Austrian Johnnies off to fight the FrenchOne of the perils of gaming with 1/72 figures is that they are damnably cheap - the problem for impulsive types like your correspondent is the habit of buying several boxes on a whim. I know very little about the Austrian army during the Napoleonic wars, just what I've picked up in the course of things. Therefore, I am still at a loss as to what I was thinking of when I bought six boxes of HAT Austrian infantry. Similar motives were no doubt behind my purchasing of several boxes of Zvesda Black Hussars, beautiful figures for a period I don't play and an army I don't field.
However, I was in the mood to do a little work the other day while on leave and the Austrians were the only figures that I hadn't packed. The officers and drummers are from SHQ miniatures, whch are a good fit. I've organised them as per the regulations laid down in Charge!, but I think I shall have to do some reading before I work out how I shall have them painted. I generally choose what regiments to field using a simple, but foolproof method...
British Regiments
1. Do I need the unit to fill out a particular order of battle?
2. Does the unit have a snazzy uniform?
3. Do I know anyone currently in a successor regiment?
4. Are they Irish?
5. Is there an amusing fictional regiment that I could use?
French Regiments
1. Do I need the unit to fill out a particular order of battle?
2. Has the unit lost its Eagle or taken a severe whipping? (The French are the baddies in my games and naturally it cheers me immensely when they lose)
3. Does it have a snazzy uniform?
I don't have the knowledge of the Austrian army that I do of the French and the British, nor do I have the same emotional attachment, so it may be some time before I settle on an appropriate regiment.
Now to get to the ensigns..
Hmm, my criteria for picking Austrian units was:
ReplyDelete1) Do they have a snazzy uniform. (Gotta have Hungarians with their light blue pants)
2) Is there something to make them different? So a regiment of Walloons for example
3) Have I got one with that facing colour?
btw, those Prussian Hussars are good in some armies up to about 1800 so don't chuck 'em out! (Buy some infantry in bicornes or casquets since they're cheap!)
-Ross
Ross, not bad criteria by any manner of means. My little bit of reading last night has led me into a new connundrum. I generally conflate regiment and battalion, but it appears the Austrian fielded three battalion regiments, effectively a brigade in old money. I think I shall collect with an eye to variety and only field the Lieb battalion from each regiment. I get more differant facing colours that way.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Prussians, they'll find a home somewhere. I just can't bring myself to love HATs 1806 Prussians, they're just ugly...
Prussians? I thought the sculpting was ok but the original Prussian uniforms are just plain ugly, esp the casquet. no no, you want Abercromby in Egypt. The French Hussars in Egypt were still wearing mirleton when they arrived at least. (and it would give you an excuse to buy some of the gorgeous Turks that are out there now...)
ReplyDelete-Ross
Ah yes. I have the brigadiers two volumes on Eygpt which are great fun. I hadn't thought of using my Prussian hussars as French. I'd quite like to do Egypt, but I think it will remain a pipedream until my Peninsular project is finished.
ReplyDeleteThat's not to say that I couldn't use my Zvesda Turkish cavalry, John Cunningham sepoys and assorted beturbaned types in Eygpt. So you could say I've already started.