Battle reports

Shiver me timbers matey

After summer holidays it was time for some naval action, this time with David Manley’s rather spiffing Form Line of Battle rules. Three ships a side, Swedes against Russians. Fun and furious game, but it might make sense to adjust the boarding rules to make it even more difficult to grapple and board enemy ships. The Swedes managed to lose …


Chef de Bataillon game

We had a blast from the past in our latest game night. Petri demonstrated the semi-skirmish Napolenic ruleset Chef de Bataillon, published in 1995. We pitted one Austrian battalion (144 figures) against two French battalions (72 figs each). The rules are trying to simulate the role of the battalion commander. Which they do fairly well in my personal opinion. Unfortunately …

Spanish Militia Uniforms in May 1808

This is a list of the uniform colours of Spanish Militia and Provincial Grenadier battalions in May 1808. It is based on a scan of a primary document I found on the website of the Ciudad Real tourist board, and I have translated (imperfectly, I’m sure) the main table here. Most of the battalions are dressed (at least temporarily) in brown …

Spanish lancer conversion

My Spanish 1808 army has many small one-off units. One of these intriguing formations is the lancers that fought at Bailen “Los Garrochistas de Utrera”. This unit is fascinating as it was raised from the mounted bull-fighters, and they wore their normal work-gear into battle. I ordered a bag of Battle Honors Spanish Lancers BSP9 for these troops, but unfortunately …

Napoleonic TV – Captain Coignet

Found a nice old gem from youtube the other day, a French Canadian co-production of the life and adventures of Capitaine Jean Roch Coignet Grenadier de la Garde Impériale. This is a dramatisation of the notebooks of a napoleonic guardsman, who served all the way through from the Italian Campaign of 1800 to Waterloo in 1815. The production quality and …