Monday, June 4, 2018

Spanish Napoleonic Cavalry Charge to Completion!


When I raised these three units (Line cavalry regiments del Rey and Algarve, plus the Garrochistas), they only had six figures each, instead of the usual 8 for my Cavalry units. 


This because Brigade games had not yet released the command packs for the Line cavalry or the Garrochistas, and I was hoping they would be coming out shortly.


Some correspondence with Lon made it clear that while they might be out before Historicon, it would be very unlikely that would happen with enough time to paint them. Thus I fell back on plan B - use the command pack for the Spanish Dragoons, there being little difference between they and the Line cavalry, and use the other variant pack for the Garrochista command.  


Thus ordered in April, I just finished the extra stand for each of the three units (the 3 figures left over were also painted,  will serve as sub-commanders, aides, etc). The flags are by Adolfo Ramos once again, although none of them are strictly speaking exactly right for their units. The flag carried by Del Rey (on the left of the picture) was actually a Hussar standard. I painted over the central; device on that, and replaced it with the proper "serpent-swallowing-a-man" device of Milan. This is a nod to tjhe origins of the regiment, the antecedents of which were raised in Lombardy circa 1536. The trumpet banners of the bear the same device. 


The Garrochistas were given the generic "Cavalry Guidon", and the Algarve regiment the standard of the Calatrava regiment. Happily, this flag has a silver border matching the white lace/white netal buttons of the regiment. I painted the emblem of the Calatrava regiment (an ornate red cross on a white background) on the trumpet banners for consistency.  


The trumpeters of the Line Cavalry wore "reversed colors", but as with the Dragoons, the most likely interpretation of that is red jackets, this time with dark blue turnbacks and pocket edging, with the facing colors otherwise as per the rest of the regiment. As the del Rey regiment had red facings, the trumpeter's collar, cuffs, and lapels remained red, with yellow/gold piping. 

19 comments:

  1. Very good looking brigade of cavalry, Peter!
    What is left to field for your Historicon game?

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    1. Thanks, Jon. Much better with their flags and trumpeters!

      In truth, very little remains - 1 unit of Spanish Light infantry in Bicorn, 1 unit of Highlanders, and a few generals, all already under way. There are few other completed items yet to appear on the blog as well.

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  2. Nice job, and it's great to see these units now completed.

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  3. What a wonderful and diversified collection...Superb!

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  4. Excellent looking regiments, wonderfully colourful!

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    1. Thanks, Mark. Yes, they are a colorful lot. It was a partly sunny day, and I almost needed sunglasses to photograph them! :-)

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  5. Very impressive! I don't always see Spanish cavalry represented in Napoleonic games.

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    1. Well, in all honesty, they look better than they fought historically, the previously mentioned charge of the King's Regiment (del Rey) at Talavera being a notable exception.
      I have six units (the above plus 2 Dragoons and 1 Hussar, all previously shown). If someone makes a Cazadore (Chasseurs) I might add a unit of them, but that will be about it for Spanish Cavalry regardless!

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  6. Lovely looking Spanish cavalry force!
    Best Iain

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  7. Just off the catwalk in Madrid ?? What a nicely varied bunch of horsemen

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    1. Thanks, Garry. Perhaps off the Flamenco stage? :-)

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  8. Looking sensational Peter. Love the Spanish cavalry of this period...as indeed did the French!

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  9. Looks great Peter. Your entire army is coming together quite well.

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    1. Thanks Jake. The Spanish are almost done, which is good because Historicon is just a bit over 4 weeks away now!

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