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28mm Chess Set - Battle of Borodino


PetrOs

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My father has a birthday in may, and he is a big fan of chess. He played in the highest german chess league for a while, but now making a break until retirng, as his main work was not allowing the chess playing appointments any more. He is a big history fan, with the focus on napoleonics.

 

I thus decided to make a chess set with napoleonic figures. I decided to use the 28mm scale to be able to fit standard 50mm spaced chessboards. Being a russian, I set the theme as the Battle of Borodino, which was the major event of the Napoleons invasion to Russia.

 

My plan is to use following figures:

King - Napoleon or Kutuzov

Queen - General on horseback

Rook - Cannon with 1-2 men

Bishop - Infantry officer+standard bearer

Knight - cavalryman

Pawn - infantryman

 

I decided to paint the units to suite the most fought central position on the Borodino battlefield - Raevski's battery, also known as a Grand Redoubt. It was initially defended by the russian VII corps, commanded by general Raevski. During the day, several other corps were moved to the area as reinforcements. French corps of Ney, Davout, and Prince Eugen Beauharnais, supported by cavalry of Grouchy and La Tour Mauburg were the attackers. French mounted several dozen attacks on it over the day, and these were either beaten back or even if taken, russian counterassaults driven the french away in a short while. It was the deadliest place on the battlefield, ground covered with dead in several layers. Several russian and french corps were grinded to shambles there.

 

French infantry would be painted in the colors of 30th Line Infantry. This unit managed to capture the battery for a while in the morning. As the russian defenders fell back, generals Ermolov (Chief of Staff of the 1st russian army) and Kutaisov (Chief of russian artillery, renowned to be the best artillery general in Europe by the time, superior even to Bonnie) led the freshly arrived reinforcements (18 Jaeger and Ufa regiments) to retake the battery in an uphill bayonet charge. 30th line was nearly destroyed, only 300 men remained from the starting 4100. No prisoners were taken except the french general Bonnamy who was badly injured and captured. This attack was also costly to the russians, as the young general Kutaisov was killed. 

 

French 30th Line is well documented here, with lots of profiles - http://frederic.berjaud.free.fr/030edeligne/30e_de_ligne.htm, I will be making 4 fusiliers, 2 voltigeurs, and 2 grenadiers, the command groups would be in regular uniforms. 

Russian infantry would be most likely painted as the grenadiers of the grenadier bataillions of Ufa Regiment (Red collar, yellow shoulderboards, white gear), 18 Jaeger (Green collar, yellow shoulderboards, black gear) from the reinforcements, and the regiment colors of the original defenders (12th division, containing Narva (Red/Red/White), Smolensk(Red/White/White), Alexopol(Red/Yellow/White), New Ingermanland(Red/Dark Green/White), 6 Jaeger (Green/Yellow/Black), 41 Jaeger (Green/Light Blue/Black)) which also supported the counterattack.

 

Cavalry - I will try to either convert the 2nd guard lancer figures to the polish 11th Uhlans from the Latour-Mauburg corps, or use the plastic hussars as the 6th Hussars from Grouchy corps. The russians cuirassiers would be from the 2 most elite russian regiments - Guard Cavalierguards, and Guard Horse regiments. These two regiments (1st brigade of the 1st cuirassier division) were sent to support the dragoons, uhlans and hussars from the IV cavalry corps, and consequently routed and inflicted heaviest losses on Grouchy and Latour Mauburg cavalrymen. 

 

I got the following sets for the work, but only a few figs will be used. Most other would be used either in later chess sets, or in a diorama ;)

 

Russians

From Perry (metal): Cuirassiers attacking (PM-RN31), Foot Artillery aiming 6pdr (1809 Kiwer) (PM-RN06), Foot Artillery firing 6pdr (1809 Kiwer) (PM-RN05), Grenadiers attacking, summer dress (1812 Kiwer), Grenadier command advancing, summer dress (1812 Kiwer), High Command on foot, 1812 ( Generals Kutuzov, Barclay de Tolly, Yermolov, Osterman-Tolstoy, Ouvarov, Koutaissov, Wilson and Colonel Toll).

