Austrians and Hungarians c1809

Having overcome snow-blindness and stuck grimly to the task of painting different shades of white which, to the naked eye, are nigh undetectable (but at least I know the cross belts are different to the uniforms - hmmm), the Hapsburg Austrians and Hungarians are done for now. All the figures are from the Perry range - plastic Fusiliers and the rest are metal.

I used the Sharpulator to create the Austrians for 1809, basically to suit some background info I was reading on the historical events. I'm sure someone has already put together something like this, but I also wanted to try out different types of units in Sharp Practice (the French are all Conscripts and Volunteers so far). Whilst it might not be fully balanced, I'm not really looking for that. I did make a change after the test games - reducing the Fusiliers to the same standard and cost as the French. "Paying" extra for the "regular" status didn't really seem right or work well in practice.

As an homage to Too Fat Lardies (https://toofatlardies.co.uk/) who invented the great game Sharp Practice, the characters' names are somewhat silly and are not intended to be offensive ... they just appeal to my daft sense of humour.

First up Oberst (Colonel) Scheittekatte (Level III) and his merry band of 24 Austrian Fusiliers. I eventually settled on rating the Fusiliers as "conscripts and volunteers". They're stubborn - probably controversially - have first fire and only 1 controlled volley. It seems about right. I don't want them running off too quickly or being significantly stronger than the French infantry. Scheittekatte went through a phase of doing no wrong. He really was the dog's business, or the cat's whiskers given his name. But his most recent foray (to clear French out of a ruined church and strategic bridge) confirmed that it is not such a good idea to march blindly into volley range of the French infantry and cannon, even if they look weaker on paper. Scheittekatte is ably supported by Korporal Fahrt (Level I) a silent yet deadly chap who rallies off a bit of shock in his characteristically breezy manner.

Austrian Fusiliers - Perry plastics

Colonel Scheittekatte and Corporal Fahrt. 

They are trying to look confident about which way to go.

I couldn't resist some Perry Hungarian Grenadiers to add a touch of colour and panache to the force. This choice was inspired by the stories of Hungarian troops holding out against the Grande Armee on several occasions. The French seemed to have really rated them (and the Grenzer) judging by the number of false claims of captured Hungarian Grenadiers that appear in reports home. So here they are, led by the flashing blade that is Hauptmann (Captain) Hamsarni (Level II). This unit isn't fond of their Austrian masters but they clearly hate the French invaders a little bit more (the Grenadiers seem to have a tendency to surge forward and save the day with an unexpected charge on the random events table). I've rated them regulars as most Grenadiers seem to be that grade in Sharp Practice. They have the other bells and whistles, including unlimited controlled volleys which can make a real difference later in the game. I'm tempted to give them a Sergeant to keep them in the fight a little longer as they do attract a considerable amount of attention from the enemy.

Perry Miniatures - Hungarian Grenadiers

Drummer and Sapper

The dashing figure of Hauptmann Hamsarni, pointing doggedly to his preferred picnic spot

Finally, the rifle-armed Jaeger skirmishers whose hats are joyfully ridiculous and surely impractical on every level. These were a real pleasure to paint but getting the shade of blue-grey right was a bit of a struggle. For Sharp Practice, one of the Jaegers is marksman because they need to do damage given their steep points cost and their small numbers. They are led by the somewhat unpredictable Oberleutnant Schweitensauer (Level II) whose leadership approach isn't exactly to everyone's taste. He tends to pour on fire once he finds some cover.

Jaegers with rifles. And hats.

Oberleutnant Schweitensauer, seen here in traditional pose, 

looking for his troops (they are hiding under the bridge)

There's also a spare plastic officer, Major Schoppen Von Aldi. Just in case ...

The rough "core" force as it stands:

Unit	Points
German Fusiliers x3 (24) Leader Level III (Colonel Schiettekatte) #1 Leader Level I (Korporal Fahrt) #4	12 9 3
Hungarian Grenadiers x2 (16) Leader Level II – (Hauptmann Hamsarni) #2	16 6
Jaeger Skirmishers x1 (6) Leader Level II (Oberleutnant Schweitensauer) #3 Sharpshooter	11 6
Support Musician Sharpshooter	1 1
	65

There are some Grenz(er) infantry waiting in the wings to bolster the skirmish element, as well as a sizable block of militia in gloriously floppy hats. There is a 6lb cannon and crew to round off what I hope will be a suitably varied force which will make for some interesting "large skirmish" games.