From RichardM - 6mm Napoleonics, Last of the Swiss, Spanish Marines and Militia (146 points)

Starting with the last of the Swiss that I planned to paint for the Challenge, this is the 3rd Swiss Regiment that joins the 2nd and 4th Regiments painted a few weeks ago.  I have two battalions of the 1st Regiment that also joined these other three regiments and fought in Russia but that is for another time.  I was reluctant to paint these as I felt that the black facings would kill the colours - but actually I quite like them.

As with all the other figures in this post and throughout the challenge, these are the wonderful Adler Miniatures Napoleonics in a notional 6mm size.

Then I have the lost unit from the 5th Regiment of the Confederation.  Keen readers will (may???) recall from my post on 13 February that I felt I had purchased the wrong figures for the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Confederation Regiment - and so I only painted the 1st Battalion from Anhalt at the time.  I did further research and the conclusion I came to was that the figures I had were correct - but from before they were sent to the Peninsular.  So I stole a French Line unit from the stash instead and now present the long awaited 2nd Battalion of the 5th Regiment from Lippe.  I do like the colour that they carried.

Next we are onto more Spanish - but different units than painted previously.

Firstly, I have three battalions of Spanish Marine infantry.  The Spanish had 12 battalions of Marine Infantry and they are certainly in the OOB for Talavera.  I decided to give all three battalions the Coronela colour as I was particularly taken by the burgundy colour.  Besides it is a good way of identifying them as different to other Spanish infantry on the tabletop.

Lastly for the week I have three battalions of Spanish Militia in the 1802 brown uniform issued to (some) Provincial Militia units.  There was also the 1802 Blue uniform and a white one issued in 1805.  However, there are records from mid-1808 of 22 Provincial Militia regiments and all but five were still wearing the brown uniform.  

Points

3rd Swiss Regiment - three battalions of 36 @ 0.5 points plus 2 mounted = 56 points

Lippe Battalion from 5th Regiment - one battalion of 36 @ 0.5 points per figure = 18 points

Spanish Marine Infantry - three battalions of 24 @ 0.5 points per figure - 36 points

Spanish Militia Infantry - three battalions of 24 @ 0.5 points per figure - 36 points

Total = 146 points

From Millsy:

I feel a bit like one of Pavlov's dogs with a conditioned response. Whenever I see "6mm" in a draft post my brain immediately responds "Good stuff, Richard has got his stuff ready for me". This may be something I am forever unable to unlearn, rendering that particular set of neurons good for nothing else. If that's the price I have to pay, so be it.

Cracking brushwork as ever mate. For some reason a lot of people don't like brown coats or bicornes. I love em both. 146 more points added to your already significant tally. For a while I thought I could keep up but you're pulling away now. Nice one.

Cheers,

Millsy

EdwardG: Better late than never. A few little chaps on horses - 6mm British Napoleonic Cavalry (54pts)

 Hej hej all,

Well, while there are still ~2wks to go, I can safely say, I hope I'll not go through a repeat of this challenge time again. These past weeks have been a perfect storm of work overload, a harsh winter, illnesses at home, and a general hobby slump. I know we all go through it, but hopefully it's now behind me!

I had plans, BIG plans, for this Challenge. Last summer, I'd realised I had a lot of 28mm minis for SAGA (and other game systems) in the lead/plastic pile, and I'd resolved to get them painted. All of them. In hindsight, this was probably my first erorr. As I have filled 5x 4L really useful boxes with built and prepared minis...and some on top that I couldn't squeeze in. So far I've hardly made a dent. 

Instead, when I found myself on another work trip, I began painting some of my 6mm backlog. These chaps are the 5th British Cavalry brigade from the Waterloo ORBAT. Three units of light cavalry, in hussar uniform. They've taken longer than they should have to paint, but now they're done!

The units are scaled to match the number of squadrons and the frontage each would present in normal formation. This gives a grand total of 54 cavalry figures, including the command and ADC. 

All of the minis are from Baccus and were a pleasure to paint. 

Points:

54 x 6mm Cavalry = 54pts

Hopefully I'm able to find some mojo to chip away at the 28mm mountain I've created. With 2 weeks remaining I doubt I'll make my target, but never say never! 

Take care all! 

Edward

Hoi Edward, these things happen! You are on your way now at the least and whatever Life throws your way these miniatures have been finished in a gorgeous paintjob! Having painted some Bacchus miniatures I can concur with your judgement they paint up a treat but it's your excellent paintwork that makes them really shine. We all experience the troubles of real life and a hobby slump now and again and so it is something we all sympathize with let's hope you can get a little dent in the 28mm mountain before Challenge's End and afterwards just plan the unfinished projects for next year!

