"My foray into the Franco-Prussian War" Topic

I've had a desire for FPW figures/gaming since my very beginning, but no one else was interested and soon enough the mountain of unpainted lead deterred me. I think it was 28mm Sengoku Japan skirmishing (Test of Honour Rules) that got me thinking of two possibilities:

1) Grand tactical with Bruce Weigle's 1870 / 1871 rules with 12mm figures; and
2) Skirmish games with Empire of Empire rules with 28mm figures.

The little 12mm Pendrakens are lovely but the 28mm is winning out. The 28mm scratch the FPW itch, which, for me, has always been the little bit Napoleonic – little bit modern uniforms of the era. So…some photos of my 28mm collection.

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Excellent painting! I'd want large collections for the FPW if I were to start it and that would eliminate 28mm for me.
Good luck.

Very nicely painted figures!!

Jim

Nice looking figures. I especially like the German artillery.

Great job on those Eagles of Empire figures! I have a large 15mm Franco Prussian collection, but I have recently begun collecting a 28mm force as well.

Something I, too, have always wanted to do. Clearly a big project, though, and never started it. <Sigh>

Grelber

Something I, too, have always wanted to do. Clearly a big project, though, and never started it. <Sigh> You have done a beautiful job with those figures, though!

Grelber

Beautiful figures and terrain. We've played several battles with 15mm figures. Our French still haven't managed to use Chassepot to outfight the German artillery.

Nice job – inspiring to get back to my own Franco-Prussian project.

Very nice. I mostly like the Husars, strange brown uniform.

Very nice work. Interesting period. Our French have mostly won- strange.

Excellent work!

Thanks for the comments

Great to see the enthusiasm for an underappreciated period – or one that seems underappreciated.

Now for some games so some AAR can be posted here.

I've found these posts inspiring:
link

There's also more resources listed on the right.

It is an underappreciated period, mostly due to the lack of good rules and players trying to play napoleonics with what look a lot like Napoleonic figures.

If played properly, it is truly its own "thing" and fast becoming my favorite horse and musket period.

I like to think of it as "1915 World War I with much shorter weapon ranges" instead of "Napoleonics with longer range weapons".

Classic example… played a large game with my club, all Naps players. On one flank, they put all the infantry in the open and the skirmishers in the woods.

In the center, one guy "got it" and put the infantry in the woods so they don't get shot at and can advance through cover, while the artillery and light infantry cover the open ground. He was winning until he exited the woods and forgot that cavalry is still dangerous to infantry if used well… and they ate up some of his battalions.

But they all still enjoyed it.