New Grenadiers and Jaegers for Der Alte Fritz

I have a little ritual when I finish painting a horse and musket era unit.  I like to "muster it in" to the army I'm currently working on, and so, having shown you the Prussian grenadiers finished in my previous post, I wanted to stage a little parade with their compatriots from IR3 Anhalt Dessau.  Together they will represent the 3/6 Von Kleist Converged Grenadier battalion, which is drawn up for inspection here by Der Alte Fritz.

Frederick and his glittering staff watch the regiment pass in review.  As a converged grenadier battalion, they would not have carried any colours.  Almost all of these figures are by Foundry, a few of the staff are from the Front Rank / Gripping Beast line.

A six stand unit in 28mm is large for the average table, to be sure, but it's my preferred unit size and works well for smaller battles.  For a larger fight, I use three stands to represent a foot regiment and two stands to represent cavalry, so it works.  Here Frederick has the regiment gathered for an inspiring speech, in which he calls them a parcel of rogues and tells them to earn their laurels in the thickest press of the battlefield, etc etc.

The King's eye is caught by a grenadier answering the call of nature.

"Sirrah, a grenadier should know better than to be caught in an exposed position!"

"Yes, sire, but rest assured I fight as fiercely as I piss!"

"Hmm, should I flog this rascal or promote him?"

Frederick pauses to chat with two pioneers and urges them to keep their axes sharp and clean.

Next on his itinerary, the King watches a demonstration of light infantry tactics by a newly raised regiment of Jaegers zu Fuss.  Captain Scharf of the Jaegers puts his green coated men through their paces.

The King wonders if hiding and skulking behind walls is quite becoming of soldiers.   However, he is soon impressed by the sharp crack of their rifles.  "Perhaps they will be useful against those verdamnt Croats!"

Historically there wouldn't be much call for light troops in a game depicting a pitched battle.  However, a skirmish game, especially one set in the kleine krieg with jaegers, pandours, cossacks and hussars cries out for a unit like ... Scharf's Rifles.   OK, I'll get my coat.

So these jaegers, like the grenadiers, are Foundry figures are painted mostly using Foundry triad system paints.

Many thanks for looking and blessings to your brushes!

MP+

Foundry Grenadiers and Happy Civilians for Old Fritz

 Recently finished and mustered into service with the Prussian army are these 28mm Foundry sculpts, grenadiers painted in the uniforms of the Anhalt Desau regiment as per Kronoskaf.   They will eventually represent the 3/6 Kleist converged grenadier battalion once I get the grenadiers from the Von Retzow regiment finished.

I had a terrible moment when I was spraying these figures with Windsor and Newton matte varnish, I was working too quickly and picked up the black primer can by mistake.   It took a split second to realize my mistake but by then I'd done enough damage that I had to essentially repaint the exposed side of three figures.   I will never do that again!

According to Kronoskaf these fellows had yellow piping on the cloth backs of their mitres, I opted for an ochre-ish colour which isn't that visible in this photo but which looks good enough for me.

The new troops are inspected by Der Alte Fritz and found to be satisfactory.

Two finished Foundry SYW civilians also done in this batch.  Magda the camp follower has big natural apples, and Johann would give his other leg for the king if he could.

Hurrah boys!

I should get these fellows on the table and give them their baptism of fire.   Thanks for looking and blessings to your brushes!

MP+