Winter Walkers

It’s midwinter here in the UK and that means it’s time to paint my Strelets French Infantry on the March. I started the two unloved but very, very cheap boxes (a closing down sale) back in 2014, the first year of this blog. I never thought I’d paint any of them but for some reason, the thought that I’d probably never paint them spurred me on to make a start on a sprue.

And I’ve been painting them ever since.

“gauche… droite… gauche… droite…”

The first dozen of these early Strelets creations were painted and shared back in 2014, blog post number 22.

2014’s recruits: the very first batch of 18 French infantrymen either “in advance” or “on the march”.

By 2017, we’re up to 44 of these perambulating poilu!

It’s 2018 now, and that line of line infantry is growing ever longer. What’s more, they are now joined by…

…a sledge train and a line of stragglers!

In 2019, another 14 marchers are now also joined by some of the newer Strelets marching versions wearing their grey greatcoats…

…as well as another sledge with it’s accompanying strays and invalids!

It’s 2020 and fourteen more of my Gallic ramblers are now added to the expanding cohort.

Last year, I even produced a short film involving one of these marching men for a seasonal family entertainment event. I did not enter it into Cannes.

Whenever the winter nights draw in, and we’re approaching midwinter here, I am always reminded that it’s time to paint some more of those cold, great-coated infantrymen again; frozen, struggling refugees of Napoleon’s bitter retreat from Russia.

The latest group:

And here’s what ninety six marching Napoleonic Frenchmen looks like.

And so, eight years on, I have finally reached the very last sprue of these two boxes of figures and have completed my seasonal efforts on these marching monsieurs.

Or have I?

Despite being sold out a long time ago, I found another box online last year. This was much to my surprise as Strelets replaced these sets by a newer and more delicately sculpted version. So, there are years more of these French amblers to keep me entertained during future winters – at which point I’ll probably start on those new versions. Like many a retreating French infantryman during the winter of 1812, you may ask – “will this ever end?!”

Lace Wars: French Horse Grenadiers

Introducing my latest addition to the Lace Wars project, the prestigious Royal Horse Grenadier regiment of the French King.

You’ll notice straight away that I still have a flag to sort which is just an ominous black at the moment.. Some research needed before I tackle that, I think.

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The most distinctive aspect of their uniform is the fur-trimmed cap. The red peak was according to Plastic Soldier Review, originally a standard grenadier cap of the period, having “a hanging bag like any other grenadier, but by 1720 this was stiffened with a point at the top, which is what we find on all these figures“.

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 Each man is armed with a curved cavalry sabre, flintlock carbine and two pistols.

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An elite force, the Horse Grenadiers were a small formation, rarely more than a couple of hundred men in total. Their elite status as grenadiers however would mean they would often lead a charge, thereby adding to a fame which exceeded their actual clout on the field of battle.

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The set includes a flag bearer and a mounted drummer.

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The two officers included see one of them (the ‘big wig‘ sports a cuirass over his coat. Lots of extra clothing detailing on the cuffs and coats with these command figures – well, it is the Lace Wars project!

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There seems to be a wealth of different War of the Spanish Succession mounted formations in the pipeline from good old Strelets, including Dutch and Austrian Cuirassiers, British Dragoons and Late War-era Horse, French Garde du Corps and French Chevau-Legers / Gendarmes de la Garde. As for French dragoons, they are being released “on the march”, “in reserve”, “in attack” and “in skirmish”! Strelets, you’re spoiling us.

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My hobby plans have taken an unexpected turn very recently. This has resulted in my needing to revisit an old set last seen a few years ago on Suburban Militarism. What this set is, and why, will be revealed in the next post.

Chevaux du Roi

Back to the 1/72 scale horse and musket era, so that means, ah, horses. Not just any old horses. Horse Grenadier horses!

If these equines are familiar it will be because I painted the same very recently as Strelets’ British / Saxon Cavalry from the War of the Spanish Succession era. Strelets have used the same horse sculpts for this French set.

This small herd wear blue-edged white horse cloths as can be seen on the cover French Royal Horse Grenadiers box. Illustrations show double white edges but I’ve gone with painting a single line as I value my sanity.

Box art from Strelets French Royal Horse Grenadiers

Their distinctively-dressed riders are well-advanced in their painting so hopefully should be united with their exotically attired human companions soon.

Retreat from Moscow

December, 1812. Napoleon’s army may be struggling against pursuing Cossacks and the cold Russian winter during their infamous retreat from Moscow, but for at least one French infantryman there’s something to look forward to…

My submission for my young daughter’s Christmas video extravaganza – a socially distanced entertainment event that she put together for all the family featuring songs, performances, a quiz, video montages and more.

