What faction(s) to collect?

[Phosis21]

Hello everyone,

As a complete newbie to both Field of Glory and Napoleonic wargaming as a whole, I have no collection and no idea where to start.

Since discovering this game, I've been trying to learn more and more about the course of the war (I'm reading The Spanish Ulcer right now).

Anyway...there was a point here. While the French seem like a no brainer to collect, who else I should be getting is much more in the air. I think an Anglo-Iberian force could be nice (Richard Sharpe and all...), and although I know nothing but the broadest strokes about the Russian Invasion, they also seem like a good force to collect.

Question - how does each country play? whats a good starting point for a complete and total beginner? Where do I start!?!?

[gelin]

Hello everyone,

As a complete newbie to both Field of Glory and Napoleonic wargaming as a whole, I have no collection and no idea where to start.

Since discovering this game, I've been trying to learn more and more about the course of the war (I'm reading The Spanish Ulcer right now).

Anyway...there was a point here. While the French seem like a no brainer to collect, who else I should be getting is much more in the air. I think an Anglo-Iberian force could be nice (Richard Sharpe and all...), and although I know nothing but the broadest strokes about the Russian Invasion, they also seem like a good force to collect.

Question - how does each country play? whats a good starting point for a complete and total beginner? Where do I start!?!?

Well in my opinion it is best to read as much as possible and then start with the army that caused you most admiration and love.

[LeslieMitchell]

Hello everyone,

As a complete newbie to both Field of Glory and Napoleonic wargaming as a whole, I have no collection and no idea where to start.

Since discovering this game, I've been trying to learn more and more about the course of the war (I'm reading The Spanish Ulcer right now).

Anyway...there was a point here. While the French seem like a no brainer to collect, who else I should be getting is much more in the air. I think an Anglo-Iberian force could be nice (Richard Sharpe and all...), and although I know nothing but the broadest strokes about the Russian Invasion, they also seem like a good force to collect.

Question - how does each country play? whats a good starting point for a complete and total beginner? Where do I start!?!?

Reading is a good option find someone you like and then recreate that force, but I choose a colour (Prussian blue) and then found a nation which used that colour, then started collecting to collect them.

[david53]

Reading is the way to go because like all armies used in FOG you will not win games while learning.

So what you want is an army that you'll still like even if they lose lots in the begaining.

So in my case I fell for the Westfalians a smallish army so you could collect most of the units and being dressed in white was another plus.

So read general histories and then narrow down on to the army you like then go for the figures.

regards

[KendallB]

Look at uniform websites until you see something that makes you go "Ooooh, pretty!" and build your army around that.

[gelin]

Look at uniform websites until you see something that makes you go "Ooooh, pretty!" and build your army around that.

A good place to start (apart from the Osprey "bibles" of course):
http://centjours.mont-saint-jean.com/unitesPR.php

Contains detailed coloured uniforms for every single regiment that took part in the Waterloo Campaign (French, Prussian, British, Dutch, KGL, Brunswick, Nassau)

[MikeHorah]

I would ensure you have a French army of some sort and a major opponent - either Austrian or Russian as they were and will be consistent opponents and they don't change quite so much in appearance and army shape as others do . Then you can practice. The French are virtually the universal common denominator for the wars and there is huge choice in all figure scales including Plastics. 1809 is a good time to chose as the French are still at their apogee if not quite as good as 1805-07 . As you get into it having a base of French enables you to add some of the foreign french allied contingents and inodviduakl divisions for colour and variety or quality while not having to build 100% completey new armies.

I have about 20,000 28mm Napoleonics collected over 40 years but I can assure yo that If I had to begin again using FOG(N) I would need far fewer thanI have amassed and would have many more plastics as a %. 15mm is a good scale for FOG(N).

There will be Peninsular war lists out in September ( and 1805-07) in the second Book Emperors and Eagles so maybe not rush to do that until then. The Peninsular list in the rules will be superseded by several lists. The Spanish Ulcer is an excellent book and I read it heavily. For Waterloo Peter Hofshroers
two volumes are good too.

But there is no end of reading you can do if you arev of a mind to. Books or figures? I think one can guess.

I would not worry to much ( if indeed you do) about precise uniform shades especially of green and dark Blue. They used rather poor dyes and were not so able to " fix" the colours into the cloth so they faded and/or ran so dyed them darker to begin with. So purists telling you precisely what shade to use are almost ceratinly wrong for at least some of the time! And by the time you do highlights and low lights and ink washes who can tell anyway what shde you bagan with ! Main thing re Blue is that Prussian is much darker than French ( as are the Poles) and re Green British rifle the darkest, re red/scarlet Swiss is darker and richer than British.

