that this commander had.

First we have the setup of the forces.
The french had a attack column stance.

On the british side units was placed for movement in columns, and the Foot Guards are in reserve ready to come in wherever the british may need them.

The french started the battle and advanced most of the units, the only battalions that got stuck was the left flank that could not work out what their commander really wanted. Some units was a bit eager and got ahead of themselves and moved a bit too far...

The british realizing that they didn't have to go anywhere to get to the fight, formed lines and opened up with all that they got on the poor french columns. Getting the foremost column to recoil back with severe casualties, but still intact.

To retaliate the french sent in columns to attack, but only one got far enough, but at least some of the light infantry could get to within short range and started to fire on the cannon, but these turned out to be some of the most disciplined soldiers I have ever seen, and during the game that took loads of hits and saved them all.

On the left flank things still stood still...

The hand to hand fight didn't turn out great either, and the french column somehow got annihilated by the british.

Now the British reinforcements arrived to strengthen the front by creating another line to stop the coming french main attack, as loads of battalions are getting really close.

The french now got in front of the britts and this time trying to get them by shooting, so all the light units from the 31st lined up to give them some.

Also no french left, right at the back of the british line, 2 regiments of dragoons appeared, and the panic in the british commander was telling.

After a while of complaining that it's unfair to get cavalry in the flank, it was time to do something about it, and as most units was engaged to the front there was only the Guards left to send anywhere, so the line has to be redress and the right most guard battalion was sent to protect the flank.

On the french turn the cavalry tried to charge the guards, but they manage to get their square formed, and the charge was stopped, and in other parts of the battlefield the columns on the french left got to the village, but could not venture past it this turn. The light infantry also manage to break one of the foremost battalions, opening up the centre a bit.

On the next british turn, drums could be heard in the distance, as some of the battalions that the dragoons should have driven off entered the fray. The shock was telling in the french faces as three more line battalions and one of the 95th rifles arrived in the back of the cavalry. The winds of war turns quickly.

But the french gathered their wits and got of a nice cavalry charge in the back of one of the line troops in the centre, utterly destroying it without breaking a sweat, the british centre are now in a real bind, and can't possibly hold out for much longer.

But still there is hope, in a stroke of incredible shooting and a well placed charge, ALL infantry to the direct front broke all in one stroke, in a matter of seconds three whole battalions ceased to exist as fighting bodies and the whole of 31st regiment disappeared.

Here we had to call the game as time had run out for me, but we called it as a draw, even though the centre broke for the french, there was still two battalions left that was now in quite good order, and the cavalry there was untouched. On the flank there was a strong british force, but they would be hard pressed to do anything about the centre ad that loss would break the British army, if they didn't get another lucky turn and broke the french first.

The game then was a really good one, and both my players walked away filled with thoughts about what army they themselves should get. Once again proving that Black Powder is just a excellent  gaming system.