French 20th Dragoons (Elite Miniatures) painted by Der Alte Fritz
Dragoons are a wonderfully handy thing to have on Napoleonic battlefield. They are heavy cavalry capable of driving away the light cavalry and skirmish screens of your enemy, yet they move a little bit faster than Les Gros Freres, the iron monsters of the heavy cuirassiers. There is even something about the sound of the word that I like. Dragoons; there, I said it.
A couple of weekends ago, we were playing the massive In The Grand Manner cavalry game and I was wishing that I had more dragoons and cuirassiers to use in the game. Our host, Keith Leidy, indicated that his inventory of French medium and heavy cavalry was a figures shy of a hoard, so putting two and two together, I decided that it was time to paint some French dragoons for my 1806 Project. As a bonus, I get to use them in the ITGM games by simply changing the bases and the movement trays.
Dragoons.
As you might recall, I now base everything on single metal stands, and then place the metal stands on magnetic movement trays. In this way, I can deploy my dragoons and other cavalry figures into 8 to 10 figure squadrons for ITGM, or line them up in three ranks of four figures for the 1806 variant of our SYW BAR rules.
Dragoons.
Oh, did I mention that the French dragoons also have an elite company of troopers in bearskins? And cool looking green uniforms with Roman style cavalry helmets?
Dragoons.
I have finished the first 8 figures suitable for an ITGM ("In The Grand Manner" rules) squadron, as you can see in the picture above and below. I have another 8 on the painting table and a third squadron of 8 figures that need to be primed. The fourth squadron is currently winging its way over from Elite Miniatures in the UK. So I will use 4 x 8 or 32 figures for our ITGM games, but when we start the BAR Napoleonics later this year, I will have three or four squadrons of 12 figures each, or 36 to 48 figures.
Another view of the same dragoons, this time in a single rank for ITGM, representing one of four squadrons in the regiment.
Cuirassiers. The only thing that better than dragoons.
First Cuirassier Regiment -- 36 figures deployed in BAR styled three ranks. This is a hint of things to come.
Dragoons are a wonderfully handy thing to have on Napoleonic battlefield. They are heavy cavalry capable of driving away the light cavalry and skirmish screens of your enemy, yet they move a little bit faster than Les Gros Freres, the iron monsters of the heavy cuirassiers. There is even something about the sound of the word that I like. Dragoons; there, I said it.
A couple of weekends ago, we were playing the massive In The Grand Manner cavalry game and I was wishing that I had more dragoons and cuirassiers to use in the game. Our host, Keith Leidy, indicated that his inventory of French medium and heavy cavalry was a figures shy of a hoard, so putting two and two together, I decided that it was time to paint some French dragoons for my 1806 Project. As a bonus, I get to use them in the ITGM games by simply changing the bases and the movement trays.
Dragoons.
As you might recall, I now base everything on single metal stands, and then place the metal stands on magnetic movement trays. In this way, I can deploy my dragoons and other cavalry figures into 8 to 10 figure squadrons for ITGM, or line them up in three ranks of four figures for the 1806 variant of our SYW BAR rules.
Dragoons.
Oh, did I mention that the French dragoons also have an elite company of troopers in bearskins? And cool looking green uniforms with Roman style cavalry helmets?
Dragoons.
I have finished the first 8 figures suitable for an ITGM ("In The Grand Manner" rules) squadron, as you can see in the picture above and below. I have another 8 on the painting table and a third squadron of 8 figures that need to be primed. The fourth squadron is currently winging its way over from Elite Miniatures in the UK. So I will use 4 x 8 or 32 figures for our ITGM games, but when we start the BAR Napoleonics later this year, I will have three or four squadrons of 12 figures each, or 36 to 48 figures.
Another view of the same dragoons, this time in a single rank for ITGM, representing one of four squadrons in the regiment.
Cuirassiers. The only thing that better than dragoons.
First Cuirassier Regiment -- 36 figures deployed in BAR styled three ranks. This is a hint of things to come.
Dragoons!
ReplyDelete(and cuirassiers)
Excellent painting and basing as usual!
Very nice, Fritz. Excellent figures and very well painted. How you find time to have multiple periods amazes me.....and all to such a high standard.
ReplyDeleteHello Jim,
ReplyDeleteA very nice diversion. . . and pretty too!
Best Regards,
Stokes
I remember reading a battle report in Wargamers Newsletter, 'At the Colonels Table', I think it was.
ReplyDeletethe artillery opened up and
"Silver and blue crashed down amidst the green and gold"
That was it a lifetimes devotion to the caavlry of the First Empire from that very moment.
Yours aren't too shoddy either.
John
Outstanding work! What are you using for your bases?
ReplyDeleteThe cuirassiers are on MDF board cut into 2-inch squares. I get them from the Games Plus store in Mt. Prospect, Il or from The Last Square in Madison, Wisconsin. They go by the brand name "Georgo Bases"
ReplyDeleteThe French dragoons are mounted on 1" by 2" metal bases. Eventually they will be placed on magnetized movement trays or stands with 3 or 4 cavalry per stand. I will use Georgo Bases for these too.