28mm Napoleonic Saxon von Zastrow Cuirassier

The Saxons had wonderful cavalry during the Napoleonic wars. I was inspired to paint the heavies by the Connoisseur miniatures Saxon heavy cavalry at the Wargames holiday center. The figures are virtually all conversions, very animated, with some figures falling. I actually have the Connoisseur figures somewhere to recreate what I saw all those years ago. I did a "trial run" on some British Hussars, swapping swords, chopping up figures, grinding off reigns and replacing them with thin copper wise - sheer madness.  I am still trying to block the memory of the many hours it took to grind off reigns. I think I spent a couple of days on it.

The Zastrow Cuirassier have have black metal breast plates. To simulate metal I painted them black, then used a graphite pencil to scuff them on the sides and along the ridge where light will hit. After all was done I went back and gloss varnished all the metal work and these breast plates. It is perhaps too subtle to show on camera.

The figures are from Eureka. Most are one piece castings. They are very nice. It was however tough to get nice photos as they are mostly in a Charrrrrrge! pose leaning forward.

These cavalry had silver bugles. They managed to save them at one point in Russia but they, and much else, was swallowed up by the great bear.