Mustering the British Army: Part Two

 And the road goes ever on. On the left, the 60th Royal Americans. These are Revell 95th Rifles with a Dutch King Billy by Waterloo 1815, painted by Mark Bevis. The Officers and NCOs are Italeri figures, click to get a closer look. I love the Italeri Rifles officer with his pelisse.

 Another angle on the rifles, I think I picked the 60th because everyone has the 95th and I'm prone to an odd sort of reverse snobbery. This is probably why I have so many fictional regiments on the strength.

 The 6th Light Dragoons, Mathew Hervey's boys. I painted these chaps quite a while ago. I worked quite hard at the them, though to be honest, I would have prefered chaps in tarletons as being more representative. It's just a fantastic hat. I may revisit this regiment in metal.

 The Fighting Fourth, the only regiment with blue facings in my army - so they occasionally substitute for Guards on occasion.  When I ran my Napoleonic roleplaying game, "The Halberdiers", they were the main baddies, vying with my chaps for honour and preferment. These are HAT Peninsular British plastics, with a metal Colonel from SHQ. The subalterns are also from SHQ, while the pioneer is a conversion of a MARS figure (I think a pirated Revell?) who I added a stovepipe shako to.

 The Argylls, I'm very, very fond of this regiment. I was the first that Mark ever did for me and they've seen some service. Astute observers will note the beards and minor details of dress that mark them as Crimean Highlanders. I didn't like the Italeri set and couldn't afford metal, so I plumped for these fellows and wonderful they are too.

 Another shot of the Highlanders. I use these chaps to represent British Guard units, mainly because my players were have difficulty differentiating between blue and yellow facing in 1/72. Shocking behaviour.

 With the exception of the mounted Colonel, who is by Waterloo 1815, this is one of the most consistent regiments in the army as all the figures are Strelets.

 A very recent addition to the army. These are Revell Life Guards painted as "The Blues". I choose these fellows because unless I have to, I don't like seeing cavalry in red (unless of course, they are French in which case they can be red if they want), blue is by far the more natural colour to my eye. 

 Another shot of the Blues, I would have prefered an entire unit at parade rest, but I was lucky to get the box at all, it was a find in the bargain bin of a model shop. They look very elegant to my eye - just the short of slim patrician fellow that graces the pages of Punch. Fortunately, there have been no instances of the "Guardsman's defence" thus far.

 My special fellows, The Kings Royal Halberdiers. I number them the 42nd, but truth be told they are chocolate soldiers and never existed outside the pages of Evelyn Waughs Sword of Honour trilogy. These are HAT British Light infantry, which I used as Peninsular infantry for a long time. I always painted wings because I didn't know any better and the Halberdiers were converted to a light battalion once I found out. There are a mix of other figures in there, mainly officers from Strelets command sets and Strelets Crimean British Line infantry which I put in for added variety. They match up rather well if you're willing to carve off the rear peak of the shako.