From LeeH: Opolchiene 3 Pounder Gun & Limber (82 Points)

A few weeks ago I completed a couple of units of the Opolchiene Militia and enjoyed them so much I decided to expand this section of my growing army. I was immediately tempted by the options offered by Perry Miniatures and decided a small artillery piece would be good with the foot troops. So I purchased the 3 Pounder Gun with its associated Limber. 

I haven’t been able to find out much about the use of artillery with the Opolchiene so I have had to ‘fill in the gaps’ a little. Some sources mention that Cossak Opolchiene used captured Turkish guns dating from the 18th Century and I guess that makes sense. Modern artillery pieces would be used by the regular army, but these older, supposedly obsolete weapons, would be ideal for the Militia. 

The sculpting on this model is really nice but my one criticism of the set is that none of the ropes between the draft horses and the limber are included. I couldn’t reconcile myself to the omission so I made the ropes using a few metal spears that were left over from an earlier project. A little bit of texture was added using a file and then the new ropes were pinned to the horses and cut to the right length to attach to the limber. It is surprisingly difficult to find pictures of how these were harnessed but I think I eventually worked it out (via a bit of head scratching and swearing) and I’m pretty happy with this modest bit of conversion work. 

I also had time to work on a wagon and some casualties this week. I found this model, painted but seriously battered, in a box of terrain that I used to use for face-to-face roleplaying games. It's made of resin and had taken a lot of damage with a lot of the paint chipped off. So I cleaned it up and gave it a new coat of primer before repainting it. I also made a pile of grain sacks from greenstuff to partially fill the back of the waggon and left just enough room for one lucky passenger. This guy may survive the battle simply because he has been able to get up off the ground, unlike his companion who has succumbed to wounds and the cold down on the ground. Both figures are Perry Miniatures and are painted as Jagers, with green uniforms and black leather belts and straps. 

Scoring:

1x28mm Gun = 10 Points
1x28mm Limber = 10 Points
4x28mm crew on foot = 20 Points
1x28mm Mounted Crewman = 10 Points
1x28mm draft horse = 5 Points
1x28mm wagon (vehicle) = 20 Points
2x28mm prone = 5 Points

Total: 80 Points (plus anything the umpire feels fitting for the little bit of conversion work 😉)

It has been said before, but it remains a pleasure to see this project progressing at a steady pace, Lee! I like these figures as much as those in your previous contributions, and the more so because of the a little more unusual subject. I did not even know that there was Opolchenie artillery! Somewhat surprising, as the artillery was always regarded as the most "scientific" branch of the service. The more power to them, a very nice addition to your growing force. In honour of the head scratching and swearing, and since you asked nicely 😉,  I'll throw in a couple of bonus points. 82 points then!

Martijn