Maximum Voltage

The Voltigeurs swarm out of the woods...

I've been conducting manoeuvres with the Combined Voltigeurs using Ian S's experimental basing system.

...and  then recombine in close order to defend the hedgerow.

Ian's system allows the battalion to be deployed either in open order, representing the skirmish element of a brigade, or in close order as an ordinary line infantry unit.

As a line unit they're certainly a bit unconventional, but not disastrously so. It's also rather nice to have a battalion that's doing something other than charging.

The figures are:

Hinton Hunt FN 3 x 3
Hinton Hunt FN 1 x 1
DK 12 x 19
DK 13 x 1

A formidable firing line

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The DKs and Hinton Hunts have blended together so well that it's difficult to tell them apart.

Next up: a second squadron of Polish lancers!

WM

Leading a classic  brigade attack (with apologies to Charles Grant),

Back to Bases

A half battalion in close-order

The problem with skirmish battalions is that they're not very practical. They look great when deployed as a cloud of individual figures, but moving them all about is so time consuming that it becomes very tempting to simply leave them out of the battle. This is a terrible waste of scarce vintage troops, particularly when one has small armies like mine. Surely, I thought, there must be a way of also using them in a close-order role.....

My initial thoughts about this problem involved a complicated scheme using magnets, steel paper and especially thin sheets of plasticard so that the figures could be deployed either individually or in close order on 6-figure company bases.

When I mentioned this to Ian S he told me that he was planning something altogether simpler and more ingenious. Ian's plan is to mount each skirmish company onto one three-figure base, one two-figure base and one single figure base. This allows each company to operate either independently as a skirmish unit or collectively as part of a close order battalion.

Well, my first two combined voltigeur companies are complete, so I gave it a whirl. Although the battalion will still be a little unwieldy compared to its truly close-order companions, it'll still be a lot better than trying to manoeuvre 24 individual bases. Ian, you are a genius!

...and deployed as skirmishers

Turning Up the Voltage

It's not all been vintage Napoleonic reviews and battles in the last few weeks, I've also been doing some actual painting.

As I have rather a lot of Frenchmen to paint in order to catch up with the Prussians, I thought I'd start with the biggest job first, which is the battalion of skirmishers I need to take on all those Silesian Schutzen. A few of the French line infantry voltigeurs I've found for this gig are pictured below:

DK and Hinton Hunt Voltigeurs

The figures (from left to right) are:

Der Kriegspielers, DK 12: French line infantry 1812, Légère battalion, firing;

Hinton Hunt, FN 3: French line infantry 1812-15, grenadier, firing, and

Hinton Hunt, FN 1: French line infantry 1812-15, officer, charging.

Although the DK is not an exact match for the Hinton Hunt, and lacks many of the crisper details, he's not all that far off. I think they'll work reasonably well together in a unit.

A certain family resemblance!

As it happens, I've managed to get hold of a fair number of Hinton Hunt and other types of French infantry recently, so a few more comparisons follow. The figures in each case are Der Kriegspielers on the left, Hinton Hunt in the centre and Alberken on the right.

The extra DK on the left is an interesting variant of DK 12. Alberken FN 28 on the right.

The Alberken pictured above on the right is: FN 28: French Napoleonic infantry, grenadier, firing. He's a very good match for the Hinton Hunt in almost all respects except one - a rather horribly malformed right arm that doesn't attach to the rest of his body very convincingly at all!

Next up is a selection of charging/advancing figures:

Some more close cousins....

The figures are:

Der Kriegspielers, DK 9: French line infantry 1812, advancing;

Hinton Hunt FN 5: French line infantry 1812-15, fusilier, charging; and

Alberken FN 30: French Napoleonic infantry, fusilier, advancing.

The Alberken is noticeably taller and chunkier than the others, and lacks the finer detailing of either the HH or the DK. However, I think they'd all look quite good together on the same tabletop.

Pictured last is the same group again but with something completely different: a Garrison FN 7: French Fusilier, advancing. which I just couldn't resist painting up as a test figure.

....and a different lineage altogether!

Garrison only ever produced a quite small range of 25mm Napoleonics, but I've always admired them. Masses of them routinely appear in early wargaming publications, where they look absolutely stunning. As I have enough for a whole battalion I'm sorely tempted to have a go at them after I've finished the voltigeurs. After all, this is supposed to be a blog about "Hinton Hunt, Der Kriegspieler and other vintage Napoleonic Figures"!

WM

Update: As MS Foy points out in his comments, that should be Garrison 20mm Napoleonics, and not 25mm. Doh!