Les Francais...

After completing 2 units of infantry for Banst (previous post) I decided the motivation wasn't there and rather than it become a chore, I put them away and did something else.

As my reading (and brain) is stuck in a French & Indian War theme, it seemed sensible to work on that.....

After sorting out the marching figures and strengthening weak bayonets, followed by some sorting of units, both RSM and Rafm, I put to one side some French bought part painted. This was interrupted by a parcel which needed collecting from the post office. This turned out to be Rafm Flint & Feather range packs from Australia, mostly canoes, something I had not bought originally (but always coveted).

The figures were part of the lots which had lead rot. These however, had been part painted. The bases had something on the underside, which didn't look like the lead carbonate bloom on the others, more like undercoat or results of glue.

I debated stripping the figures, but in the end decided not to. If they had been primed, then it should have prevented the lead rot developing. As a precaution I removed the residue (which didn't produce the same black on the gloves) and brushed them with the gum turpentine and mineral oil solution.

My idea was that the pre-painting should save some time. It did mean trying to match someone else's painting style and somehow blending them with my existing figures. My French had all been painted just prior to switching to a black undercoat, so are simple block washes, without shading.

The figures appeared to have been painted black in most areas, followed by a drybrush of grey. After repairing areas in black where the paint had rubbed off, I coated some extra figures to make up the numbers for two battalions for Regiment Berry. Touching up the white meant I had a grey to use to blend in the new figures. After a couple of hours, I had this:

More work is needed to match my original units. In the background, is the command stand of Bearn - their flag has suffered the most from varnish discolouration and fading and I may attempt to freshen it up with paint. They are also there to provide a reminder of ancient painting style. 

The units were originally done for WRG's 1685 - 1845 rules at a 1:50 scale working on French units of 14 figures to include a separate grenadier and LI piquet figures. I'm not convinced the piquet skirmishers were around for the SYW, although in Europe, the French deployed entire regiments as skirmishers (from memory). I should re-read Lee Kennett. Anyway, for consistency, I have kept with 14 figure units even though Chartrand estimates the standard battalion of being 550 (11 figures), with Berry having 960 in its two battalions (480 or 9 -10 figures). The game works on 600 or 12 figure battalions. Real life unit strength varied due to captures at sea, reinforcements, desertion, death and disease and towards the end, the regulars were made up to strength with Canadian militia.

The extra figures will allow for the formation of ad-hoc grenadier battalions (as at Ticonderoga) or for variable scale games; for smaller battles, a higher figure ratio is probably needed, such as Lake George where the 200 men of La Reine represented by 14 figures = 1:15. Of course this does mean more figures for militia, native Americans etc.