Monday 23 January 2017

From TamsinP - Are You The Burgermeister? (156 points)

Yes

Ekzellent. I am the aide to General Orlov. We request that your town provide our army with 40 wagons of horse fodder, 10 of horse grain, 5 each of wheat and rye for making bread, 100 barrels of beer, 40 sides of beef and 200 slaughtered pigs.

I'm afraid that's simply not possible.

Oh dear! You see, we have some...



Cossacks?!?!?

Yes, Would you like to meet them? I know that they would love to visit your town. Why, just the other day, their hetman was telling me that he'd love to see the collection of gold and silver ornaments in your - his words - exquisite little church...

Errrmm, that won't be necessary. So that was 80 wagons of horse fodder, 20 of horse grain, 10 each of wheat and rye for bread, 200 barrels of beer, 80 sides of beef and 400 slaughtered pigs. Would you care for some wine for your officers? Some brandy?...


Aaahh, Cossacks. Great for bulking out your army and pursuing routed enemy units; not so good in pitched battle; frankly useless in the main light cavalry role of reconnaissance and screening your army's advance. However, a wise general could use the mere threat of them to extract "contributions" from towns along the route of march - they had a reputation for looting and burning.

But on with the pics and stuff.

For this, my seventh entry (including bonus rounds) in this year's Challenge I present the first of the irregular cavalry for my Seven Years War Russian army - 39 Cossacks.



Compared to the rest of the army, these were a beggar to paint and took a bit longer than expected. That's the trouble with irregular, non-uniformed forces which I always seem to find myself painting. One of these days...




For King of the Battlefield rules, it is suggested that irregular cavalry be distinguished by having 2 figures per base instead of 3 so that's what I've gone for and it gives me 6 regiments.




Plus a Cossack command stand.






I was tempted to go for the usual 3 per base, but with the lances they would have been rather cramped so I'm glad I did it this way.

The figures are all Essex and a mix from their Seven Years War and Napoleonic ranges to add some variety of poses.


Thirty-nine 15mm cavalry should net me 156 points. Not quite a points bomb, but I did submit one for the "East" bonus round this weekend.


MilesR: Cossacks on a Monday?  I think there never a bad day for cossacks and these wonderfully painted figures really do the trick for me.  Perhaps my favorite post of the day.

28 comments:

  1. Very nice cossacks very colorful

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  2. very well painted, but the story is the true gem ;-) Shame they're not in 1:72 scale or I'd gladly see them on the field of battle!

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  3. Great stuff Tamsin. Let the "procurement" begin!

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  4. A real horde of unpleasantness. (For any opponents)
    Good stuff.

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  5. My congratulations and amazement - you feel like painting over Russian better than many Russian!

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  6. wonderful job - they look great Tamsin

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  7. Doing things in small amounts isn't your thing is it Tamsin? Well done!

    Christopher

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  8. Marvellous and when they win for you you will do it in style

    Ian

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  9. Great looking irregulars, lots of lovely painting!
    Best Iain

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  10. That's a truly impressive hoard of Cossacks you've assembled here! I'm sure the mere sight of these fearsome warriors will lead to either barricaded gates and frightened civilians or more or less voluntary 'donations' from equally frightened civilians.

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  11. They look magnificent, Tamsin. Well done! I love the mass of them all together.

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  12. They look magnificent, Tamsin. Well done! I love the mass of them all together.

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  13. Lovely looking Cossack horde. The en masse effect is terrific.

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  14. @ Adam - thanks! :)

    @ Martin C - cheers! :)

    @ Sander - I had fun writing that intro! :)

    @ Greg B - thanks! They succeeded in procuring 156 points! :)

    @ Clint - cheers! :)

    @ Alex S - thanks! I have enjoyed building this Russian army, even despite all the same colours for the uniformed troops - the Hussars and ?Cossacks make up for that samey-ness :)

    @ Dave D - cheers! :)

    @ Keith S - thanks! :)

    @ Christopher S - cheers! Why go small, when you can go huge? :)

    @ Ian - thanks! I just hope that they make it to the battlefield and don't get caught up looting and burning on the way! ;)

    @ Iain - cheers! :)

    @ Moiterei - thanks! They certainly terrified Miles into awarding me 156 points! :)

    @ Dux - cheers! :)

    @ Curt - thanks Snowlord! :)

    @ Peter D - cheers! :)

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  15. That's a LOT of Cossacks! Well done Tamsin.

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  16. Wow !!
    Here is a great avalanche of Cossacks!))
    I'd like to see it shock at some frozen French ;)

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  17. Cracking stuff Tamsin! I'd expect that's something you don't want to see approaching your town

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  18. Very nice indeed and good choice of colours on the tops.

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  19. Excellent brushwomanship Tamsin!! Love 'em!

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  20. You're just killing it with the Russians, Tamsin. Bozhe moi, these are good, and I agree, that is how I would leverage my Cossacks with the local townsfolk. Great entry.

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  21. Great work on those Tamsin, is that the knock out blow in the SYW side duel ?

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  22. @ Rod F - cheers! Only 39 of them ;)

    @ Peter M - thanks! Attacking frozen French? Maybe in 50 years time - the French and Russians were on the same side in the Seven Years War :)

    @ Samuli - cheers! Definitely not something you'd want to see approaching your town :)

    @ Jamie M - thanks! I think the blues may be a bit brighter than they would have been back then, but at least they stand out :)

    @ Ray - cheers m'dear! :)

    @ Barks - thanks! :)

    @ John dtn - cheers! :)

    @ Michael P - thanks Padre! Apparently they did use the threat of them to obtain needed supplies [where they hadn't already looted and burnt the town of course] :)

    @ Ken - cheers! I don't think it's the coup de grace in the duel - I know that Ian has plenty to come :)

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  23. Just enough blue to tie them in together, but what a riot of color! Excellent work, Tamsin!
    A splendid unit of irregulars!

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