Thursday, June 6, 2024

Project Waterloo: Order of Battle

Using the previously referenced “English Waterloo” hex scenario for Blucher as a guide,

the following are needed:


French Army:

2 Legere:  7 hits

13 Ligne: 6 hits

2 Cuirassier: 7 hits, shock

5 other Line Cavalry (Hussar/Dragoon/Lancer/Chasseur):  6 hits

2 Guard Light Cavalry: 7 hits, shock

1 Guard Heavy Cavalry, 8 hits, Shock

2 Guard Infantry, 8 hits, shock

1 Guard Artillery

1 Line Heavy Artillery

The French troops are no problem; I have far more than these!


Leaders:  Napoleon, Ney, Reille, D’Erlon, Kellerman, Milhaud

As the game will have three players a side, these have to change, along with the command structure.

Thus Napoleon and Ney will share Army command; each turn the French player will have to decide

which one to use; each will come with their own characteristics. 

The three player commands will be Reille, D’Erlon, and Lobau. In the interest of the game, the troops

will be pretty evenly divided amongst the three commands, with La Garde in Reserve.


Napoleon, Army C-in-C

Ney, Alternate C-in-C


Reille

1 Light Infantry  7 hits

5 Line Infantry  6 hits

Heavy Artillery  6 hits

3 Light Cavalry 6 hits


Lobau

1 Light Infantry  7 hits

3 Line Infantry  6 hits

1 Guard Artillery  7 hits +1 die when shooting

2 Guard Infantry  8 hits

2 Guard Light Cavalry 7 hits; shock

Guard Heavy Cavalry  8 hits; shock


D'Erlon

1 Light Infantry  7 hits

6 Line Infantry  6 hits

2 Light Cavalry   6 hits

2 Heavy Cavalry  7 hits; shock

Anglo Allied Army:

3 Nassau Line:  5 hits

1 Dutch-Belgian Line:  5 hits  Conscript

3 Hanoverian Infantry:  5 hits  Conscript

2 Brunswick Infantry:  5 hits

5 British Line:  6 hits  Firepower, Steady

2 British Light:  7 hits  Firepower, Steady

2 British Guard:  7 hits, Firepower, Steady, Shock

1 Brunswick Cavalry:  6 hits

3 Dutch-Belgian Cavalry: 5 hits  Reluctant

4 British Light Cavalry:  6 hits, Shock, Impetuous

2 British Heavy Cavalry:  7 hits, Shock, Impetuous


Leaders:  Wellington, Picton, Orange, Buttlar, Collert, Uxbridge


Like the French, I have more than enough British for the game already. I also have more than

enough Brunswickers (MInifigs painted 3 decades ago). I have a single Nassau regiment, and

no Dutch-Belgians or Hanoverians. 


In contemplating the situation, I decided to get a second unit of Nassau troops (There were

2 Nassau regiments in the Confederation of the Rhine anyway, so they will be useful

elsewhere as well). Rather than get a 3rd Nassau infantry, I decided to get one each of Dutch

and Belgian infantry for variety. These troops are only of use for the 100 days campaign.


I didn’t want to get 3 units of very limited use cavalry, so British Light Dragoons in shako

will have to stand in for them. OK, that works, I have 4 such units and only need 3.


The Hanoverians posed the biggest problem; I didn’t want to paint up 3 more units of very

limited use troops! In considering the situation,. It occurred to me that I could use the

(very nicely painted)  Minifigs British Line infantry I purchased from Jamie W. at Historicon

about 25 years ago, and could even give them Hanoverian militia flags!  I have 66 such

figures plus 2 mounted officers; with adding a few spare Old Glory command figures that

would make 4 units, and I could even retain the original flags on their own command stands,

in case I want to use them as British again. OK, Hanoverian dilemma solved with zero added

expanse and perhaps some minimal added painting. 


As for Leaders, it will be Wellington as C-in-C, Picton, Hill, and Prince Wilhelm of Orange.

Once again there will be some special characteristics for them. All I will need to paint up

there will be Prince Wilhelm.


Wellington


Picton

2 Dutch-Belgian Infantry - 5 hits (Conscript)

1 Nassau Line Infantry - 5 hits

2 British Line Infantry - 6 hits

1 Hanoverian Line - 5 hits (Conscript)

3 Dutch-Belgian cavalry 5 hits; reluctant


Hill

1 British Guard Infantry 7 hits; shock

1 British Light Infantry 7 hits

3 British Line Infantry 7 hits

4 British Light Cavalry 6 hits; shock, impetuous


Prince of Orange-Nassau

1 British Guard - 7 hits; shock

1 British Light (Rifle) extended range 1 D6 at 3 boxes

1 British Line Infantry 6 hits

2 Hanoverian Line - 5 hits (Conscript)

2 Brunswick Line - 5 hits

2 British Heavy Cavalry; shock; impetuous

1 Brunswick Cavalry



An order was thus fired off to Perry Miniatures last month for the necessary troops (some of

the DB units I wanted were out of stock, but others were readily substituted, and they arrived

across the pond in record time. 


Painting information was needed for some of these new troops. Fortunately. I have pretty much

bought every Osprey Napoleonic uniform title I can find, so I already had these:


Let the painting begin!

4 comments:

  1. Coming together nicely Peter. I have around eight Osprey books on my shelves but sadly often forget to use them nowadays and find myself using the internet as the first point of call. I keep forgetting how much additional background information there can be in the Ospreys that often one-off pictures just can't convey.

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    Replies
    1. The better ones have a LOT o more information than just the pictures. I have more work to firm up the exact units and commands, and as I do that I will update this post.

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    2. Or ... create a new post. ; ) Regardless, I find Ospreys often very useful too.

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    3. Absolutely; I have many other uniform references. plus on line sites, but they are almost always at least a good starting point!

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