The Viereckstal Campaign: Second Interlude

 It is just a short interlude this time, as the tabletop action is warming up.

One of the challenges of an imaginary European campaign set around 1780 is finding figures in appropriate uniforms for heavy cavalry. There's not huge choice if wanting troopers in cocked hats that are distinctly tricornered and not bicornes, coupled with fairly narrow cuffs is not easy.

In 28mm, it is easier to find hussars and other might cavalry. The Perry Spanish Dragoons are quite adaptable with a suitable paint job, so long as you are OK with their soft collars and cuffs still erring on the larger size thanks to the Spanish not being as fast to adopt Prussian styles as other nations.

To satisfy my need for cuirassiers that looked purposefully different to Seven Years War units I looked around lots of manufacturers' ranges and thought it might be worth experimenting with some plastics. For horses and bodies I use the Perry plastic French napoleonic cuirassiers. These were coupled with heads and hats from the Warlord Games Hessian infantry regiment. The latter is not a kit I would build complete figures from, but its spurs are full of useful bits and pieces for kitbashing.

Here is the test figure I put together. The cuirassier's collar was shaved flat to accommodate the Warlord head. I've not yet added the scabbard and carbine. These will get in the way of painting so will be added at a later stage:

There's a bit of tidying up to do, but I was pleased with how this turned out, so have assembled a full unit of 12 as well as two more figures for a command vignette. While an epaulettes make these look particularly "French", the hat is distinctly "Prussian". Either could be fixed but I'm happy leave things as they are. I'm most likely to paint these as a Tattemberg Garde du Corps, so edging more towards the uniforms of the German states, possibly Wurttemberg, with yellow tunics and blackened cuirasses.

I expect painting will grind along through February. I'm also cleaning up some of those Perry Spanish Dragoons who will most likely end up as a Gallian Garde du Corps, to balance things out, even if these are unarmored. I have also just ordered some of the Eureka 28mm Austrian cuirassiers from their French Revolution range, but don't hold your breath for those. One thing at a time!