Rushin' Russian Infantry

Aside from the various expansion needed for our 2012 Borodino Project, my rather large Russian Napoleonic army has seen little tabletop time, in part because I've been able to use Barry's excellent Front Rank Russians for most of the games where Ruskis are called for. The Austerlitz game this Saturday, though, will be done using all my own troops, the bulk of which are Minifigs. When I counted up the needed units, I discovered that I would be short at least three units of Russian Line Infantry (Musketeers). A search of the Great Lead Pile confirmed my recollection that I had sufficient lead for several more Russian units, and that most of them were wearing Greatcoats - both suitable for December weather, and speeding up painting time. So three units were added to the painting queue last month, and they are now marching off the painting table for your review!

The Kexholm Musketeer regiment. I have a sneaking suspicion these guys were converted to Grenadiers at some point, but I needed a unit that was both originally in the St Petersburg inspection (so that I could use this gorgeous GMB flag, which was already on hand, like the Lead for the figures), and had green Shoulder Straps in at least one of the later Divisional organizations, and this is the unit that fit the bill!

As usual, the color intensity and artistry of the GMB flags is amazing. Just painting the edges of the flag was all that I needed to do - and I didn't glue it on upside down for once, either! The large GMB flags are hard to fit onto the smaller Old Glory flagstaffs, hoever. ! 

As usual, these Old Glory 28mm figures have lots of animation. The Musketeers have the white-in-green cockades of a 2nd battalion (usually kept in depot). 

I used Craftsmart Khaki for the overcoats of this unit, and different shades of brown for the other 2 units. The "Magic Wash" worked very well on them. 

Next up is the Sofia Musketeer Regiment. Here I need a unit that was originally in the Livonian Inspection (so that I could use another of the beautiful "spare" GMB flags I already had on hand), and with blue shoulder straps.

I have yet to paint the flagstaff and finial, so it is still in "Floral Wire Green"; that detail will be attended to tonight. These Old Glory figures have a different, "relaxed marching" type pose, with the Grenadier company on the right front of the unit. 

Medium brown (Craftsmart Golden Brown) was used for their greatcoats, and they have the green within white cockades of a 1st battalion. Once again, just a bit of the right shade of turquoise blue paint to the edges of the GMB flag, and I am  2/2 at gluing them on right side up on this lot!

When I was failing to find my copy of Nafziger's booklet (for the listing of Inspection and Division distinctions - I went with the listing in the Osprey on the Russian Infantry of the Napoleonic Wars), I saw a site, ? warlord  Games, that claimed that after 1812 the cuffs of the greatcoats were in the Division seniority color (white, red, green, blue). I have never seen that anywhere else before, so I suspect it is an error, and should refer instead to the shoulder straps, as seen above (and on their green jackets). 

The final unit of today's Russian Troika is the Tambov Musketeer regiment. Here I didn't have a GMB flag, but wanted a unit with red shoulder straps, and not from the St Pete or Livonian inspection. 

These great coats, obviously, are a much darker brown (Craftsmart Expresso). 

White within blue cockades for these guys, indicative of the 3rd battalion of a regiment. My Pictoral Guide to Russian cockade and shoulder strap colors of the later Napoleonic Wars is here. 

Their flag is that of the Moscow Inspection from the Napflag/Warflag site, printed out and enhanced, as usual, with some orange paint... and right side up - 3 out of 3. Woo-Hoo!  :-) 

There we have them - three new units, (almost) all ready for the 211th (plus 1 day) anniversary Battle of Austerlitz this Saturday!