Conti French Cavalry Regiment

This is a Royal Regiment in French service with a rather unusual and dour look to it with it's steel grey coats.
Kronoskaf has nothing to say about the livery worn by it's musicians but there is a clue in the fact that there is an infantry regiment (called 'Conty') where the livery is described. The infantry regiment was 'owned' by
Louis Armand de Bourbon, prince of Conty or Conti and it's drummers wore buff coats faced in blue so I have given the cavalry trumpeter the same colour scheme.

Figures are Font Rank.

Royal-Allemand French Cavalry Regiment

I'm back at last - a little late but better late than never. The new house is almost finished and I have started painting again. My new painting table is up and running and, at 2.40 metres long, I have more space than I am used to. Funny how one still manages to fill up the available space though!

Here is a 25/28mm French SYW cavalry regiment - figures by Front Rank. This regiment was raised in 1639 by the duke of Saxe-Weimar so it's original recruits were Germans although by the SYW this may well have not been the case.

Over the next few days I will post five new French cavalry regiments.



Moving House

Just to let you know that I have sold my house and I'm moving in January of 2013. I've bought a town house not far from here so it's not a huge move but nonetheless it does involve a great deal of work as I'm shoehorning from 250 square metres into half that size. So there won't be many posts now for the next six months or so while the builders go in and sort out jobs that need doing. I will be painting miniatures as and when I have time but normal service will be resumed by about April.

40mm Major-General Johann Berlichingen

This is my first Austrian cavalry general for my 40mm army. The figure is from Trident and he is intended to be used for AWI armies - he has had a bit of a conversion to make him suitable for the WAS/SYW. The horse sculpture is very fine I think and conveys rather well the sense of a gentle canter. In the third picture you see a 40mm comparison with a 25/28mm cavalry figure from Front Rank.

When I select who to paint, I like to choose someone inspiring and I think Berlichingen fits the bill. Most of us have heard of Romer who commanded the Austrian left wing cavalry at Mollwitz - he smashed the Prussian cavalry on his wing and almost won the battle although he was killed in the same battle. Berlichingen commanded the right wing of the Austrian cavalry and this is what Duffy said, quoting someone who was there, about their poor performance:

"The cavalry of the Austrian right at last began to move, but since the infantry refused to advance [against the Prussians], our cavalry became so disheartened that it could in no way be persuaded to attack, even though General Berlichingen tried to inspire them through his personal example. He spurred to within twenty paces of the enemy, he exorted, he threatened, all without any effect. He became so angry that he split the heads of two cavalrymen who were riding away, and he cut several others down from their horses....."

Our hero then appears again at Hohenfriedberg four years later where he was captured by Prussian hussars. On his capture he muttered at the Zeiten Hussar: "Do I have to be taken by a mob like this? I saw the Prussian Hussars at Mollwitz. They're a tatty crowd and they ran for their lives at the sight of the first Hungarians." The hussar punched him in the head, Berlichingen'a hat fell off, then his wig and then he fell off his horse.

Poly Saint-Thiébault

This is one of many noble regiments in the French army in the familiar light grey coat with red facings.
The trumpeteer uniform is entirely my creation as there is no recorded description of the original.
Figures are by Front Rank.

Orleans Cavalry Regiment

Here is another one of those ubiquitous French cavalry regiments (of the WAS/SYW era) dressed in grey and this is another ‘de sang royal’ regiment – Orleans. I’ve never been fond of the Orleans branch of the Bourbon dynasty as – besides the Regent in the early Louis XV period – they were frequently a scurrilous bunch of treacherous dogs concerned more for their own advancement and place than the overall good of their country.

All figures are by Front Rank.

French Cavalry Regiment Aquitaine

I'll be doing a number of SYW French cavalry regiments over the next few weeks. Here is Aquitaine - a Royal regiment. Figures are from Front Rank and though they are showing their age (they must have been designed about 15 years ago) they are still nice to paint and lively as well.