returns to Flintloque to paint an Ogre.
Eureka Miniatures are pleased to announce more new releases from Tony Barton to add to his definitive range of 15/18mm Napoleonics. The latest AB Figures are 1812-14 Russian militia, and Russian staff and personality sets.
The Russian militia, or opolchenie, was briefly mobilised in 1806-07 by a monarchy and aristocracy that were distinctly nervous about the prospect of arming large numbers of downtrodden peasants. However, the great national crisis triggered by Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 prompted the Russian government to call upon the opolchenie again. Training and uniforms were rudimentary, and a shortage of muskets meant about two thirds of the men were only armed with a simple half-pike. Organisations varied from region to region, but the Moscow and St Petersburg opolchenie were formed into 'cohorts' each comprising of two pike-armed battalions and one musket-armed battalion. A significant number of these units fought in the later battles of 1812 with several cohorts from the Moscow opolchenie fighting at Borodino. Following Napoleon's retreat from Moscow, some opolchenie units accompanied the Russian army into Germany in 1813 and these were present at various battles and sieges. Collectors building opolchenie cohorts should use Russian officer figures in regular uniform for command.
However, another role of the opolchenie was to provide replacement manpower for the regular army. As well as forming opolchenie battalions, collectors of Russian armies can also mix these figures into their regular units for interesting variety. Some depleted Russian infantry regiments formed entire pike-armed third ranks from reinforcements absorbed from the opolchenie.
Before wargamers dismiss these gentlemen as "only militia," it should be noted that many surprised contemporaries commented on how well they fought – especially in 1812 when defending the Russian motherland. Despite the limited training and profusion of pikes, they conducted their charges with "ardent ferocity" (although once serving far from home in Germany, the enthusiasm of at least some opolchenie battalions seems to have waned somewhat).
To complete these new offerings from Tony Barton, we also have two sets of Russian command figures - a set of generic Russian staff officers, and a personality set including Kutusov, Platov & Bragration. No Russian Napoleonic army should be without a figure of Kutusov!
There will be more new 15/18mm AB Figures releases from Eureka over the coming year.
Here are the catalogue details for the new miniatures:
15/18mm AB FIGURES: RUSSIAN 1812 – NEW RELEASE – MILITIA & GENERALS
Variants are supplied randomly.
R19 St Petersburg Militia, with pike
R20 St Petersburg Militia, with musket
R21 St Petersburg Militia, firing and loading
R22 Moscow Militia, with pike
R23 Moscow Militia, with musket
R24 Moscow Militia, firing and loading
R25 Russian staff officers, mounted (3 figure set)
R26 Russian Generals – Kutusov, Platov & Bragration (3 figure set)
AB Figures 15/18mm miniatures can also be ordered in the U.K. from Fighting 15s, and in North America from Eureka Miniatures U.S.A.