Christmas Competition - Win a free box of minis!

Here is a question to all Santa's Little Helpers - The Germans are having a party, but who is the guy in the Christmas hat? Post your answer to sorenralph@gmail.com with the subject "Christmas Competition". Any correct answer will put you in the draw for a FREE box of 16 Eagles of Empire 28mm historical miniatures!

The Garde Nationale Mobile

These two Mobiles are painted up using the
Francs-Tireurs box of 16 minis. 

This week I’ve been playing around with the idea of using the Eagles of Empire Miniatures boxes set of Francs-Tireurs as other French light units of the Franco-Prussian War. A perfect match in terms of uniform and equipment would be the ”Moblots”, or Garde Mobile – widely used during the Republican phase of the Franco-Prussian War.

The Eagles of Empire boxed set of 16 Francs-tireurs.

Even though the Imperial phase saw some of the biggest European battles of the late 19th Century, I really love the Republican phase and the desperate struggle France was fighting for political and military cohesion. This phase has also been widely romanticised in many fascinating images by French painters like Neuville and Detaille, wanting to underline the heroic but futile role of the French troops, and express reflection on France’s battered self-esteem in the decades after the devastating peace in 1871, where France ceded Alsace-Lorraine to the newly proclaimed German Empire. 

A unit of Garde Mobile charges into effective German rifle fire.

The Garde Mobile corners the sentiment of a people’s struggle as they were mass-enrolled into a poorly organized republican army, fighting the World’s most professional and well-lead force. A struggle mostly carried out at desperate odds, and with appalling weather conditions as the framework for almost any open battle they were engaged in.

The Mobiles are here seen mixed with normal Line infantry and Tireurs.
Not unusual for the desperate and confused battles of the Republican Phase.

The Garde Mobil was the brainchild of Napoleon III and his Minister of War, Adolphe Niel, as they in 1866 wanted to bolster the number of French troops available for mobilization. The looming power joust with the German Federation under Bismarck, had France at a considerable disadvantage in number of ready troops. The Garde Mobile counted 400.000 reservists, mainly drafted from the lower classes, as the richer had the opportunity to buy their way out through the “Remplacement” system. This loophole created political interest, and the Government Legislative Dept. tried to intervene in different ways, which unfortunately only resulted in poor education and armament for the Mobiles. 

The young reservists of the Garde Mobile.

Like the rest of the French army at the time of the collapse of the Second Empire, the Mobiles paid the price of the rotten leadership in France, with political and social reform lacking tenacity and direction. They fought bravely during countless desperate battles in the Loire, around Paris and in the North, and for that they should be one of the key ingredients in any Franco-Prussian War collectors Republican Phase army. 

Thank you very much for reading!

Newly Painted - Eagles of Empire Bavarians 1870-71

Kneeling trooper taking aim.
The orange cuffs indicates 12th IR.

As the heaviest snowfall in 100 years was recorded in Stockholm last week, I found myself for once with plenty of time at the painting table. Finally the Eagles of Empire Bavarian Infantry got some love from the brushes.

Bavarians heavily engaged against the famous Turcos
on the slopes at Woerth.

The boxed set of 16 minis includes an officer, drummer, ensign and 13 troopers all full of animation and Bavarian beards, prompted perhaps by a hearty consumption of Weißbier back in the South German kingdom.

No charge without a good tune!

I’m really happy with this set, and confess I have a weak spot for the cornflower-blue army. Having read H. M. Hozier’s account of the Bavarians’ storm on Bazeilles village during the Battle of Sedan, put them decidedly at the top of my sculpting list. 

Drink enough Bavarian beer,
and your facial hair will be just as prominent!

Before I serve a little background write-up on the Bavarians, let me just say that flags are coming to match this set. Hopefully released before Tactica! Now, here is a little history on the Bavarian Army of 1870-71.

"HALT"!

Decorated Bavarian Officer

The Royal Bavarian Army formed a central part of Bismarck’s German coalition force. The South German state was the largest contributor of manpower beside the Prussians. With legendary generals, like Von der Tann, and key roles in battles like Wissembourg, Woerth and Sedan, the cornflower blue Bavarians made their own unique mark in the annals of the Franco-Prussian War.

“Servus” and thanks for stopping by!

