The Rejects on Tour- Broadside 2025 - The Battle of Rivoli 1797

On Saturday 14th June as the poster says above, Posties Rejects we be at the Broadside Games Show, in Gillingham putting on a demo game once again. This is usually the only show we put on a demo game at throughout the year, so come and say hi!

Some of the Rejects meet up over the weekend to play test Richard's game that he's hosting. Richard has painted up the armies and made all the terrain to refight the Battle of Rivoli in 1797, during the French Revolutionary Wars.

Here are a few shots of the figures and terrain to wet your appetite

All the figures are from the great range of 6mm MDF figures made by Commission Figurines, there website is down at the moment? But you can contact them on the Facebook site. here.

In the practice game the Austrians were smashed by some fantastic die rolls from Chris, he's never usually this lucky.

Hopefully we'll see you there!

Yarkshire Gamer Reet Big Wargames Podcast

Well well well, its a swelled headed Ray, day today.

Myself and BigLee , spoke with Ken Rilley AKA the Yarkshire Gamer while we were at Salute last month, for some reason he asked us both if we'd like to be interviewed on his podcast......of course we both agreed!!!

What followed was nearly 3 hours of mayhem talking about all things wargaming.

Stolen from Lee's blog, I couldn't say it any better....

"Over the course of the recording, we covered a wide range of topics close to our hearts. We talked about our personal journeys into the world of wargaming, how we both fell in love with the hobby, and some of the memorable moments we've experienced along the way. Of course, no conversation between wargamers would be complete without mentioning Postie’s Rejects, the gaming group we're both proud to be part of. We shared some behind-the-scenes stories and insights into what makes our little band of wargaming misfits tick.

We also took some time to reflect on the recent Salute 52 show, sharing our impressions, highlights, and some honest opinions about the event. It was a great opportunity to dive into what makes shows like Salute such an important part of the hobby community — and to have a few good-natured rants along the way!

Ken has now bravely released our ramblings into the wild for the entire wargaming world to hear. If you enjoy hearing about wargaming from the point of view of people who are deeply passionate (and perhaps just a little bit unhinged), this episode is definitely worth your time.

We’d love for you to go and give it a listen — and while you're at it, please leave a thumbs up for Ken! It’s clear he put a tremendous amount of work into bringing this all together, and it really shows. Recording a four-hour epic is no small task, and editing it is an even bigger one. Huge thanks to Ken for inviting us on and for making the whole experience such a fun and memorable one.

You can find the episode on the Yarkshire Gamers Reet Big Wargames Podcast on Podbean or on your favourite podcast platform. Also check out Ken’s Yarkshire Wargamers blog to see his amazing Italian Wars stuff and of course previous episodes of the Podcast. Happy listening!"

Retreat from Moscow - Hessian Chevau Leger

 

The best laid plans of mice and me?

All through the planning stages of my French and Allied army for my and Lee's Retreat project, my plan was to have a small number of cavalry, and the units that did get painted were going to be a mish mash of individual figures from several different units, which to me was the best idea, but...........

In reading more and more about the Retreat, I decided that this unit, the Hessian Chevauxleger or Chevau leger deserved their own unit. So more figures had to be bought and a few heads that had been glued on, had to be swapped again.

During the Russian Campaign the regiment were assigned to Marshal Victor's IX Corps as part of Daendels' Division. On its pass through Danzig, it was  praised by General Rapp, and it would linger in East Prussia for most of the early campaign due to Russian forces threatening the Duchy of Warsaw. After a horrible stay in Tilsit, the troops moved into Russia and reached Smolensk on 29th September.

When Napoleon's main army commenced its retreat, the IX Corps was made to meet the retreating II Corps of Marshal Saint-Cyr at Vitebsk. By 5th November, the regiment would be at Lukoml, where it halted the advancing Russian forces,  despite the difficult conditions endured by the entire division. The retreat would continue and on 14th November, Victor's corps fought at Smolensk but withdraw the following day to Krasnaya Gora. 

During this march, it formed the rearguard of the XI Corps, constantly harried by Russian Cossacks until the Berezina where they fought a glorious final stand. Russian forces had captured the French Partoneaux Division, forcing Victor to send a patrol of Baden Hussars in the direction of Borisow with the Hessians trailing behind. The Baden Hussars were caught and were severely outnumbered by Russian Hussars, but were saved by a timely attack of the chevauxlegers.

