The British army of Major General William Justinian Pettygree grows stronger with every day, but it still has a long way to go before it can approach the strength of Marshal Soult's army in Portugal circa 1809. Accordingly, I am eager to paint more British regiments but am in a quandary deciding which one (s) to paint.
The problem boils down to the facing colors and the similarity of the figure poses that I'm using. I like the Elite Miniatures charging pose and used it for my 83rd Regiment (yellow facings). I just ordered another regiment of 84 figures this week and I was going to paint them as the 88th (Connaught Rangers), also in yellow facings. The 83rd, 94th and 88th were brigaded together and so the 88th would complete my brigade. The trouble is, since I use single-based figures on magnetic movement trays, once I start removing casualties, I will have difficulty distinguishing the 83rd from the 88th in the casualty pile. Thus the figures might not make it back to their regiment after we pick up the game and store away the figures. I know this is overly picky, but that's the way I am sometimes.
So now I'm thinking that I should order more Connoisseur figures and use those for the 88th since there is a noticeable difference in the figures, so the 88th and 83rd won't get mixed up. That said, I now need to pick a new regiment for the new order of Elite figures. It has to be a regiment that has anything but yellow facings. Maybe a dark green like the 45th or blue for one of the royal regiments (which one?) or a KGL or Guard regiment? What would you suggest. As a guideline, I'm trying to stay within Picton's Division for my roster of troops.
Eventually I will want to paint a British Guards regiment, but I'm wondering which brand of figures to use as I want the Guards to look extra special. I will NOT use plastic figures (we hate assembling plastic figures here in Hesse Seewald) so your suggestion needs to be from a metal range.
Oh, and I also plan to add the 42nd Highland Regt using Connoisseur figures that I already have (but I need to order a lot more of them).
Gentlemen, the floor is now open to you. Leave your suggestions in the Comment section at the bottom of this thread.
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How about painting on trouser patches to show one regiments long time at duty?
ReplyDeleteCan't be that uncommon to see a splt knee or torn trouser seat fixed up.
Don
You could paint the haversacks or overcoats a different colour for the entire unit. You could even do the entire unit in the brown Spanish-cloth trousers.
ReplyDeleteI see people have beat me to the punch, I was going to suggest white trousers for one regiment.
ReplyDeleteI hope I am correct, but I believe the 83rd had a pale yellow and the 88th had a darker hue. I used 2 different shades on mine and they are easy to distinguish.
ReplyDeleteThe different colour trousers is also an excellent idea.
John
5th. I believe you have it in you AWI.
ReplyDeleteOf course I am partial to the 27th but they are buff.
Mark Moriarty
You could paint the regimental numbers on the canteens or on the the backpacks.
ReplyDeleteOr why don't you mark the figuren under their bases?
Anyway there a numerous good manufacturers of metal Napoleonics which you probably know. Front rank might do well with Elite. Here's a size comparison:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/schogun/2771462949/
Good Luck!
Stefan
I think there are actually a set of transfers you can get for knapsacks and such.
ReplyDeleteThe 43rd I think had green facings.
Going from my copy of "Military Dress of the Peninsular War," you have the following choices in facing color: Black, Blue, Buff, Yellowish Buff, Gosling Green, Full Green, Yellowish Green, Willow Green, Bright Yellow, Deep Yellow, Light Yellow, Pale Yellow, Yellow and White.
ReplyDeleteNow, if you're willing to think a little bit broader, you could use the Elite battalion as the core of a brigade based on troops sent elsewhere. Sir Thomas Graham's force in Holland from 1813-1814 offers some potential for additional units, and additional colors. You can peruse the order of battle here: http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/battles/c_lowcountries1814.html
The most interesting of these units are the 3/56th Foot, which had purple facings. If you're looking for something unusual, they would be it. You also have units like the 33rd, with red facings (save painting time), the 78th (Ross-shire buffs, ancestors to your Seaforths), and the 2/35th, with their orange facings.
You can always say they were sent to Gen'l Pettygree as reinforcements!
Now I can't find a reference to them ever being in 3rd Div. but if you want a battalion that stands out from the rest of the line why not the 50th? Black facings and a black field for the regimental colour make them stand out a bit!
ReplyDeleteAidan,
ReplyDeleteIt looks like the Dirty Half-Hundred (nickname given by Wikipedia from the dye running and staining their faces when they wiped 'em on their sleeves) fought at Corunna (with the 1/42nd!), then to Walcheren. By 1811, the 1/50th were back in Portugal, and in the 1st Brigade of the 2nd Division for the 1813 campaign (brigaded with the Highland Light Infantry (1/71st) and the Gordan Highlanders (1/92nd).
I can't do the 5th or 9th because Bill has already painted them.
ReplyDeleteConsider the 5th with their Gosling Green; in the Picton Division at Busaco, Fuentes, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe"Dark Green" of the 45th or Green of the 94th would be easily distinguished from the 5th should you decide on further 3d Division expansion.
Serendipity: I happen to have a GMB Designs flag on hand for the 45th Regt so that might solve the problem. The new Elite Miniatures become the 45th and then I order more Connoisseur figures to do the 88th. Add to that some Connoisseur Highlanders and Bobs your uncle.
ReplyDeleteSince you have a flag already for the 45th, that would be my vote.
ReplyDeleteJerry
How about the 27th Inniskillings? Keeps up your quota of Irish and gives yuo Buff facings.
ReplyDeleteOr the 87th another Irish Regiment (Green facings l believe)who were brigaded with the Connaught Rangers early in the Pennisular Wars - but then separated hhhhmmmmm!