French Guard Lancers

I have been preparing my next unit of classic Napoleonics for painting.  I will be concentrating on cavalry for the next few months. 

These are recast Hinton Hunt FN44 French Guard Lancer charging with separate lance. I had to use bit of Milliput to fill gaps between the lance arm and body.

The first 6 figures will be the Polish Guard and will form the 1st squadron and the 2nd squadron of 6 will be Red Lancers. Should be colourful once finished.

One figure I decided rather than use a lancer arm I decided to cut of the trumpet arm from a plastic figure and use that instead.

If the weather is not too cold I will finish off cleaning them up and spray them with black undercoat.

Silesian Verkehrspolizist

Just before Christmas I received a box of Prussians. I have now finished restoring and painting the first of these Prussians as a Silisian Landwehr unit.

The rank and file and officer are all original Hinton Hunt figures and are in the classic HH firing pose. As this a classic unit the uniforms are neat and tidy and the unit is well dressed. 

The standard bearer and drummer are David Clayton copies. The drummer is based on a French figure so required some filing to remove the lace on his sleeves.

I had hoped that these would be quick to finish. However a combination of  the detail painted on the cap,  3 coats of yellow to get the right depth of colour, meant they took longer than planned to finish. Still in all less than 4 weeks is to too bad.

For the flag I used the thin metal foil from a bottle of wine. I folded this over and stuck it together with super glue. Even with the thickness doubled the flag was easy to bend and manipulate with no cracking of the paint. Once shaped I applied two coats of varnish.

So I has started 2021 with another unit. Looking back on last year I painted a total of 121 infantry, 12 cavalry, 4 mounted generals, 8 gunners and 2 guns. 

I need to concentrate on some more cavalry over the coming months.  

A box of Prussians

I have been fortunate to receive some welcome reinforcement in a box of classic Prussians from a fellow gamer.  

There are a bunch of Lanwehr (on the left) and whilst the bases have been filled down you can still make out the HH code numbers. I have started rennovating a unit of these figures and I hope to finish by the end of the month.

The marching figures on the right and at the back are probably copies of an Austrian marching figure which have been painted as Prussians.  I will probably strip these and paint up as 1813 Austrians.

I was also pleased that I now have some rather nice Prussian Garde figures. Not quiet enough for a full unit unless I add a detachment of Freiwilller jager to make up the numbers.

I was also pleased that there is a rather nice Prussian Mounted Officer (PN64).

There a few figures that are not Hinton Hunt types. Firstly a drummer that is I suspect a Lamming one by the look of his face.2

Secondly there is an Infantry man advancing. This one is a mystery. I assume he is a Prussian as he has a mess tin on his backpack. Could he perhaps be an early minifig/alberken figure. 

Boom Boom

My latest classic napoleonic unit has been completed. This French Line Artillery unit are all original crisp castings and were nice to paint.  

I am however uncertain of the manufacturer of the guns. They are nice models and have a separate axle that runs under the carriage.  This is the same as the classic 20mm Hinchcliffe artillery.  Wellington Man has suggested that they are Warrior Miniatures.  You can see an example of WM blog.

https://thehintonspieler.blogspot.com/2015/11/a-whiff-of-grapeshot.html

The extra artillery will come in handy as my French forces are outnumbered by Allied army.

Major W Robertson

During the Waterloo campaign the 1st KGL were commanded by Major W. Robertson.

I have used an Alberken colonel to represent him and lead the 1st KGL in action. There is less detail on this figure than a Hinton Hunt personality figure. I have therefore added the detail, such as buttons, using paint.

Although a less detailed figure he is a useful addition to my classic collection.

I have some French artillery crew on the go before I tackle some French cavalry.

Better late than never

There have been times over the last couple of months when I lost my painting mojo and thought I would never complete the 1st KGL.

The unit certainly stretched my patience particularly as I had to use multiple coats of both red and white to get the depth of colour right.

The standard bearers and colours take time and are painted in multiple layers of paint. The regimental colour was originally a Union Jack which I had cleaned off with a dremmel. As they looked like recast figures I did not mind. I am not sure I would not be so drastic with one of my original Hinton Hunt standard bearers.

The officer, drummer and fifer are original figures and painted up nicely although why the British had some much lace and white beats me.

The full unit in line. In the Charge rules you get 1 dice per 8 figures so a full volley from a refresh unit is three D6.  At close range what ever you roll are casualties. So anything from 3 to 18. Ouch. You have to be lucky to get a column to beat a line using Charge. As it should be.

1st KGL almost done

It has taken me much, much, longer to get this unit finished than planned.  I think my original plan was over optimistic and went out out of the window with the first coat of red.

Anyway there is light at the end of the tunnel.  The rank and file are done, mdf bases painted humbrol green and the  command under way.

The command also includes an Alberken mounted British Officer who will represent Major W. Robertson.

I can now start planning my next unit and whilst I may go for something simple I feel another French unit is needed. However I am still uncertain whether to go for another cavalry or infantry unit . There is  still the matter of 16 French gunners to consider.