The patrol returned and formed the rearguard of the arny crossing the Berezina, they came under the fire from the advancing Russian army and in the desperate defense, Russian Cuirassiers would crush the weakened Hesse-Baden riders, which spelled the end of the regiment as an organized fighting force. Thirty men would be fit for duty by the night of 28th November, who withdraw across the river and remained part of Marshal Victor's headquarters for the remainder of the campaign.

I bought the unusual sabot bases on ebay, not realising at the time that they were from Northumbrian Painting Service aka Reiver Castings, who I've dealt with loads of times previously. Here's a link if your interested. They're a card base with the mdf cut out glued into place.

Now the last question is, will I paint up their partners in crime, the Baden Hussars????

Retreat from Moscow - Crossing the Berezina - Engineers & Pontoniers

 

No Retreat from Moscow collection can be complete without some Engineers and Pontoniers?

"All eyes rested on the River Berezina, which ran down the map from Wittgenstein's outposts in the north to join the Dnieper, east of the marches. Here was a natural obstacle in the path of the retreating French.

At Minsk, Napoleon heard the news that Minsk had been taken, he knew he had to hurry for the Berezina, three Russian armies where converging on the river. At Borisov there was a bridge on the road leading to Vilna, it was essential to reach it before any of the Russian armies. In trying to clear the town of Borisov the bridge was fired and destroyed, a new crossing had to be found fast.

Luckily local peasants informed Oudinot, there was a possible crossing at Studenka, 7 miles north, a French reconnaissance party was sent out to discover if pontoon bridges could be erected at Studenka for the retreating columns, who were only a day and a half's march away.

Napoleon and most of units of the Grande Armee arrived on the left bank of the river in the early hours of the 25th November. The Russians thought the French would cross 20 miles south and set up for battle, this gave the French a little breathing space and allowed its Engineers and pontoniers to build 2 bridges at Studenka, despite fire from the Russian advance guard. Most of the army were able to cross the Berezina between the afternoon of the 26th November and the night of the 28th-29th, but on the last day there were terrible scenes as the stragglers fought to cross the bridge before they were destroyed by the French rearguard. Its estimated that 15,000 people remained on the eastern bank, huddled beside camp fires until the Cossack lances bought a cruel end to their misery."

From Russia in War and Peace by Alan Palmer

All the figures are from Perry Miniatures , Here we have an Imperial Guard Engineer Officer, his ACD and Pontonier Officer.

The Pontoniers hard at work.

For these 5 Pontonier figures I decided to base them on clear bases, so when we get a river, they would look better standing in the water. Nearly all of the Pontoniers who entered the water to fix the pontoon bridge, never made it out of the water, those who did died soon after.

The wagon

I bought another Pontoon pack, you know? Just incase?

And here's another Pontoon bridge. I must have bought this 20 odd years ago, from I don't know who and after all that time, I'll finally get to use it.

The clear bases really work with these figures.

All the pontoon pieces together.

Retreat from Moscow - Wrecked French Baggage Wagon

 

Just a small post from me today, I'm still painting up figures for my and Lee's Retreat from Moscow  armies.

Reject Colin gave me this Wrabses wagon, which was painted a month or so ago, it had been chipped in a few places so with a quick overpaint, it was ready to base up. Originally I was going to have it as a pulled load, but then thought, I need some terrain. So I pulled off a wheel and voila, another wagon for the French to hide behind. I can't seem to find t on Warbases site though??

So a big thank you to Colin for the wagon!

In other news, I'm in the wars again, I've pulled my back out, so, I've been off work for 2 days already, 

and will probably miss the first few of next week. I'm rattling from all the medication I'm taking 

and I've got tonsilitis too.

Happy Days!!

Lee and myself were supposed to be interviewed by none other than Ken Reilly on his Podcast Yarkshire Gamer, click here, last Tuesday. But fate meant we had to abandon the show, due to the fact that for some reason, Lee couldn't log onto Ken's page. We think its all sorted now, so will be doing the interview this coming Tuesday.

Fingers crossed!

Retreat from Moscow - The Old Guard

I had no plans to add anymore Guard units to my Retreat from Moscow project, but, you may remember I posted about the loot I picked up at Cavalier in Tonbridge, in late January. I couldn't say no see these all painted up for the measly sum of £25?

I left them to after the Challenge, because I wanted to concentrate on getting figures painted for that. So now it's finished I found the time to tart them up.

