IR #23 - 28mm Austrian Napoleonics

IR #23 ready for the fight on the Pratzen Heights

I'm happy to have another 28mm Austrian unit off the painting line and ready for the firing line. This unit will represent a battalion of IR#23 "Salzburg".  The models are all from Wargames Foundry. They will see action this weekend in Regina, part of a last stand on the Pratzen Heights in 1805 at the Battle of Austerlitz.  Of course that engagement was total pants for the Austrians, so I'm pretty sure I know how that will turn out, but hearing this back story, I wanted to try and come up with a unit that would reflect that story a little bit. I thought a firing line might be the way to go.

Figures going through the basing process

This is my first ever unit in a firing pose.  Unfortunately Foundry's range lacks variety within any categories, so there were no loading/standing models to mix into the group, but I was still happy with how the unit turned out overall.  In this case the monopose reinforces the feeling of imminent volley fire (which the French will ignore and charge right through, but anyway).

Firing line ready to deliver a volley

At 32 "spots", this unit is smaller than my previous Austrian units (which had 40 "spots").  The oversize Austrian battalions are well-established assumption of many gamers, but I suspect that there were many more "regular" sized units in the field, and this will be one of them.  I have also provided them with only a single standard bearer to represent it as a less-senior battalion in the regiment.

The mounted officer is ready for some pointed instruction from his mount...

 The officers really stand out well in this unit - the mounted officer is set to be riding along "behind the line", and the screaming fellow on foot is barking out the instructions.  I thought they worked well together on the same base.  They know the battle is going pear-shaped, and if they can just hold here, maybe the defeat can be reversed... 

Foot officer offers some clear direction to the men on the line

The mounted officer is actually from Foundry's Hungarian infantry selection, but thankfully the differences between the Hungarian and German officers are subtle enough (or at least subtle enough for most non-TMP obsessives) that a little bit of paint can cover the difference. Just paint the pants white and you're set.

Bayonet ready to protect the pride of the regiment

To add a little colour I put a charging trooper beside the colour-bearer.  He knows the musket volley will not stop the French, and is ready to protect the colours when they charge home.

This makes for a total of seven infantry battalions (6 line units and 1 Grenz unit) in my 28mm Austrian force.  Getting a little closer to a proper column.  They will be run over by Curt's French superstars this weekend, but will hopefully take a few of Napoleon's lackeys with them as they go down in flames...

How To Paint Austrians (Or Not)

"Here they come lads!"

As the Painting Challenge over at Analogue Hobbies has been underway, I have used it as an opportunity/motivation to add more 28mm Austrians.  I have finished three more battalions since the Challenge started, and in the process, several folks have emailed/commented asking about the paints/process I used on them.  So for fun I thought I would attempt a time-progression-style photo tracking of a group of Austrians I finished recently. 

The figures are 28mm Wargames Foundry Austrians in the "March Attack" pose.  They are mounted four to a stick using two-sided carpet tape and primed black.  All paints are GW unless specified otherwise.

1. Drybrush the figures with Shadow Grey - helps my beady eyes "see" the detail on the black-primed models, plus serves as a first highlight for the helmet, gaiters and cartridge box.

2. Drybrush the figures with Codex Grey - further highlight for both my eyes and the gaiters, cartridge box and helmet.

3. The troops carry their coats rolled on their packs; paint these Shadow Grey.

4. Highlight the coats with dabs of Codex Grey.

5. Use Boltgun Metal to paint the bayonets and tubes on the muskets.

5. (Continued) Boltgun metal for the buttons on the gaiters - these are not always cast well, so I can be a bit tricky.

6. Americana Burnt Umber for the packs, canteen and muskets; also for the hair for some of the models. I also paint the little lead tag at the base of the model brown - this will help with the basing/painting later.

6. (Continued) You can see the Americana Umber on the muskets, and also for the cipher plates and visor rims of the helmets - this will serve as a base for the metal colours to come later.

7. Snakebite Leather as a base for the flesh, and the comb on the helmet.



8. Dark Angels Green for the little tree sprigs on the helmet (always a nice touch on Austrian figures).



9. Bestial Brown as a first highlight on the packs - just dab it to give them some texture.

10. Vermin Brown as a second highlight for the packs, and a first highlight for the canteens; make sure to avoid the black straps on the canteens (tricky).

11. Dark Flesh for highlights on the muskets and caps on the canteens.

11. (Continued) Hard to see with this iPhone pic, but the Dark Flesh is used to highlight the caps on the canteens.

12. Fortress Grey is applied as a base coat for all areas that will be white; for Austrians, that will mean quite a bit; this is the longest step, and personally the one I find most challenging/annoying; once I get past this, finishing the figures feels like a breeze.

Another view for Step 12, showing the Fortress Grey. Be sure to get the straps on the pack, the rolled coats and the musket.

13. Kommando Khaki is applied as a first highlight to the cloth areas - coat and pants.

Back view of Step 13.

14. Bleached Bone is applied as a second highlight to the cloth areas; doesn't show well on the iPhone pic, but the white cloth will really start to pop at this point (and serve as big motivation to get the figures finished).

Step 14 seen from the front.

15. Americana Titanium White is applied as both a final highlight to the cloth areas and the straps.

16. Now I start on the facings; these models will represent IR #23, which had dark red facings, so Red Gore goes as a base colour on the cuffs, collars etc.

17. Highlighting the green-leaf bit on the helmet - up first is Goblin Green.

18.  Final highlight of Scorpion Green for the greenery.  Hard to see in this pic, but I find it's a nice little highlight for the Austrian models, and the Scorpion Green really helps it pop.

19. Golden Yellow is dabbed on the Snakebite Leather on the base of the "comb" on the helmet. I try to dab/stipple to leave some texture.



