15mm Napoleonic Russians

The last of my 15mm armies by Warrior.

I had the idea to paint the Russians to go along side my Austrians to fight the French.  I painted some and then hit the 'painters wall' which I am sure many have experienced and the whole thing disappeared into a box for a year or so.  When I got them out and looked at them I had forgotten my original idea and then couldn't face painting the French, so it turned it into an Austro/Bavarian/Saxon force as part of the Grande Army taking on the Russians.  

I know that it is also lazy but I am getting on and my eyesight isn't what it used to be so, apart from choosing the Austrians and Saxons who I could 'block paint' by spraying them white, I went for a large contingent of Russians in greatcoats which I could spray paint with Humbrol 'Drab Green' which is more brown than green in this scale.  This enabled me to to turn out the infantry in numbers relatively quickly.

I know these troops should have the Kiver but Warrior only do the early Russians in greatcoats and since I started with the intention of doing the earlier period of the Napoleonic War and had lots of Russians in the early shalko, I ploughed on.

Lots of Russians in Greatcoats!

 

 I have been asked how15mm Minifigs compare with Warrior Miniatures.  I bought some Minifigs Russian Infantry castings on ebay as they were going cheap but there were no command figures, The Warrior Command are good value so I used some of their figures.  I am happy with the result and think the slimmer Minifigs work okay. 

I used the Prussian Cossacks for the Guard Cossacks and the Russian ones from the 'Don Cossacks'. 

Prussian Cossacks

 

Russian Cossacks

 The rest of my cavalry. 

You get the later war Cuirassiers with the 'cox comb' style helmet in the Russian Starter Army.  I have also included some of the earlier helmets with the 'rolled comb' to go with my earlier infantry.  

 

Cuirassier Brigade

Dragoon Brigade

Finally the artillery.  Warrior only do the Line Artillery, so I used Lancashire Games Horse Artillery figures (again because they are inexpensive and you get a lot in the pack), because I wanted the earlier war style 'helmet'.  Although it isn't on their list, if you ask, Warrior do a 'small barrel' which can go on their artillery carriage and looks okay for the light guns of the horse artillery. 

 

When it comes to limbers you have to compromise with the Warrior range and use the ACW limber but it sort of works in this scale.  The rider is one of the later war Cuirassiers painted as a horse artilleryman.

I should say all the Warrior figures are available from http://www.warrioronline.demon.co.uk/

15mm Napoleonic Saxons

Following my theme of using Warrior figures I wanted to build a small Saxon Force to join my Austrians and Bavarians as an element of the 'Grande Army'.

Warrior do not make Saxons so I used the French Infantry for Saxon Line, British Hussars for the Saxon Hussars and the Austrian Dragoon figure. 

I know other suppliers make the correct figures but I had fallen for the style (and the price).

15mm Napoleonic Bavarians

More of my 15mm Napoleonic Army.  This time it is Warrior Miniatures Bavarians

15mm Napoleonic Warrior Miniatures Austrians

Warrior Miniatures 15mm Austrian Napoleonic figures.  

Having a Minifigs S range Crimean War Army where all the poses on the different armies are alike,  I like the fact that all the Warrior figures figures are also more or less in the same pose. 

I dip these in the Army painter 'Strong Tone' and then paint white over it in places such as the front of leg and cross belts etc., to highlight them. I am not sure whether it is me or not, but my latest tin of 'Strong Tone' seems browner, or it may just be that I had an old tin and it had changed colour over time.

15mm Napoleonic Ottoman Army

This is a roll call for my 15mm Napoleonic Ottoman Turkish Army.  The figures are mainly Minifigs, with some Lancashire Games figures and Irregular Miniatures.  

I started my return to 15mm with an Austrian Napoleonic Army (pictures to follow at a later date) having had a Renaissance Polish army back in the 1980s.  I choose the Warrior Miniatures Austrian because they were all white and Warrior do a very good deal.  Having managed to paint them, I added Saxons - again white - and Bavarians.  The aim was a coalition  army to take on the Russians. 

I didn't want to paint the French  and knowing Bob is into all things Eastern European and Turkish I thought I would paint up an Ottoman army to take on the Russians. So here they are and I will be posting pictures of them in action shortly.

Ottoman Command

Nizam-j-jed brigade

Bostandji Corps

New Model Armt regiment

Chifflick Regt

Albanian and Anatolian Sekhans

 Lancashire Games Janissaries and Minifigs Command

Irregular Miniatures Turks

Sulvarileri and Sipahis

Irregular Cavalry