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| 28mm Prussian Dragoons, ready to advance into France in 1870! |
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| Red facings on this lot... |
I started doing the Franco-Prussian War back in...2017, I think? Something like that - the "before times", at any rate. I so love the setting, I do it in different scales! In 28mm, I have been using the Wargames Foundry range for my "Black Powder" efforts in this setting. At the outset, for Prussian cavalry, I wanted a unit of Dragoons, as there was often a Dragoon regiment joined to the Prussian infantry units. I ordered some Dragoons from Wargames Foundry, enough for one unit - 12 figures.
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| Painting horses is a drag, but I do love cavalry... |
Yet when I finally got round to painting them in the summer of 2018, I saw there had been a mistake (either by me, or by Foundry - both are possible, although the former is more likely). I had two command packs, instead of one. This should not have been any kind of issue, but I have OCD-adjacent hobby quirks...I could not mentally resolve having two command figures within one regiment, even though the odds that anyone would besides me would ever notice were vanishingly small. I sorted this by painting up two half-regiments...two units of six figures each...and told myself I would just order more regular Dragoon troopers to finish out the units. I noted to myself at the time that I would do this "very soon".
So...fast-forward to 2021...lots of stuff going on, I was moving house...and as the 2021 Painting Challenge came about, I told myself "I am so damn tired of looking at those half-units of Dragoons on my display shelf downstairs! THIS year, I will get them finished up." I duly ordered the requisite figures from Wargames Foundry...I even built them and primed them...and...well, got distracted by other stuff, insert excuses here, etc. etc.
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| Dragoons were often attached to Prussian infantry divisions - this is why there were my first selection for 28mm cavalry for my Franco-Prussian War project |
In the interim, the Perry brothers released their own new sculpts for the Franco-Prussian War in 28mm. This included brand new - and arguably, much, much nicer - sculpts for Prussian Dragoons. But I was committed to the Foundry range, at least for these figures. Having started with Foundry, I wanted to finish with Foundry (which, of course, are also sculpted by the Perry twins..but anyway)...nonetheless, such useless contemplation on whether to switch over to Perry Dragoons fuelled further procrastination on this specific aspect of this project...
Fast-forward to 2022, the Painting Challenge looming...THIS TIME I MEAN IT, I'M GOING TO FINISH THOSE DRAGOONS, FOR F*CK SAKES! IF I HAVE TO LOOK AT THOSE HALF-UNITS ON THE DISPLAY SHELF EVEN ONE MORE TIME...and I am so pleased to report success! So you see 12 troopers here...six with yellow facings, and six with red facings. They will be joining their previously-painted fellows in my display! I now have two full units of Prussian Dragoons in 28mm!
While I would expect the newer Perry sculpts would look better, the Foundry ones are still classics - like painting up old friends. Yes, they are monopose...and the molds are getting old. But I just loved painting these up. It was fun! Why did I wait, anyway? Ah, the hobby squirrels in my brain...
I was pleased to be able to pretty-much match the paints and colours after a four-year gap in completing these units. It's not perfect...in this interim, f*cking Liquitex stopped making their "natural sand" product that I used for my basing, so they don't match perfectly, but I applied a liberal dose of grass tufts, and it looks more than good enough for me.
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| Finally! Two full, proper units on the display table!! About damn time!!! |
The best part is now looking at my shelf, and seeing all of the units in the collection at full strength! About bloody time!
For points, we have 12 mounted 28mm troopers - should be good for 120 points. Thanks for reading - and I hope you all have a chance to savour that moment when you knock off a long-overdue project! Now...what distraction will take my brushes?
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Ahh, it's wonderful to see you back revisiting your Franco-Prussian War project, Greg. While perhaps becoming a little long in the tooth, these dragoons look fabulous, especially under your talented brush. I expect you will find MANY sympathetic ears with you describing half-finished units and best intentions (I have run out of fingers and toes with my quick calculations). Anyway, they look great and will look even better when we get them on the tabletop for a game.
Great work dude!
- Curt
Those dragoons look smashing, Greg! I'll bet you're relieved to finally not have to look at two half-regiments in your cabinet! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Tamsin, and yes, it is a relief!
DeleteGreat work on the Dragoons. I had a good laugh over the pretzel shapes yo7 tied yourself into along the way.
ReplyDeleteCheers Peter! I'm just glad they are finished!
DeleteWell done for getting them done!
ReplyDeleteThanks Barks! No skullz on this lot, unfortunately :)
DeleteI spent the entirety of my time reading that post nodding as I absolutely recognise and have been through the same process myself - it always amazes me how quick, painless and fun it is to finish these jobs off eventually!
ReplyDeleteThese chaps looks great too, that’s a lovely shade of blue and we’ll done wargames Foundry For sending you slightly the wrong packs, knowing you’d order more figures ;)
Hahah, thanks Jamie! Now, it had never occurred to me that Foundry might have done a bit of an "accidentally on purpose" move...as you say, smart move on their part...
DeleteGood looking Prussians, the striking blue is always nice to see. Shall we see the new Perry Prussian Dragoons next year, for comparison, you see?
ReplyDeleteThanks Teemu! I would say that my 28mm collection is at "Peak Dragoon" for my Prussians...no need for a third unit yet! But I do hope to have more cavalry, so watch for other Perry sculpts - in this Challenge or the next!
DeleteHi Greg:
ReplyDeleteLove these dragoons, always have a soft spot for Foundry sculpts, especially when so well painted. Are there dismounted figures? Lovely to see the FPW represented here.
Cheers, MikeP
Hi Mike, and thanks so much! Yes, there are some dismounts from Foundry, but they are even more "mono-pose", so it would be a while before I attempt those, I expect...there was not a lot a whole lot of fighting by dismounted Dragoons in that conflict.
DeleteThey look fabulous Greg! The light blue uniform looks spot on to me.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much Nick!
DeleteVery very nice!
ReplyDeleteCheers Ray!
DeleteI do enjoy this project, Greg. The Franco Prussian war and period illustrations inspired me to go to art school.
ReplyDeleteVery nice work on the dragoons too! Especially replicating the paint. They look wonderful.
Soon, what scale is next for the period!? ;)