Big Battles for Small tables: Divisional Formations

15th Division, V Army Corps (represented by 17th Light Infantry)
marching in a Division column.  The carabiniers on the right
and voltigeurs on the left are intended to  give the impression
that the column comprises successive 'battalions' in line. 

 It is considered a war games 'truth' that one should depict in the table the level of detail not more than two grades below the overall command level.  If it's an army level game, then your tactical units are Divisions, or, as Army Corps are miniature armies, we might at a stretch go to Brigade level.  If you want your tactical unit to be the individual man, then what you are looking at is a platoon level game - a skirmish game, withal.

The column of 15th Division advancing with
skirmishing voltigeurs thrown forward.
Figures are Front Rank.

It is one of those 'truths' that has always irritated me.  It seems to me that what is being popularly prescribed for miniatures war games are the restrictions imposed by board war games.   Your cardboard counter, or other form of unit, and the scope of the playing surface - battlefield or strategic map - implies a kind of 'grain' to the game.  Board games by and large are coarse grained.  In a game like Axis and Allies a tank represents an army or, more likely, an army group.

As this Division is represented by a light infantry unit, I
am allowing it double my standard skirmishing capability.
Here, the voltigeur skirmishers have been reinforced by the carabiniers.

My own Big Battles for Small Tables concept is also 'coarse grained'.  That the proposed figure scale is 1:200 right off obviates depicting units below regimental or battalion level.  I could have a formal organisation of 4-figure battalions, but I'm disinclined to do this.  Rather, I am looking to depicting what can happen inside an infantry Division without any formal lower organisation.  This series of pictures shows what I mean: Divisional columns, with and without skirmishers deployed forward;  a Division deployed in successive lines, with skirmishers deployed; and a possible ordre-mixte formation.

15th Division deployed in successive lines, again with a
heavy cloud of skirmishers to the fore.  How this will work in action
I hope to show in my next posting.

One of several possible Divisional ordre-mixte formations.

One formation that doesn't seem to 'work' is the 24-figure Division broken down into 'battalion' columns.  There I have to accept the 'fudge' - much as is done with the Age of Eagles rule set, and allow the single block to stand for all columnar formations.  Or, alternatively, field two 10-figure brigade columns behind the skirmish screen.

An attempt to depict the Division deployed in battalion,
 Regimental or Brigade columns.  Not a very good look in my view.

What in effect I am attempting here is to depict, within the constraints imposed by my figure, ground, and time scales, the internal workings of a Division, but without a formal organization below the Divisional tactical unit.  What I hope this will achieve is that the soldiers themselves carry the information to the Army Commander what it is doing and how it stands.  

11th Division (a.k.a. 33rd Line Infantry), IV Army Corps,
deployed in brigade columns with a screen of skirmishers.
This doesn't look so bad, but I still don't know whether I want
this sort of thing.  First generation Minifigs figures.

11th Division in Brigade columns.

Recent Acquisition:

1. I must welcome the 111th 'follower' of this blog spot.  Unfortunately, I can't tell who that is!  At any rate, I do hope you enjoy what you find herein.

2. I recently acquired (two or three weeks ago now), through the good offices of Brent, who always has his eye on what's being offered on TradeMe, a fine metal battery of Prussian artillery.  A couple of years ago, I rescued a half-finished plastic Prussian Army (Revell, I think) that was about to be 'deep-sixed' by a friend, and offered it a good home.  To this I've added a couple of cavalry units (I've only begun painting these guys - horrible figures, which doesn't help the motivation).  And then came this windfall.  The 'buy now' price was right for me (no percentage in haggling) and here they are.

My Prussian guns, as they were about a fortnight ago.
Not sure of their manufacture.  Possibly Hinchliffe?

 Not much work needed on these at all.  Here I've already begun a refurb of the tyres and metal furnishings of the guns.  since these pics were taken, I've painted all three cannon a lightish mid-blue, and given the gun barrels a light ink touch-up to highlight the details.   I've yet to apply a blue ink overwash to the woodwork.

The guns look like 2x3pr and a 6pr piece.  Not that I'll
concern myself overmuch with that!

 As for the figures, aside from the basing and flocking (now done), there is little more to do on these figures. I did add a little of my gloss-black-and-silver mix to represent churned up water in the bucket (see the battery's right hand gun), and I'm thinking of adding a little yellow and red the the lighted end of the slow matches, but that's about it really.

3 guns, 12 gunners and an artillery officer.  Just the thing.

Of course, for my BB4ST rule set, each gun will represent a Corps Reserve artillery park.  But as it stands, it is a fine looking unit - just right for my Corsican Ogre rule set.