Cheers Sander 

From RichardM: Confederation of the Rhine dump and a few cavalry regiments (166 points)

A big dump of remaining Confederation of the Rhine units and the last of the British /KGL cavalry.  

As I come to the end of painting units from the Confederation of the Rhine a word on the madness of my hobby is perhaps warranted.  The units that I have painted were primarily engaged in small skirmishes, convoy protection and action against the Spanish guerillas - although some were in larger battles, particularly early in the war.  At the scale I play, few of their actions are likely to see the tabletop.  However, after I read about the units in the wonderful series of books by Digby Smith, I was taken by their variety both in origin and uniform.  Hence I decided to add them to my forces.  If they do not see the table in many historical refights, I expect I will bring them to the table when playing some what-if actions.   

Onto this week's contribution.  

First up is the 4th Regiment of the Confederation of the Rhine - three battalions composed of contributions from five Saxon states.  The 3rd battalion being a light battalion is dressed in green.  There is some uniform variation within the battalions given their mixed origins.  I was unable to find any information on colours used and given the numerous states there may not have been battalion colours.  So to outfit these battalions, I have used flags from states that comprise the battalions - Sachsen-Gotha for the 1st and 2nd Battalions and Sachsen-Weimar for the 3rd.  

3rd Light Battalion on the right

Next is the 6th Regiment of the Confederation of the Rhine - two battalions, with the 1st from Schwarburg and the 2nd from Waldeck and Reuss.   Again we have uniforms that vary by contingent and colours that I have added from the states of origin.   

Then we have the Princes' Battalion.  This was raised from six different small states of Thuringia whereby each house was to provide a company, consequently there is some variation in uniforms worn in the battalion.  They were ordered to the Peninsular in January 1809 where they were engaged in small actions and, like many other units, worn down to eventually become ineffective.  In 1810, the remaining troops were absorbed into the 5th and 6th Regiments (shown above).  They are unlikely to have had a battalion colour so I have used one from the House of Rudolstadt who provided the 2nd Company.

The next is the Frankfurt Battalion.  This entered the Peninsular in late 1808 after being mobilised by order of Napoleon in August 1808.  I have painted it in the white uniform that it entered the Peninsular with - it it believed to have changed to blue coats after the Battle of Medellin in March 1809.  There is also very little evidence or information on the colour that they carried so I searched for a Frankfurt colour that was used at another time. 

This cavalry unit fits the category of why do I bother.  It is the Nassau Chasseurs a Cheval and only ever had two squadrons in Spain.  I know this now that I have done some research on it - but at the time of purchasing the figures a few years ago I didn't look to see how many squadrons were raised - I just saw a regiment listed so purchased enough to do the four squadrons.  It was also only involved in skirmishes and small actions - but I am a completist and as I had the figures I painted them.  They did not carry a colour into the Peninsular - but that wasn't stopping me. 

Lastly there is the one additional Light Dragoon regiment for the British / KGL troops.  This is the 1st KGL Light Dragoons which are uniformed essentially the same as the two British Light Dragoon regiments I painted a few weeks ago.  This ends the Light Cavalry I need for the Allies in the Peninsular with three regiments in total.

Points

4th Regiment - three battalions each of 36 figures @ 0.5 points per figure = 54 points

6th Regiment - two battalions each of 36 figures @ 0.5 points per figure = 36 points

Princes' Battalion of 36 figures @ 0.5 points per figure = 18 points

Frankfurt Battalion of 36 figures @ 0.5 points per figure = 18 points

Nassua Chasseurs of 20 mounted figures @ 1 point per figure = 20 points 

1st KGL Light Dragoons of 20 mounted figures @1 point per figure = 20 points 

Total = 166 points

From Millsy:

Like you Richard I've always been captivated by the minor nations and allies in the armies of Napoleon. So often maligned they did an awful lot of the dirty work and received little credit for their contributions. My own "French" armies have always included a healthy number of Confederation, Saxon or Bavarian troops.

Their uniforms are interesting and diverse and depending on scale you can even mix uniforms in the same units because some contingents were simply too small to operate on their own as your Thuringians demonstrate.

I've thoroughly enjoyed your deep dive into these rarely seen units. It'd be great too see them all together in single photo if that's possible.

Great work as always mate and another 166 points added to your considerable tally.

Cheers,

Millsy