Building the Gardes Francaises

 So, here's the thing.

I know I am building a French Army for the French and Indian War. Set in stone. No chance of deviating from that; I have finished building the three line regiments that were my goal, so it's done and dusted. I am actively looking at the British castings that I have and so far there are enough for most of the first unit and parts of a second**. So, it's going to happen.

But... I found my old Willie*** Arquebusiers de Grassin in a box a few weeks ago and counted them back and forth and I seem to have half a units' worth of them. Then a Drummer from the Gardes Francaises mysteriously appeared on my painting table and I was compelled to paint him in the Grand Livery Lace.

So much lace...

Which in a round about way brings me to my topic. If one was to have a middling diversion in the direction of building the Gardes (I am sure the exchequer could spring for a birthday present), how would I do it? The current establishment for my line regiments is in the nature of about 50 figures and each represents a battalion. The Gardes were a brigade-sized unit of six battalions. Now, I may be silly, but even I am not going to spring for 300 figures. So the question is "What to do?".

Currently I am mulling two solutions. The first is just to make a single battalion and leave it at that. And there is merit in that. In the case of bath-tubbing a battle like Fontenoy*, it seems quite reasonable to have a battalion stand in for a brigade on the wargame table.

The other thought that crosses my mind is that my battalions all break down into two Grand Divisions, so, why not simply add a third? The unit has a fair bit more heft, it won't break the bank and it'll look good on the table.

What would you do?

*Fontenoy? Well, I'll have a pile of French infantry and artillery already. Will it kill me to add some cavalry? And I will already also have a number of British infantry units including the 42nd Highlanders out of the FIW project. And, dash it all, I have castings for half the Arequebusiers de Grassin already.

**It will be rebasing time for my RSM British. There are enough already-painted castings to create a full regiment.

***And lets face it, the Willie French and British are based off Fontenoy, Culloden, Carillion and Quebec.

Great War Figures

 Once upon a time I found a UK company called The Honourable Lead Boiler Suit. They had a magnificent range of Great War figures. 28-30mm scale, the anatomy that was just so, the research behind the figures was exemplary.

I bought a few samples (about 15 or so) and admired them greatly before partially painting them and then putting them aside.

I mean, seriously, what's not to love? The bugler? The officer with his coat draped over his shoulders?

Well, the inevitable happened and I decided I wanted more and of course they had gone out of production.

Let this be a lesson to all who read. Strike while the iron is hot!

I suppose the Plan B is Raventhorpe.

I already have this Rapid Fire! battalion I made for a planned Safi game as part of operation Torch which are useable as they are.

And wouldn't these fellows look dapper in Horizon Bleu?

Moo, baa, oink

 Or, the Grimdark Ages.

In between painting various Frenchmen, I have had a few other things potter across my painting desk over the past month or so.

Some dead hard early Saxons by Gripping Beast. I think these minis are a prime bit of early 1990s design. Solid, and a bit chunky. I like them, although they are crude by todays' standards.

In the back row, if you look closely enough there is a Eureka Hiberno-Norse warrior which is a surprisingly nice figure that I painted (like all of these) up from a black undercoat.

In so many of the magazines that treated us with pictures to delight the eye in years gone past, I always was taken by the small side narratives that were possible when there was enough fluff and clutter on the table to allow it. Toy soldiers on their own can be boring*. Painting 200 of BN1, "Advancing at the Slope" can be a dull exercise both visually and as a matter of preparation. So, perhaps I ought to start a small series - on the side -  of "clutter"? 

I have a small number of various farm animals that have collected in various drawer over the past few years. I and am now finally getting around to painting them. They are variously Pegasus and Wargames Atlantic and very good fun to paint. I note on a sprue a couple of cats who our own will be modelling for.

I suppose I shall be on the lookout for suitable civilians next. And trees. One never seems to have enough trees.

*Is this the proverbial wargaming "elephant in the room"?