Hello everyone!
I thought that I’d do some more infantry utilizing some new
miniatures that I bought on a whim last week. These lads represent the Compagnie de
Voltigeurs in the 19e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne. This regiment primarily
fought in the eastern part of the French Empire against the Austrians,
Prussians and Russians, but for a few years it fought in Spain. (Click
on the pictures for larger versions.)
The kneeling
figures are all the plastic RISK board game pieces I mentioned buying earlier. When
I bought them, I had no idea whether or not they would even be usable with
other 15mm figures, but I was lucky to discover that the infantry figures could
be pressed into service without any difficulty; unfortunately, neither the
cavalry pieces (which are way too small) nor the artillery pieces (which are
silly looking anachronisms) could be used. The only modifications I really had
to do to the infantry was to cut a bit of plastic from the bottom of each base
and cut a space between the figures’ shako plumes and musket muzzles.
Before they arrived
I also wasn’t sure what nationality I could use them for, but when they came in I immediately
noticed that they had the distinctively French bell-topped shakos. The only
real problem that I found with them historically is that all of them have the
epaulettes and sabre-briquet of elite
companies. Though there’s nothing I can do about the molded epaulettes, I did
try carving off the sabre-briquet,
without satisfactory results. So, when I start doing line companies I apologize
to the hardcore button-counters out there as they will have short swords; as a
historian I try to paint uniforms as accurately as possible, but sometimes you’ve
got to play the hand you’re dealt.
These
figures are quite small, almost too small for 15mm figures, but they are
kneeling and overall they fit in pretty well with the Heritage figures that
make up the back rank. At this scale the eye overlooks the fact that they are a
hair on the small side, and besides they were dirt cheap. I got enough to flesh
out the entire front rank of a 36 man battalion for less than $10 from eBay. With
the whole front rank kneeling, my goal is to have a battalion that looks as if
it has formed square. Moral: if you’re looking for cheap kneeling 15mm figures
that fit in well with makers such as Heritage and Essex, try the infantry
pieces from the 1998 version of the board game RISK.
I’ve painted
this battalion in the white uniforms that Napoleon reintroduced in 1806. The 19e
was one of only eleven regiments that ever received the unpopular uniforms
before they were abandoned. I think they
are very different looking and quite snazzy; I can see why the Ogre tried to
bring them back. They are also a snap to paint. The 19e will certainly stand
out within a brigade on the tabletop.
Coming up: More
French. I’m alternately working on the 19e and the 3e Hussars.
Comments,
questions and criticisms are always welcome and appreciated! Thanks for
looking!
-Chuck
Very nice work with this unit, and great blog too, I like 'the Ogre' and 'the pirates'...I'll come back!
ReplyDeletePhil.
Thank you Phil!
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