A Tale of Two Armies - Building a 2mm Force

Our recent Talavera game was a huge success, but a correspondingly huge amount of work.  Our focus has been almost exclusively on gaming and rules-writing, so I thought I'd relax last night by building some 2mm Austrians from Irregular Miniatures, for a planed game of the Battle of Lobositz, 1756.

This is actually quite a complicated process.  To recreate accurately the ratios involved, I have calculated that:

• 1 infantry base = 1 battalion = (about) 8 - 900 men
• 1 cavalry base = 4-5 squadrons = 8 - 900 men
• 1 artillery base = 15 - 20 guns

I then had to find an army list and translate them into numbers of figures.  This also involved approximating the many different types of unit into a couple of available figure types at 2mm.  For instance, grenadiers and line infantry can be easily represented by the same generic infantry block (with some judicious painting to set them apart), but different cavalry types have to be incorporated.  Almost no two cavalry units were the same, which was frustrating.

I notice that most of my posts are just nice shots of the finished miniatures.  I thought I'd show you round my War Room so you can see 'under the hood' as it were.

The armies, as supplied.  This lot cost £25, which seems like a lot for two bags.  However, when you have them all based individually and ready for battle, it really does present a formidable sight that makes it all worthwhile.  I'd advise you to look at the pictures from our 2mm Talavera game if you doubt this.

Some of the research for the Austrian army.  It's a complicated process translating real armies into wargames figures.

Tonight, the basing begins.  With Yes Minister on the computer in the background, and half a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape to keep me going, I'll be sure to make it through to the finish in one go.

I count myself extremely fortunate to have a wargames room, and yet I only seem to have about six square inches to work on.  The models requre very little cleaning, it's mostly flash which needs removing from the underside, so they can sit on these small MDF bases.

It begins...

And it ends!  After only about 35 mins, the whole lot are cleaned and based up.  I also chopped up some cavalry bases to make individual mounted figures (brigade commanders) and double mounted figures (division commanders).

There we have it.  Perhaps not the most exciting post, but I hope an interesting one.  I'm fascinated to see how other people do their bread and butter wargaming and building, as well as the glorious battles which are the end goal for us all.

Ed