New in the Web Shop - Prussian Infantry of 1870

One of the central figures in the 16 mini boxed set.

Flag is from GMB's excellent range.

Dear readers, this week saw a fantastic amount of interest for Eagles of Empire Miniature’s newly released Wave II, not only visible by the many visits to our Facebook page, but also a huge backing of the range translating into orders in our web shop. Thank you all very much! 

Your continued support is what drive this project and range forward.

One of Neumann's wonderful litographic prints from the period.

In this post, I want to take a closer look at our newly released Prussian Infantry in summer uniforms (yes, Prussian Infantry in winter uniforms is in the sculpting pipeline for those harsh winter battles in late 1870 and early 1871).

"Zum Befehl!"

With a beard like that, you better obey...

In accord with last weeks focus on the feared Francs-Tireurs, I’ve composed a short historical background on the Prussians, to set the scene properly. I hope you’ll welcome these boys in blue to the centre stage of the Franco-Prussian War!

-*-

The Prussian army of 1870

After the rollercoaster ride of the Napoleonic Wars, with huge defeats but also glimmers of prestige like at Waterloo under Blücher, the Prussian army was bound for a road of reform and modernization. In 1859, King Frederick William IV tasked Minister of War Albrecht von Roon with the modernization of the Prussian fighting machine. 

Prussian trooper taking careful aim with his Needlegun.

Roon would form part of a triangle of brilliant Prussian leaders along with Bismarck and Moltke. Together these three conservative Prussian gentlemen would instrument profound change; introducing new effective tactical doctrines based on steam-age wonders like railroad and the telegraph, and channelling industrial innovation like the ultra modern Needle Gun rifle and perhaps the World’s best artillery hardware from the Krupp factories into the Pikklehube clad legions.

Another of the central minis in the box,

again with a proper 19th century beard.

All the above would later be refined into perfection in a series of wars known as the Wars of Unification. First the Second Schleswig War in 1864, then the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, and finally Moltke’s and Bismarck’s finest hour would be provoking Imperial France into the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71,which lead to German unification and empire under Prussian leadership. 

Thank you all very much for your support and interest in this project!

NEW in the Web Shop: Francs-Tireurs of 1870-71

Painted examples from the new boxed set of Francs-Tireurs.

Finally the boxed sets of the Eagles of Empire Miniatures Wave II are here and available in the web shop! A very big THANK YOU to all who was kind enough to place pre-orders, a practice we will be repeating when it's time for the cavalry to come galloping in with Wave III (spoiler alert)

First of in Wave II, I'd like to focus on the French irregulars. To set the stage and get your creative sparks flying, I've compiled some of the background history of the feared and illusive Francs-Tireurs. 

Artwork on the box - 16 minis included along
with unit cards for the coming EoE Rules.

The word ”Franc-Tireur” originally meant sharpshooter or sniper, and can be traced back to the Napoleonic era and the days of the French Revolution. In the autumn of 1870 however, after the capture of Napoleon III and the fall of the 3rd Empire, the newly formed Republic needed manpower to fight off the German occupation. As a consequence, a large range of irregular light infantry units got drafted from the mass of reservists, labour unions, rifle clubs and even the postal service. These were the Francs-Tireurs of 1870-71.

Another example of the many historical 

options you have with this box.

As the defence of the Republic started to get organized in late 1870 under the Levée en Masse (Universal Conscription) the Francs-Tireurs got integrated into the army under command of the respective Generals, and served in battles both in Loire, around Paris and near the boarder in Alsace-Lorraine.

Francs-Tireurs skirmishing with the German occupation forces.

Under their famed commander Lipowski, a unit of Francs-Tireurs won national fame and admiration as they stubbornly defended the small town of Châteaudun in October 1870 against a larger professional German force.

The Germans regarded the Francs-Tireurs as bandits loathing them for their guerrilla tactics, and a captured Franc-Tireur faced almost certain execution. 

-*-

Thanks again for stopping by the blog - I hope you've enjoyed the new minis. From a painter's perspective, I'd like to add, that the sculptor did a fantastic job, and they are a joy to have under the brushes! More Eagles of Empire Miniatures soon, when I look closer at the newly released Prussian Infantry.

Francs-Tireurs de la Presse: Boxed set of 16 minis – Teaser

Box art for the coming Francs-Tireurs set of 16 minis.

While enjoying an almost tropical 28 degrees in Stockholm, last week finally saw the confirmation of production and delivery of Wave II for the Eagles of Empire range.

The next two boxed sets of 16 minis, set for release in the EoE web shop late August, will be Prussian Infantry in summer uniforms, and the illustrious Francs-Tireurs. 

While we wait for the casting to be completed, I thought we could take a sneak peak at the Francs-Tireurs box to pass the time.

Bugler along with the skirmishing Francs-Tireurs.

The Francs-Tireurs de la Presse was, as the name indicates, men of the printing press equipped and armed to fight with the Republican army against the German invasion of France in 1870-71. They earned fame while defending the town of Châteaudun during the Loire Valley Campaign late 1870.

Closeup on the bugler and a trooper loading.

The heroic defence of the town's streets and barricades, and the resilient skirmishing of the Francs-Tireurs fighting alongside the local Fire Brigade, lead to the Town of Châteaudun getting awarded with Légion d’Honneur.

Francs-Tireurs questioning a German Uhlan prisoner.

The box will contain 16 large scale 28mm miniatures divided onto 14 troopers, one officer and one bugler. As all Eagles of Empire Miniatures boxed sets, they will come with an illustrated uniform painting reference on the back of the box, and with two unit cards for use with the coming EoE Rules.

The heroic defence of Châteaudun in October 1870.

Shortly it will be time to announce the boxed sets we decided to do as part of Wave III (projected for release before Christmas this year). So, stay tuned for more EoE updates, and I wish you all a wonderful summer!

Prussian boxed set of 16 minis - Teaser

The final Prussian box art.
Prussian trooper uniform plate by Manu Krommenacker.

Dear readers, after what seems like aeons of time I return to you with a small teaser on the coming Prussian boxed set of 16 minis for the Eagles of Empire range.

Since the official launch at this year's Hamburger Tactica, more releases have been brewing.

More miniatures are being developed, and the Eagles of Empire Rules are going through some rigorous playtesting. But more on that later.

Sculpting is coming along nicely.
As with the Bavarians, we've opted for the Prussians to have an advancing/attacking pose.

As with the other boxed sets in the Eagles of Empire range, the Prussian Infantry box will also contain 16 minis, incl. officer, bugler/drummer and ensign. All you need to portray the Prussian Infantry of 1870, whether you're doing a small collection for skirmishing games or a larger multi-based collection for bag battalion battles. And let me add, that mounted officers will come as add ons later. They're in the sculpting pipeline.

More updated to come soon on the French irregulars boxed set, the Franc-Tireurs, which is being developed and sculpted for a launch parallelly to the Prussians.

Thanks again to all who supported the range so far.

It's been a fantastic experience to receive so much backing from all parts of the World.

Your kind contributions will be repaid in coming product launches.

Thank you all for reading!

Eagles of Empire webshop

Eagles of Empire FaceBook

Eagles of Empire Product Focus: BAVARIAN INFANTRY PACK

The box art for the Bavarian Infantry set of 16 minis.

After a very enjoyable Hamburger Tactica, seeing the launch and subsequent complete emptying of the Eagles of Empire products stock, it was time to launch the webshop.

I want to say a big THANK YOU  to all of you who have placed orders online and who came by to talk and get tempted at Tactica. Without your support the range would never have been possible to grow.

First 4 out of the 16. Here you'll find the drummer advancing with the troopers.

Fortunately, we're now in the opposite situation. We've almost sold our entire first production batch in less than 2 weeks after the official online launch. Amazing! All surplus funds have been allocated to new sculpting projects for Wave III coming in September. More about that later.

Second 4 out of 16. The Ensign is among the ranks. 

Bavarian flags will be coming soon to the webshop.

Now, I owe you all some good pictures of the Bavarian Boxed set of 16 minis.

Besides the 16 figures, you'll also find the two squad cards that goes with the coming Eagles of Empire rules.

Each Bavarian Infantry Box breaks down into:

- 1 Officer

- 1 Ensign

- 1 Drummer

- 1 13 Troopers

- 2 Unit Cards for the EoE rules

Third set of 4 out of the 16.
Here is a character cheering along his compatriots for the charge.

I know many of you have been wanting bayonets, particularly for the French, but to some extend also for the Bavarians. They will be casted later as an optional add on. The reason: We want to do production mould of 16 minis, since this fits with our modular squad rule system. If the rifles get too long, extended with long bayonets, the mould will only hold 12 minis max.

Last set of 4 out of the 16. 

The officer is easily recognizable with the slightly larger plume on the helmet.

Now as a little round of, I can mention that we are working on making flags also.

There will be two variations to choose from or to get as a set.

More updates to come soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Eagles of Empire Webshop is LIVE!!!

The webshop is now LIVE, and we're taking orders.

www.eaglesofempire.com

Just came back from Hamburg and Tactica. An amazing experience which deserves its own blog update later in the coming week.

For now I just wanted to thank everyone who have been by the blog and commented on the Eagles of Empire project during the last few months. Your feedback and support have been priceless, and I thank you all for taking the time to share your views and ideas.

NOW - let's play some Franco-Prussian games!!!!

/Sören  

Eagles of Empire; Size Comparison

Size Comparison.
EoE vs. some of the market leaders.

Dear readers, as a last note of the week before we hit the much welcome weekend, I thought I’d post a Size Comparison of the coming Eagles of Empire range next to some of the other quality ranges on the market.

As I’ve mention before, the target was to create a modern range (so 28mm+), which could still be used with many of the other existing brands, like 1866 from Helion and Northstar.

French infantry in close combat

with German cavalry.

I’m a long time Franco-Prussian collector myself, and when I started some 15 years ago, I was only aware of the Foundry range. Thus, I have a lot of metal from this famous producer. The range is still the most extensive on the market, and much credit will have to go to it for the width of coverage it offers. Many, like me will have existing collections from other brands. I think most of us collection Franco-Prussian in 28 will have Foundry and 1866. 

My personal opinion is that the Eagles of Empire miniatures fit very well with 1866 from Helion and Northstar, and could in the case of Prussians easily be mixed together in the same multi-based units.

The Prussian Guards storm St. Private
at the battle of the same name.

For Foundry, I’d say they could go on the same gaming table, but I’d probably based them in different units as the 2-3mm gap does make itself told. On the other side, I have many good wargaming buddies, who like this height difference in their units. As they quite rightly say, real humans are not all the same height, and mixing up the minis will simply add to the realism of the finished unit. 

Anyways, I think we pulled it off quite well. What is your opinion?

Imperial French Line Infantry box previewed

The actual miniatures in a boxed set.

16 French minis forming a skirmish line
 as they receive the German onslaught.

Dear readers, the clock is ticking down fast towards the Eagles of Empire webshop launch on Friday the 26th February. Being a brand new company, Eagles of Empire was fortunate enough to also get a table at the Hamburger Tactica show on the 27th and 28th, giving anyone at the show a chance to see the Wave 1 figures in the flesh. 

Artwork for the Imperial French Line Infantry box.

For those not so lucky as to be at Tactica, I want to make a thorough presentation of what Wave 1 products are being stocked now for the launch. First off, we take a closer look at the 16 different minis in the standard French Line Infantry box. Before getting my camera out, I took a set and washed then down with Nuln Oil, to give you an indication of the incredibly crisp level of details sculptor Ebob managed to get in there.

French "lignard"

Illustration by Manu.

Copyright Eagles of Empire Miniatures.

'The basic set of 16 French Line Infantry will consist of:

- Officer

- Ensign

- Bugler

- NCO

- 6 sitting shooting/loading

- 6 standing shooting/loading

The box will also contain Unit Cards for the coming Eagles of Empire Rules.

Now to the minis:

NCO

Kneeling, firing - no moustache

Standing loading - no moustache

Kneeling, loading - no moustache

Standing, loading - beard

Bugler

Standing, firing - moustache

Kneeling, firing - moustache

Standing, firing - no moustache

Kneeling, scouting for target - moustache

Officer

Kneeling, searching cartridge pouch

Ensign

Kneeling, loading - no moustache

Standing, firing - moustache

Standing, searching cartridge pouch

Thank you very much for stopping by the blog.

Next up a size comparison of the Eagles of Empire range with other ranges!