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Sunday, October 11, 2015

French Dragoons, Dismounted in 28mm

Stepping off the painting desk are French dismounted dragoons for the 28mm Napoleonic project.  These figures were primed back in early 2015 during my Napoleonic painting blitz (see Napoleonic Painting Push) but never made it out of the painting queue until now.
Figures are from Bicorne Miniatures and are the first I have painted from this company.  The dragoons are from the slender school of sculpting but fit in nicely with the other manufacturers of 28mm figures.  I like them.  

Painted as the 18th Dragoons, the dismounted dragoons can be used in tandem with their mounted Front Rank counterparts.

Now, I need to come up with a scenario to best employ these fine dragoons.

Back in January, one of the stretch goals in my 2015 project planning exercise was to complete 200 28mm Napoleonics during the year.  Well, with these figures, my 2015 painting tally stands at 162.  It would not be a stretch goal without a tough reach but adding 38 more figures might be within reach by year end.  Another battalion of Vistula Legion and two squadrons of Polish lancers await in the painting queue but other projects are competing for attention.  Completing one unit in each of the remaining months might just get me there.
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32 comments:

  1. Phil COctober 11, 2015 at 7:03 PM

    gorgeous figures and painting...

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  2. GonsalvoOctober 11, 2015 at 8:36 PM

    Lovely figures and painting. I had some Hinton Hunt dismounted dragoons in my original Napoleonic French army. Curiously, they were none other than the pink (rose) faced... 18th Dragoons as well!

    Although they saw some dismounted work in central Europe, it would seem to me that the Peninsula would be a logical locale for some dismounted dragoon action(s).

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    1. Jonathan FreitagOctober 12, 2015 at 6:25 AM

      Thanks, Peter. The rose facing color works well against the dragoon green.

      These French dragoons are destined for exactly that service; action in the Iberian peninsula.

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  3. caveadsum1471October 12, 2015 at 1:43 AM

    Very nice colour combo on these dragoons, good luck with your 200! Iain

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    1. Jonathan FreitagOctober 12, 2015 at 6:26 AM

      Thanks! 200 will be a stretch, for sure, but possibly within reach. With so many other projects, the final 38 will have to elbow their way into the painting queue.

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  4. Conrad KinchOctober 12, 2015 at 2:41 AM

    They look excellent. I have some 20mm dismounted dragoons. They are great for chasing Spanish partisans.

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    1. Jonathan FreitagOctober 12, 2015 at 6:28 AM

      Thank you!

      For chasing partisans, they need to jettison the knee-length cavalry boots and don something a little more sensible.

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  5. PhilOctober 12, 2015 at 5:41 AM

    They look superb and realistic!

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  6. Black PowderOctober 12, 2015 at 11:34 AM

    Great work on these Jon, a big fan of the more slender style myself too.
    Writing this comment from a hotel in downtown Poznan, I can't but salute the Vistula legion and lancers awaiting treatment in the painting queue. En avant!

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    1. Jonathan FreitagOctober 12, 2015 at 3:45 PM

      Thanks, Soren. The slender figures do look nice and photograph showing more realistic proportions.

      Poznan? You must share travel photos when you return.

      As for the Vistula Legion, my decision for the next foot battalion is whether to paint the second battalion of the yellow faced 2nd or the first battalion of the 4th. Which should it be?

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    2. GonsalvoOctober 12, 2015 at 8:09 PM

      The 4th had a relatively brief existence, IIRC -0 formed from Austrian Prisoners of war from the Galicia region, and didn't make it to Russia, so I'd vote for the 2nd myself.

      I did a pretty detailed post on the Legion a while back:

      http://blundersonthedanube.blogspot.com/2012/01/legion-de-la-vistule-vistula-legion.html

      There are at least 2 different versions of their facing colors, and two different eras as well, so you can choose whichever appeals to you most!

      I haven't done the Lancers of the Legion yet, but they will likely appear some day! A must have for Albuera, after all! :-)

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    3. Jonathan FreitagOctober 12, 2015 at 8:35 PM

      Peter, thank you for the information on the Vistula Legion!
      You have prevented me from making my own "Blunder on the Vistula!"

      I was recalling a uniform plate from the old Blandford book showing the 4th with crimson facing. I should have consulted Lienhart & Humbert. Interesting, L&H show the 2nd having yellow, collar, cuffs,and lapels (that is how I painted the 1st battalion of the 2nd). I think I will forge ahead with the 2nd battalion of the 2nd for now.

      Yes, Albuera is the main reason for wanting to add the lancers into the project. What drama at Albuera!

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    4. GonsalvoOctober 13, 2015 at 6:00 PM

      Egads, that would seem to be yet a THIRD version of the facing colors for the Legion - at least they're all yellow/blue piped yellow, but that's about all the commonality there seems to be! Dfinitely no Crimson, though - that's GDW Line infantry thing!

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    5. GonsalvoOctober 13, 2015 at 6:03 PM

      Uh, make that a FOURTH version, actually! Like translating Polish names to English (see the funny clip in the comments to that blog post of a German officer trying to register a Pole, and being unable to get past his name)!

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  7. Christopher(aka Axebreaker)October 12, 2015 at 5:15 PM

    Lovely work indeed Jonathan!

    Christopher

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  8. CyrusOctober 12, 2015 at 9:04 PM

    Excellent dismounted dragoons Jonathan!

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    1. Jonathan FreitagOctober 13, 2015 at 6:37 AM

      Thanks! These Bicorne dragoons are really quite nice sculpts.

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  9. GilesOctober 13, 2015 at 7:43 AM

    I like those a lot - very well done.

    Best wishes

    Giles

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  10. Ray RousellOctober 13, 2015 at 1:14 PM

    Oh yes, they really look excellent!

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  11. Evan HughesOctober 13, 2015 at 1:41 PM

    These are really nice, Jonathan - I'm not well-versed in painting Napoleonics, but even I can see that this is top-notch work. Well done!

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    1. Jonathan FreitagOctober 13, 2015 at 3:51 PM

      Thanks, Evan! I thought these dragoons turned out well too.
      I like the more slender sculpting style of Bicorne. I may try some more.

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  12. DartfrogOctober 13, 2015 at 7:31 PM

    I really like the look of these. It is so rare to see these guys dismounted, that they really stand out. Nice work.

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    1. Jonathan FreitagOctober 13, 2015 at 7:51 PM

      Thanks! I need to work them into a scenario. Maybe having them covering a bridge and holding out against overwhelming odds until reinforcements arrive?

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  13. carojonOctober 14, 2015 at 8:43 AM

    Jonathan, Nice job on those, well done.

    I have a similar set of figures from AB waiting in the queue and if you are looking for a scenario to use them in I would mention the General de Brigade Scenario book 5 for the Peninsula. There is a nice little cavalry battle based on Usagre 1812 where the French dragoons get the option, as they did in the real fight, to dismount

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    1. Jonathan FreitagOctober 14, 2015 at 9:43 AM

      Thanks for the compliment and the tip, Jonathan!

      While I don't have the GB scenario book one of my gaming buddies likely does. I will look into it since it sounds perfect.

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  14. DeanMOctober 14, 2015 at 8:59 PM

    Real beauties, Jonathan. You don't see these very often.

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