The Diary of General Ramble

Forces to date: 25mm Nappies

It has been a very productive couple of months on the painting front. Yesterday I realised that I am over halfway through painting IV Kolonne, and would be even further had I not spent time churning out French for the playtest games. Now I have six line infantry battalions, with one each of Grenz, Jager and Freiwillige, leaving 7 line battalions to go. In terms of cavalry I did make the Uhlans a little large (at 24) so I have cut back the others to 18. This means I am only six figures away from completing the HusR10 Stipiscz and that leaves 9 figures for ChlR6. I already have enough figures to do all of ChlR6, plus 3 battalions of IR2 and the Carneville Freicorps Hussars from V Kolonne. The latter are six figures taken from the HusR10 after going down from 24 to 18. What to do with the 6 figures from ChlR6 I do not know, either they will become staff dragoons for Rosenberg or become ChlR2, Dragoons...whatever.

In term of the artillery park I now have one cavalry battery, a brigade battery, a 6lb position battery and the Grenz 3lb section done. I only need to do one more 6lb brigade battery and I am complete. For Wagram I have a landwehr battalion already completed and a figures for a second. These are Lower Austrian Landwehr in corsehut. I also need 2 battalions of Moravian Landwehr, and I'll get them from Front Rank in broad-brimmed hat, as the number of 'country folk' was considerably higher.

The 1806 Prussians are more-or-less complete. Limbers are on their way. I need an ammunition wagon, but a SYW one will be fine, and some Schutzen for the infantry. To paint up I have 3 more dragoons which will give me a unit of 8. Floating as spares I have some grenadier command, half a dozen fusiliers and some more horse gunners. I think they are going to gather dust for a bit...

The French are in a similar state, insofar as they need a few bits and pieces to complete. As Front Rank does not do limbers or caissons I am having to get these seperately. But the upshot is that I have 9 battalions out of 15 painted, 2 out of 3 cavalry regiments and 2 out of 3 batteries. In other words this is more-or-less complete re; figures.

In the same way are the Spanish: one limber, an ammo wagon, 3 cavalry and 48 infantry short of completion. But these are going to be a slow burner, as I am not really interested in the Peninsular. But I can forsee them coming out later in the year. ATM all the Austrians mean I want to 'cut' them with something not in white, and that ain't the Spanish.

The Future

I have decided to spend no more cash on the little men other than what I can make from painting or sale of my own stuff that I no longer need. To this end £40 has already come from a private sale to Dave from Guildford and £70 has been made on ebay. I am currently painting and selling all my 15mm ACW and 30mm Flintloque stuff and a chum from the 200-ers has asked me to do £50 painting for him. Some of this will go to buying more little men: already on their way are two Prussian limbers for the 1806 mob, three battalion guns for the 1740's Spanish and some Wurttemberg samples. Also there are a few 15mm ACW bits to round off units to paint and sell.

The first priority is to get the Austrians finished for Aspern-Essling and Wagram next year. The way this is likely to run is me painting Austrians like mad up to the final whistle. If I can get IV and V Kolonnes done by Aspern I will be a very happy man. Wagram will be later that year so in that time I will be looking to add units (like the 3 landwehr battalions) to the mix. I reckon I am £300-350 away from getting all the figures I need.

But I cannot just paint up Austrians. Firstly, I will go snowblind. Secondly I will develop a Blofeld-style accent and look longingly at Persian cats. Of course it depends what comes up commercially and I want to get the Frogs completed too. But I am looking to a post French/Austrian future. I want a French ally that is not all in white or has masses of piping and has some military competence: Poles or Wurttembergers. I know David has some Poles so I am looking at Wurttembergers from Bicorne/Conoisseur/Firing Line. Professional, good all round ability and some good light cavalry in particular.

For allies to follow the Austrians? Well, that is easy: Russians. Borodino and later is going to want lots of them, but I am going to start with Stroganoff's Grenadier division. But I also have this hankering to do all of the Prussian Guard...

All this could, of course, be pie in the sky and a lot depends on sales on ebay and painting commissions but, well, lets see how far it goes.