David Bickley's Wargames Blog

The occasional ramblings of an average gamer, journeyman painter, indifferent modeller, games designer, sometime writer for Wargames Illustrated and host of games in GHQ.



Tuesday 10 February 2015

L'Armee Francais de la Republique est terminee, pour l' instant

At least for the time being, my French Republican army for my Wars of the French Revolution project is finished! I have two Hussars to collect from Duncan/Trent Miniatures at Partizan in May and I shall have completed that part of the project! I popped in to Arcane while I was in Nottingham last month to browse their stock of Trent Miniatures. The reason? Well, I wanted to add some appropriate skirmishes to my small British Army and, inspired by something I saw on another Blog,I wanted to look at the Tyrolean troops as I thought I could use them to suggest a foreign unit in British pay, perhaps like the Lowenstein Chasseurs. I bought three packs: Officers, Firing Line and Skirmishers/Casualties. While they lack some details of the Lowenstein's uniform jacket, they will do for me. I've completed four Skirmishers for the unit, so you can judge for yourself. Meanwhile, a few shots of the final French infantry battalion ~

Drawn up in line










Command elements

















The Elite Company






















The Elite Company in the above picture is a bit of a cheat, comprising as it does an officer and a drummer from the Consular Guard command pack and two Elite Company in bearskins. I wanted to be able to field the Elite Companies in one large composite Battalion and these will help the 'look' of that unit with a command element.









The picture above shows four skirmishing Elite Company figures for my Lowenstein-like Chasseurs. No doubt purists, lace counters and button freaks will have a fit, but they will do for me to represent one of the many foreign units in British pay during the period. I've just finished four more figures as it happens and have decided to base those two to a 40 x 40mm base to represent a looser formation than the British Line!























Finally, a figure to command the British Heavy Cavalry brigade. Its the Trent Miniatures Irish Militia officer with an Empress Miniatures head swop! I can't abide the loose heads which accompany the later figures from a different sculptor and I like the lively expression on this head so here he is. In my opinion is an average sculpt, a bit wooden, but reprieved by the fine Copplestone horse and the head swop. Of course, you are free to disagree!
I hope to finish the Chasseurs for the British in the next week, so if I can I'll pop them up before I go away. If not, they will have to wait, and so will my reader!

8 comments:

  1. I rather like the cavalryman, wonderfully supercilious.

    Before you leave the period could I ask you, what views did you form on hat pom pom colours. As I read it anything pre 1806 is at the colonels whim. I just wondered if you found anything more definitive?

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    1. Thanks John! My son Matt, who designed the original figures, tells me they were mostly red in early years so I stuck with that myself. I don't have any other information on Pom pons. Sorry I can't be of more help.

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    2. Thank you for that. I have also gone with red as most likely and looking good.

      My figures are mainly Elite and Old Glory but your sons designs look splendid in your armies. I shall certainly be buying some soon.

      John

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    3. Yes, red seems best to me as I said, so a sound choice John. Have seen many Elite figures on other Blogs, but not bought any myself yet. Old Glory simply don't do it for me, but I do accept that many others find them fine.

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