28mm Napoleonic Saxon Heavy Cavalry (Connoissur miniatures)

For people who have visited the Wargames Holiday Center in the UK (now in Berkshire) some  units are evocative. I will always remember their Saxon Heavy Cavalry, made with Connoisseur miniatures. Connoisseur, now sold by Bicorne miniatures, was started by the late, great, Peter Guilder. The figures have great proportions. They look good today - even alongside contemporary ranges.

These figures present certain difficulties to the modeller. In the rush to introduce ranges manufacturers skipped over musicians and other figures we count on today. You only get an officer and a trooper. Forget about getting figures in a variety of poses. In olden times this was not a problem as people could make their own. You try to tell kids today and they don't believe you...

Here are the Saxon Guard du Corps

Napoleonic Saxon Guard du Corps (Connoisseur miniatures)

These are the Saxon von Zastrow Cuirassier

Saxon von Zastrow Cuirassier (Connoisseur miniatures)

28mm Napoleonic Russian Cossacks (Elite miniatures)

I got two of these regiments painted up. There are 30 men per unit. Finally getting my Russian cavalry into shape.

28mm Napoleonic Russian Don Cossacks

28mm Napoleonic French Imperial Guard Grenadiers and Chasseurs (Front Rank)

28mm Napoleonic French Imperial Guard Grenadiers and Chasseurs (Front Rank). I painted up some FR Old Guard (Chasseurs and Grenadiers) to sell. There are a couple of Elite minis figures in there.

French Imperial Guard Chasseurs and Grenadiers a pied (Front Rank)

28mm Napoleonic Spanish Guerrilas of Mina

I have had these figures "on the go" for years. Painting the designs on hats and blankets was a real pain, and I put them down for a long time. It was also a hassle to paint up the "captured" French uniforms and decide how to mix up the figures in battalions and the skirmish screen. They are finally ready!

There are four 32 man battalions; three with men in the early uniform, one with men in the late uniform. There are also three skirmish screens, which I will use for my Spanish line.

28mm Spanish Guerrillas

28mm Napoleonic French Imperial Guard a Pied charging and Nassau battalion

I saw a lovely image of the Guard Grenadiers charging through the snow at Eylau years ago. I picked these figures to recreate that same look. I am not sure if this is the same image I saw before, but it is similar. I think I saw it originally at the Wargames Holiday Centre.

28mm Napoleonic French Imperial Guard a Pied charging

Here are a battalion of Nassau infantry. I always wanted one.

28mm Napoleonic Nassau infantry (Elite miniatures)

28mm Napoleonic British 1st Dragoon Guards

This completes my Napoleonic British Cavalry. I have some for the Peninsula and for Waterloo. These are the 1st Dragoon Guards. The metal is from Elite miniatures. The British had better pay for Dragoon Guards. At times they downgraded regiments in order to save cash. Not good for morale!

28mm Napoleonic British 1st Dragoon Guards