From Warlord: Napoleonic Russian Command (1809-1815) (WGN-RUS-23, metal), Early Russian Napoleonic Infantry (1809-1815) (WGN-RUS-01, hard plastic) 

 

French:

Victrix (Hard plastic): Napoleonic French Artillery 1812 to 1815 (VX0018), French Napoleonic Infantry 1807-1812 (60 figures) (VX0005)
Perry (metal): Mounted Corps Commanders (PM-FN002), 2nd (Dutch, 'Red Lancers';) Lancers of the Imperial Guard ,charging, couched lances, full dress, Napoleon and Staff part 1 (this includes Napoleon, Ney leaning on table, Soult, Drouot, Colonel Gourgaud ,Hussar officer acting as ADC and map table), Line Voltigeurs / Grenadiers advancing at 'the charge', Line Fusiliers advancing,'high porte'
Warlord (Metal/Hard Plastic): Napoleonic French Hussars (WGN-FR-08) 

 

Napoleonic_French_Hussars_WGN-FR-08.jpg
Napoleonic_French_Hussars_a_WGN-FR-08.jp
fn2.jpg
vx0005.jpg
vx0018.jpg
C2_large.jpg
Napoleonic_Wars_Russian_Line_Infantry_(1
Napoleonic_Wars_Russian_Line_Infantry_(1
Napoleonic_Wars_Russian_Command_1809-181
rn31.jpg
rn5.jpg
rn6.jpg
fn6.jpgRN%201.jpgFn_122.jpgfn1.jpgfn%2032.jpgfn%2031.jpgRN%2011.jpgRN%2010.jpg

 

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This seems a terrific project. I did a similar thing many years ago based on the Battle of Waterloo but has to use 15mm cannon to fit in the squares. The Warlord Hussars are ok but the Perry Plastic ones are much nicer in my opinion.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing your progress.

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Thanks! I hope to get the parcel with the guns (both Victrix and Perry) today, so I will know, if it will fit. I can make the base up to 40 mm for the guns, I hope they will fit. If not, I will need to think out some other constellation for the Rook figure, maybe a piece of wall with a pair of shooters or so...

 

Just saw the post tracker to show the delivery successful ;)

Edited by PetrOs
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Just unpacked the cannons, and neither the russian nor french 6pdr does not fit the space available, even the carriage is already over 5 cm between the wheel to ground contact point and the tail...

 

So, what would you suggest?

My ideas for alternate Rook:

Senior officer on foot

Light cavalry (cossack) as knight, and a heavy (curassier) as a rook

Redoubt wall section with 1-2 artillerymen wielding the heavy cleaning rod in self defence or shooters. 

 

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How exactly do you mean the cannon barrel on the redoubt? Redoubt was the earth wall section with a cutout for the gun, guns were in their usual carriages..

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11 hours ago, PetrOs said:

How exactly do you mean the cannon barrel on the redoubt? Redoubt was the earth wall section with a cutout for the gun, guns were in their usual carriages..

It's a chess set, you don't have to show the carriage.

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Also true, but it would look incomplete somehow... 

 

My wife suggested the following setup:

King - Napoleon/Kutuzov, on a high base

Queen - Mashal/full general (for russians - Ermolov) on horseback

Rook - Redoubt wall section, with a foot major general or colonel on it. Would then be Col. Toll and Gen. Kutaisov for russians. 

Bishop - Company command group - junior officer, flag bearer, and a drummer if fits. For russians, the flags would be regimental and bataillion colors for Ufa regiment, as here http://www.vexillographia.ru/russia/rarmy034.htm#pe174 - the regiment used the 1798 regulation flags. French would be using the 1803 pattern colors of the 30th line.

Knight - polish lancer of the elite company. It can be obtained by combining the guard lancer figure with a different head from the hussar "elite company" in bearskin colpack. I found a painting showing the polish lancers charging exactly the Raevski-Redoubt - be99340945c05acf3e7b073fc135213c.jpg

For russians, knight would be Guard Cuirassiers of both regiments: 

Cavalierguards like on this painting

gswyfbm%20dhrmifpheev.jpg

and a Horse Guard

 pic10.jpg

In both paintings they clash with polish Uhlans! 

 

 

What would you say about such a plan?

