In Sharp Practice you get to use a lot of things that you don't really need in most Napoleonic games (other than for show-of, all so important), for example a lot of wagons, civilians, medics, priests and so on. This is one thing that I really really like about this game. There are rules for them, so let's use them! As we are approching a campaing featuring (we hope) a lot of property destruction and bridges being blown up and re-built, I really need some engineers. I looked in envy at the spoiled French players' choices. Many nice engineer miniatures, just there for you to order and paint up! But playing Russians is always a little harsher. I had to convert them. To do it the "Kriget kommer!"-way, I opted for two units. One would surely not be enough when it was time for the engineers to hit the table - I needed to convert two units. I had Perry's Russian "Infantry marching casually, summer dress (1809 kiwer)" and Russian "Infantry command marching casually, summer dress (1809 kiwer)" sets at home because I like the miniatures, since I've been looking for an excuse to start a line infantry force. I started to think that it could be quite easy to change them into engineers. Get a shovel and use it to replace the banner pole? Easy! When I saw the Black Hussar Miniatures packof extra artillery equipment I knew how to finalise this idea. The pack has an wide varity of axes, clubs, sledges, a saw(!) and so on. I ordered it and a extra pack of Perry "Infantry command marching casually, summer dress (1809 kiwer)" to make things easier and, you know, I needed two units of engineers. I did some research on this incredible site and found out that in 1812 there were three "Engineer" battalions in the Russian army. Each consisted of four companies: three of these were pioneer companies and one was a miner company. The miner company was the "elite" company of the engineeer battalions (more correct "Pioneer and sapper" battalions). It was divided into two platoons, the miners and sappers, the sappers being the real "combat engineers" of the battalion. They had yellow pom-poms, and thats the only part of their uniform that stands out. Of course I wanted the most bad-ass engineers, so sappers it will be. After all they have to enjoy going up against the engineers of the French Guard.... yellow pom-poms it is! Down here you see the photos of my conversion process: Napoleonic sappers really need axes. Here is the guy with the biggest one. I took away the musket using a knife. By being extra careful, I don't even think I cut myself. I fixed the great-coat roll with some greenstuff. The other axe-sapper, more casual than his comrade. Had to knife away the musket for this one, easier than I thought it would be. I also fixed great-coat roll with greenstuff. One of the standard bearers got a shovel instead of regimental colors (what a disappointing fate!). Just tweaked the arm a bit for a handier position. After I did the basecoat and rearrangement from the pioneers to the sappers, he also got a carbine. Handier than a musket when having a lot of other stuff do do and drag around! Taking away the musket with a knife, then drilling a hole with a hand-drill in the remnants of the hand, sticking the club in place. Some greenstuff to cover up for the damage made to the great-coat roll in the process of removing the musket. Did I say that the summer of 1812 was warm? Yes it was! I did the second club-man just like the first one! Now it was time for some more deliberate work. I chopped of the drum and drum-sticks with a knife, then greenstuffed a sack over the backpack (as well hiding that there is no water bottle left). I think there are some rolls of rope in the sack if you wonder. I also made a head swap to add some varity (a Perry plastic 1809 kiwer head). Then after the basecoat I decided to add some more guns to the unit, so he got a carbine. This was also from a drummer marching casually. Knifed off the drum and drum-sticks, put on a chest from the Black Hussar package, greenstuffed some straps for carrying it, and put a hammer and a sledge on top of it. Then I realised that someone had to bring the pick. So I drilled a hole in the right hand and put a small dot of greenstuff in it. Then I stuck the pick in the hand and a piece of greenstuff in from the other end, as the pick was damaged, or the shaft was a bit too short. After basecoat, in rearming from pioneer to sapper, I also stuck a carbine in on top of everything. That's qute a heavy load! This was the most elaborate conversion, beginning as one of the standard bearers. I liked the saw from the start, but it was huge! An erected saw was the only alternative apart from using it in a Deployment Point or diorama. But a soldier on the tabletop is always the best way to go, so off I went. I trimmed one end of the saw to get it a little bit shorter. I needed a new arm to get the saw in place, so I shopped of the old one and replaced it with one from from the Perry Russian plastic kit. I used the ones holding the standard for this, as I don't need them as I play Jägers (they don't carry colours). But the hand was not in the right position, so I took a new one from another Perry plastic standard bearer arm, cut it of, glued it on place and drilled a hole for the saw handle. Then I glued the saw in place, firmly in hand of my sapper! After this I wanted to use an arm holding a kiwer I had in my bit box (left-over from another conversion). I needed a bare head for this, and I had none, so I found an old head I had cut of the headgear from in some earlier conversion and made hair out of greenstuff. Then I realised that I had to take the tassels away, as they were fixed under the backpack... I did it with the knife, and it was a little tricky (as I already glued the head in place!), but with a new strap of greenstuff my blunders with the knife were covered up. Last but not least I cut off the right hand and put the new one holding the kiwer in place, adjusting it to the right position with a small amount of greenstuff. Violá! My two groups of sappers needed an officer. As I already had one of this "marching casually command" officer painted up for my force, I wanted to convert the new one. First I made a head swap, easy. Then I got some guns and heads from my mates at the club for this project, among this loot were an pistol. Cool. I drilled a hole and put in the gun. Fitting for a sapper officer! Then I read that the sapper officers did not wear a gorget. Oh my! This means that he's off to join the Jägers, as I'm always in need of officers there. But luckily I had recently bought Black Hussars Miniatures' set of Prussian "Medical staff" (four medical officers) to use as Russian physics, as the uniforms are pretty close. One of these was now called up to be my new sapper officer - a practical person who has put his sword away to pick up some tools to use with the sledge-hammer (also a Black Hussar item). He has left the silver sash and tassel at camp, because as I said, he's a practical man. The only thing I needed to do was to greenstuff the epaulettes, as the Russian officer's epaulettes are quite more elaborate than the Prussian ones. I cut off parts of the cuffs from an plastic Perry Russian, and glue them in place so that he's got Russian cuffs, not Prussian! I also painted some musket-armed sappers so that I have two full groups for Sharp Practice. Group photo of the converted sappers, with their officer. The two groups united! What I did wrong - confessions of a Napoleonic player: Sapper edition
I don't really think that the Russian sappers were armed with muskets, or muskets with bayonets. According to my source, they took pride in being pistol armed! So the muskets may be wrong. I got them some carbines instead to make up for this (probably they got some carbines for self defence even if they were not issued them). I also don't know how the badge on the ammo pouch should look. I went for a grenade badge as they are an "elite company", but it's a guess on my part as maybe they did not even have ammo pouches! Cheers! /Shirty
4 Comments
Jim McCabe
18/6/2018 20:29:16
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Do you mind if I copy your ideas? They look great and this is something my Russians could go with....well, they could probably get by without sappers but it would be harsh on my Russians not to have a unit as cool as this. Thanks for the inspiration! :)
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Jonas
18/6/2018 20:51:47
For sure, go ahead! Shirty is much better at me at getting around to make conversions, but I'll see if I can add some nifty stuff for the French at some point as well. :)
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Simpa
25/8/2018 20:21:00
Thanks! No I don't have much to background. Mostly the things that I learned due to the information linked in the blog-post. Think it was more information in the notes there. If you combine it its like an Osprey. If I did them again I would have given them more pistols :)
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