My Current Army plan for FOGN

Small, efficient, cheap. Hallmarks of the British army

JJ's Wargames: The Battle of Fuentes de Onoro

JJ's Wargames: The Battle of Fuentes de Onoro - Peninsular War To...: Corunna Retreat - Peninsular War Tour 2019 Battle of Salamanca - Peninsular War Tour 2019 Ciudad Rodrigo - Peninsular War Tour 2019

A lot of information on the battle I'm basing my army on. Sounds like it would make a good 1970's movie too.

21st Portuguese Infantry Regiment painting part 5 - Amerageddon or Spanish(?) dust

The Dust of Armageddon, acting as the plains of Spain.

I next need to drybrush the base...not sure how I'm supposed to do that. As is, I got some of the mud on the uniforms. :(


Not pictured- the 1.5 INCH ORB SPIDER who has decided to take up residence between the Hills Hoist and my Mancave I paint in. It's setting up a 2 METER web across the garden EVERY NIGHT. I've almost walked into the Spider 3 times now.  Spinning the Hills Hoist dosn't break the web.

Next time I need to walk the long way around. I can't see the Spider or her web until I come back and observe the PREDATOR WAITING FOR ME.

I do not have a photo of it because I don't want to get within 5 meters of the thing if I can see it.

Further thoughts on the Battle of Talavera

I think the French lost because of several reasons. The terrain was terrible for them being a big one.

However, they didn't try to attack in column OR outflank the British line OR use their much better cavalry. Their divisions were all bunched up and allowed routing units to run through and over the top of reserve units.

If I was re-doing it, I'd put a long single corps vs both the Spanish AND Portuguese and send a division around the flank of the British, and commit ALL the heavy cavalry to doing it.

Our army worked pretty well, with the British and Spanish fighting two separate battles with my units in the middle keeping them together. I don't think the 3 French commanders worked as well, I never did figure out who was working with who.

I suspect the reason the French Heavy Dragoons did not commit to save the left wing, was just the presence of my Light Dragoons on the hill. If they'd moved around the flank it might have allowed me cavalry to charge his line. Or they were acting as a reserve, but not committed in time.

AND DON'T ATTACK THE VISCOUNT WELLINGTON WHEN HE'S ON TOP OF A HILL AND ON GOOD GROUND. THAT PLAN NEVER WORKS. 

4th FOGN battle: Refighting the battle of Talavera

  An Anglo/Portuguese army under Sir Arthur Wellesley combined with a Spanish army under General Cuesta and confronted  2 (3 in this game) Corps under Marshal  Claude Victor and Major-General Horace Sebastiani, with the French king of Spain, Joseph Bonaparte in nominal command.

 My 4th Field of Glory Napoleonic (2nd edition) battle was a 3vs3 refight of the Battle of Talavera of the 28 July 1809.

Can the French change history, or will they come up the same old way and be beaten down the same old way...

The Start of the battle. Not to scale.Done with Battle Chronicler, which I cannot work out how to place more than 1 unit. Im aware the North/South direction is wrong for the historical battle, but it's easier for me to rembember tha North is Up. 

wikipedia.org entry for the Battle of Talavera

Order of battle from britishbattles.com

Coming up - The Battle of Talavera!

I just refought the Battle of Talavera in a 3-a-side Army level battle using Field of Glory Napoleonic 2nd ed at the NWA at Croydon RSL. I played as a Portuguese Division in the centre of the Allied line, with the British to my left on a hill, and the Spanish army to my right in the town of Talavera itself. I also controlled the British Cavalry Division and the VERY LATE arriving Light Division.

Battle report coming, but here''s pretty much how it went down:

The British cavalry was in reserve, rather than being on the left.

Yes, the French repeated the historical battle strategy. Will it work this time??!

Did the French come up in the same old way and get defeated in the same old way? Did MY PORTUGUESE out shoot the French battalions? Did the KGL Hussar's make a certain death charge in the centre of the French line without Sir Arthur Wellesley orders? Did the Light Division arrive too late to effect the battle?? Will Richard Shape capture a French Eagle??? Find out later when I write up the batrap!

21st Portuguese Infantry Regiment painting part 4 - on the base

I got some Loctie Super Glue that comes out of a pen, and it makes it SO EASY!

Loctite Super Glue Perfect Pen provides the most precise and clean repairs. The new device in the shape of a pen allows a drop by drop application with no mess. It is as easy as using a pen! It's ideal for all items for which you require precision and control in the application to ensure a perfect result and a mess-free repair.

It worked amazingly well on the small stands that 18mm use. So much easier than trying to do 40k figures with Tarzan grip 20 years ago. Still got some coated a finger though.

Battalion, Glue!

21st Portuguese Infantry Regiment painting part 3

Finished base coats and covered liberally with Nuln Oil.

I'm not very happy with them, though I got better as I went. I'm hoping the ARMY PAINTER brushes and paint work better.

Table view

How do infantry heavy armies win in Napoleonic warfare?

Why do battles in the Napoleonic period not just come down to who wins the Cavalry battle? I often hear that you need 3 arms of Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery in the period.

If you win the cavalry fight and have enough artillery to out shoot the enemy, what can the infantry do? They can't outrun the horses and can't move in square fast enough to escape or out shoot the heavier guns. The infantry can stay in difficult terrain and buildings, but is still stuck once they move into open ground where the cavalry can force them into square. Is it because the artillery is slower and more likely to run out of ammunition than the infantry?

Wellington's army was historically short on both cavalry and artillery but still able to win. I'm trying to build an army that can take on others that have both more and heavier of both which seems tactically hard.


One simple answer from the Something Awful Military History thread:

Wellington camped behind hills so you couldn't shoot him with artillery, and cavalry can't defeat infantry in squares.