Apart from the snowy bases, and a little touch up here and there the major change was inking them. I use a 50% mix of Warlord Strong and Soft tone. Which normally gives an even, quick drying stain in all the nicks and crannies. I'm getting g to the bottom of my pot and didn't realise, there was quite a lot of sludge built up at the bottom of the pot.  So the ink settled a lot heavier than normal. Giving a darker and dirtier look to the figures. I wasn't best pleased at first, but the more I look at the figures the better I feel about them. Just lucky that the original blue colour of the coats was so light, I guess!

Long kept in reserve, the four Old Guard regiments were required to hold together the survivors during the later stages of the retreat, which they accomplished with great distinction but horrific loses. By 1st February 1813 only 408 Grenadiers and 415 Chasseurs were fit to take to the field again, out of the 5291

Salute 2025 - Blogger Meet up & Salute Loot!

 

There was a great turn out at the Bloggers Meet up, from L to R

Matt - Wargames in the Dungeon

Tamsin - Wargaming Girl

Chris - Horse & Musket Gaming

Stuart AKA Postie

Carl - Hitting on a Double 1

Lee - BigLee's Miniature Adventures

Reject Steve

Mike - The Words of Subedai

Me!

Andy - Major Ballsup's Hobby Shed

Steve - General Reeve

David - The Ragged Soldier

I usually get loads of pics of fellow Bloggers and friends of the Rejects, but sadly failed in most part in my duties this time round, but I did remember to take a few...

Lee, Alex Sotheran and me.
We did make it to Alex's talk at 2.45, but I think his mike was broke as we could hardly hear him, we certainly heard the other guests though, in fact they hurt my ears with all their screeching. Oh well....

Carl, Lee and me

Matt 

Lee stopping for snacks and being caught!

I think I had a rather subdued Loot haul this time round

Plenty of freebies including the Salute figures a Dwarf smoking a pipe and an 1918 German. Some sabot bases from Products of Wargaming, some free Salute dice.

Four packs of Perry Minis, the 2 missing Sledges I needed, a Pontoon and a Donkey Cart with French wounded or exhausted, a few paints from Warlord. I couldn't find anyone selling Vallejo paints???

Lastly on the right just one of many sabot bases for trees for the Retreat from Moscow, especially made by our chums at Warbases, for both Lee and myself. Neither of us has much storage space, so we thought using these sabot bases should save a little space. All the holes are 70mm so we can also use them as terrain pieces, not just woods. Add a wrecked wagon, some large stones or something similar, to fill the table out.

And that belive it or not is it!

Salute 2025 Long post.......

Its Sunday, the day after Salute 2025, and I'm still knackered from the Mt Everest of a show that is Salute.

Lee's first post can be found here, if you haven't seen it already. And his second post can be found here.

The Rejects arrived nice and early and gained entrance at around 8.15 thanks to our Press Passes, apart from poor Dave, who had to go join the queue! Previous to that we had a little trouble parking, and I guess most visitors had the same problem?

We were greeted at a roundabout by a rather rude and jobsworth Excel employee, telling us and everyone else that we couldn't park in the Excel centre carpark because we hadn't prebooked a spot. Nowhere on the Excel webpage or Salute page was this mentioned?? So we had to park 15 minutes away in a rowing club carpark. So it was them who received our £25 fee rather than excel. I was threatened with being banned from the site for trying to argue my point, which left me extremely pi$$ed off! So 15 minutes later we arrived at the show none of us were looking forward to the walk back, laden down with goodies, which we'd usually drop back to the car in the excel carpark, but what can you do?

We spoke to Peter the logistics head of the Warlords who wasn't aware of any of this going on, so it was as much of a shock to them as it was to the paying customers. 

But we wasn't going to let Mr Jobsworth and Co spoil our fun! Was we!!!

And we're in!

We bought a few things, walked around had several chats with various blog and You tube glitterati, before the main visitors enetred.

At 10 o'clock the waiting horde was set free.

Now onto the games!!

Central London Wargames Club - Emperor of the Battlefield

Goblin King Games - Moonstone Fantasy Skirmish

GCT Studios - Bushido

Retired Wargames Reloaded - Gotterdammerung Berlin 1945 

This was a monster of a game, which took 2 years to complete!! Said Larry.

A truly impressive looking game.

Another impressive looking WWII game, this time from
Loughton Strike Force - Warsaw 1944

Uhrwerk Verlag - Chronopia

 - Marquee Models - Star Wars Legion

Halo

Crow Industries - Starship Troopers

Oshiro Model Terrain - Sengoku period Japan Skirmish

Ashford Gaming Club - Crypt Hulk and Tarati's Castle

Rifleman Harris

Warlord Games - Bolt Action

BattleTech UK South East - BattleTech

Skirmish Wargames - Shootout at Excel City

1/72 Wargames - Dargai Heights 1897

Gentlemen's Wargame Parlour- Like Cricket - But with guns

A Very British Civil War

Simon Miller - Louis Quatorze's Warses

Dibble Dribble......

