Last of the French

EDIT: Sorry about the photographs - I had to use a different camera to the one I normally use.

When I ordered my Peninsular Spanish army in October last year I added a several nice to haves for my British and French armies. 

The British were all finished earlier this year and I posted a 'Parade of the British' at that point. Then I decided, rather than start the Spanish, I would finish the nice to haves for the French. I actually got these done some time ago but I've simply not had the time to blog post any progress for one reason or another. However, as late additions to an army I mistakenly said was finished, and posted about here in my 'Parade of the French', there are these beauties; if I'm not mistaken these extra bits bring the French army man count to 998.

Unless otherwise stated, all figures are by Front Rank. All are painted in enamels by yours truly. Flags are by GMB. Round bases are by War Bases, others are home cut.

First up, two units of Legere. These are actually the 25th Legere in a bogus uniform - whip me!

The reason for choosing the 25th was a desire to have white over green plumes for the chasseurs, which I've always thought rather fetching. However, I also wanted to have voltigeurs in colpacks (which in turn led to having bearskins for the carrabiniers). Unfortunately, I couldn't find any Legere serving in the Peninsular that wore colpacks so I decided to combine my desires - and hence my 25th are in a partly bogus uniform. Apart from head gear (the plumes are right) they are correctly dressed.

I realise this decision will have the purer minded of you physically coughing up blood but, in the end they are my figures and I can do with them as I wish - their heretical nature will, like most victims of the Spanish inquisition, be forgotten with time. 

Bogusness aside, I think they look great! I just love the colpacks!

More historical, the 5th Chasseurs a Cheval. This unit brings the Chasseur regiment count to three.

It's another unit with yellow trim. Yellow is really doing it for me at the moment.

As with all of my French cavalry I've painted most of them as one company (blue pompoms in this case) because it makes painting easier and 'the lines cleaner': French cavalry pompoms confuse the heck out of me.

This pic shows the unit in line, with its name plate and coloured bead pins (for ID numbers and quality markers, etc.). I always use beads for this kind of thing because it renders roster sheets superfluous (which saves a lot of set up time): Everything is in front of you; you can call a unit by its proper name during play (even if you don't know it by sight), and you never need to look it up on a list to discover its qualities (which saves time in play). 

A second 'Corps' commander stand: I think the hussar officer is a one piece 'special' by Foundry (?), kindly donated by Jason W. The dice boxes are for holding army morale dice (one black showing multiples of six, one white showing digits of 1 - 6 to give a range of 0 - 42; and one orange showing the commanders 1 - 6 personal transferable morale points), and the pin is for holding his quality bead (red poor, green average, blue skilled).

I would have liked to add a foot figure but didn't have anything suitable. However, not to mind, as a second 'Corps' commander he probably won't get out much.

Next up, a post on my newly painted Spanish. These currently number four units of infantry, three guns (one HA), two limbers (one HA) and a commander. I'm very much looking forward to showing you these as there are several converted figures amongst them.