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Sunday, December 2, 2018

French Chasseurs a Cheval, the Early Years

While a recount is in the cards, my Rivoli OB checklist shows that this regiment is the last early war unit needed for a planned Rivoli game.  Finished in time for a winter game too.  These dozen figures are early war French Chasseurs a Cheval from AB Miniatures.  The unit musters out as the 22nd Chasseurs a Cheval.  
With the troops completed, time to turn attention toward the battlefield and scenario development.  While I developed and fought out the Rivoli game many years ago (2004!), notes need to be collected and pieced together to recreate the battle.  There are several good accounts of the battle but few having detailed OB information for both sides.  I recall some interpolations and extrapolations required from the game fourteen years ago.  Similar work is expected this time around too.  It will be interesting to see if any more concrete information is available now than was a decade and a half ago.
Back to the figures.  As expected from AB, the sculpts are terrific.  Chasseurs in pelisse look splendid.  Fun to paint too.  The 1799 project could use a few more regiments of these.  

Not a lot of time spent at the painting desk this past week.  Only a few short sessions were logged on a few evenings.  My main hobby distractions this week have been studying a few recent board, wargames coming in-house and working through Part 2 of my solo Zorndorf battle.  Part 1 of Zorndorf, (see Zorndorf: Once More Into the Breach), set the stage for Part 2 as the infantry approaches within long range and cavalry battles swirl.  This battle recreation shapes up differently from the previous battles and provides many an interesting decision.  A recap of that action later.    

42 comments:

  1. Very nice, they have a sense of ‘posh’ about them. The dipping has done a very good job of knitting the colours together and giving a natutral look.

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    1. Thanks, Norm!

      The wrapped shako and heavily laced pelisse lend that sense of "poshness". For me, the stain is the great equalizer.

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  2. A nice unit to mark one of those painting milestones—the transition from preparation to playing. Are the two figs in red the elite company?

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    1. Thank you, Ed! The 1799 collection has seen a couple of outings but it is good to finish off an OB for a another battle.

      The red coated troopers are musicians in reversed colors.

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  3. Another lovely looking unit Jonathan...

    All the best. Aly

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    1. Much appreciated, Aly! Thanks for your continued support!

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  4. The earlier Chasseur uniforms, even with just the dolmans and no pelisse, is very classy. And of course, you get to have trumpeters wearing my beloved reversed colors! :-)

    Anyway, these fellows are excellent, Jon!

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    1. Thank you, Peter!

      The early chasseur uniform is really splendidly colorful and snappy. Too bad regulations moved away from this uniform. I suppose the hussars complained...

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  5. They do look great and the earlier uniform a bit more spiffy!

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  6. Is this the new cav basing scheme?
    Unit looks good.
    I’ve always enjoyed scenario design a little more than painting. I’m sure you’re going to do a great job and I’m looking forward to the presentation. 😀

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    1. Hi Stew. This is the same basing as before for the 18mm 1799 project. The new cavalry basing will show up in th 28mm Napoleonic project.

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  7. Very nice looking unit Jonathan although I was expecting to see them wearing Mirliton rather than a shako!

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    1. Thanks, Keith!

      Illustrations show this early shako in place by 1800. Since AB do not make the chasseur in mirliton, I went with this model which AB list as applicable from 1796-1806.

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  8. Lovely work as always....still sounds like you had a busy hobby week 😀

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    1. Thanks, Matt! Yeah, I still accomplished some stuff at the hobby desk.

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  9. Another lovely looking unit,very smart!
    Best Iain

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    1. This chasseur uniform is smart looking, for sure! Thanks, Iain.

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  10. Those chasseurs will look great on your table Jonathan!

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  11. Beautifully done Jonathan. It's always easy to spot that AB quality.

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    1. Thanks, Lawrence. These particular sculpts are especially well crafted.

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  12. Nicely done. It looks like the officers are both commenting on something to the buglers.

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  13. Reminds me of a scheme I used for my old 15mm Russian Napoleonic cavalry. What a pain to paint! LOL

    Lovely result as ever sir.

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    1. Russian hussars would look very similar.

      Thank you for your comment!

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