Light Cavalry the “eyes and ears” of the army! (remember all pictures are “clickable” for a larger more detailed image!)
There is something about the Napoleonic period that has always fascinated me. I think it’s a bit like my fascination with feudal Japan the period of Sengoku-jidai (The Age of the Country at War) where war was raised to almost an art form, truly “The Art of War”. Uniforms, dress, tactics, and weapons remained basically the same for a long period of time but were honed to a fine edge. I love painting miniatures, but both Feudal Japanese and Napoleonic figures hold a special joy in painting for me!
I recently decided to toss a paint brush and some time at reducing my 20+ pounds of unpainted 15mm Napoleonic figures as well as retire some ebay units to be replaced by units painted by me. Since much of my early gaming in the Napoleonic period was done using “mercenary units” standing in for Cavalry units I had not painted I figured that was a good place to start. Looking into the “Napy box” showed I could use some more light cavalry, in fact I had only one small unit of Chasseur’s a’ Cheval (and that was painted by my friend Stevie G over 25 years ago!).
I’ve always been a fan of “Old Glory’s” original line because of the cool poses! This officer looks to be saying something to the “Eagle” bearer, perhaps “Good luck Monsieur Barrett, once again we seek glory for France!”
Most of my Napoleonic figure are from 19th century miniatures (former Old Glory line) as I think they have not only one of the most extensive lines, but their variety of poses within the pack is outstanding. The sculpts are on the whole excellent, casting good, and in the hands of a good painter look very good as well (like most figures). I feel the figures are much more dynamic as well, charging figures really look the part, even “at rest” or “in reserve” figures look like they are getting ready to jump in the fight not the “trotting on the parade ground” pose you see in some figure lines.
I started with 24 figures, to be split into two groups of twelve, resulting in two six stand units based for the Age of Eagles rule set. The unit Steve had given me years ago was painted as the 13th Chasseurs and as an homage to him (he started me in Napoleonic’s) one-unit world be painted in the 13ths Chasseurs colors while the other would be modeled after the 4th Chasseurs a’ Cheval. Here are the 4th Chassaeur’s a’ Cheval. Stay tuned for the 13th Chasseurs soon to follow!
Napoleonic figures are I feel some of the hardest figures to get the uniforms correct simply because of the detail, complexity, and changes that went on over the period. The research can be frustrating and mistakes will be made even with exhaustive research by the best painters… I have made a few “simple ones” in these figures, can you spot them?
Horses are always tough to make look real. Over the years I think I have learned to do a fair job. Here we have the proverbial “Horse’s Ass!”
Lined up in “Attack Column” ready for the Emperors command! If you click and expand this picture the face of the horse in the back on the left is quite comical. He seems to have an expression of “good lord! not again…cant we all just get along!”
They came out very well; I am especially fond of the simple elegance of the Chasseur uniform… and with a bevy of different facing colors to choose from, too!
Now that’s brave man, to invite criticism of the details of his painting of a Napoleonic unit! I am not going to worry which items are yellow, or green piped yellow by regiment, but I do think that the plumes are off; should be dark green tipped with yellow (the facing color). Easily corrected if you care to do so.
LOL! not so much brave as as “I’d like to learn” and “I sometimes do things slightly different for artistic reasons” but here I do believe I am correct (well at least some of the sources say I am) as “Arms and Uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars” by Liliane and Fred Funcken show it this way. White pompom base and green plume tipped with yellow. It may be that the “Pompom” should be white? I do think I thought about this and went with yellow as I could not find a good source of info on this detail, sometime close enough must do! Now I have seen lots of plumes and pompoms with the green and yellow reversed as well for different troops types. Knotels excellent works show Chasseurs done both ways! the 4th as I have done but the 3rd regiment has the color reversed! I think many times Regiment did what they (or their commander) liked as long as it was “close” to regulations. Also history and the historian may have gotten the details incorrect. At least I got the colors, green and yellow correct!
Now to let the cat out of the bag I painted the National color badge on the shako wrong, should be white, red, and blue at the center, I have white, blue, red! also I believe the eagles staff should be blue! I will later correct these mistakes. If you look closely you will also notice that some of the horse’s eyes are the the wrong shade….lol!