Challenging Bavarian Cheveauxleger

This group of 8 Cheveauxleger have really slowed me down, taking over two weeks to finish. Add in two Big Men and that's a batch of 10 horsemen to work through with back ache, hand cramps, headaches and vaccine side effects, plus life starting to get in the way. Plus they confronted me with several challenges. The Perry figures have all their kit on, so lots of belts and straps and things. Also a few uniform changes to negotiate. I finally decided to go post-Russian Campaign, with dark green coveralls and green tunics, thinking I'd be fighting my Prussians with them. But the Bavarian cavalry were utterly destroyed during the Russian campaign and didn't take the field until the fall of 1813. At the Battle of Hanau, Bavarian General Wrede thought he was cutting off the retreat of an isolated French detachment. Due to poor scouting he found himself with his back to a river, facing Napoleon and his Imperial Guard and artillery! The newly rebuilt, hardly broken in, Bavarian cavalry charged boldly but crossed swords with the Guard Cavalry. You can imagine the result.

During the Russian Campaign the Bavarian cavalry were so splendid, so well mounted and equipped and trained, that they were taken away to join Napoleon's main army. They were present at Smolensk and Borodino where they performed superbly but took massive casualties. The tattered remains of all three brigades evaporated in October and November during the retreat. The Bavarian Corps was left without any scouting or pickets capabilities and Wrede had to hijack a French cavalry brigade to get some organic cavalry capability for his Corps fighting around Polotsk guarding Napoleon's northern flank.

Other challenges were getting the green right. Not to mention the red shabraques. I originally went with too bold a a contrast between the undertone and highlights chosen and had to add some washes and other layers to bring them together. Eventually I got where I was happy but it took a while. The edging on the shabraques is white with blue lozenges as well. Plus in the corner is the Royal Cypher. For both tiny lozenges and ornate Royal embroidery I went with an impressionistic, "how will it look from 3 feet?" approach just to save my sanity. The trumpeter also has false sleeves hanging off the back of his tunic and trying to figure out what colour they should be was also interesting (they're in the facing colour apparently). I almost copped out and did the officer's shabraque in the plain red service order, but decided "in for a penny, in for a pound" and painted the gold Royal Cypher surrounded by a laurel wreath that they had for gala occassions (like charging the Guard Cavalry). As a bit of wish fulfillment, I had a random figure in a bearskin which I painted as a Grenadier a Cheval of the Imperial Guard Cavalry and put the bearskin (removed form the head) under his charging hooves.

But here they are at last. Sergeant, trumpeter and six troopers in the group. The Officer mounted as a Big Man.

Sergeant and Trumpeter

There is also a mounted infantry Big Man to be a Force Commander. I've done the rank on his collar to be a senior officer.

As you no doubt noticed I finished a 6 pounder right after the Schützen before my game last weekend too. Here are some other shots of it.

I do like that Perry artillery crew are posed logically, unlike the Old Glory crew who all seem to be doing different parts of the gun drill.

So that's Wave 2 done! Time to assemble and prime some more!