 

As for casting:

All figures are acceptable. In white metal, I find the Warlord casting to be slightly better then Perry's. Plastic figures from Victrix are fantastic - abundance of arms, heads and gear separately. A pain for wargamer but a bless for modeler ;) It has some small defects however, some sink marks and pits in the backpacks or shako tops. Warlords are much less options, but the casting is better. Plus metal figs included. 

I will start either with some junior officer and standard bearer, or with the Cuirassier. They will all need a replacement sword, my plan is to use the 0.8mm hard steel wire sanded to flat, and then formed to an in-scale blade. 

 

 

 

 

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It would be nearly impossible.... already the horizontal projection of the carriage between the axle and tail is around 50-51mm, plus the barrel and wheels projecting forward....

Alternatively of course, I could put there just the 1/72 cannons with no servants as a symbol... 

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I really like this ìdea.

Perhaps I'll "steal" it.

My father is also a chess fan, and he will celebrate his 80th birthday in October. 

So I'll guess I could do a set Charles XII vs Peter the Great for him as a birthday present. 

 

/Bosse

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Great thing! Would be nice to see the parallel process - best possibility for exchanging the ideas! 

I actually struck a preliminary agreement with the russian wood base manufacturer DerevoModelshik for the bases, so if you wish, you could also jump in ;)

 

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As I am thrown around what to make to the Rook, I will do 2 variants of it, and see what I like more

- General on the redoubt wall

- Smaller scale cannon. Sean from Newline miniatures was so polite to measure their guns for me, they should fit without problem. I ordered a few.

 

 

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Yesterday evening I finally started painting. I took the ensign bearer as a "test" figure. It is a figure from the warlord's Russian infantry set - the infantrymen are plastic, while the command group is white metal. It is well cast, and the seams only needed to be removed with a light touch of the blade.

 

I painted the dark shadow color by now. I am often painting the dark base, and then add highlights to it, instead of mid-tone and then paint in shadows and hightlights. I also ran a washing over the figure to darken the edges and pits even more. Working with acrylics of different brands, Gunze, Tamiya, Vallejo, Revell and Lifecolor were used so far. Tonight, the highlights, oils, and pigments would come upon this boy. I will also need to make the guy to an NCO by adding the gold strips on the cuffs and collar

 

The flag is self printed - it is a regimental "white" color of the Ufa regiment. The graphics come from http://www.vexillographia.ru/russia/rarmy034.htm#pe174 , processed, laid out and printed on normal office paper, brushed with diluted white glue and glued together same time as forming. I will cover it with the flat coat and also add some pigment treatment later. The borders will get some color treatment. It will also need the golden bands with pompons on them added to the flagstaff.

 

ufa_ensign_1_1.jpg

ufa_ensign_1_2.jpg

ufa_ensign_1_3.jpg

ufa_ensign_1_4.jpg

ufa_ensign_1_5.jpg

 

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On a russian forum, I was made aware that the Perry's figures have the wrong uniform for Borodino. They have the 1812 model Barden uniform, which only found wide distribution after 1813. However, some sources (like http://napoleonistyka.atspace.com/French_infantry.html#_uniforms referencing Koen de Smet) tell us that the Davout 1st army corps was issued this uniform before the invasion of Russia, and the 30 de Ligne was exactly in this corps (1st Division, Bonamy brigade). 

 

As I anyways plan a second set for sale, themed on either Leipzig or Waterloo, Perry guys could just shift there. I just ordered a stack of Front Rank figures as a replacement. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Be aware that Front Rank figures are significantly taller and bulkier than Perry or Warlord. I Mix Perry, Warlord and Victrix in my 28mm units for wargamming. I can't add in Front Rank.

 

Of course for a chess set this might not matter.

 

Great work on the Standard bearer,

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White metal figures should be robust, as designed for wargames. I will be replacing protruding things like flags, lances or  swords with hard steel rod too

 

Good tip with size, will have to check it

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Spent some time yesterday and today to paint 2 officers, and do some minor changes on the ensign. Plus oil and pigments on the lads. 

One in a hat is from Warlords, in a forage cap from Perry. Swords replaced with hard steel ones machined with proxxon diamond disk from 1mm hard steel wire, and they are really knife sharp ;)

 

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