…but I’d run out of figures to paint…and I had thus $5:00 loyalty discount voucher from a local retailer that was burning a hole in my digital wallet…and they had two boxes of Perry Austrian infantry at the right price…and I’d been thinking about a small force of Austrians for some time…I probably should have looked at Prussians instead of Austrians, but there you are.
This will not be a big force as I intend it to be a supplement to Austrian forces owned by other players. I thought perhaps a light brigade, consisting two jäger battalions a light cavalry regiment (probably a hussar regiment because I have a well documented hussar addiction - this would be the 20th hussar regiment across my collections - and Austrian Napoleonic hussars surely are THE hussars of all hussars) and a horse battery, plus a line brigade of six line battalions and a foot battery.
As always there has been a bit of post purchase regret. The decision was the result of a sudden rush of blood to the head and Prussians would have been a more sensible choice. The recent expansion of the Prussian cavalry has seen the infantry to cavalry ratio shift from 14:3 to 14:8 so another six Prussian battalions would have gone a long way to rectifying that imbalance…and then there is the problem of the Austrian white uniform. But the die is cast, or more correctly the purchase is made and the figures have arrived.
I knew this parcel was coming and knew it had been delivered because I got a notification on the phone, yet following on from many of the comments after my last post I still had that tingle of excitement when I turned into the driveway and caught a glimpse of the parcel at the front door.
So here is the first of what will be the first of the line battalions.
The lead/plastic pile is partly restored.
"Small force"...hehe. We will see how long before scope creep sets in.
ReplyDeleteHmmm…I’m already thinking if some Landwehr…
DeleteAnother fine fellow succumbs to the 'White Menace' of gaming. Now your plan sounds much like mine, Huzzars and all. Except I already swung for the Dragoon/Kuraiser/Chevauleger boxes. The choices on the land landwehr uniforms is wonderful after all the white un8forms for the line.
ReplyDeleteThe first batch are half way down the painting conveyor belt…
DeleteWell I must admit, I didn't see that coming.....1806 Prussians would have been my pick!
ReplyDeleteWell they are tempting…
DeleteI thought exactly the same as Jonathan. I'll look forward to this growing to a twenty-five battalion and ten regiment army over the coming year. I quite like painting white uniforms using the Foundry triad, with all three colours looking white but it is only when you apply all three that you realise how close to a light grey the base colour really is. And there is quite a nice choice of facing colours in the Austrian army, at least.
ReplyDeleteThis certainly won’t be that big an army. We have a good number of Austrians in the group already. I have started the first six figures and the white has come out really well, and quickly.
DeleteSome lovely 1809 actions! A good choice I think :-)
ReplyDeleteWhile the 1809 uniform really attracts, these will be for 1813-1814…but you never know.
DeleteI like the Austro-Hungarians but you need a LOT of white paint!
ReplyDeleteThankfully I always have a spare container of white on hand!
DeleteThis is why 1863 beats 1806 every time. Only two sides to collect and done. Course; that not really the issue we’re discussing. 😀
ReplyDeleteI’ve had the post purchase regret turn back into excitement as well upon seeing the miniatures and getting the project underway.
Good luck with the expansion. 😀
Ah but even with ACW armies there is always something to add…just one more brigade, or maybe I need to do some units with western flags…that is why my Civil War collection counts more than 2000 figures!
DeleteYou WOULD be one of those folks who separates their ACW by East and West 😀
DeleteI never used to. Traditionally my interests have been firmly rooted in the East, but as I have read more and more on the Western battles and realised how interesting they are, I started to see the differences and they seemed to gain greater importance in my head. I do know of someone who drilled the closed hand so that flags could be swapped out…I haven’t gone that far.
DeleteMy small Austrian force now numbers 1500 figures and counting, good luck! ;)
ReplyDeleteMine will be smaller than that, Mark, maybe 360 infantry, a few cavalry and a couple of guns. But if we add up all the Austrians in our group it is probably up there with your total.
DeleteI look forward to seeing what you do with these…
ReplyDeleteAnd what’s not to like about Austrian Hussars…
Of course some Hungarian infantry would be nice as well….😈
All the best. Aly
I have done the first command group, using a mix of regular and contrast paints. They look good, but getting the white (and that @$&#*& striped standard pole) right was a bit of a challenge. Instead of Hungarians I may do a Grenz battalion to go with the Jägers. I am researching the best possible colour combination for the hussars.
DeleteI'm sure we all never plan a 'new' army and then all of a sudden a new project appears from left field! I was not planning on any Ancients, but heard a programme on the Eygptians this afternoon and now my mind is pondering Old Kingdom forces...
ReplyDeleteI find that documentaries have a lot to answer for…they have been responsible for more than one of my projects.
DeleteOh go on then, just a small army! I'm with you, the whites not too bad, it's the flagpole!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Yes I have struck the flagpole problem…
Delete