10mm Nap. French - Hussars 1

Since the entire front page of The House of War had become stuff OTHER than 10mm Napoleonics, I thought I would get a few 10mm unit spotlights up while I wait to post the last few rounds of the Battle of Aroldo Valley!

This is a unit of French hussars. These dashing fellows were among the lightest of the French cavalry. While they did not have the hitting power of the Cuirassiers or the scary lances of the ever-so-appropriately-named Lancers, they were very fast and perfect for harassing enemies and protecting retreats. Their snappy pelisses and gaudy red uniforms certainly make them stick out a bit.

I have about four units of hussars, all in different uniforms... as I get into the 10mm Napoleonic collections a bit I'll put up a few more units of them!

Figures courtesy of Minifig, I think... feel free to correct me!

10mm Nap. French - Artillery 1

Time for another Unit Showcase!

This time I am going for another piece of the 10mm Napoleonic collection.

This is a unit of 12lb French cannon and their limbers and commander. These guns, among the heaviest used on land, could hit troops many hundreds of yards away, and within a few hundred yards could mow them down with canister shot. The limbers would sit behind the guns a ways, and contained ammunition, some of which would actually be transported in a separate caisson. The crew look dashing in the blue uniforms, and the red is a nice highlight for them! I really like the crew figures, as they are well detailed and their kits are pretty complete!

10mm Nap. French - Cuirassiers 1

Time for some more 10mm Napoleonics!

And back to the French we go for the next installment; namely, to the French cavalry. The heaviest of the French cavalrymen during the Napoleonic age were the Cuirassiers. Mounted on the largest horses, these elite soldiers got their name from the heavy steel cuirass they wore to protect themselves. This left-over from the age of warfare past didn't necessarily help much against volleys of musketfire, but they did protect the cavalryman from swords and sabres, and also made a great pot for cooking!

10mm Nap. French - The Old Guard 1

Now, when it comes to the Napoleonic wars, there are a few iconic units.

The Scots Grays... Greenjackets... but maybe the most iconic of all are Napoleon's Old Guard.

Now, I have a few units of these guys in 25mm, but I thought I would go ahead and share the first of my 10mm units of them!

The Old Guard were formidable, made up exclusively of well-cared-for veterans of many campaigns. They were easily identifiable by their massive bearskins and their broad shoulders... men were required to be of a certain height to join the Guard! They look a bit darker on the battlefield than the regular French infantry, and they stand out quite a bit.

There commander actually wears a bearskin as well, and holds his sword over his head as he beckons his men forward!

A funny aside; I am an elementary school teacher, and while teaching my kids how to create and use flashcards to study for test, the "vocab" word I used on the example flashcard was "The Old Guard." Now all the kids I have taught over the years know exactly who "The Old Guard" are!

10mm Nap. French - Dragoons 1

Time for another 10mm Napoleonic unit!

This time it is a unit of French Dragoons. These guys are easy to recognize with their gold helmets and green uniforms. This particular unit has red trim on their uniforms, showing that they are the 9th Regiment. Their command stand features an officer, a trumpeter, and of course a standard bearer.

Leading this particular regiment is a dashing French officer in blue. He is urging his men on, motioning with his hat that they should follow his lead!

10mm Nap. French - Infantry 1

It is the weekend, the wife is out of town, so in between watching sports on TV let's spend some quality time with the newest toy soldiers!

This is the first showcase of a 10mm Napoleonic group... I am still not sure how I will break the infantry down and present it, so for now I'll just group some French infantry into a grouping that makes sense. I don't think that I will actually game with them in this way, simply because I do not have enough Voltigeur or Grenadier companies to do so!

This is a single battalion of French infantry. As is usual with the French, you can see that this one consists of six companies; four Fusilier companies, one Grenadier company, and one Voltigeur company. I also included three stands of Voltigeurs in skirmish order to the front, as well as a Chef d'battalion to lead the men.

As you can see, the figures are really beautiful. I have to give a lot of credit to the fellow I bought them from, as the paintjobs are really top-rate. There is so much proper detail, from the proper shoulderboards to the shako details... all of it is really top rate.