21. Blood Red is applied as the final highlight for the facings, and Boltgun Metal is used to on the buttons on the coat and the cuffs/shoulder strap.  Some units had gold buttons instead.



22. Shining Gold is applied for the brass bits - the helmet visor, the helmet cipher, the rings on the musket, the butt of the musket.  I also put a little dot of the Shining Gold on the cartridge box as a nod to the Imperial cipher that was there. On the Victrix plastics that cipher is actually sculpted on to the figure - really nice...

23. Dwarf Flesh is the first coat for the flesh areas - hands and face. You can also see the areas where the Shining Gold was added to the front from step 22.

24. Small amounts of Elf Flesh used for highlight of the knuckles, nose, cheeks. And you're done!

Side view of the finished figures.  Repeat ten times and you have yourself a grand-manner style Austrian line battalion!

So there you go.  The iphone isn't exactly up to 'Eavy Metal-style studio photography (and neither is my painting, for that matter) but this is the manner in which I am plowing ahead with my Austrians.  I typically finish a "stick" of four figures in an hour-and-a-half. Hopefully there are some tips here that are useful - or maybe lessons for you to avoid yourself!

I have finished this unit, and will post some pictures of the completed bunch once they have been scored through Analogue Hobbies - as you can see when you visit that site, the volume of entries is pretty staggering.  I don't know how Curt is keeping up....

IR #4 - 28mm Austrian Napoleonics

I Battalion, IR#4 - models from Victrix

Another batch of recruits have joined my Austrian collection.  This the first battalion, IR #4.  The models are plastics from Victrix.  These models faced several serious painting challenges, and also a little delay for bases, so I'm pretty chuffed to have them finished.   As with my other infantry units, it is beefy - 38 infantry and a single mounted model.

Waiting for the basing goop to dry

Colour party shows the variety of officers that come with the box

I scoffed and scoffed and scoffed at Victrix and their seemingly-endless delays between announcing these models and finally having them for sale.  But Victrix is laughing in the end. 

The box provides a good variety of poses, with minimal assembly

These plastics are incredible.  The assembly is minimal (and I understand from other gamers who have the Victrix French and British figures that assembly was a real challenge there).  The range of poses is still significant - everything from marching to loading to firing.   You get ample stuff for command, including a full selection of different heads for different officers, and two mounted officers.  The price is reasonable. Order from Maelstrom, and you won't even pay shipping. So hats off to Victrix for taking the cynicism of hacks like me and spiking it back hard and with authority!

A nice change from the "monopose" feel you get with Foundry stuff

The mounted officer is really into it - probably some schnapps hidden under the saddle....

The level of detail on these figures is very, very impressive for plastics.  Sure, there are a couple of detail lines that are a bit weak, and if you have sh*t primer I like I did, that can get really tricky, but these are top notch figures.  They even managed to get a cipher on the cartridge boxes.  Little details like that put these models at the top of the game.

You can see the Imperial ciphers on the cartridge boxes...a neat detail

I love how the foot-sloggers have a bit of a down-cast to their poses.  They look stoic, but with a sense of "Oh Christ, here we go again..." as they move to face off against the French, probably able to hear the French "pas-de-charge" beating through the smoke. They are ready to fight hard, but have little confidence their officers have put them in the right place or left them any real support to face the hard hitting French troops.  Nonetheless, their own (declining) Empire is on the line, and they are ready to give it their best...

Huge Austrian units are a wargaming tradition of sorts

My Austrian roster now stands at six full line battalions (one Grenz battalion, four German battalions and one Hungarian battalion), four guns, two cavalry regiments, and a unit of skirmishers, but the recruiting can't stop.  I would love to do more Victrix units, but I still have a pile of Foundry lead left, so I'm racking those up for another unit - trying for a "firing line" this time.  It will also be a little smaller - 32 model "spots" instead of 40 - a "normal" size.  While the oversize Austrian line unit is kind of an old standby for Napoleonic gamers, I think the extent to which those huge units were actually in the field can be exaggerated a bit, so it's time to get some smaller ones into the line.

The ADC encourages the men forward - that ranker on the right of him isn't so sure...

So it's quite a time to be an Austrian Napoleonic gamer - Victrix has a wide range of plastics out for the Austrians, and now the Perrys are getting their Austrian figures out there gradually.  The Sash & Sabre lines are excellent. Competition is a good thing! I hope to do some Perry Austrians later this year, but another battalion of Victrix would be great too.  It's nice to have a choice.  But sometimes the best figures are the ones you already have - for me that means a pile of Foundry stuff before getting back to some of these other manufacturers.

Mounted ADC - 28mm Austrian Napoleonics

"The Archduke Charles requests that your dismiss your traveling string orchestra and consider engaging the French."

Still doing horse and musket figures, continuing to ad to my 28mm Austrian collection.  This is a mounted aide-de-camp, used often in game systems to mark progress on the gaming table of different orders or updates moving to different commanders.   He could also stand in as a really low level of command should that be needed in a game.

"Before" photo, showing the ADC waiting for basing goop and primer.  A power armoured trooper beside him waits for some paint...

The figure is a Wargames Foundry casting, from the pack of Austrian generals and commanders. Considering how large the units are that we are using, painting a single mounted figure is not much of an accomplishment, and it won't do too much to help me in the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, but it helps to round out the collection.

"Why, that pile of paint over there is most compelling.  Why fight the French on such a day?"

This officer is ready to courier the desperate requests and foppish, flippant replies between the various layers of the Austrian field command staff on the table.  Unfortunately I was not able to make the trip to Regina this past weekend, so he will have to wait for his first action, but I look forward to getting these guys out on the table sometime soon.