New additions

Sometimes, when I have a big chunk of painting to do, I like to lessen the overall number quickly by painting the easy stuff. I find it boosts my morale. Fortunately, for Operation Zorndorf this is easy. By picking on the Observation Corps I can quickly reduce the number of infantry I have to do from 516 to 336. 

Here are the first 108 figures painted since the last Zorndorf post.

 Here are the first three (of four) regiments of the Russian Observation Corps. These are giant regiments, they each comprise a nominal three battalions rather than two, of 36 figures each (in fact, they are 35 figures strong because of what I actually managed to get hold of from Dave Thomas - they are all ebay purchases - but that is close enough). Firing regiments all have extended depth bases to prevent 'bayonet clash', and the bases have a notch to mark the actual size that they should be.

 I will have two regiments in a shooting pose and two regiments in a marching pose. So that I can field them as units of 24 figures if I need to, I have chosen to give one regiment in each pose two flags - to make four units into six, each with a flag. So that regiments can be distinguished I have chosen to do four regiment flags as coloured Ordonnance flags - here are blue for 1st, green for 3rd, light blue for 4th and there will be yellow for the 5th (the 2nd Regiment, red flag, was never completed or mobilised). White flags were colonel's colours. I'm not 100% happy with my rendition of the flags, but I can always plead "hand painted".

 These are almost entirely Foundry figures. These Russians, without coat and personal 'marching' equipment, are possibly the easiest Seven years War figures you are ever likely to paint - fill your boots.

Next up, the last regiment of Observation Corps musketeers and one regiment of OC Grenadiers.

Operation Zorndorf 2014 - a demo game in production

The war game planned for last week did not come off quite as planned (the above shot is from the game played solo) so, at present there is no report to post. But we are going to fight it again tonight - Huzzah! - so a report is in the pipeline.

Earlier this year I started to think about the demo-game we will do at Sheffield Triples next year. Triples is a two day show, so a big game is always worthwhile, and we always like to vary the period of our games so that we don't become known for just one thing. It has been years since we did a Seven Years War game at Triples using 28mm figures - Lobositz from memory - and the rebuilding of my SYW collection was in full swing, so I thought, why not?

The 'why not' was not hard to find. My SYW collection was in pieces (converting 16 man units into 24 man units) and, quite frankly, there was not much of it. I had been successfully, if slowly, building the lead pile with purchases from ebay (mostly WF Russian and Prussian - my Austrians are no where using this strategy), but when I totted everything up, re-fighting a historical battle was only possible (with my mix of troops) if it was drastically scaled down. This is not the kind of thing I like to do at Sheffield, so I put the idea on the back burner.

Two previous games at Sheffield Triples - Cerignola and Lake Trasimene

Come October, and with no definite plan, I had to decide on something. Again I counted up my Russians and Prussians, painted and unpainted, new purchases and old. Now, I was quite close, but not close enough to fudge it. Bollocks - time to splash the cash! It will be Zorndorf!

So, now I've decided, here is what I need to do. I will stage Zorndorf using my collection of SYW troops. Each regiment will be represented by a single unit of infantry or cavalry. (I organise my units by the correct[ish] frontages so most infantry regiments will be 24 figures on an 18cm frontage, and each five squadrons of cavalry will be represented by 8 cavalry on a similar frontage). Here is what I need: Got and painted is the first number in black, the total needed is the second number in red, the third number, in blue, is the number of units that I'm still (even after a significant spend) required to purchase.

Russian:
Line Infantry Regiments: 12 / 16 / 2
Grenadier Infantry Regiments: 4 / 0 / 0
Combined Grenadier Infantry Regiments: 0 / 3 / 0 (Representing 6 Btns)
Observation Corps Infantry Regiments: 0 / 4 / 0 (36 man units)
Observation Corps Combined Grenadier Infantry Regiments: 0 / 1 / 0 (36 man unit)
Cuirassier Regiments: 2 / 4 / 2
Horse Grenadier Regiments: 1 / 0 / 0
Dragoon Regiments: 0 / 2 / 2
Hussar Regiments: 3 / 5 / 0 (Representing 4 regiments - one of 10 squadrons)
Cossack Regiments: 5 / 8 / 3 (Representing 7 units)
Artillery: 8 / 12  / 4 (guns - a slight fudge on numbers, this represents 17 batteries)

Note: On the day, not all cavalry regiments will be fielded at full strength, but they will be collected as such to future-proof.

Prussian:
Musketeer Infantry Regiments: 10 / 1 / 0
Fusilier Infantry Regiments: 1 / 4 / 0
Combined Grenadier Infantry Regiments: 2 / 5 / 0 (Representing 9 Btns)
Cuirassier Regiments: 4 / 6 / 0
Dragoon Regiments: 3 / 6 / 0 (Representing 5 regiments - one of 10 squadrons)
Hussar Regiments: 1 / 6 / 0 (Representing 3 regiments - all of 10 squadrons)
Artillery: 6 / 12  / 2 (guns - a slight fudge on numbers, this represents 18 batteries)

So what do I need:
I need to paint: 516 Infantry, 144 Cavalry, 14 Guns and crew.
I need to buy: 48 Infantry, 56 Cavalry, 12 Guns and crew.

Now, that's a mouthful. I'd better get chewing.