Ploughshares to Swords - New historical wargaming blog

[Auzu]

Hello!

I just want to inform you that I and my second cousin have started a historical wargaming blog that initially will focus on the Napoleonic wars. It will include us learning the Republic to Empire wargaming system and the building of a french and prussian division for the German war of liberation 1813-1814.

As we are learning and painting we hope you are going to participate in discussions with us as we would love to hear your input on our efforts.

Please visit us at: Ploughshares to swords

Regards,

Auzu (Anders the elder)

[Codsticker]

I have added your blog to my favourites. Hopefully this becomes a long and enjoytable undertaking.

[Auzu]

I have added your blog to my favourites. Hopefully this becomes a long and enjoytable undertaking.

Thank you, were really excited about it and it have made me motivated to start with the first General de brigade.

[sigur]

Hey, I'll make sure to follow that.

[Auzu]

I put up an update about a recent table building, a painting guide for line infantry and a picture of some voltigeurs.

Please take a trip by and I would love to hear your comments

[sigur]

Nice updates. Can we expect to see a kind of schedule with an update each weekend?

The table is looking droolworthy already. I'd love to have a large table like that and I agree about your assessment of the GW battle mat. I loved the older paper one already but the current one isn't only pretty and easy to store but also resilient.

The painting tutorial is nice and your finished models look really good. Picking out the names of the colours in bold and keeping the text short and concise was a good idea. I think that, especially for painting tutorials, in-progress pictures are almost mandatory. Love the basing on the guys by the way. What do you use for flowers? That's also some interesting basing in another regard - round bases on Napoleonics. Are those display guys or what kind of ruleset are going to use?

[Auzu]

The plan is to try to make a update each weekend or whenever we have time to put one in. I was actually to do a step by step pictures but I accidentally painted all the wip models before I took any pictures but I'm going to redeem that in the future.

For flowers I'm using the army painter meadow flowers together with jungle/highland tufts. I like to look of the round bases so I'm using that for all models that aren't "units" but act more as markers like; Voltigeurs/grenadiers (50mm), Division Generals (120mm), Brigade generals (50), ADCs (50mm), messengers (50mm) and with the rules system we are primarily going to use (Republic 2 empire and blackpowder) that shouldn't prove any problems.

[Codsticker]

I have been basing my historical models on Reneda rectangular bases but now I am contemplating going with round bases and using the Warbases movement trays for infantry.

[Auzu]

That might be a good idea as it then would allow you tu sue the same miniatures of games like Sharpes Practice or any other skirmish like games. A problem I think would be that you might loose the look of the close order drill.

[sigur]

Yeah, I think that this may look a bit daft quickly when it comes to horse&musket era ames.

[Codsticker]

You may be right, but I seem to recall seeing some Napoleonics- or perhaps ACW- based in that fashion. My intention is to use them in both WAB and Saga.

Edit: can't find the pic, but the system would work well for skirmishers which would give you models for both BP and skirmish games.

[sigur]

Oooh, you're converting SAGA to use for Napoleonics skirmishes?

[Codsticker]

Oooh, you're converting SAGA to use for Napoleonics skirmishes?

Yeah... that's right.

[Auzu]

I would love to hear how that works out!

[Xelee]

Yeah... that's right.

If so, good stuff - Soon we will have a SAGA variant for every period and will RULE wargaming!

More usefully: I'm doing the sabot thing for skirmish/massed battle too and think the 20mm square is still the best way to go. You can make sabot bases for loose order troops in a number of ways but when it comes to close ranks, those squares are still best.

[Codsticker]

If so, good stuff - Soon we will have a SAGA variant for every period and will RULE wargaming!

OK, no not really...

I am however considering doing my own Saga variant for the early years of the Reconquista.

[Xelee]

Lol, didn't think so - Naps is probably getting too late, tech wise. Though it is pretty funny the way the game is hardly out and already seems to have so many mods - looking forward to seeing the boards you come up with..... and stats for El Cid?

[Codsticker]

I'll start a new thread when I get that far.

[Auzu]

I have done some updating, so now there are some pictures of; GMB flags, Another Line battalion but in greatcoat this time, and A general de brigade with ADC.

[Codsticker]

Interesting colour scheme on the General de Brigade's horse.