Lee joining the ranks of the mighty 79th Highlanders!

Deepcut Studios - Colouring in figures

And painting

Anchuluss Publishing Limited - The Defence of Tobruk 1941

Bad Squiddo Games - Colouring zone.

WarFulcrum Games - 1918 Battle of Belleau Wood and the Battle of Villers Brentnneux

Essex Warriors - Mario Cart

Weymouth Levellers Wargames Club/ Peter Pig - AK47

Abingdon Wargames Club - Asteroids

ROK Minis - Small scale demo

Spectre Miniatures Ltd - Spectre Operations

Soldiers of Napoleons......

Matt Crump & me

Brecon Wragames Club - DAK Attack

Parabellum Miniatures

Battleground Bobmack 3d & Flank Miniatures - BattlegroundHD Cold War Skirmish

Cornwall Wargames Association - Port Royal 1692

Lee lookin all grand in his uniform

Brandy for the Pason

Society of Ancients - Battle of Gaugamela 331BC

Reverence Games - Last Living Soul

South London Warlords Hall of Fame Game

Club Space

Grond! At the Gates of Pelennor

Friends of General Haig - Breaking the Stalemate, Iran/Iraq War

Pendraken - Future War

Photo bombed by Tamsin!

Mike Hutchinson's - Hobgoblin

Titan Owners Club - Titan Walk

Veteran's Wargame Association - Digital Racing

Whitehall Warlords - The Ballard of Kinmont Willie 

Wars of Gelderland Succession - Vauban's War

Beowulf Miniatures

Wandsworth Gaming

Olmec Games Ltd - The Drowned Earth

Yorkshire Renegades - Starship Troopers - Bourbon Outpost

Hugo's Heroes - Battle of Trangen 1808

Swedish v Norwegians Napoleonic!!!!

Never heard of it, I here you say??? Me neither

I had a chat with Jan, in the blue top, who during his army service served in one of the Swedish regiments that fought in this battle.

Ilford Wargames Club - Rocketeers Guide to Rocketships

Flash Gordon ships from the 1936 Buster Crabbe series

Burrows and Badgers

Magrathea Builder of Worlds - What lies beneath

Night Terrors

Painting Challenge

Haverhill Wargames - Twilight Chronicles of Anyaral

Free League Publishing - Zone Wars

Peterborough Wargames Club - Alpha Strike Introduction

Garry David Wills - The Best Army in Europe

The Battle of Pirmasens 1793

Maidstone Wargames Society - Atari Tank Warfare 1980

Continual Wars Society - The Battle of Gurguljat

Serbo-Bulgarian War 1885

Hornchurch Wargames Club - Zeppelin

Footsore Miniatures - Baron's Wars

Ooooo me knees....

Gordon's Regiment Scot's Brigade 

Highlander Reenactors

The Shed Gamers Club - Battle of Westeros

Pandyman Entertainment - Trench Offensive

Santa Maura & Capri Boardgames

Yarkshire Gamer, Ken Reilly

with his Best Historical Game Award

The Battle of  Mentana 1867

Rome or Death

Per Broden & the Wyre Forest Wargamers - The Crossing of the Duna 1701

Great Northern War

Per with his Award, Best Small Scale game

Lasting Games - Butcher & Bolt

WWII Daring Raids and Covert Operations

All hell let loose - Bloody Omaha

Bunny Badger Games/Frothers Mars Defends

Elon

Mr Orange

Realtime Wargames - The White Cockade, Pretender, Prince, King 

Belloludi - Oosterbeck 1944

Oakbound Studio - The Woods: Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Peter's Paper Boys - Wofun 10mm Napoleonics

Mark Backhouse - The Battle of Beneventum 275BC

TooFatLardies - Chain of Command v2

Joe Bilton (TFL/Reisswitz) - What a Tanker

Operation Charnwood - Caan July 1944

Dave Brown (TFL/Reisswitx) - Austerlitz 1805

General D'Armee 2

Lastly Team Warbases!!!

I had to pick my package up at the end of the day.

Well that's it from me and Salute 2025

What a great show, I took 638 photos on the day and cut it down to this one mega post. I hope you all enjoy the ride.