The Crimean War project continues to hold my attention, I'm really happy with what has been achieved so far so felt it time to layout everything I have painted to date. Thirty odd bases is enough to be getting on with for the time being although I will still be adding to them going forward, but I really want to focus on making some terrain boards for them to fight over now. I want to try to reflect the sparse open landscape of the Crimea as they just don't feel right laid on the bright green cloth. I'm developing my rules based heavily on the C&C combat and morale system, tweaking the square rules for example for allowing an infantry unit to stand and fire at charging cavalry in an attempt to 'bounce' them before contact. By this period the majority of the British army was armed with percussion cap rifle muskets, initially the Minie with the British made Enfield rifle musket being issued from late 1853. This solid and reliable weapon of .577 calibre was a huge technological advance over the smoothbore flintlock weapons carried at Waterloo almost 40 years earlier and infantry had little to fear from a cavalry charge. Worth noting that many Russian infantry were still armed with the obsolete smoothbores at this time so I need to reflect this in my rules.
I re-watched the 1968 film The Charge of The Light Brigade yesterday, not seen it for a while but really enjoyed it. Trevor Howard gives a splendid performance as Lord Cardigan commanding his beloved 11th Hussars (The Cherry bums), and gets some great lines "If they can't fornicate they can't fight". I enjoyed the Alma scenes very much especially the Guards and Highlanders as they struggled to take the high ground after crossing the river, stirring stuff indeed. Lord Raglan was portrayed as something of a confused old man, complaining to General Airey about the presence of the French Allies and still convinced they were the enemy! Raglan had of course served on Wellingtons Staff at Waterloo where he lost his right arm. I found the cavalry charge scenes actually quite moving.
Anyway, here's another short video of what I have so far, the mass effect of this scale is what I really like.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H6bzY4zj9o
