"Looking at AB Waterloo - need recommendations" Topic

Hello everyone. I'm new to Napoleonics. I'd love to do a Waterloo game, centered on La Haye Sainte. After some research, I've determined that AB Miniatures seem to be the most popular of the 15/18 range. However, they only sell miniatures individually. For someone new like me, a starter list of what to buy would be great and I was wondering if someone had ever created something like this and would like to share? Thanks ahead of time.

You really need to decide which rules you want to use, as that will determine how many figures you need. Our club has played Waterloo and parts of the battle, such as the attack on the Hougumont/La Haye Sainte sector several times using Napoleon's Battles V4. That uses a scale of one infantry figure represents about 120 infantry, so quite light on figures needed. If you use a more conventional scale of 1 figure represents 20 or 25 men you are going to need a lot more figures and to do a lot more painting.
AB figures are very good ( I have lots) , but you might also like Blue Moon and CGM, both of which are " large 15mm" i.e. close to 18mm.

I agree with Steamingdave2. The other companies do nice figures that fit in well with AB.

For rules, you need to think about how you want to play. Will it be a casual game where you are not having to look up table after table for results, or would you like there to be a lot of Napoleonic era details on how units moved and fought.

I play with 28mm figures with one figure = 25 men. I play "over the Hills" and they have a nice blend of the two types of rules

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Just my thoughts.

Matthew

Good question. I.actually play 28mm ACW, AWI, and AZW. I use Black Powder for my rules. I was looking at 24 figures representing a battalion/regiment and I would base 4 figures per base. Don't know the base size yet. Thoughts on that?

With Black Powder base size is mostly irrelevant as long as unit frontages are close to each other. So your 24 on 6 bases will work.

Think about (a) British who deployed in 2 lines versus 3 and (b) how to handle skirmishers in the farms etc.?

24 man units is a nice size and fairly common. So I'd just order enough for your first 4 units and then add as you go.

Also, I think Eureka USA sell unit packs that contain lights, command, grenadiers etc.

Thanks. Been checking them out!

I have my armies set up (28mm) as 24 figures on 6 bases. If you are just starting Napoleonic armies in 18mm for Waterloo, why not look at the new Warlord Waterloo games? They use a modified Black Powder rule set. They are 12.5mm to 13mm and should look nice painted up. Just a thought. If I were starting today fresh, I would be considering them.

@Extra Crispy.
I have seen it suggested that British deployed in 4 ranks at Waterloo at least some of the time. My own solution to British basing (really Naps Battles solution) is to make each base 25% greater in frontage than those for other nations ( except Portuguese fighting with British in Peninsular War ). There is, I suppose, a case for having British on bases 50% bigger frontage, but not as deep. Unless you are using 3mm figures it is really quite difficult to represent the different battalion deployments on the Wargames table; most battalion lines are far too deep for their width.

@45thdiv.
Those Warlord figures are an unnecessary complication in my view, just Warlord trying to muscle in on a popular period, as they did with WW2 and Bolt Action. Many of us had happily played WW2 games with "20mm" figures for years and still do.
If you want small scale figures there are brilliant 10mm ranges available and you can represent all of the major and most of the minor nations with figures from Pendraken, Lancer, Magister Militum and Baggage Train. The Warlord range is neither fish (15mm) not fowl (10mm) and aimed only at Waterloo at the moment; that is not really typical of the Napoleonic Wars as a whole.

I did look at the new epic scale and since I'm hiring a painter, it's actually cheaper do a regiment of 24 than an Epic regiment of 80.

I have thousands of AB 18mm figures. I use 1:40 ratio 16 figures per infantry unit and 12 for cavalry. My thought is units smaller than the above takes away form the feel of the period.

My group uses Shako 2 and Over the Hills

I don't know if you're looking for more ready painted Front Rank AWI figures but I believe a friend's widow is about to sell off his collection on eBay but if not yet listed a private sale would be preferred. This is in the UK so postage might be an issue, but if interested let me know and I'll put you in touch.

AWI? Thanks for the offer but I already have an AWI collection on 28mm. Appreciate the sentiment, though.

Campaign Game Miniatures in Spain also do an 18mm 1815 range. They fit in well with AB.

There is also a sculptor in Spain doing the 1815 campaign for 3d printing. Just finished a Kickstarter for French limbers and British infantry in stovepipes and Hanoverians are next. The figures look similar to AB.

link

Thanks. I'll check them out.