AHPC15 - A trip into the Abyss via the Retreat from Moscow 140pts

 

For this post I'm travelling down the Abyss on my way to Paradise, I've already completed some Wagons for  Limbo, so my next stop will be Lust!

Everyone starts at the First Circle in the Abyss ('Limbo'). The only way to get to Paradise is to traverse five (5) of the infernal locations first. Once in Paradise you will have another 5 circles to complete and are not be able to return to the Abyss.

Second Circle: Lust
Of course this could be something titillating but it could also be the miniature that you've always wanted for your collection but have denied yourself. One of the few times where I condone NSFW content. Young visitors may wish to avert their eyes.

I've had this col Bill's Vivandiere for some time, I bought her knowing one day she would fit into a bonus round in the Challenge, I still have at least 20 other similar figures waiting for their chance to fit in somewhere???

Marie Tete du Bois, followed the Grande Armee into Russia giving out bacon bagets and shots of brandy to warm up the weary soldiers, trouble was, that wasn't the only thing she gave out to warm the soldiers up!!!

A vivandière was a woman who sold food and drink to soldiers in the military. The term comes from the French word vivandier, which means "hospitable man".

From The Second Circle of Lust I shall now move down to the Third Circle Gluttony!!!

My first none Retreat from Moscow figure in Challenge 15.

Third Circle: Gluttony

Would you like your meal supersized? Show us a figure who has overindulged at the table. A little too much Holiday feasting perhaps?

Technically he's not got a big belly, but Hercules sure is a Glutton for punishment!

Having tried to kill Heracles ever since he was born, Hera induced a madness in him that made him kill his wife and children. Afterwards, Heracles went to the Oracle of Delphii to atone, where he prayed to the god Apollo for guidance. Heracles was told to serve Eurystheus, king of Mycenae, for ten years. During this time, he was sent to perform a series of difficult feats, called labours

1. Slaying the Nemean lion
2. Slaying the nine-headed Lernaean Hydra
3. Capturing the Ceryneian Hind
4. Capturing the Erymanthian Boar
5. Cleaning the Augean stables in a single day
6. Slaying the Stymphalian birds
7. Capturing the Cretan Bull
8. Stealing the Mares of Diomedes
9. Obtaining the belt of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons
10. Obtaining the cattle of the three-bodied giant Geryon
11. Stealing three of the golden apples of the Hesperides
12. Capturing and bringing back Cerberus

Each year I pant a figure for my Dad at Christmas and for his birthday in January, Hercules was painted up for his birthday. The figure is from North Stars Of Gods and Mortals range of figures, and is a large 28mm figure, more like 35mm, we'll he was a giant of a man.

Next down the Abyss we come to the 4th Circle Greed.

Fourth Circle: Greed

As the depraved Emcee in the musical 'Cabaret' sang, 'Money makes the world go around...' Submit something illustrating an unbridled lust for filthy lucre.

And who better to paint up to represent Greed. Some say he was the greatest military commander ever, but Greed drove Napoleon to attack the Russians in 1812 and we all know how that ended up, don't we?

This is a very simple figure from Eureka, but what a great looking figure it is, he should make a great objective in a game of Sharpe Practice, "Capture the Emperor"

For my 5th and last entry for the Abyss bonus round I'm heading for the 7th Circle Violence, but before that I've got to beg the help of Succubus Sarah to help me get there, so as a sacrifice I offer up, Jeanette Morel.

Jenanette is one of the Grande Armee's camp followers.

She is following the column of bedraggled soldiers heading away from Moscow.

and the marauding Cossacks

Hence she is holding a pistol, pointing it menacingly.....I wonder if its loaded?

She is part of pack FN193 Camp Followers from the mighty Perry Twins

Thanks to Sarah and Jeanette, we now find ourselves at the last Abyss Circle.......Violence!

Seventh Circle: Violence
Hmm, as many of us are wargamers I don't think I need to elaborate on this one too much.

I'm sure you'll all agree, this was probably the easiest of the circles to paint. Any of my previous or forthcoming entries (yours too) could fit in here.

These 2 groups of figures are once again from Perry Miniatures, they are what was left from pack FN194 Scavengers!

Both show that violent horrible side of war.

Beating a fellow countryman for a blanket...

And robbing the dead of a pair of boots!!!

So ends my marathon and onto the points!