Retreating from Moscow…

Presenting 2020’s platoon of French marching infantry!

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These figures are on the retreat from Moscow back to Vilnius in Lithuania, victims of Napoleon’s vain ambition. They slog through the cold Russian winter snows, harrassed by cossacks and dogged by gnawing hunger every step of the way.

They join their colleagues to form a company currently numbering 82. Another 64 figures are still left unpainted in two remaining boxes.

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In what is, in itself, becoming an annual tradition, I present the lovely Strelets characters I’ve painted for this year’s group;

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And it’s not time to put away the jar of fake snow just yet. I’ve got another Strelets ‘Retreat from Moscow’ set to tackle, a series which I’ve been painting around the same time of year in both 2018 and 2019. From that set, this bored-looking fellow below is awaiting his turn with the brush. Now I come to think about it, he does look a little bit like Santa…

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Keeping Calm and Marching On

Don’t–don’t–don’t–don’t–look at what’s in front of you.
(Boots–boots–boots–boots–movin’ up an’ down again);
Men–men–men–men–men go mad with watchin’ em,
An’ there’s no discharge in the war!
“Boots (Infantry Columns)” by Rudyard Kipling

As we head into a pandemic-fuelled ‘winter of something-considerably-more-than-discontent’, us modellers and hobbyists will recognise the great importance of our hobbies in helping us face the trauma and keep going. I often hear stories from others who find solace and support in the act of focusing our attention upon these little men and women.

And so it is with me. November will soon be turning distinctly wintry in this part of the world and so I’m going back to something comfortingly familiar which suits both the coming season and the current necessity of doggedly carrying on. I’m back on the march!

Try–try–try–try–to think o’ something different —
Oh–my–God–keep–me from goin’ lunatic!
(Boots–boots–boots–boots–movin’ up an’ down again!)
There’s no discharge in the war!

The men doing all the marching with me will be the good old Strelets French Infantry in Advance. This is the last of those veteran early Strelets sets I purchased for a pittance on the sad closing down of a local model shop. They’re wearing their greatcoats and stoically foot–foot–foot–foot sloggin’ through the deep snows of a Russian winter. I add a handful more every year and they now number just over 70 in total. In recent years, I’ve also painted the associated wintry Strelets ‘sledge train’ sets.

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They’re not the most elegantly sculpted figures ever made, but for some reason I just can’t help but love them. I’m already well under way with them, having add a bit of paint to them in my spare moments recently. Once I’ve painted the latest cohort of 14 marchers, I will have the remnants of the sister set “French Infantry on the March (1)” to paint.

My latest platoon of new recruits, the last of that box of men ‘in advance’ – or should that be ‘in retreat’ (from Moscow)…?

Happily, and much to my surprise, a box of ye olde “In Advance” set finally came up for auction recently and I’ve now got another box also for a snip. All of which means there’s another few years left in this winter painting tradition to go yet. In the meantime, my Ottoman Turkish Sipahi are finished and I’ll be sharing them soon in my next post!

Marching Frenchmen making their way across a the desolate wintry wastes of my lounge carpet.

Regiment de Toulouse (Lace Wars)

Introducing the fourth in my series of French infantry regiments from the War of the Spanish Succession, the Regiment de Toulouse!

Described by C.S. Grant’s “Armies and Uniforms of Marlborough’s Wars” as having light blue stockings, cuffs and collars. With wide variations as to what ‘light blue’ could be interpreted as, I’ve chosen a shade I simply liked the look of.

At Blenheim, under Tourouvre’s Brigade, the Regiment de Toulouse consisted of two battalions in a total of 1000 men.

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The officer looks pretty relaxed, but then his large wig could probably stop a well-aimed musket ball or two.

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His sergeant looks a little more animated, bellowing orders at his men.

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Pleasing figures once again from Strelets. I was a little concerned that being sideways on the sprue would make them less effective to painting, but I think they’ve come out very nicely.

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I may boring regular visitors with these figures, but I am enjoying this project very much. My desire is to continue with another regiment but something tells me that I should go for some variety and do something else for a bit. So, I’m at that pleasurable stage of wondering what to paint next. I’ve certainly plenty of figures to choose from, so I better go and check out my enormous unpainted pile!

A Field Day!

It’s a Field Day for my Lace Wars legion! At the suggestion of Suburban Militarism friend and follower Markus Sharaput, I thought I’d parade my 2020 vintage War of the Spanish Succession troops as an indication of overall progress:

The Royal Scots – “Damn forward fellows with a bayonet!”

The Regiment de Champagne advance with typical French elan.

The Foot Guards convincingly demonstrate that frilly lace is no defence against hot lead.

Right back at you! The 1st Poitou let loose a shattering volley in reply.

