First Love

Don't concern yourselves - I promise this is on-topic.

I'm nearing completion on my latest unit - 18 Chasseurs-a-Cheval for 1815 which it urns out will make for a cavalry division for my late war (100 Days) French army. How did this happen?

In the lead up to the 200th anniversary I determined to grip up my own Waterloo game - the upcoming Papelotte scenario. I know what you must be thinking - that's eight years ago. My issue is that I have such an abiding fascination with military history throughout all ages that I have multiple major projects which all compete with each other and crawl forward - slither really at that all too familiar snails pace. Anyway ...

My late war French Napoleonic army will rest for the time being at a four battalion infantry brigade, a battery or horse artillery and four regiments of cavalry. I have bought the second infantry brigade and a battery of deployed foot artillery which my scenario calls for but I will use my good mate Marshall Grant's earlier war French to sub in just so we can get this game rolling - likely next year.

This army is kind of accidental inasmuch as it was supposed to be a smaller force to meet the requirements of our scenario. It didn't seem so significant when I started out.

Of course, I've also been building my Allied army to contest the scenario. I am able to use a fraction of my Peninsular British - horse artillery and the 1st KGL Hussars but mainly this is a new army. Thus far I have built two large Nassau regiments, two detatched skirmish elements, a Dutch horse artillery battery and a regiment of British light dragoons.

Currently on the painting table is the first of two Hanoverian militia battalions and I hope to complete two regiments of British Light Dragoons by Christmas (that's this Christmas).

Marshal Grant has all the Prussians we need - thank the dice-Gods.

By the time we get this game under way, I will have the better parts of two late war Napoleonic armies. This is in addition to the Corps sized British Peninsular army which has evolved over the past 25 years (still growing).

What's crazier is that I have two more Napoleonic armies waiting in the wings. I have an all-arms supported 1806 Prussian brigade in my 'pile of potential' and a brigade and a half of 'consulate' period French - French and Piedmontese to be precise. Who the hell needs five Napoleonic armies? 

Apparently I do. I have many other armies from other periods but I always come back to Napoleonics and I think it's becasue they were my first true love. I blame Airfix. I had them in plenty of 1/72 scale including the La Haiye Saint farmhouse and also in 1/32 scale.

They are all in 28mm nowadays, all at 1:20 representative troop ratios and mainly metal.

I think outside of WW2, no other period is so much written about, depicted in art and much romanticised. When I paint I can listen to podcasts, audio books or music which fully immerses me in the period. It's a wonderful time-machine escape from a busy and demanding real life. As I get older, I become more interested in the uniforms and organisation of the other European powers and lurch from one enthusiasm to the next.

The madness ends in the grave - never before.