Sharpe et al while wonderful does not resonate so much at the Corps level. If you want some really inspring movie stuff the film Waterloo is well worth it . It's what inspoired me in the 1970's( pretty cheap to buy on DVD) and there is good stuff in the last Russian version of War and Peace ( not the BBC version) but that needs more time and patience than many are prepared to devote away from painting and playing!

Enjoy and weclome to this classic era.

[nigelemsen]

We'll new to FOGN so my ten pence worths:

read lots, pick an army that appeals even when you loose...

So ive gone for French Imperial Guard in 15mm....
Pros:
Very pretty...
Very small and therefore cheap to buy..
Because it is so small, I'll get plenty of time to look round the trade stands

Cons:
dont go for a placing

[gelin]

Why do you write that with the French imperial guard you can't go for a placing?

[Blathergut]

Because the army will be so small compared to some Austrian behemoth!

[deadtorius]

Guard units are expensive, so an army full of guard troops will have less troops. For example Austrian line infantry is only 8 points per base. Middle guard for example are 17 points per base, and old guard run 21. As you can see I can get 2 bases per single guard base and still have more points to spare for more troops, thus a larger Austrian army.

[Phosis21]

Thank you for all the great replies!

I must say, that despite starting to learn about this era with a highly pro-British book (Sharpe's series), I'm starting to be won over by the French! So many wonderful uniforms, allies, theaters. They're like playing Germans in a WWII game .

If 15mm is the ideal scale (as it seems), I know for metals, I want to go for AB. Are there any plastics in this scale (at all?).

[Trailape]

Plastics in 15mm? Unfortunatly not as yet, though I do hear some are planned.
AB are very nice (the best actually IMHO) but also quite expensive.
I'd suggest looking at some other 18mm (ABs are actually 18mm scale but 15 and 18mm armies can and do play against each other), such as BLUE MOON miniatures, OLD GLORY 15s, Warmodeller and another fellow who's name escapes me at this moment who has just started french in 18mm scale based in Spain.
Welcome to Napoleonic Gaming!

[Trailape]

Oh, and I should add, go for French and Austrians. They were at each others throats pretty much constantly.

[KendallB]

...and another fellow who's name escapes me at this moment who has just started french in 18mm scale based in Spain.

Campaign Game Miniatures.

[Trailape]

...and another fellow who's name escapes me at this moment who has just started french in 18mm scale based in Spain.

Campaign Game Miniatures.

No, not them, but they are also another excellent suggestion for a 'less expensive' option.
Xan Miniatures was the one I was thinking of.
From TMP:
Hi all:
Yes, I'm the old sculptor of miniatures Fantassin.
I was forced to leave, I spent some time sabbatical.
The next figures, will the french ligth infantry .
You can ask for packages to your liking if I Indicate to the order.
More, More Thanks for all.
Xan
He himself commented that AB Miniatures are the best.

[gelin]

Yes it is obvious that the French guard will be outnumbered. Has the guard quality vs quantity be tested on table?

[KendallB]

BrettPT has used an Imperial Guard army on table about 8 times for only 2 wins. It's just too small and losing just two units will get you close to a 30-10 loss. A good opponent can isolate and gang up on guard units as they have the numbers to get a 3:1 ratio that will rout the guard.

[edb1815]

Plastics in 15mm? Unfortunatly not as yet, though I do hear some are planned.
AB are very nice (the best actually IMHO) but also quite expensive.
I'd suggest looking at some other 18mm (ABs are actually 18mm scale but 15 and 18mm armies can and do play against each other), such as BLUE MOON miniatures, OLD GLORY 15s, Warmodeller and another fellow who's name escapes me at this moment who has just started french in 18mm scale based in Spain.
Welcome to Napoleonic Gaming!

+1 on AB. Just ordered a bunch of ADCs and casualties for markers. Although they are 18mm, many of the so called 15mm are actually 18mm and will work together in the same army as noted. Blue Moon goes well with AB. They are mostly marching poses and havn't put out cavalry yet though. Campaign Game Miniatures has a full range for the 1815 campaign.

[LeslieMitchell]

Thank you for all the great replies!

I must say, that despite starting to learn about this era with a highly pro-British book (Sharpe's series), I'm starting to be won over by the French! So many wonderful uniforms, allies, theaters. They're like playing Germans in a WWII game .

If 15mm is the ideal scale (as it seems), I know for metals, I want to go for AB. Are there any plastics in this scale (at all?).

Lancashire games do some nice figure for this period.

http://www.lancashiregames.co.uk/joomla/