At Last the 2016 Don Featherstone Weekend report

As mentioned in a previous post Henry from Miniature Wargames asked that we do not blog the event until after this months edition had been published. Consequently these pictures are a little old. The article in MW by Dave Brown gives an excellent description of both the weekend and the battle. I would point out that I was actually responsible for the Polish Corps of Napoleon's army and playing the part of Poniatowski. I think Dave has given me the best write up I am ever likely to get and seems to have seen the gallant actions of my small corps in even a better view than I did myself!

 Here is the calm before the storm as Steve D and Mel review the field. 

 A view from the French side as tiles are depolyed

 The village of Liebertwolkwitz that was to change hands several times during the game

 Marshal Poniatowski and his ADC

 Polish troops marching forward

Russians advancing towards them

Polish 1st Division deploying 

 Lots of activity on the Allied side. It looks like Henry is praying for an Allied victory

 Poles come on in a smart fashion

 now ready to launch their attack on the village

 Polish light cavalry division deploying to the left

 Tony needs the dice which has a 6 on it.

Poles continue their advance

Polish artillery deployed to support the infantry

 The finer points of the new rules

 Dave explains to Henry the way that the rules work.

Mark in usual stance helping to deploy troops.

 Meanwhile the Poles march on!

 Hot fighting on the outskirts of Liebertwolkwitz

 Still the Poles drive the Allies back

 Meanwhile there are other activities going on in other parts of the field

 The fighting to the right of the Polish corps

Polish artillery open fire

 Polish Light Lancers get ready to charge.

 French Heavy Cavalry get ready to charge.

 Where are the Allies?

 Things are looking grim for the Russians on their left wing

Tine to use the assault card!

Two of the Allied commanders looking worried

Some pictures from the Saturday Night dinner

 After Dinner activities devised by Henry

The Victor! John Secker

 Another view of the fighting

 Henry recording Tony's thoughts on his phone

There must be a solution to the Allied problem in the rules somewhere

 Dave indicates there is no solution

 and seems pleased about it. He was Napoleon in the game

 Closing views of the French victory

 Mel receiving the Don Featherstone Trophy

 Final destruction of the Austrian attack

 The French army setting off for Berlin!

These got left out of the last post!

Also finished is the Prussian Command base with Prince Blucher 

 He has the ADC and a Line Officer with him

 He also has his pipe at the ready!

Odds and Ends in March

This post is rather different form my usual offering. In March Norsey Gamer and myself attended the Don Featherstone Memorial Weekend at the Wargames Holiday Centre and took many photographs of the battle that took place there. However to help Henry we all promised not to blog the event until the issue of Miniature Wargames containing the official report comes out.

Consequently I have decided to blog a few things that have been going on over the the last few weeks. Today's blog is about the painting that I have been doing recently. It also shows some of the chaos that I work in. When teaching we used to refer to the efficiency that took place on the edge of chaos and I think I have taken that with me into retirement. I always seem to have a lot of things going on at the same time which means that jobs get finished in a rather haphazard way.

Here are a mixed boxed of work in progress that include Renaissance Pikemen and Prussian Napoleonic Jaegers

 Here are my most frequently used paints. As you can see I use a variety of manufacture's products. 

 Box of random figures that will get painted at some point. 

 Some Indian Mutiny figures that I have been doing a little bit to every now and then.

 Now for some recently finished units. These are Polish Infantry. The figures are from Elite Miniatures 

 The Grenadier Company can be seen here with t he red plumes on their Shako. The Light Company are behind them with Green and Yellow plumes

 The drummer keeps them in step. The unit still needs a flag.

 The next few pictures are of Prussian Field Officers to go with the small force of Prussians I built 2014-15

 Prussian Landwehr feature heavily in my army 

 Some have grey uniform coats like this others are in Prussian Blue.

 Some work needed with this Line Officer to cover the support for the horse.

 Prussian ADC

 Trooper to support the General figure

 I have also finished some French Heavy Cavalry Field Officers. This is Milhauld of the 4th Reserve Cavalry Corps

 L'Heritier of the 11th Cavalry Division 

 The best figure of the set is Kellermann of the 3rd Reserve Cavalry Corps.

 I have also finished 12 Prussian Hussars from the 10th Regiment 

 These are Perry Figures

 The Trumpeter can be seen here with reversed colours Sky Blue and Green rather than Green and Sky Blue