Progress at no. 47

It has been a stop-start year on the hobby front, with plenty of other life interfering with ideas and grand plans. This has manifested in few posts on either blog, one sizeable game, albeit it a ripper back in April, and a smaller game of Nuts! using my 54 mm second world war figures (recorded on my other blog).

Things change and decisions are made. In my case this has resulted in more time available for hobby matters in the past couple of weeks which, combined with ideal weather, has seen me able to make made some serious progress with painting (by my standards at least).

The 'focus' is my army of the Duchy of Warsaw, starting with the cavalry and artillery.

Figures on the figurative 'work-bench'. About 380 cavalry, 22 guns and crew, a limber, a caisson, 24 infantry and 5 wagons.

Until now, progress has been slow.

It began back in July when Mitch mentioned that they were planning their next weekend game in Albany: Liebertwolkwitz using Age of Eagles**. It just so happened that Mitch's email letting me know this came when I had finished re-working my army lists for Jena-Auerstadt, Aspern-Essling, Wagram, Borodino, Leipzig and Waterloo. Looking at my information about Liebertwolkwitz (and knocking up an army list for myself from my Leipzig one), my eyes turned to the Poles, since much of the cavalry and some artillery were/are amongst the 3/4 completed figures that I have in mind/queue to complete. I asked him if he'd like me to paint some. He said that would help as he would have the Polish infantry covered, but would not get time to do the cavalry (nor artillery).

Hobby time came as a bit here and there during July to November. I spent the bits that I had preparing additional figures (particularly the extra artillery plus more for an eventual Borodino/Leipzig), basing and a little painting. I have far more figures on the go than will be needed for the game (plus some others besides), but part of the impetus for me is to have a completed Polish army (beginning with the cavalry and artillery) and to get some other, assorted units finished.

Fast forward to today and two bits of serendipity have come to my aid. Firstly, the game will not happen until early next year, giving me more time to work on figures. Secondly, the combination mentioned above has meant that I've been able to spend some solid time painting and am really close to getting all of the figures through my stage two; painting the base colours.

A closer photo of the middle section of the above photo in which you may be able to pick out Polish commanders, Poniatowski's guides, some other generals and the artillery caisson and limber.

Polish artillery, Krakus and 14th cuirassiers behind them and some non-Napoleonic figures that I also want to complete at the rear.

Polish chasseurs à cheval and some uhlans.

Polish 13th and 10th hussars with some more uhlans.

Other figures 'thrown in': Austrian Mészáros uhlans and grenz hussars and the French gendarmes d'ordnance.

[When I set-up the figures for the above photos I did not check/test lighting, so they look particularly 'blotchy'. They are not great in real life, but are better than the photos suggest.]

I am currently painting horses and hope to have all of them done by the end of the weekend. That should leave 'only' white and silver as the two (sizeable) colours remaining for my base coat. Black-washing and the all important and time-consuming last 10% will come after that.

I should be able to have the figures finished by the end of the year. We'll see what sort of an update I can post in two weeks or so!

**Appendix

It will be interesting to use Age of Eagles, given that they are a Napoleonic version of Fire and Fury and there are several key aspects of those rules that I am not particularly enamoured with; I do not detest them, just don’t think that they are marvellous like 'everyone else' seems to :). That said, I am more than happy to give Age of Eagles a go, especially since the main draw is a large game, beaut terrain and figures and getting together and sharing time with some fellas whose company I enjoy immensely!

I am boycotting that appalling fil-um; and I hope that you will too

The 2nd December is/was the double anniversary of Austerlitz and Napoleon's coronation.

The Eve of Austerlitz by Lejeune (Wikimedia Commons)

This year it could have been marked by watching an eponymous film. It was not and will not be. I am boycotting that appalling film and am hoping that others will take a similar stance to add to it being a box-office flop.

I had largely made up my mind having been bemused, startled and angered by what was in the trailers. This was reinforced by watching and reading reviews written by people who actually know a bit about the man’s life and the era who went 'over the top' and saw it (sadly, there is even a bit of that in this film, I hear). My conviction has been cemented by speaking with friends who ‘went on undeterred’ and wanted to walk out a few minutes in. The highlight for them was dinner and drinks afterwards with mates and bagging the fil-um.

It is like a set of rules that you know from descriptions and reviews contain mechanics that do not appeal, or worse. I won't waste money purchasing such rules purely to make my own, similar, assessment.

It is far worse with this film and get’s worse the more that I hear about it. 

I have been an amateur historian of the era since I was 12. In another six years, all going well, I will have been 'studying' the period for longer than Napoleon lived. Yet, I find new things each day that I did not previously know. Some of them quite fundamental; like being informed a few years ago that all those references to the Grand Duchy of Warsaw are not correct. It was the Duchy of Warsaw. [Speaking of which, how can you make a fit-um about N from the perspective of relations with women and not include Marie Walewska?]

I do not need to be insulted with the 'uncloaking' of a grand battery at Austerlitz. I do not need to witness the ridiculous sight of Napoleon leading a cavalry charge—I had assumed that this was some kind of dream sequence, but have been informed that it 'occurred' at Waterloo. I do not need to see the French scaling ladders at Toulon nor French cannon firing at the Pyramids. I don't want to witness the Prussians arriving on the French left at Waterloo. I will derive no edification nor entertainment from a pantomime representation of Napoleon and some puerile script.

In the ancient era one can perhaps get away with a simple, one-dimensional representation, since the extant sources are so limited. Yet it is known that there was far more to even a 'maligned' figure like Commodus. One can even depict cavalry charging through a wood especially since, despite that faux pas, that battle scene is a ripper. Not so with a person and era about which so much has been written during and since. Scott could have utilised my du Garde Peach Ladybird book 'The Story of Napoleon', the first that I read on the subject, and made a 3000% better film.

I was speaking with a good friend who had put himself through the agony of watching it. He would have left after ten minutes, but had gone to Perth (~500 km trip) to watch it with mates (not wargamers nor devotees of the period, but as good way to catch-up). He was another for whom the highlight was diner and drinks afterwards. He suggested that I would be traumatised’ if I watched it!! :)

I mentioned to him that I had heard that the uniforms are done well. He said ‘Yeah, they look great. The film is good, apart from the story and script.” I said (quipped?), “Oh, it’s like a porn film then?” He replied, “Yeah, but with Napoleon it is the audience who get f_____!"

I had come to the conclusion that it would be even worse to me than watching *that* Alexander film from 2004. Then I saw that exact comment from someone who had put themselves through seeing Scott's Napoleon.

I may buy a DVD at a discount sale and then have a ritual burning.

What a disappointment and an opportunity missed.

Thank goodness for my books, past films and wargames (however limited a representation they may be).

Addendum

I have information that sheds light on this topic. The last 15 seconds of the film were cut: