The 100, and the Russians

 So the painting has continued in my spare time, unabated. I now have 100 15mm musket armed Murids painted. I am quite pleased with this progress. Only 60 more musket armed Murids to go, then a variety of ragged melee types to paint up and mix in for fun. Photos below of the horde so far. All from the wonderful Irregular Miniatures.

I also received a parcel from Irregular Miniatures, can you guess what it is? Correct! It’s the Russian army of the South to fight those pesky mountain guerrillas, the Murids, united, mostly, under the leadership of the Lion of Dagestan, Imam Shamyl. 

The Russian army of the South themselves were a strange mix, great, pompous, rich senior officers that took their entire households from St Petersburg, across the Russias, to Georgia and the Caucasus. To officers banished far from court by the Tzar for some disgrace, to dirt poor, young serfs, conscripted and dragged across all the Russias to die in the harsh but beautiful landscape of the Caucasus, far from their parents and family. It also attracted adventurer types, who wanted to join the band wagon of campaigning in the Caucasus, and if they survived, to return home, and tell tall tales beside the fire to excite all but the longest served veterans.

I feel there is much oppurtunity for fun wargaming here, from raids by the Murids on Russian lines of communication, including the newly built Georgian military highway, to assaults on small forts and outposts usually held by Cossacks, to kidnaps, for ransom, to ambushes, invasions, and sieges and assaults. All on a very gameable scale. It feels a bit like the North West Frontier but a lot less well known and gamed.