French Guard cavalry released!

[Leon]

It's been a while since we've had any new goodies for you so hopefully this long-awaited batch will cheer some of you up!  These French Guard cavalry types were sculpted many moons ago and got themselves firmly wedged in a mysterious crevice where we couldn't find them...    But with the shows all cancelled for the foreseeable we thought it was about time we caught up on some of those 'back burner' projects and get them released.

And here they are!  We've got the Guard Chasseurs a Cheval and Grenadiers a Cheval, plus Empress Dragoons and Red Lancers for good measure.  We've got some Guard infantry and artillery crews also in the pipeline but it'll be a little longer before we can get those ducks in a row.

Napoleonics
French - https://pendraken.co.uk/napoleonic/1809/french/
NPF45   Guard Chasseur a Cheval   £5.50
NPF46   Guard Grenadier a Cheval   £5.50
NPF47   Empress Dragoons   £5.50
NPF48   Red Lancers   £5.50


And the pics of course:

NPF45 - Guard Chasseur a Cheval


NPF46 - Guard Grenadier a Cheval


NPF47 - Empress Dragoons


NPF48 - Red Lancers



We've got another little release coming on Sunday, one for the cold Prussian winters of 1870...

[paulr]

Those will definitely cheer some up

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Nice stuff

[Steve J]

Nice figures there and the 1870 news is interesting .

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Fabulous additions.

I thought 1870 was complete, colour me interested!

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

I thought 1870 was complete, colour me interested!

Which colour of green is that ! 

[Zippee]

nice,
if I ever get round to wanting to field the guard.

any chance of those wurst guns

[John Cook]

The lancer will do nicely for Vistula Lancers and complement the Peninsular range. 

But, those poses.  Am I alone in not being keen on radically different poses?  For example, half the lancers with lances shouldered and half couched means that they will not all fit into the same unit.  Also, why must some cavalry be standing and others charging like a bunch of 'redskins'?   I prefer my cavalry to be uniform in appearance, standing or trotting with their weapons at the shoulder.  After all, cavalry spent most of its time waiting for something to happen.

[FierceKitty]

I like my lights in as many poses as possible, heavies very uniform.

[Zippee]

There's two poses = two units.

None of mine are mixed - same with the infantry.

The really sad thing is the bags and bags of unwanted and unneeded standard bearers 

[Ben Waterhouse]

Another number of sets on the list.... Lovely!

[paulr]

There's two poses = two units.

None of mine are mixed - same with the infantry.

The really sad thing is the bags and bags of unwanted and unneeded standard bearers 

If you let Leon know when you order I'm sure he would be happy to leave the standard bearers out

[WeeWars]

I prefer my cavalry to be uniform in appearance, standing or trotting with their weapons at the shoulder.  After all, cavalry spent most of its time waiting for something to happen.

When it comes to the Imperial Guard cavalry, I completely agree. The guard cavalry at Wagram is a good example. I'd be much more excited if Tony had embraced what we see at Horse Guards gatehouse rather than sculpt variations of existing lowly line equivalents.

I've read a rumble here on the forum about the Pendraken standing horses. But standing guard light cavalry would have been my preference. I'm fine with the standing poses. In fact, I like them. As it is the Emperor better watch his back, he may get trampled by the men meant to guard him. Excitement is also muted by not seeing the classic pose of the Chasseur guarding his emperor, which has been much requested.

Anyone interested in the Peninsula will, of course, be wanting what 1809ers have been requesting for years now: Chevauxlegers Polonais. As mentioned on this forum before, then you can re-enact the famous charge to Madrid.

[WeeWars]

If you let Leon know when you order I'm sure he would be happy to leave the standard bearers out

I can't speak for Zippee but the point may be that Tony's time - which we all know is precious - has been taken up (and Pendraken's money spent on) standard bearer figures for units that never had standard bearers. For example, for British Rifles, which was requested (although not on the list I provided), Austrian Grenadiers, etc. This kind of misdirection can only be to at the cost of what is actually needed to complete ranges. My Austrian army still can't field Horse Artillery.

[paulr]

A valid point

[Zippee]

Pretty sure Austrian grenadiers carried flags - we had a whole debate on what to call them and where the spares came from but there use I thought was well documented.

I've asked about cavalry standards a few times and Leon's response has always been 'many customers want them' - if that's so it's hard to argue with.

[John Cook]

There's two poses = two units.

None of mine are mixed - same with the infantry.

The really sad thing is the bags and bags of unwanted and unneeded standard bearers 

I don't necessarily want two units and even if I did I prefer all my units to be the same pose.  A mix of charging figures and others advancing, firing or doing something else means that half the pack is no use, to me anyway.  I like all my infantry and cavalry marching, with weapons shouldered.  This is how they'd be 90%, or more, of the time when they're not sleeping or eating. 

It is the principal reason I have not started a FPW project.  Look, for example, at those charging Prussian cuirassiers, two in a hell-for-leather pose that they'd adopt in the last 50-100 meters and one (officer?) that looks as it's doing some dressage, such that they are incompatible with each other and the rest of the cavalry in the range.

I agree about standards for cavalry units that never had them.  I can't imagine why people want, or expect them.  But, I always find something to do with them.  They end up converted to carrying swords, as couriers, personality figures, mounted artillery riders or harvested for parts, so they are not wasted.

Yes, you are quite right, Austrian grenadiers did carry flags.

[WeeWars]

Yes, indeed, Austrian grenadier battalions did have standards. From the oracle that is David Hollins:

"the converged Grenadier battalions carried a single spare Ordinarfahne throughout the period, except in 1805, where the Grenadiers were the Leib Battalion of the parent regt and so, as the senior battalion, carried the white Leibfahne."

I may have strayed into personal preference with that example so I'll accept that that's simply a compromise that I'm willing to take amidst all the necessary compromises. That example is more to do with every battalion 'looking like a colour party'. However, I do believe that energy and resources of time and cost of manufacture should be spent more on 'absolutes'. Did a unit always have a standard in the field? My personal preference is for more variations of the multitudes (French line infantry) and fewer light infantry and light cavalry extras like standards and drummers. And definitely not fantasy Napoleonics that never existed.

I don't find standard bearers easy to convert.

I completely agree with John, again, regarding the moment-in-time pose. Likewise, officers and men. My Austrian Napoleonic line officers stand in line while all their men march alongside.

[Zippee]

I'm in agreement - single pose units in some form of waiting or shouldered arms style is my preference but we work with what we have been blessed with.

There are more than enough people out there that want units with every single figure in a different pose and a different uniform - they're entitled to want that no matter how much I personally disagree with them 

As a manufacturer Leon has to supply both ends of the spectrum. I'm sure there are as many people frustrated that there are 'only' two poses as there are those who chaff under the burden of having to find some use for the 'other' pose.

Same goes for static v dynamic pose, particularly in cavalry. Though I hear the pain if the FPW heavies are all charging, I tend to accept the metric of light = dynamic, heavy = resting as a wargaming standard thing. Same as I'm happy with a dynamic, multipose skirmish line or base but not in a regular battalion.

These opinions hold true in every period for me - even my WW2 platoons tend to have sections in the same pose (as much to aid identification as anything)

[paulr]

...
As a manufacturer Leon has to supply both ends of the spectrum. I'm sure there are as many people frustrated that there are 'only' two poses as there are those who chaff under the burden of having to find some use for the 'other' pose.
...

Well said

Leon, will of course quite happily provide you with only the pose you want so you can avoiding chaffing