Lust - Marie Tete du Bois 5pts plus 20 bonus = 25pts

Gluttony - Hercules 5pts plus 20 bonus = 25pts

Greed - Napoleon 5pts plus 20 bonus = 25pts

Sarah Succubus - Jeanette Morel 5pts plus 20 bonus = 25pts

Violence - Scavengers 20pts plus 20 bonus = 40 pts

That make a grand total of 140 points!

AHPC 15 - Retreat from Moscow - The Stragglers 120pts

 

The citizens of Moscow had been ordered to evacuate by the Russian troops. All they left behind was a little food, plenty of alcohol, and Moscow in flames. While the French troops pillaged the empty city, Napoleon waited for Alexander I to surrender. Napoleon and his forces waited in Moscow for over a month, but no offer for peace came. By 19th October, the cold had begun to set in, and Napoleon was forced to move from Moscow.

The Grand Army was devastated having to retreat along the invasion route; order broke down, and nearly over half the force that set out from Moscow became stragglers, or those who not only did not keep up with the body of the army, but were not in any shape for combat, these either died from disease, small battles, or being exposed to the harsh Russian winter.

Throughout November the humiliating realities of Napoleon’s losses were exposed to the world. On 5th December, amid rumours of a potential coup, Napoleon left his devastated army. Just over a week later, what was left of Napoleon’s grand army straggled back over the Neman River.

Most of the Straggler figures are from the great range sold by Perry Miniatures.

Packs FN172, FN173 and FN175

This unit is the odd one out, having 2 figures from Perry's pack FN194 Scavengers and 4 Warlord plastic figures, Now of course all these figures in all three units will be interchangeable.

In this post there are 24 25mm figures, so that makes a grand total of 120 points, my largest points total for an entry so far this Challenge!! 

These poor fellows gave me a total of 489 points, pushing me up to 20th place, my target is 1000 points, so I've still got a way to go??

AHPC15 - Retreat from Moscow - French Cavalry Mixed unit no1

Perry Miniatures make a few packs of French and Allied Cavalry in various winter clothing, both uniform and non-uniform. I have bought these packs, which are still in the lead mountain of shame. So with my brain in overdrive I've searched every company I can think of who sell 25-28mm French Napoleonics Cavalry for figures with either greatcoats and or wet weather gear on.

There are NOT a lot, Front Rank to a few mounted command figures and that's about it really, So what to do????

Then I found these chaps, from Empress Miniatures Gwalior, Afghanistan, Punjaub and Scinde. range. Thinking " I might be able to uses these?", although they did break my heart and my wallet. £28.50 for 6 figures!!!

Originally I was going to use these figures as command models, but not now, although some may find their way into doing so????  Empress do sell more figures like these bad boys, that might have to join the collection at a later date???

As you know the Retreat from Moscow was a little haphazard. I've chosen not to have any formed units as such, I'm going for mixed adhoc units, made up from different regts. These figures can be mixed in with the Perry figures previously mentioned. The French cavalry lost many, many horses on the retreat, I expect most were slaughtered for their meat, or just died from the cold, so a lot of cavalry fought on foot, for this and many other reasons. Making them mixed units makes sense to me?

In the front row we have figures all from Empress representing the 2nd Cuirassiers, 4th Chasseurs and the 11th Hussars.

The two figures representing the 2nd Cuirassiers were originally going to be the Wuttemburg 1st Chevau Legere, as the helmet kind of match theirs, minus a plume, but after painting them, I found further info saying that the helmet changed to another kind in 1807, oh !!!!!!. So they became the 2nd Cuirassiers instead!

At the back we have figures from 10th Cuirassiers, the 4th Chasseurs and the 30th Dragoons. The two figures on the right are both the bravest of the brave, wearing no winter coats!! and are plastic figures from Victrix, (I think)

The Officer is a figure from Casting Room Miniatures, that I bought for my Haitian Revolution project that didn't get used,. Pack FN530

My favorite figure in the 11th Hussar, front row on the right, wearing a Father Christmas coat, firing his pistol over his shoulder.

Horses arse!

These poor souls all had their heads chopped off and replaced with a more suitable Napoleonic head apart from the commander on the left who's now wearing a nice warm and furry cloak.

As to the points...

9 x Mounted 25mm figures @ 10 pts each, gives me a total of 90, plus anything that Teemu gives me for the conversion work?