Opening shot...a quick look at my latest purchase!

I recently was successful in purchasing a nicely painted French Napoleonic army on ebay, which I'll share with you as my opening post.  This is a 15mm army, mainly Essex figures.  I have a ton of 10mm Napoleonics, already painted and ready to game with.  I bought them because I thought 10mm would be a great scale to allow me to do large battles on a 4' by 8' table, which is true.  However, in my gaming circle the other guys with Napoleonic figures all have 15mm.  Now, we all share our figures when we're doing a group game; that's kind of the purpose of a group, isn't it?  Each person doesn't have to invest in every period we play; each member builds whatever floats their boat, and if I don't like painting 28mm Wild West then I'll play with yours, and you in turn are welcome to play with my 1/285 Cold War armor since you don't like painting them yourself.  It's part of what makes our gaming group so great.

So I saw these on ebay.  I have several hundred unpainted Essex French Napoleonics in the painting line-up...they've been there for years, of course, but they are there!  So when I saw this army on ebay I thought how nice it would be to get a good core of an army, and it might push me to pull my unpainted stuff out and start painting.  This starter army has a very well-rounded mix of units. 

We have played Napoleonics with both Black Powder and Napoleon's Battles.  We like them both, and have figures based for both, but since most of my figures are based for the latter I will use that rules set as a base of organizational description.  So...I have two light infantry brigades, four line infantry brigades, a cavalry brigade of one dragoons unit and a chasseur a' cheval unit.  This makes up a good line infantry corps with a brigade of cavalry support.  Top that off with a heavy artillery piece and a medium one and you've got a very nice force. 

Here is a closer view of two of the infantry units.  I like the way the guy I bought them from did the flags; there is a kind of varnish-looking coating on them that makes them both stiffer and more durable.

 

Now, to give this force some extra punch, it comes with a ready-made Imperial Guard force!  This is what really pushed me over the edge when deciding to purchase this army.  I have three little girls and a wife, so I just don't have tons of time to paint.  I much prefer the playing, and do some painting when I have to just to build the forces I want.  So here I get the chance to get a ready-made corps to put on the table, AND the Imperial Guard that every French player wants to have but doesn't always get to because they're burned out from painting the main forces!  Boom...ready to play.



Old Guard Chasseurs and Grenadiers...four regiments worth!  Plus a mixed unit of Imperial Guard Genies and Marines.  Top that off with a cavalry brigade of Grenadiers a' Cheval and a stand of Empress Dragoons (have to pay respects to dear old Josephine!) and you have one very nice can of whoop ass!

 Here is a shot of the line chasseurs a' cheval unit; again, very nice jobs on the flags, and these are actually painted as the 27th Chasseurs (Arenberg Legion) and 28th Chasseurs (Tuscan cavalry).

I think I'll start adding to this force by painting a unit of Dutch Lancers of the guard, then some cuirassiers, hussars, and then more line infantry.

Ok, it's a rainy Sunday afternoon and the kids are climbing the walls so it's time to play daddy again.  They've been very nice in letting my do this inaugural blog post, but they must be answered to!  I hope you have enjoyed this little article.  Until next time...Good gaming!