No More Nassauers

Front Rank Drummer

Well, no more for quite some time I imagine. I have just finished painting my second Nassau regiment for my Waterloo Papelotte project and the first unit since taking up my Tonga posting two months ago. I can't base them as yet but wanted to share what I've done with this lot. The above shot was taken outdoors with the brightness bumped a little in Photoshop. This unit has two drummers - the gent pictured above and the following from Elite Miniatures.

I still absolutely love Elite Miniatures for Napoleonics although I'm not so enamoured of their cavalry as a rule.  I think it has a lot to do with the balance they achieve with simplicity of the sculpt - those compromises in what details they keep in and leave out. It is especially appealing to me when I'm painting two 48 figure battalions because by comparison, the Front Rank members of this unit are just hard work. I also favour their lean proportions.

I decided to differentiate this battalion (2/2nd) from the other Nassauers by giving them French backpacks complete with the more usual white straps rather than the ubiquitous tan coloured webbing of the Nassau regiments. I can't base them as yet because my band-saw blade snapped and the replacement part took ages and missed my departure for the Pacific. I'll take these boys home on my next trip back and sort them out then. I have to say I am a huge convert to the Vallejo metals. In most other respects I'm still wedded to Humbrol enamels but their brass just fails to keep that lovin' feeling.

I am digging the Elite mounted colonel. I know he's loopy looking but there's nothing wrong with a little eccentricity on the table-top. It was nice to have a bicorne in among all those later Napoleonic shakos. If I look back to my 3/2 Nassauers, I seem to have changed which is the first company or the colour company and this time I've got it with the mob in yellow pom-poms. Go figure.

For my last posting I didn't pay any attention to my grenadiers, so here's three of the eight in the two poses Elite Miniatures makes them in. You can also see more clearly how I've mixed the shades of greens between coats, trousers and across the soldiers themselves. Only after I've completed the bases will I add some mud and dust but I think they already look both drab and colourful at the same time - that sounds mad, oui?

This officer is altered from his true form. He comes as an ensign with his now extended left arm drawn across the body holding the flag pole. I cut of the gimbal from the cross belt and folded in all but his index fingers to make him point to the enemy. Nothing better than a variety of officers for my companies and this unit has seven including the ensign. I also altered his partner as I had two spare ensigns from my Elite Miniatures collection. 

I've given my light company an officer this time although he really just an ordinary officer with his pompom appropriately green and yellow - or is that yellow and green? I can never tell. I think I made this up later on as otherwise I should have thought to buy an extra light company miniature and transplant his plume. Ah, well ... who will care? Anyway, I'm now deciding what next to work on from what I chose to bring out with me. I haven't done anything toward my Quebec project in a very long time so it might be red coats for a change.