Ooops, looks like somebody forgot to load and is hastily putting it right…

The Foot Guards prepare to halt the onward advance of the Champagne.

The Regiment de Montfort in action. Their black flag reminds me that I really need to get around to finishing something…

Patiently awaiting a flurry of lead ball are men of Sankey’s Regiment.

Well, the good news for the French is that reinforcements are on their way! As I type this, another regiment of white-coated Gallic infantry is already well advanced with paint. More on that anon…

Le Regiment de Champagne Marche!

“By the left… (wait for it, wait for it!)… quick march!”

As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve been very happily painting more Strelets French infantry figures from the War of the Spanish Succession. Being mostly a shade of white, it might be thought that these could become a little dull to paint. On the contrary, with a number of different poses to choose from, and being so nicely sculpted, I’ve been very content to keep on painting these.

I’ve previously painted two firing lines for the following regiments:

• The Regiment de Montfort (red cuffs and breeches, white hat lace)
• The Regiment de Poitou (blue cuffs, yellow hat lace)

Crack open the bubbly for my latest addition to the Sun King’s steadily growing army – the Regiment de Champagne. The uniform is virtually all white (or more particularly a white-grey) even including the hat lace (which I now realise my source book informs me is yellow but, hey….) The only concession to any colour is a small glimpse of their red waistcoat.

Another key difference is that these men are all marching rather than firing. What’s more, they’re marching in step, which was apparently not a practice that had been adopted by the French army by this time. Nevertheless, I’ve used the same pose to give them that extra visual cue of being a single regiment.

The pose is a well-animated one by Strelets and I like it. Rather than stiffly marching forth, these Champagne soldiers have something of a swagger about them suggesting either an easy confidence or a bone-tired weariness, or even both.

As with the previous regiment, I’ve settled on Vallejo Sky Grey for the coat’s base colour. It contrasts nicely, I think, with the more wholly white looking stockings (actually Vallejo’s off-white).

Les Beatles, “Route de l’abbaye”, non?

I’ve painted an officer for the regiment to also join the march. It’s another very nicely sculpted officer by Strelets and I like him!

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The regiment’s sergeant:

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Strelets have been issuing / developing a number of new boxes of French WSS infantry in recent weeks including;

• “French Grenadiers”
• “French Musketeers on the march” (which strangely only partially includes marching figures)
• “French Pikemen” (another odd one given the generally accepted notion that pikes were virtually abandoned as a weapon by this time).
• “French Musketeers Firing”

Both the “firing” and “march” sets have been the subject of pretty intensive criticism over the markedly short muskets, virtually musketoons. I’m keeping well out of this particular nerd’s bun fight, but basically it seems Strelets believes that French musketeers had these short muskets but many others do not. The “firing” set also features the old ‘matchlock’ musket rather than the newer ‘flintlock’, the former (like the pike) all but abandoned by the time of the WSS. Controversy aside, the sculpting is remains top notch and the pike and matchlock figures could at least stand for some earlier conflicts.

For me, it’s back to the War of the Spanish Succession and I’ll just conclude with some more views of my ‘Champagne’ boys.

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More Soldiers of the Sun King

After a brief hiatus, I’ve been dipping into the Strelets Lace Wars figures once more by adding the Sun King’s army with another French Regiment. Introducing the Regiment de Poitou, which in the Blenheim campaign consisted of a small battalion in Prince Isenghein’s Brigade.

They wear the usual white-grey coat with blue cuffs, white gaiters and a tricorne with yellow trim. I think they make a nice contrast to their sister regiment, the de Montfort.

Regiment de Poitou

Regiment de Montfort

I’ve used the other loading and firing figures which came with Strelets French Fusiliers (Early War) box, using the same two figures to further emphasise the regimental distinction.

I’m pleased with my officer figure who carries a spontoon. This figures fully justifies the “Lace Wars” label with his exuberant wig, frilly white neckerchief, white fur trim on the tricorne and lacy sleeves. Unfortunately, I seem to have yet to paint his white gloves which remain a distinctly less-than-foppish-dandy shade of black. I’ll reach for the brush soon to put that right!

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I’ve not fussed with the shade of grey-white worn by the regiment and I think they look better for it. At John of Just Needs Varnish suggestion, I’ve staggered the two ranks in the firing line, front firing rank to the left and rear loading rank to the right, so the bases still line up;

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The loading pose:

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The firing pose:

I know that Strelets are working hard on the production of more WSS boxes including the very recent release of French grenadiers and marching musketeers. Some British cavalry masters have already made an appearance on their website too. Distribution in these troubled times remains a problem however, so modellers and wargamers may have to be patient for a while yet.